The Top 10 Movies of 2022 (FanBolt’s Picks)

Top Movies of 2022

As the year draws to a close, we wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what a great year it’s been for film! The cinematic landscape has changed drastically in the past 12 months, and Hollywood is finally back and thriving after the pandemic.

2022 saw some major releases from big studios, as well as smaller independent films that made a huge impact on movie fans. From superhero epics to sci-fi thrillers to heartwarming tales of friendship and love, there was truly something for everyone this year.

And as 2023 approaches, it’s time to take a look back at all of these great films this year had to offer. So without further ado, let’s dive into our Top 10 Movies of 2022!

Our Picks for the Top 10 Movies of 2022

Top Gun: Maverick
Photo Credit: Paramount Pictures

10. Top Gun: Maverick

Top Gun: Maverick is exactly what a sequel to a cult classic should be, fun, entertaining, and nostalgic while bringing something new to the table. Aside from the well-constructed plot, moviegoers can also appreciate that the flight sequences aren’t CGI. They’re real. And Claudio Miranda’s cinematography makes them look incredible! With helicopters, planes, and drones, Miranda captures some truly breathtaking footage of F-18s and their impossible maneuvers. While Tom Cruise, of course, performed his own stunts, the rest of the cast learned also pushed themselves by learning how to operate their own cameras and record their own performances.

The results? Everything looks real (because it is). And the film as a whole looks stellar from every angle.

So what’s the storyline with this one? After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw, aka “Goose.”

Love the movie? Read our full review here, and let us know your thoughts! And if you’re a fan, be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Avatar: The Way of Water
Photo Credit: 20th Century Studios

9. Avatar: The Way of Water

Avatar: The Way of Water makes my Top 10 movies of 2022 list at #9! The long-awaited Avatar sequel is an extraordinary film that raises the bar of cinema. And for that reason, I also held it to a higher level of criticism. I’m not sure this one will hold up outside of the optimal viewing conditions that James Cameron wants movie-goers to see the film in (IMAX 3D).

But in that environment, it’s an absolutely stunning film, which is also my biggest gripe with the film. This movie knows it’s the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. In the same way that a beautiful girl or hot guy comes on screen in a rom-com and the camera turns to slow-motion so that audience understands this character’s effect on the surrounding characters, this film does the same thing. It can be a little much at times, especially with a 3-hour and change storyline that feels messy.

So what’s the storyline? Set more than a decade after the events of the first film, “Avatar: The Way of Water” begins to tell the story of the Sully family (Jake, Neytiri, and their kids), the trouble that follows them, the lengths they go to keep each other safe, the battles they fight to stay alive, and the tragedies they endure.

All of this being said, Avatar: The Way of Water‘s visuals earn it a spot on Top 10 list!

Love the film? Read our full review here, and let us know your thoughts! And if you’re a fan, be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

RRR
Photo Credit: DVV Entertainment

8. RRR

RRR is one of 2022’s best foreign films. It’s an exhilarating, action-packed spectacular mythologizing two real-life freedom fighters who helped lead India’s fight for independence from the British Raj, Komaram Bheem (N.T Rama Rao Jr., aka Jr NTR) and Alluri Sitarama Raju (Ram Charan). Set in the 1920s, before their fight for India’s independence began, RRR imagines a fictional meeting between the two, set into motion when a young Gond girl is stolen from her village by British soldiers.

With staggeringly choreographed action sequences, an all-timer (or two) of a musical number, and powerhouse performances from two of the planet’s biggest stars, RRR is pure big-screen joy from start to finish.

Love the movie? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
Photo Credit: Netflix

7. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Guillermo del Toro and award-winning stop-motion legend Mark Gustafson reimagine the classic Carlo Collodi tale of Pinocchio with a whimsical tour de force that finds the wooden boy on an enchanted adventure that transcends worlds and reveals the life-giving power of love.

It’s a charmingly creepy adaptation that is lovingly crafted and brilliantly executed. While Disney is stuck making questionable quality live-action remakes of its former hits, del Toro is creating something new and nostalgic at the same time. Simply put, this one is magical.

Love the flick? Read our full review here, and let us know your thoughts! And if you’re a fan, be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

The Banshees of Inisherin
Photo Credit: Searchlight Pictures

6. The Banshees of Inisherin

While not the happiest of films, The Banshees of Inisherin does offer some moments of comedic relief amidst a darker tale. Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, the movie follows lifelong friends Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson), who find themselves at an impasse when Colm unexpectedly puts an end to their friendship. A stunned Pádraic, aided by his sister Siobhán (Kerry Condon) and troubled young islander Dominic (Barry Keoghan), endeavors to repair the relationship, refusing to take no for an answer. But Pádraic’s repeated efforts only strengthen his former friend’s resolve, and when Colm delivers a desperate ultimatum, events swiftly escalate, with shocking consequences.

