2022 at the movies has been a wild time. Whether in theaters or streaming, the film industry has been delighting us with outrageous tales of growing up, grieving, and general jackassery, not to mention the thing that keeps us going — love.
In a year full of splashy spectacle, bombastic comedies, provocative biopics, and daring horror, we were spoiled for choice. Difficult decisions had to be made. So, to make our best-of list, a movie had to be more than big and stuffed with stars and nostalgia; it had to be fresh, thrilling, and unforgettable.
With that in mind, here are Mashable's picks for the 15 best films of 2022.
15. Pearl
Following the success of the farmhouse slasher-set X, director Ti West and his leading lady Mia Goth offered audiences a perturbing prequel that shows the origin of the killer granny who was always a big bad wolf at heart. Set in 1918, decades before the pornographers of X come knocking, Pearl centers on a one-woman horror show so bombastic that you can't help but fall in love with her.
Amid a kaleidoscope of gorgeous colors is one extraordinary Goth giving everyone a masterclass in acting with scenes so quotable that they fast became memes, and a vivid descent into a dangerous pit of anger that's as relatable as it is chaotic. She emboldens every scene by layering each movement with chilling gravitas that has you wary about what she's going to do next, whether she's picking up a pitchfork or sitting next to a handsome stranger. It's that precise anticipatory itch that leaves you awestruck and wanting more. The film's suspense is met with glamorous mise en scène defined by an extravagantly bright color scheme, establishing Pearl as a film relishing how extra it is. The melodrama flows from Goth's acting to the farm itself — which comes complete with a snacky alligator — giving a camp twist to the gore, akin to the original 1977 Suspiria. — Yasmeen Hamadeh, Entertainment Intern
How to watch: Pearl is available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime.
14. Jackass Forever
Johnny Knoxville and his band of beloved buffoons reunited for a fourth installment of the most thrillingly juvenile set of stunts we've seen since…well, Jackass 3D. Battered but bright-eyed alums like Steve-O and Chris Pontius brought along some impressive (and impressively game) new friends, including Alia Shawkat; Tyler, the Creator; Eric André; and Machine Gun Kelly. Under Jeff Tremaine's direction, they faced off against a cosmetically inclined scorpion, a booby-trapped coffee cart, and more shots to the junk than any prestige pic could ever.
The jolly jackassery on display is reason enough to revel in Jackass Forever, but there's also an intoxicating sweetness holding this collection of ludicrous pranks and stunts together. Underneath the silly costumes and beyond the broken bones, Jackass has always been a story of a group of friends who refuse to take anything seriously — not safety, not life, and certainly not traditional American masculinity. On top of all the madcap shenanigans and the warm embrace of being welcomed back into this bonkers brotherhood, Jackass Forever also proved that our collective crush on Knoxville has aged as well as the silver fox himself. —Kristy Puchko, Film Editor
How to watch: Jackass Forever is now on Paramount+.
13. Triangle of Sadness
If you love White Lotus, you can't miss this outrageous romp from writer/director Ruben Östlund. Harris Dickinson and the late Charlbi Dean star as a preening couple of models/influencers whose rocky relationship hits new lows when a luxury cruise goes horridly awry. But before all that, jealousies flare, cultures clash, and cringe comedy rages so uncomfortably that you might consider fleeing this film altogether. Sometimes it's ardent social awkwardness, like arguing over a bill in public. Other times, it's a savage and silly sequence of a posh dinner turned explosive barf-a-thon, which goes on for so long you might get sick yourself. And yet, this oceanic catastrophe isn't even close to Triangle of Sadness's shocking climax.
We won't dare spoil the details. But let's say this: In a year where "eat the rich" comedies dazzled — from White Lotus to The Menu to Glass Onion — and in a year where gross-outs at the cinemas included nipple-ripping cannibalism and a flood of revolting bodily fluids, Triangle of Sadness still managed to stand out. In part, that's because of how Östlund's execution is mercilessly intense, never allowing his audience to wriggle out of the film's comedic discomfort. But credit is also due to Dolly De Leon, a dark horse in the Best Supporting Actress race who gives a performance that is as amusing as it is ultimately unnerving. –K.P.
