2022 had its fair share of big ticket hits that made movie fans happy, mad and everything in between. New movie releases ran a pretty wide gamut throughout the year, and as we start to close it all down in anticipation of 2023, it’s time to look back at those that made the loudest noise.
In 10 years time, I’m pretty confident we’ll be talking about the movies on the list you’re about to read. Some of the reasons are obvious, while others will need some more discussion. Either way, prepare to have these films in your catalog of movie talking points for the next decade, and quite possibly beyond.
Top Gun: Maverick
Is Top Gun: Maverick the movie that saved cinema? That’s a point that’s up for debate, and will continue to be discussed as we head into awards season. However, what can’t be argued is that Tom Cruise and Paramount’s game of chicken with theatrical delays payed off, as the legacy-quel flew high and tight into the record books for the year.
It may not have totally saved cinema, but Maverick sure reminded the world what an old school, crowd-pleasing hit looked like in theaters. Cruise's legacy-quel made the world a believer, and it's destined to be just as memorable as the Tony Scott original it carries the torch for.
Stream Top Gun: Maverick on Paramount+ starting 12/22.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Get your jokes about how we’ll be seeing Avatar sequels for at least six years after The Way of Water out now. Besides the timing of the rest of James Cameron’s planned arc, which may spread to a sixth and seventh Pandora adventure, the second installment is more than likely going to have the legs that its predecessor already built for itself.
Critical reaction to Avatar: The Way of Water seems to suggest that professionals are as blown away as when they saw Avatar back in 2009. Should that hold up with the common moviegoer, that could mean we’ll see Cameron’s full vision realized after all.
Avatar: The Way of Water is not available for streaming, but will likely stream on Disney+ TBD 2023.
The Whale
Actor Brendan Fraser’s resurgence arc with “The Brenaissance” has been that of personal triumph, and built largely on the back of director Darren Aronofsky’s cinematic adaptation of The Whale. Samuel D. Hunter’s play (and subsequent screenplay translation) has given Fraser a role that’s won him many accolades, and has him seemingly on track for a Best Actor Oscar win.
Yet the backlash against the film’s supposedly tone deaf handling of sensitive subject matter has created a head of steam rooting against this one. With such opposing forces at work, how the movie performs during awards season will definitely be keeping the conversation going for some time, especially if Brendan Fraser, or any other major wins, fall into this project’s bucket.
The Whale is not currently streaming, but will presumably debut on Showtime TBD 2023.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio
Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio was a passion project that sat for 15 years waiting to be made. Thanks to Netflix resurrecting the film, that dream has now become a living reality, and we’re all the better for it. Creating a fresh stop motion adaptation of Carlo Collodi’s legendary fairy tale, the same visual flair and bittersweet reality del Toro has become known for in films like Pan’s Labyrinth and The Shape of Water is finally accessible for the whole family.
The results are so beautiful that this is just another one of Guillermo del Toro’s works that’ll bring a smile to people’s faces when mentioned. Seeing as quite a few of his films have done that throughout the years, this feels like a wonderful example of par for the course. As the relationship between the director and Netflix continues to grow, this will be a perfect case for why both parties should continue to collaborate.
Stream Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio on Netflix.
Halloween Ends
Deep in your heart, you knew this was coming. Co-writer/director David Gordon Green’s Halloween Ends is another example of huge swings inspiring such a virulent reaction. Everything from complaints about how much Michael Myers was actually in the movie, to a whole petition to remake the entire film after it had been released, landed on the doorstep of the internet.
As Jamie Lee Curtis’s Laurie Strode has now taken her final bow, it looks like another hotly debated entry in the Halloween canon has just found its place at the table for the foreseeable future. That chair’s probably right in-between Halloween III: Season of the Witch and Rob Zombie’s 2007 remake.
Stream Halloween Ends on Peacock Premium.
Everything Everywhere All At Once
If Top Gun: Maverick was the blockbuster success story of the year, then Everything Everywhere All At Once is the indie darling that could in 2022. Writer/director team Daniels created a multiverse story that more than stands out against the many comic book movies playing around in that sandbox.
As the Michelle Yeoh-starring film crushed it at the box office for weeks, it opened up dialogue around mental health and representation on screen. More importantly, Everything Everywhere All At Once became such a buzzed about film that we’re still talking about it during the awards cycle, which is something considering it was released at the end of March. Also, the memes are strong with this one.
