For film, 2022 was defined by not only nostalgia, but a passion for new cinema. We’ve gotten our fair share of record-breaking follow-ups, such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Avatar: The Way of Water,” as well as love letters to film with “The Fabelmans” and “Babylon.” However, we also received movies that weren’t afraid to experiment with cinematic conventions, from the mind-bending “Everything Everywhere All at Once” to the genre-bending “Bones and All.”
2022 was a year marked by cinematic milestones and, to celebrate, here are our staff picks for the best films of 2022.
‘Bones and All,’ dir. by Luca Guadagnino
Tender is the flesh … and the heart.
“Bones and All” swept me off my feet with its romance, shocked me into reality by the horror and amazed me with the narrative interplay between the two. To love another person so entirely you literally consume them — what a disturbingly romantic exploration of desire. And with that exploration of desire came careful observation of the human body, emphasizing how it can become a site of violence or an object of affection.
In addition to a bizarre yet refreshing script and incredible performances, the aesthetic and sensory details truly breathed life into the film. The many landscape shots of the American Midwest create a hazy warmth, contrasting sharply against the many scenes of gruesome murder. The careful use of sound elevates both the romance and the cannibalism, with every crunch, kiss, slurp or shift of fabric adding depth and texture.
Unflinchingly disgusting and cloyingly saccharine, this film is good enough to eat — bones and all.
— Alexandra Kauffman, Staff Writer
‘Petite Maman,’ dir. by Céline Sciamma
Fragile and beautiful, Céline Sciamma’s “Petite Maman” is like ASMR. No, the film is not actually whispered into a microphone, but it almost feels like it could be. “Petite Maman” is a modern fairy tale following an eight-year-old girl named Nelly (Joséphine Sanz) who has just lost her grandmother (Margot Abascal). As she helps her parents clean out her grandmother’s home, Nelly begins to explore the surrounding woods, where she meets another girl of her own age (Gabrielle Sanz) building a treehouse.
The film is so intentionally made that it is hard to not just sit here and write that it is beautiful over and over again. The acting is gentle and precise, and Sciamma’s writing continues to capture such specific emotions effortlessly. At only 72 minutes, “Petite Maman” does not give you time to be bored, despite its intentionally-methodical pace. Sciamma put herself on the map with her 2019 film “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” and “Petite Maman” is an equally trenchant picture that only reinforces her skill.
— Daniel Rosen, Staff Writer
‘Bodies Bodies Bodies,’ dir. by Halina Reijn
In a surprisingly crowded group of 2022 films about rich people suffering and dying at the hands of each other, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” rises above the rest as a satirical celebration of the ridiculousness of Gen Z. Combining horror, comedy and a little bit of “Among Us” flare, Reijn creates a scathing portrait of the virtue signaling, narcissistic and spiteful nature of the newest generation’s most fabulous — and murderous — twenty somethings.
As the murder mystery unfolds, chaos ensues, truths are uncovered and lives are lost at the hands of paranoia-filled rich kids that seem to know nothing but how to hate each other. With a star-studded cast that includes Pete Davidson (Yes! He’s really in the movie!) and Rachel Sennot, the gun-firing, knife-wielding comedic magic that is “Bodies Bodies Bodies” deserves a watch from every member of our doomed and blossoming generation.
— Nathan Rubin, Staff Writer
‘Barbarian,’ dir. by Zach Cregger
Like revenge, “Barbarian” is a film best served cold. To go into too much detail would be to ruin the movie, which featured some of the best, most unexpected twists and turns of any film this year. It is full of sprawling suspense that leaps from the screen into the viewer’s mind, implanting seeds that blossom into intriguing critiques of horror tropes and current social issues. Above all, it questions who the real monsters are in this world.
This social commentary is complemented wonderfully with acting by Bill Skarsgård, Justin Long and Georgina Campbell, who all turn in outstanding and varied performances. The narrative structure of the film builds off the tension of the characters’ interactions, drawing the viewer in. This is a film that demands attention without asking too much to get it. It is compelling, thought provoking and, of course, inspires the kind of fear that keeps you up at night.
– Bridget Mackie, Contributing Writer
‘We’re All Going to the World’s Fair,’ dir. by Jane Schoenbrun
I have a complicated relationship with films that focus on the internet or social media. Given the speed with which an internet trend or phrase loses popularity, more often than not do these references harm the timeliness and world of the film. And there are a plethora of YA, coming-of-age flicks that feature some character dabbing or the word “fleek” that make my skin crawl from cringe. However, I don’t think that can be said of Jane Schoenbrun’s directorial debut, “We’re All Going to the World’s Fair.”
Schoenbrun expertly illustrates the world of creepypastas and alternate reality games, while also highlighting the effects they can have on developing teens. This latter point is emphasized by the unsettling performance of Anna Cobb who plays Casey, a teen who gets sucked into this online community and can’t tell what’s real or not. Mix that with the unnerving found footage elements, the sorrowful score composed by Alex G and the thematic exploration of dysphoria, and you’re left with a disconcerting masterpiece that will especially resonate with Generation Z.
– Eythen Anthony, Arts and Entertainment Editor
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ dir. by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan
The multiverse done right. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” combines comedy, drama and sci-fi into the best movie of 2022. The story follows Michelle Yeoh as Evelyn, a mother trying to navigate her loveless marriage and failing relationship with her daughter. This is all thrown on its head when the fate of the universe falls upon Evelyn’s shoulders as the multiverse converges upon her.
The film centers around the troubles of generational gaps between mother and daughter, attempting to show through all the differences that there is nothing as important as family. The film also deals with the tough subject of individuality versus self sacrifice. In different universes, Evelyn is a world-famous movie star longing for her husband or a lonely martial arts expert. Still, in the original universe, Evelyn is falling out of love with her husband as she struggles with her decision to divorce him. The film once again falls back on the answer that on top of everything, nothing is more important than family and love.
— Spencer Friedland, Staff Writer