How to watch: Triangle of Sadness is available for rent on Apple TV+.
12. Return to Seoul
The question of who will win Best Actress this year has so far centered on the brilliant work of Michelle Yeoh and Cate Blanchett. If there's any justice in the world, newcomer Park Ji-Min will enter the conversation for her work in director Davy Chou's Return to Seoul. Spanning nearly a decade, the film is an affecting voyage of personal discovery anchored by Park's remarkable performance.
Want more about the latest in entertainment? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter today.
Park plays Freddie, a 25-year-old woman adopted from Korea and raised in France. When she comes to Seoul because of a last-minute travel plan change, people she meets encourage her to seek out her birth parents — something she doesn't seem eager to do. Her reluctance defies any neat narrative of parental reconciliation, setting in motion a journey full of sharp twists and turns well-suited to its mercurial heroine.
Park is a revelation as Freddie, whose hard exterior protects her own confused desires about her relationship with her birth parents. She'll just as easily deflect pointed questions with a friendly round of shots as she will with stony silence. Chou guides us deftly through time as Freddie grows up and finds her way back to Seoul again and again, but neither he nor Park gives us any trite answers about Freddie's own sense of identity. Rather, this is an uneasy, thoughtful examination of a nuanced situation — and Park gives an unpredictable, enthralling performance to match. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter
How to watch: Return to Seoul is now in theaters.
11. The Woman King
It might be a cliche to say "This is the role they were born to play!" But when you witness the storming glory of Viola Davis as a hard-fighting general in The Woman King, that thought hits hard, fast, and repeatedly, like one's heartbeat as this historical epic kicks into action mode.
In promoting the film, Davis has spoken openly about all the ways it's the kind of movie that Hollywood's supposed conventional wisdom — which caters predominantly to white and male audiences — said could never be made. Davis is a 57-year-old, dark-skinned Black woman, and she's headlining a war movie in which she gets to be the titular protagonist and kicks slavers' ass. As she expressed before the film's World Premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, she's living her dream in this film. And for us, it was exhilarating to live vicariously through her.
Inspired by the Agojie of West Africa, The Woman King explores the passions, problems, and camaraderie of this all-female band of warriors. While Davis dazzles at its center, co-stars Thuso Mbedu, Sheila Atim, and Lashana Lynch shine alongside her. Each brings powerful charisma to a full-throated performance that keeps audiences equally riveted through scenes of battle or blossoming romance, gut-punching grief or pugnacious celebration. As she did with The Old Guard, Gina Prince-Bythewood marries action with emotion, creating sequences that make our pulses race and our hearts shudder. —K.P.
How to watch: The Woman King is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.
10. The Banshees of Inisherin
From The Pillowman to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, playwright/filmmaker Martin McDonagh has carved his reputation out of violence, pitch-black humor, and viciously witty banter. The Banshees of Inisherin reunites his stars from In Bruges, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, for a period piece about boundaries, broken hearts...and amputated fingers.
Set in 1923 Ireland, The Banshees of Inisherin centers on the dying friendship between a simple farmer (Farrell) and a grumbling musician (Gleeson). Living on an island, there's no room to ghost each other. So all of their friends, foes, and even a wee donkey will be roped into the row, sparking confrontations that are crackling fun, tenaciously tender, and often deeply dark.
If you like your amusement with a dash of arsenic, you'll appreciate the steadily stomach-churning descent of good men given to petty grievances. Supporting turns from Gleeson, Barry Keoghan, and Kerry Condon have all earned praise from critics. But Farrell, playing a hapless fool with a heart turning black, delivers a portrayal that's joltingly alive and unpredictable — and it could bring him Oscar gold. —K.P.
