by Victoria Potenza, Staff Writer

Many people have said it, but I would like to echo this sentiment, 2022 has been a banner year for movies! As of right now I have seen 83 releases from this year and only a handful of them were bad. Indie movies alone have been absolutely incredible. I covered about 5 film festivals this year and was able to see so many memorable movies. There have been amazing women, international, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC stories and filmmakers that have graced the big screen this year. This means I had to make some tough choices. There are movies I absolutely loved and adored that couldn’t make the list simply because of how insane the quality of movies was this year. So while it took some time to fine tune this list, I tried to lean into my feelings and intuition to pick the movies that really affected me. The ones that made me laugh and cry. The ones that brought a smile to my face and the ones that tormented my mind days and weeks after watching. So for your consideration, here is my top 15 films of 2022. 

15. Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (dir. Ana Lily Amirpour)

Ana Lily Amirpour is uniquely skilled at world building and crafting characters. Her stories are often set in desolate areas with quirky ensemble characters whom we spend a short period of time with. But somehow these people that could seem like they could be stereotypical and one dimensional are crafted with such care that it is hard not to fall for them. There is a clear love for the world that she is making and it shines through all of her narratives. They are often meandering tales similar to Jarmusch “hang out” movies, but she has her own flair including memorable soundtracks. Amirpour is such an incredible talent and it is impossible not to appreciate the care that goes into her work. Kate Hudson, Ed Skrein, Jeon Jong-seo, and Evan Whitten give stand out performances that fill the impeccable looking backdrop that Amirpour provides. It is hard not to become engrossed in the world of Mona Lisa. 

14. Vengeance (dir. BJ Novak) 

It is 11:41PM on the day this list is due and here I am making an insane last minute decision before I resubmit. My mom suggested we watch this together after struggling to collectively pick a movie for an hour. I immediately enjoyed the performances and the overall tone Novak was going for, but as the movie went on I realized I was having a strong emotional reaction to what I was seeing. It’s social commentary on true crime, exploitation, and the “dead girl” trope all drew me in immediately. Then as the movie continued it made me reflect on finding connections in modern society and deciding on what mark we want to leave behind on the world. Novak, Kutcher, and Holbrook give great leading performances. Plus the supporting cast of Issa Ray and new faces like Zach Villa give so much to the film. I’m desperate to have conversations and dig deeper into some of the larger ideas but the fact that this had such a profound affect on me was reason enough to impulsively add this. 

13. A Wounded Fawn (dir. Travis Stevens)

I love some folklore and mythology in my movies, and I am thrilled I took the time to check this out before making my end of year list. Through incredible colors, effects, mythology, and art, Stevens creates a beautiful and nightmarish movie that sticks with you. Stevens even recreates one of my favorite paintings in a shot that took my breath away. I have thoroughly enjoyed Stevens' other work, but A Wounded Fawn truly highlights what an interesting and creative director he is. Returning to this movie will be such a delight, there is not enough use of Greek mythology in horror so I was thrilled to see someone use it in such a unique way. Sarah Lind and Malin Barr both give memorable performances and I hope we see them in more creative works like this one. As we get news of AMCs layoffs, movies like this remind me why Shudder is such an important service that can be used to highlight indie filmmakers. 

12. Everything Everywhere All at Once (dir. Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert) 

I wish I had the time to rewatch movies like this because I know how much I loved it in the theater, but it was so early in the year that it slowly fell down the list as time went on. Then I came home for Christmas and my family had just seen the movie and were so energized and in love with the movie that it reminded me how good my viewing was. So I made some room and brought it back in because it really is such a marvel in so many ways. It takes a complicated sci-fi concept and turns it into something that is fun and accessible. Michelle Yeoh gets to demonstrate what a powerhouse she is while Stephanie Hsu and Ke Huy Quan match her every step of the way. Some of the moments that moved me the most and made me laugh the most this year are all contained in this one story. The amount of love and work that went into this movie permeate through the screen. I know this will make plenty of “best of” lists for the year but I still felt like it deserved a place in mine. Plus Raccacoonie. 

11. Tár (dir. Todd Field)

After watching Tár I knew I liked it, but I did not feel like I loved it. There were also a lot of gothic horror elements to the story that, in further conversation, other people said they did not pick up on. So I began picking apart scenes and throwing out my crazy theories at anyone that would listen and that made me realize how much Tár affected me. There was so much I had to say and was excited to talk about with other fans of the movie and that is one of the things that gets me the most excited to be a movie fan. The longer I sat with it, the more I was excited about it. Cate Blanchett is enthralling every time she is on screen. It’s commentary on how the patriarchy and white supremist culture can be internalized by a queer woman was fascinating and that alone lends itself to so many deep conversations. I know there is more I want to say about this movie that has not fully formulated in my brain but I look forward to returning to this when I am ready. Also if anyone has the hookup on Lydia’s wardrobe, please let me know. 

