Once again, we have assembled some friends and colleagues to contribute lists of their favorite feature films of the year. Festival and international films from prior to this year were eligible if they were distributed in the United States in 2022. 2022’s festival and international films were likewise eligible, even if they have not yet reached wider distribution.
See our favorite Dark Side of the Screen picks here.
Wesley Caldwell — Producer
Honorable Mentions: AMBULANCE / CONFESS, FLETCH / DECISION TO LEAVE / JACKASS FOREVER / KIMI / THE NORTHMAN /TRIANGLE OF SADNESS / WATCHER
#10. THE WHALE
#9. THE BATMAN
#8. X
#5. BARBARIAN
#4. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
#2. NOPE
#1. BONES AND ALL
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
BARBARIAN: AJ’s intro
THE BATMAN: Batman patrols on Halloween
BONES AND ALL: the hard cut to Trent Reznor’s “(You Make It Feel Like) Home” ballad in a moment of violence
CONFESS, FLETCH: Fletch talks to Eve as she nearly burns down her kitchen
ELVIS: the ending cross-cutting between Austin Butler and the real Elvis
THE FABELMANS: Sammy meets John Ford
NOPE: Gordy’s Home
THE NORTHMAN: Queen Gudrún’s big monologue
PEARL: Pearl smiles over the end credits
SMILE: the creature gets up close and personal
*****
Dave Cowden — Marvel Studios
Honorable Mentions: None
#10. THE BATMAN
#8. WHAT DO WE SEE WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SKY?
#7. REFLECTION
#6. KIMI
#5. GREAT FREEDOM
#4. MEMORIA
#3. ARMAGEDDON TIME
#2. VORTEX
#1. TÁR
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
AFTER YANG: the family dance
ARMAGEDDON TIME: Paul and his Grandpa set off a rocket at the park
BARBARIAN: AJ whips out the measuring tape
THE BATMAN: “Two years of nights have turned me into a nocturnal animal.”
THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER: the howling “woodwind” motif melds into the pitch changes and melody of Julie crying in bed
ÎNTREGALDE: obscured movement is seen in the shadows outside the car window
NEST: fireworks reflecting on the treehouse
NOPE: a wide shot inside Jean Jacket shows the Star Lasso spectators flailing upwards
ONE MAN DIES A MILLION TIMES: the seed bank is framed as a bookend piece, post-famine
WE’RE ALL GOING TO THE WORLD’S FAIR: arcade tickets are pulled from a forearm
*****
Mike Dillon — CTVA 102
Honorable Mentions: AFTER YANG / THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN / THE COURTROOM / LITTLE JAR / NO BEARS / PLAYGROUND / REFLECTION / RETURN TO SEOUL / SAINT OMER
#10. BABY ASSASSINS
#9. NEPTUNE FROST
#8. KIMI
#7. HIT THE ROAD
#6. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
#5. GOD’S COUNTRY
#3. TÁR
#2. BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES
#1. HOLY SPIDER
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
THE ADAM PROJECT: the bar scene / Big Adam encounters his mom
ATHENA: riot shields vs. fireworks
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN: “There’ll be none of that! I didn’t come here for licks!”
GOOD BOY: Frank the Dog speaks
FEED ME: Lionel pours a perfect flute
JACKASS FOREVER: Ehren and the pogo stick
LUX ÆTERNA: the strobe
PEARL: Pearl’s final close-up
RRR: “Naatu Naatu”
V/H/S/99: Mabel the Skull-Biter
*****
Julie Garcés — Editor
Honorable Mentions: ARMAGEDDON TIME / BABYLON / BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS / EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE / TOP GUN: MAVERICK
#10. PEARL
#9. CLOSE
#8. TÁR
#7. HAPPENING
#6. FUNNY PAGES
#5. ARGENTINA 1985
#2. HOLY SPIDER
#1. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
ARGENTINA 1985: Julio Strassera’s closing speech
BABYLON: the rattlesnake scene
BARBARIAN: AJ explores the basement
BARDO: FALSE CHRONICLE OF A HANDFUL OF TRUTHS: Luis speaks with his father
THE FABELMANS: the final cameo / lighting the cigar
FUNNY PAGES: explaining why the bathroom window is broken
HOLY SPIDER: Rahimi goes undercover
PEARL: Pearl’s dance audition and aftermath
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS: sliding around on the bathroom floor
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Aksel and Julie’s conversation at the hospital
*****
Teddi Gaydos — MFour Mobile Research
Honorable Mentions: BABY ASSASSINS / BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES / EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE / HATCHING / MAD GOD / NOPE
#10. WATCHER
#9. TÁR
#8. FEED ME
#7. THE GOOD BOSS
#6. NAVALNY
#5. ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED
#4. JACKASS FOREVER
#2. THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
#1. GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
BROS: Peter tells his grandmother he’s in a throuple
THE FABELMANS: Mitzi’s speech about choosing happiness
FEED ME: Lionel steals a restaurant lamp
GOOD LUCK TO YOU, LEO GRANDE: Nancy and Leo dance
JACKASS FOREVER: “The Silence of the Lambs”
THE MENU: The Mess
RRR: “Arrest that bastard!”