How to watch: The Banshees of Inisherin is now on HBO Max.
9. RRR
It's the most expensive Indian film of all time, a box office smash, and the most-watched non-English film on Netflix. It's RRR, a 3-hour epic loosely based on real historical freedom fighters. Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan) and Komaram Bheem (N. T. Rama Rao Jr.) are reimagined as Odd Couple-style buddies paired in a romantic action comedy where the Big Bad is a colonizing English tyrant played by a suitably scowling Ray Stevenson. But all this doesn't even scratch the surface of why RRR has critics and audiences around the world going wild.
Word of mouth will tempt you with the promise of gonzo action scenes, like when Raju successfully battles hundreds of protesters, or when burly vigilante Bheem fights a tiger with his bare hands. (And that's just their introductions!) But beyond the eye-popping, over-the-top action sequences, the S.S. Rajamouli-directed RRR also offers a captivating thriller in which Bheem and Raju are pitted against each other over the fate of a kidnapped girl. Then on top of that, there are dance numbers that are joyful, sexy, and so macho that the MCU better take notes if they don't want their action thrills to grow stale.
While there's been compelling criticism of the film's politics, it's impossible to deny the powerful spectacle exploding forth from every scene through outrageous stunts, unapologetically graphic violence, superhuman power moves, and radiant human emotion. Trust us, no matter how high your expectations going into this one, RRR will blow you away. —K.P.
How to watch: RRR is now streaming on Netflix.
8. The Fallout
2022 offered great movies about grief, including After Yang, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, the best of the bunch is this dark comedy from writer-director Megan Park. The Fallout begins with a school shooting, then follows two teen girls who were practically strangers before they hid together in a bathroom stall to survive. As weeks go by, they struggle to cope with the loss, anger, and uncertainty that's become an undeniable constant, but their blossoming friendship proves a lifesaver.
As dark as this concept is, Park finds lightness and humor without being irreverent about the horrors of gun violence in America. She binds us tightly with sensitive Mia (Maddie Ziegler) and smirking Vada (a riveting Jenna Ortega, who has had a big year between this, Scream, and Wednesday). So, we're urged to find the humor in the absurdity that, even in the face of world-shattering tragedy, life goes on. Classes resume. Your little sister learns TikTok dances. Vada develops a crush, even though her heart is broken. Hurt and healing happen. Amid all the mess, Park carves out a story of survival and self-discovery that is bravely funny, bracingly poignant, and totally unforgettable. —K.P.
How to watch: The Fallout is now on HBO Max.
7. EO
Donkeys are at the center of awards season this year, and nowhere is that clearer than in Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski's EO, a reimagining of Robert Bresson's similarly donkey-focused 1966 movie Au hasard Balthazar. Skolimowski's film puts us in the hooves of Eo, a donkey who is freed from the circus and left to wander around Europe in a strange, contemplative odyssey. He bounces from owner to owner, encountering characters including a countess, a fur farmer, and a group of very passionate soccer fans.
Throughout it all, Skolimowski keeps us firmly locked into Eo's point of view, be it through first-person POV shots or red-tinted dream sequences. Eo (played by six different donkeys named Taco, Ola, Marietta, Ettore, Rocco, and Mela) is a quiet observer, set apart from the humans and animals he encounters. There's no way he can truly understand everything he sees, be it environmental destruction or human brawls. Yet EO miraculously grants interiority to an unlikely protagonist. As Skolimowski trains his camera on Eo's soulful eyes, we get a sense of his reactions. Because of this, it's all the more devastating when Eo experiences pain. The film is no stranger to brutality (although no animals were harmed in the making of EO). It examines humanity's capacity for cruelty just as much as its capacity for kindness.
Melancholy, moving, and captivating, EO plays by its own rules and in doing so, cements itself as one of the year's best, most original films. —B.E.
How to watch: EO is now in theaters.