10. Nope (dir. Jordan Peele)

This was one I was able to watch this a second time when my mom said she wanted to catch up on some 2022 releases this week. I loved how straightforward and powerful Get Out was, but I also love how Peele’s movies since then have been a little more layered and complex in their themes. Watching this again a few months later, I noticed themes around “spectacle” in relation to how we have seen Black people used as spectacle (like OJ and the Bronco chase, and OJ is also the name of Kaluuya’s character). There are so many conversations that can be had around his movies. He also centers incredible actors like Steven Yeun and Keke Palmer. Daniel Kaluuya gives one of my favorite performances of the year. He is skilled at conveying so much expression with his subtle facial expressions. Plus, you get a wonderful cameo from Keith David who makes everything he is in better. The score, the cinematography, the creature design, it all shines through. We are so lucky to have Peele. 

9. Prey (dir. Dan Trachtenberg) 

As a fan of 10 Cloverfield Lane, I was excited that Trachtenberg would be directing an installment in the Predator franchise. However, I did not expect him to make a movie that surpasses the original. We still do not have enough stories that center indigenous populations, so the fact that this story pays tribute to the Comanche tribe and even has a dubbed version in their language was incredibly exciting. This is a shining example of why diversity in our storytelling matters. Amber Midthunder gives an amazing performance as the protagonist and is able to show off her range of skills while going up against a symbol of toxic colonizer masculinity. This is a great horror/action hybrid that is as entertaining as it is meaningful. Plus, this made so many fragile men online mad which is one of the greatest gifts we can receive. If you have not seen it already I implore you to watch it in the Comanche dub to truly soak in the amount of work that went into representing a culture that has almost been lost due to colonization. 

8. Mad God (dir. Phil Tippett) 

As someone who grew up on Star Wars and stop motion animation like Wallace and Gromit and Prometheus and Bob, I was immediately excited when I heard about Mad God. With no dialogue and an otherworldly setting, its story often feels loose but there is so much meaning that can be derived from 

Tippett’s artistic feet. I was also lucky enough to have the opportunity to see this on the big screen which was truly a magical experience. This is a huge labor of love and that can be felt throughout the movie. The sheer amount of work that went into crafting all of the creatures and intricate set pieces is astonishing. Throughout the movie we get themes around creation, destruction, capitalism, and the magic of the universe. I have never seen anything quite like Mad God, and I don’t think I will again but I think that future watches of this artistic marvel will reveal new ideas and thoughts. Everyone can take something different away from this and that in and of itself is truly special. 

7. Bone and All (dir. Luca Guadagnino)

So there was no way in hell I was not going to love the queer cannibal love story movie. But it affected me so much that when I sat down to write my review I cried multiple times trying to distill what this movie meant to me. I still don’t know if I have all the words. This was the first movie that really sold Timothée Chalamet to me as a star. It is about generational trauma, coming into your own, deciding how you want to live your life, and accepting the death that awaits us. I am also a huge Trent Reznor fan so the score he and Atticus Ross crafted for this was almost as emotional as the movie itself. The song “(You Made it Feel Like) Home” is so beautiful and the lyrics pair perfectly with the love story we see unfold in the story. It is a movie that is so full of the raw human emotion that many of us, myself included, try to avoid. And it is also full of blood and guts so it truly has something for everyone. 

6. Terrifier 2 (dir. Damien Leone)

I have only seen Terrifier once and it felt like a “right of passage” horror movie that I needed to see. I remember enjoying it but not thinking much more about it afterwards. But the buzz around Terrifier 2 aroused my interest. It has been awhile since I heard the stories about people passing out or getting sick while watching a movie, and those stories made people flock to the theater. Seeing Terrifer 2 with an excited packed theater made my heart sing for this little indie movie. The blood and gore is next level and just as gross as I would expect, but this differed from the first in that it took its time to craft and build a story for a final girl that could go toe to toe with Art the Clown. Lauren LaVera is amazing as the protagonist Sienna and she is able to be the sexy party girl and the tough final girl at the same time. They subvert the tropes we know from other slashers and they have fun doing it. The practical effects and mythology building that have become a part of this franchise are so exciting. This movie and the creative team behind it deserve all the recognition that they have coming to them because this is truly a horror fan's labor of love. 