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Julie stops time
YOU WON’T BE ALONE: Bosilka imitates the female villagers
*****
Marisa John — AdQuadrant
Honorable Mentions: HELLRAISER / PREY
#10. THE NORTHMAN
#9. MOLOCH
#8. PEARL
#7. THE HOUSE
#6. GOD’S COUNTRY
#5. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
#3. RRR
#2. THE SADNESS
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: pinky Kung Fu
HELLRAISER: Voight selects “Leviathan”
NO EXIT: Larz’s death
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL: the escape from the asylum
PREY: the final battle
RRR: the “Naatu Naatu” dance-off
TERRIFIER 2: the bedroom murder
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS: the vomit sequence
V/H/S/99: the Mabel segment
X: Pearl’s dance to “Oui Oui Marie”
*****
Daniel Love — Sony Pictures
Honorable Mentions: None
#10. TURNING RED
#9. FIRE ISLAND
#7. MOONAGE DAYDREAM
#5. GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO
#4. LIVING
#3. NOPE
#2. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
#1. GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
BARBARIAN: AJ takes a call while driving
THE BATMAN: Carmine Falcone plays pool
THE BOB’S BURGERS MOVIE: Tina’s dream to “take off those bulky jeans”
CRIMES OF THE FUTURE: the purple candy bar
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: sexy hotdog hands
GLASS ONION: the COVID gun / “You’re good.”
NOPE: Jupe show’s off his Gordy’s Home collection
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO: Mussolini sees Pinocchio
PREY: the French trappers get “trapped” back
X: Pearl feeds the alligator
*****
Henry McComas — Crooked Lake Productions
Honorable Mentions: HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL / KIMI / MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON / PREY / SOMETHING IN THE DIRT / SONIC THE HEDGEHOG 2
#10. BODIES BODIES BODIES
#8. BARBARIAN
#7. THE BATMAN
#5. X
#4. VIOLENT NIGHT
#3. BONES AND ALL
#2. NOPE
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
BARBARIAN: AJ measures the square footage under his house
THE BATMAN: the Batmobile stalls / Also… “Something in the Waaaaay”
BODIES BODIES BODIES: “He was a veterinarian!”
THE MUNSTERS: date night with Count Orlock (it was funny, okay?)
NOPE: the Gordy/Jupe fist bump
ON THE COUNT OF THREE: Val tries to hold on during a high-speed chase
ORPHAN: FIRST KILL: Esther driving and smoking while listening to “Maniac”
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS: guests falling apart while staff cleans up to anti-establishment music
VIOLENT NIGHT: Trudy fights the bad guys with HOME ALONE tactics
X: Pearl dances in the beam of blood-soaked headlights like a goddamn movie star
*****
Aaron Neuwirth — Out Now with Aaron and Abe
Honorable Mentions: BEYOND THE INFINITE TWO MINUTES / CATCH THE FAIR ONE / THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER / GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO / MAD GOD / MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON / MR. MALCOLM’S LIST / THE NORTHMAN / RETURN TO SEOUL / SALOUM / TOP GUN: MAVERICK
#10. KIMI
#9. NEPTUNE FROST
#8. ATHENA
#7. NOPE
#3. THE FABELMANS
#2. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
#1. RRR
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
AVATAR: THE WAY OF WATER: Lo’ak and Payakan go for a swim
BARBARIAN: the tape measure
DECISION TO LEAVE: the sensual sushi dinner
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: a couple of rocks
THE FABELMANS: the Ditch Day premiere
NOPE: Jean Jacket claims Jupiter’s Claim
RRR: “Naatu Naatu”
TÁR: “Apartment for sale!”
TOP GUN: MAVERICK: Maverick’s miracle practice run
TRIANGLE OF SADNESS: the Captain’s Dinner
*****
Michael Rousselet — 5-Second Films
Honorable Mentions: THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN / TRIANGLE OF SADNESS / WEIRD: THE AL YANKOVIC STORY
#10. THE WHALE
#9. EO
#8. THE FABELMANS
#7. HELLRAISER
#6. THE MENU
#5. MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON
#4. PEARL
#2. RRR
#1. EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Favorite On-Screen Moments:
EO: Eo is untied, because “anarchy”
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE: the rocks
THE FABELMANS: “When the horizon’s in the middle, it’s boring as shit. Now, good luck to you… and get the fuck outta my office!”
HELLRAISER: Jamie Clayton’s take on Pinhead
MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON: Marcel sings “Peaceful Easy Feeling”
THE MENU: the hamburger
PEARL: dancing with the scarecrow
RRR: CGI animals attaaaaaack!!
TOP GUN: MAVERICK: “Talk to me, Goose.”
THE WHALE: Ellie reads her essay
*****
Top 10 Documentaries — Compiled by Aaron Neuwirth and Mike Dillon
Honorable Mentions (Neuwirth): 2ND CHANCE / ALL THAT BREATHES / GEORGE CARLIN’S AMERICAN DREAM / GOOD NIGHT OPPY / JACKASS 4.5 / MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM / SR. / WILDCAT
Honorable Mentions (Dillon): THE AUTOMAT / COW / MR. BACHMANN AND HIS CLASS / RIOTSVILLE, U.S.A. / WHO WE ARE: A CHRONICLE OF RACISM IN AMERICA / WRITING WITH FIRE
#10. MY OLD SCHOOL
#9. ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED
#8. NAVALNY
#7. FIRE OF LOVE
#6. HIDDEN LETTERS
#5. THREE MINUTES: A LENGTHENING
#4. HOLD YOUR FIRE
#3. IS THAT BLACK ENOUGH FOR YOU?!?
#2. BAD AXE
#1. DESCENDANT
*****