1. Everything Everywhere All at Once - Any movie that can make me laugh, cry, and think WTF at the time is doing something right. Who knew two rocks talking could be that emotional. It took 6 years for The Daniels to follow up Swiss Army Man but it was worth the wait. It’s pretty bizarre so might not be everyone’s cup of tea but I loved it.
2. Wakanda Forever - Marvel Phase 4 has been pretty uneven but Wakanda Forever hit all the right notes for me. Going in I was wondering how they would deal with the death of Chadwick Boseman. By making a movie about people grieving it felt like the characters were grieving the same death we were. Obviously there is a vacuum created by losing such talent and presence and you feel that in the movie occasionally. It also falls back on some familiar Marvel Tropes (at least no sky beam) but it had great action sequences and a fantastic score.
3. Nope - Wasn’t sure what to expect from Jordan Peele’s third movie but it hooked me in and never let go. Loved the sci-fi elements and had some good scares. Who knew there could be more done in the alien invasion genre.
4. Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - It doesn’t get any better than Nicholas Cage playing Nic Cage. The movie is ridiculously over the top and a whole lot of fun.
5. The Wonder- Wanted to include this on my list because so few people are talking about it. While Don’t Worry Darling was getting all the publicity this Florence Pugh project came out of nowhere and quietly dropped on Netflix. It has great writing and of course Pugh brings her A game. It’s a mystery that unravels slowly but it's never boring.
6. The Menu - I got invited to an early screening of this movie and couldn’t make it. But finally caught up with it when it dropped on HBOMAX and absolutely loved it. It's a psychological thriller that keeps you waiting for things to go nuts. When it does it’s just a whole lot of fun. Not sure I will ever think of S’mores the same way.
7. Tie: X and Pearl- watched these pretty much back to back (one on New Year’s Eve and one on New Year's Day) so they are kind of one film for me. Ti West made two great horror movies in one year. They are very different from each other but compliment each other nicely. Mia Goth is amazing in both. Can’t wait to see where the series leads.
9. Elvis - I came to this one late. I already had my Top 10 made and almost ready to share but then I watched this to get ready for Oscar nominations. I totally did not expect to like this movie as much as I did. I typically don't like Baz Luhrman's over the top productions but Elvis is a larger than life man and fit perfectly into Luhrman's style. I don't know how much of this movie is true but it's compelling and the acting is pretty incredible.
10. After Yang - While this movie technically had its world premiere in 2021 it did screen at Sundance in 2022. It is a small sci-fi film about a family dealing loss. Besides for themes about death and loss, it's a pretty G rated film. Colin Farrell anchors the film with a great performance and while it's a bit slow I still found it a great watch.
Honorable Mentions
RRR - If I saw this in theaters I probably would have loved this movie. Watching it at home with lots of distractions and having to stop and pause it a bunch of time didn’t let me get the fullest enjoyment out of it. I also had the English dub on for part of it and that was a mistake much better in its original language. I am looking forward to watching it again with fewer distractions.
Bones and All - Sometimes when you go into a movie expecting one thing but get another it can take you out of it a bit. That was my experience with Bones and All. I went in expecting a gory horror movie about cannibals but got a cannibal love story instead. Another one I’m looking forward to seeing again now that I know what I’m getting into. But some great performances.
White Noise - This movie is bizarre and think will get better with future watches. Or maybe it will get worse I don't know. But the acting is great and dialog is snappy. It makes it feel like the film is trying to say something but pretty sure it's only trying to say no how matter how smart you think you are people are stupid. Lot's of things don't make sense but neither does life. This is a movie that begs you to overthink it.
Thor: Love and Thunder - While not as good as Thor: Ragnarok, it’s one of the few movies my kid wanted to see in the theaters with me, so it made the movie extra special. He loved it and I loved watching him love it.
Crimes of the Future - Some movies are just so weird that you will never forget it. Crimes of the Future is that movie. I wish the ending was a little better. I felt like I fell asleep and woke up in a different movie. This is a movie I am going to recommend to everyone who wants to see a weird movie. Also has one of my favorite lines of the year “Surgery is the new Sex”.