It’s not the easiest of watches. However, it is a memorable film that does a beautiful job at exploring the ending of relationships and the toll it takes on the involved parties as they move forward.

Love the film? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Nope Poster
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

5. Nope

Jordan Peele’s Nope is his latest modern horror/psychological thriller. And it’s every bit as good as Get Out and Us.

This time around, Peele is reunited with Oscar winner Daniel Kaluuya, who is joined by Keke Palmer, and Oscar nominee Steven Yeun as residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bears witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery.

No one does this genre better than Jordan Peele. And when you add an element of sci-fi into the mix, the results are as haunting and creepy as some of the more haunting moments of M. Night Shyamalan’s best work (referencing 2022’s Signs). Peele is able to consistently do what other filmmakers in this genre, including Shyamalan, struggle to do. He is able to create an expansive multi-layered plot that keeps you guessing all while weaving in horror in a way that is actually deeply upsetting and disturbing, which is exactly what films in this genre should be.

Love the movie? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Babylon
Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

4. Babylon

Fans of La La Land have been waiting for this one! The latest film from director Damien Chazelle just released, and though it’s massively underperformed at the box office, it still earns a spot on our Top 10 movies of 2022 list.

The movie is set in 1920s Los Angeles and led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.

It’s a messy and indulgent film. But in that regard, so was early Hollywood (and even current Hollywood). It’s a wild and long (just a few minutes shy of Avatar 2‘s runtime) ride, but it’s decorated with stunning cinematography, stellar performances, and, most notably, an immaculate score.

Love the flick? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Photo Credit: A24

3. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On

For those not familiar with the YouTube sensation that Marcel is. Let me fill you in!

Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family. A beloved character gets his big-screen debut in this hilarious and heartwarming story about finding connection in the smallest corners.

Marcel the Shell With Shoes On is not only one of the year’s best films, it’s also one of the purest movies I’ve ever seen. It’s a wonderful film to watch with your family or even on your own. There’s no shortage of laughs, moments that will make cry and just as many that will make you smile.

Love the movie? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

Everything Everywhere
Photo Credit: A24

2. Everything Everywhere All At Once

The film’s description is rather simple compared to it’s multi-layered plot. “A hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can’t seem to finish her taxes.” While, sure, that is technically a correct description, what this title brings to the table is so much grander.

It’s hard to describe this sci-fi epic, comedy, horror, fantasy, drama in a way that truly does it justice. So I’ll also keep this simple. Just see it. It’s likely going to win Best Picture at the 2023 Oscars (making my prediction now).

Love the film? Be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

The Fabelmans
Photo Credit: Universal Pictures

1. The Fabelmans

Last, but not least on our Top 10 movies of 2022 list is Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans. As a lifelong Spielberg fan, I had ridiculously high expectations for this one. And not only did this movie live up to those expectations, but it exceeded them.

The film, which is based on Spielberg’s life, follows Sammy Fabelman, a young aspiring filmmaker. Sammy falls in love with cinema after his parents taken him to see his first movie, The Greatest Show on Earth, on the big screen.

As Sammy tries to process the experience of his first film, he finds himself armed with a camera and a growing passion for storytelling. Thanks to a supportive mom, some pretty incredible sisters, and a father who would eventually come around – Sammy would keep making movies throughout his childhood and teenage years. And eventually, following graduation and an attempt at college, Sammy finds himself in Hollywood.

The Fabelmans is a personal film for Spielberg, and that translates to the audience. Movie-goers feel like they’re reading a diary detailing Spielberg’s origin story and his earliest inspirations.

After seeing this one, there’s so much heart and warmth that you feel like you understand Spielberg on a whole different level, a human level. He’s no longer just a brilliant filmmaker. He’s also an incredibly passionate, kind, and funny individual whose true love has always been the art of cinema. It’s quintessential Spielberg, and, for me personally, it’s the best film of 2022.

Love the movie? Read our full review here, and let us know your thoughts! And if you’re a fan, be sure to claim the movie fan badge (for your FanBolt profile).

2022 Has Been a Great Year for Cinema

2022 has been an incredible year for film. And our list of the top 10 movies of 2022 is just a small taste of all the great films that were released this year. From big-budget blockbusters to smaller independent productions, there was something for everyone in theaters or streaming services. And the variety and quality of these movies prove that Hollywood is finally back in full-force!

We can’t wait to see what 2023 has in store for us movie fans! What was your favorite films of 2022? Sound off in our comment section below and let us know your thoughts!

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