6. Nope
Imagine thinking you’ve got a firm handle on a Jordan Peele film from the teaser alone. The official trailer debut sparked a release of desperate conjectures from fans all summer long. To say that the general public's assumptions were "close, but no cigar" would be an insurmountable understatement. Peele's Nope plays with genre expectations, pairing confident and mouthy Keke Palmer with the hushed and inquisitive Daniel Kaluuya as a pair of siblings in a long line of Hollywood horse trainers. This incredible duo find themselves in the heart of an extraterrestrial scuffle, alongside a child star-turned-entrepreneur (Steven Yeun) and bewildering flashbacks to a chimpanzee gone berserk.
Nope is a poignant and offbeat Western/sci-fi flick that differs in subgenre (though not necessarily in message or theme) from his critically acclaimed horror films Get Out and Us. The showmanship eerily leans on the initially inconspicuous yet hard to ignore spacecraft, which, if you haven't found enough time to hide from, has already claimed you as its property. From an exploited chimp subjected to sitcom domesticity to the bone-chilling attempts to catch the larger-than-life U.F.O. on film, this awesome thriller brings up philosophical questions about modern-day spectacle and commodification, thrusting a mirror at society that’s impossible to look away from. It's everything, from every genre, from every cult classic nod you could possibly want in a summer blockbuster. —Kyle McWilliams, Entertainment Intern
How to watch: Nope is now streaming on Peacock.
5. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Rian Johnson has graciously given us an encore for Benoit Blanc, the Southern gentleman detective who won our hearts and bent our minds in 2019's whodunnit hit Knives Out. For its much-anticipated sequel, the acclaimed writer/director concocted a curious new puzzle and brought on a new star-stuffed ensemble, which includes Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, and a cache of cool cameos. On a far-flung private island, a gaggle of wealthy friends gathers for a party with an idea of fun that is downright deadly. But Benoit is on the case and looking sharp as ever.
Love for the first Knives Out film was so intense that a follow-up might have been doomed to disappoint. But Johnson's made a fool out of doubters by crafting a top-notch murder mystery romp that is as rich in thrilling twists and comedic turns as it is star power and surprises. Whether it's namedropping douchebags, racing about a pretentious resort, or lacing in biting social commentary, Glass Onion is a non-stop thrill ride from beginning to end. And we can't wait for it to hit Netflix, so we can jump in again and again! —K.P.
How to watch: Glass Onion debuts on Netflix Dec. 23.
4. Turning Red
Sorry, Strange World, Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, and Wendell and Wild, but the best animated movie of 2022 is hands down this delightful — and a bit deranged — coming-of-age fantasy.
Playing like the Pen15 of the Pixar universe, Turning Red centers on 13-year-old Mei Lee (voiced by the spunky Rosalie Chiang), an obedient daughter, loyal friend, and boy band fangirl who also happens to transform into a giant red panda when she's overwhelmed. Since she's 13, that happens a lot. However, with the help of her ride-or-die besties and her devoted (though domineering) mom, Mei will find her way through the fur to the heart of who she truly is.
Director Domee Shi brought a personal touch to this rollicking adventure, which celebrates Chinese culture, the beauty of Toronto, and the goofy glory of the early 2000s. Whether you're seeking a touching tale of women pulling together, a thoughtful but funny exploration of puberty, or a hysterical celebration of the fictional boy band 4*Town, Turning Red is not only sure to please; it's down right addicting as a rewatch for the whole family. Plus, it's got some of the best bops of the year. —K.P.
How to watch: Turning Red is now streaming on Disney+.
3. Tár
Director Todd Field and star Cate Blanchett are a match made in heaven with Tár, a twisty character study of esteemed conductor Lydia Tár (Blanchett). She's on top of the musical world and about to conduct the most important symphony of her life — but when you reach such heights, sometimes the only place you can go is down. Such is the trajectory of Tár. Horrifying accusations surface in the lead-up to her performance, and her carefully controlled life threatens to crumble.