5. RRR (dir. S.S. Rajamouli) 

I am ashamed to admit that a 3-hour runtime can really turn me off when deciding what to watch. But this year I have tried to be better about finding the right time to dedicate to these longer films. This was another watch that deserved the buzz it had coming. RRR is an absolute blast, so much so that I barely felt the length of the film. N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan Teja own the screen. The movie really hinges on the leads and the relationship they make, and these  two have so much chemistry that it makes it all worth it. The “Naatu Naatu” dance number in RRR is one of the best cinematic moments in history. The action, choreography, effects, and performances are on another level. Seeing international films like this find so much success in North America makes me so happy. It makes me hopeful that we will see more international films get imported our way. If you haven’t seen this, what are you even doing?

4. Pearl & X (dir. Ti West)

This is a cheat, but they are both so good and I could not knock either of them off the list. I love Ti West and House of the Devil is one of my favorite horror movies. X was one of my most anticipated of the year and it blew me away. It is a great straightforward slasher that has a great cast and even manages to pepper in some positive conversations around sex work. Brittany Snow is an absolute goddess. So when the movie ended and we got a trailer for Pearl, a prequel movie that was already filmed with a summer release date I was beaming. I had no idea what to expect from it but I knew I wanted it. When I sat down in the theater a few months later to watch Pearl a grin crept up on my face that did not go away until I fell asleep that night. West is great at evoking the feeling of the time period his movies are set in. Pearl is a technicolor nightmare; it is gorgeous, bloody, and chaotic. Mia Goth gives so much life to her character and makes it hard to not feel empathetic for the killer. Pearl did not need an origin story but I am so glad she got one because I needed to know more about this killer lady. 

3. Dinner in America (dir. Adam Rehmeier) 

Over the past few years Kyle Gallner has become one of my favorite performers. He is an indie king who has lent his acting chops to some great films. I am glad I took the time to watch a non horror movie so I could fall in love with Simon and Patty. This is cute, punk, chaotic, and romantic as hell. Emily Skeggs is an incredible actor and the song “Watermelon” that she sings in the movie is one of the best songs in film this year. I love stories about weirdos that find each other in a world that wants to reject them. Maybe that’s because I have always felt like a weirdo and even felt a little unlovable at times. So this story hit me hard. I laughed, I cried, and I giggled with pure joy while watching this. Gallner and Skeggs have great chemistry and I hope we get to see them in some other get some more interesting roles to show off their talent. This movie just makes me very happy and very emotional. We deserve more unconventional love stories like this one!

2. Crimes of the Future (dir. David Cronenberg) 

This was another emotional moviegoing experience for me, but for different reasons. I have been writing about Cronenberg for years and I feel that I am the writer I am today because of him. When I started writing about his work it seemed like there was little chance he would get back in the director's chair, but then Crimes of the Future came along. When his name came up on the screen my eyes welled with tears. I knew I would love it, but seeing how he was able to slip back into his horror roots and confront many of the same themes of his other films, in a new and exciting way, made me so happy. Cronenberg has found a great creative partner in Viggo Mortensen and he is exceptional alongside Léa Seydoux. Cronenberg makes me very introspective because I see many of my interests and anxieties reflected in his work. As a piece that deals with the current state of the world and how humans can adapt to fix the wrongs they have committed against the planet, I was ecstatic. 

1. Decision to Leave (dir. Park Chan-wook)

Park Chan-wook has quickly become one of my favorite directors. Thirst, The Handmaiden, and Stoker are some of my favorite movies and even ones like Oldboy that I originally hated, I have grown to love. I have also become a big fan of the erotic thriller so the fact that this was advertised as such made me very excited. Not only is Decision to Leave an absolute filmmaking marvel to look at it, but it is also deeply moving and very strange (kind of a perfect combination for me). This is another unconventional love story and Park Chan-wook even found a way to structure the film around their love. I have never seen a crime scene portrayed as a love letter but he found a way to do it. This also has another killer pairing; Tang Wei and Park Hae-il who’s chemistry permeates every scene they are in. Even simple scenes of the two standing in the rain and talking are so compelling just because of the way the two look at eachother. As soon as it ended I knew it would be my number one. 

So that is a wrap on 2022! I have plenty of things to catch up on and I am also standing by waiting for some of the gems 2023 will have to offer. You can find my full ranked list of 2022 movies on Letterboxd. I would also like to give a shout out to a few movies that did not make the top 15 but that deserve recognition: Hypochondriac, Holy Spider, Please Baby Please, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, Shin Ultraman, and Incantation. Watch more horror, watch more indie films, watch more international films, seek out the weird and unusual, and find narratives from people who are totally different from you. Excited to talk 2023 movies with you all soon!