Stream Everything Everywhere All At Once on Showtime.
Elvis
Here’s a mixed bag of excitement that people are probably going to still be debating for some time long after Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis slips off of HBO Max’s servers. For every positive factor that’s been highlighter, like Austin Butler’s central performance, there’s a negative that threatens to outweigh it.
Whether it’s Luhrmann’s usual flare for the dramatic or Tom Hanks’ accented performance as Colonel Tom Parker, it’s not easy to fall on either side of the coin. That’s enough to keep this one on people’s lips, especially with potential golden wins and a four-hour cut eventually waiting to happen.
Stream Elvis on HBO Max.
The Batman
The Dark Knight was the Batman movie to hold above all others for quite a while, and it’s still widely regarded as one of the best movies for that character’s canon. Just as Christopher Nolan sent ripples through the world with his interpretation, The Batman redefined a classic DC Comics character for a new generation.
Though The Batman's sequel is already in the works, that’s not why Robert Pattinson’s turn as Bruce Wayne and his heroic alter ego will be talked about for the next 10 years. Rather, the results of this first chapter were just so impressive, it feels like the second coming of The Dark Knight and its grip on the Bat-canon for years after.
Stream The Batman on HBO Max.
Turning Red
Nostalgia for the Aughts is going to be a helpful angle when keeping Disney/Pixar’s Turning Red in the consciousness. That’s not the only factor, or even the most important one, when discussing why director Domee Shi’s animated heartwarmer will be remembered.
Through a story that unabashedly dug into anime influences and female adolescence, Turning Red crafted a comedy that is as lovable as its faux-boy band soundtrack. Mothers and daughters now have a movie to use as their own cultural touchstone, and that’s only going to see Turning Red passed down as a fond adventure in growing up, from one generation to the next.
Stream Turning Red on Disney+.
Hustle
Good Adam Sandler performances never die. 20 years after Punch Drunk Love, 15 years since Reign Over Me and a mere three years since Uncut Gems, each of those titles is still discussed as part of the ultimate Sandman canon. Hustle is about to find itself on that very same list, as Sandler has banked yet another entry of seriously good performances by comedians.
Sandler’s portrayal of an NBA talent scout fighting for a prospect he believes in has landed the SNL vet yet another buzzworthy movie. Even if he gets skipped by the Oscar nominations yet again, Adam Sandler just proved to the world that he’s still able to dunk on his critics with sterling work like Hustle.
Stream Hustle on Netflix.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
If we’re lucky, we’ll be on our fourth or fifth Benoit Blanc mystery by time 2032 rolls around. For now though, that’s an imaginary prospect that will only happen if Glass Onion: a Knives Out mystery lands the way Netflix hopes it will. Even with a ludicrously-short theatrical window, the Rian Johnson’/Daniel Craig reunion sparkled like the titular object of mystery.
That noise will only grow once the film debuts on streaming in time for the holidays. Bound to be remembered as another chapter in the eventually growing canon that looks to give Agatha Christie a run for her money, Glass Onion is the definitive proof that Rian Johnson's franchise has legs.
Stream Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix, starting 12/23.
X/Pearl
Talk about that “X” factor. Writer/director Ti West went from cinematic hibernation to firing on all cylinders with a duology of sexually-tinted slasher films centering on one woman’s quest for fame. Both X and Pearl saw Mia Goth’s daughter of a farmer fight and kill for what she wants, and that performance is enough to keep people singing the praises of these films.
Add on the fact that some are seriously hoping Goth gets some awards recognition for her work, and the promise of at least one more film in the series, and you’ve got a stealth horror success that delivered twice in one year. Who knows what other surprises Ti West has up his sleeve at this point, as he was able to keep both Pearl and the upcoming threequel MaXXXine under his hat without anyone revealing the secret.
Stream X on Showtime, with Pearl presumably arriving on the platform TBD 2023.
2022 was a year of fantastic triumphs, interesting experiments and notable stumblings. What movies falls into which bucket is a subjective lens, but that’s the sort of reality that keeps us all talking about the films that have just been listed. Let’s hope 2023 is just as interesting, if not more so, with the cinematic offerings that we’ll see at our local theaters in the months to come.