The resulting film is an intoxicating blend of psychological thriller, gothic horror, and even comedy. Field's direction is riveting: An early stand-out scene involves a one-take debate between Tár and a Juilliard student about separating the art from the artist. Later, subtle ghostly appearances make us question everything we've seen, and a darkly funny ending proves to be the best cinematic punchline of the year. Guiding us through this labyrinth is Blanchett, whose spellbinding turn captures Tár's magnetism and monstrosity in equal measure. At first, her performance exhibits the same kind of precision and control Tár exerts over the people in her orbit, like wife Sharon and assistant Francesca (Nina Hoss and Noémie Merlant, both incredible). Yet as Tár's mask begins to slip, Blanchett lets loose in fits of accordion-fueled rage (yes, really), gifting us with a character downfall for the ages.
If you want to see cinematic maestros at work, look no further than Tár. —B.E.
How to watch: Tár is now available to rent or purchase on Apple TV+.
2. Bones and All
Young love can be savage, and this coming-of-age romance takes that concept to stomach-churning — and swooning — extremes with a tale of two fine young cannibals in love. Based on the YA novel by Camille DeAngelis, Bones and All centers on a gruesome tale of girl meets boy where each is an "eater," driven to devour live human flesh. Screenwriter David Kajganich and director Luca Guadagnino translate this concept into gripping queer horror, making this sexually charged deviance a metaphor for how a gay teen might see themselves in Reagan-era America, when the tale takes place.
Painted in tones of rust and decay, Bones and All is all at once gross and gorgeous. Its leading lovers, Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, are chaotic and charismatic, drawing us in only to repel us with the no-holds-bars body horror of crunching bone, splurting blood, and grisly trophies. Adding to the eeriness and general dread are a pair of impeccably unnerving performances from acclaimed supporting actors Michael Stuhlbarg and Mark Rylance, who clearly relish the opportunity to make our skin crawl as they threaten to gobble it up. But beneath this creepy exterior, a resilient hopefulness throbs in the heart of it. Though the scenes of gore might give you nightmares, the most haunting bit of this queer horror gem is the tenderness that lingers long after death has come.
With jolting collisions of longing and fear, sex and death, grief and lasting love, Bones and All explores the dizzying emotions of the AIDS crisis through jaw-dropping metaphors and blood-pumping emotions. We adore it down to the bone. —K.P.
How to watch: Bones and All is now available to rent on Prime Video.
1. Everything Everywhere All at Once
The absolute best movies that 2022 has to offer, Everything Everywhere All at Once boasts a little bit of everything, from a deeply poignant mother-daughter tale to a gleefully silly thread involving a quirky one-hit wonder, to a romantic scene featuring hot dog fingers and a sprawling battle involving butt plugs. It's the weirdest, most wondrous movie on this list, awing critics and audiences alike to not only earn months-long word-of-mouth buzz and resoundingly positive reviews but also a box office record, becoming A24's highest-grossing film to date. And it could well be an oddball Oscar favorite.
Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (aka Daniels), Everything Everywhere All at Once stars Michelle Yeoh in her most exhilarating role yet: a multiverse-hopping mom, dedicated to saving all existence but especially her on-the-edge daughter (the sensational Stephanie Hsu). Having more fun with the multiverse concept than Marvel could dare, this outrageous action-comedy giddily thrusts audiences into wild alternative worlds, brandishing unexpected weapons alongside jaw-dropping fashion and wildly captivating performances from Yeoh, Hsu, and their totally game co-stars Ke Huy Quan and Jamie Lee Curtis.
Filled with heart, humor, and absolute chaos, Everything Everywhere All at Once is not just great fun — it offers an essential catharsis for a world that is mercilessly overwhelming. —K.P.
How to Watch: Everything Everywhere All at Once is now streaming on Paramount+.
Topics Film
