It’s over halfway through 2022, so what are my top five films released this year? Let’s start at five and count up:
5. THE NORTHMAN — Robert Eggers has delivered some stunning historical hallucinatory horror with THE WITCH (2015) and THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019). In THE NORTHMAN, Eggers offers the same attention to historical detail, similar amounts of psychedelic imagery and perhaps a lighter dusting of horror than we’ve become accustomed to, all wrapped up in an action blockbuster.
4. BLACK PHONE — Based on a Joe Hill story, BLACK PHONE follows a young boy escaping the basement of a child murderer. The dream sequences in the film, unlike most, were a strong point, and while some child performances were flat, a few (especially Madeleine McGraw) were absolutely perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ethan Hawke play someone quite so evil, but he really delivers here. It is an all-around solid horror flick that will be shown at sleepovers for years to come.
3. X — Perhaps the most entertaining horror spectacle so far in 2022, X follows a group of young people in the 70’s shooting a sex film at a guest house they’ve rented from an older couple on a farm. Reminiscent of folk horror like Texas Chainsaw, X shapes up to be a fun neo-slasher with a few laugh-out-loud moments and some very, very memorable scenes (yes, sexy, but not the kind you might expect going in).
2. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE — This film is ridiculous, it’s BIG, and it has a lot of heart. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE is the kind of movie that is relentlessly entertaining while at the same time focusing the entire script on a handful of impactful emotional payoffs. Seriously, if this movie doesn’t make you feel things, you need to check your pulse.
1. RRR — This movie exemplifies everything I love about film. Like EEAAO, RRR is a big production with ridiculous, implausible action sequences and investment in its characters. Why did I rank it higher than EEAAO? Simply because I had to put one film at #1 and another at #2, and because RRR has musical numbers. This film was 3 hours long and I could’ve sat through 3 more hours. I sincerely hope it’s popularity brings more films like it into the American mainstream.
There it is, my totally objective and uncontroversial mid-year top five of 2022. I’m sure you agree with the placement of every entry on this list. It has been a remarkably strong year so far, and I am so curious, and excited, about how the top 5 might look by December. Happy viewing!
Jacob N. Given 