Notable viewing experiences of feature films from the past year.
2022 Films
After Yang (Kogonada, 2022)
A masterpiece. Kogonada is a genius. Cinematic storytelling at its finest. Beautiful and brutal and brilliant. An exquisite film. Anyone who has ever thought of writing a screenplay should be in awe of this triumph. An astounding 90 minutes.
Everything Everywhere All at Once (Daniels, 2022)
A masterpiece. Put it in The Louvre next to the Mona Lisa and Big Trouble in Little China.
Nope (Jordan Peele, 2022)
I love Peele’s confidence. He has solidified himself as the next great American auteur making big budget pictures. This movie fucking rules.
The Banshees of Inisherin (Martin McDonagh, 2022)
A poignant story about the break-up of two best friends. Wonderfully acted; beautifully shot. Even the bleakest corner of Ireland is pretty.
The Northman (Robert Eggers, 2022)
I love a movie that goes all in on the bit. Eggers not only wanted to make a Viking movie, he wanted to make the absolute most Viking movie ever. This guy is on fire: The VVitch, The Lighthouse, and now this.
“Sr.” (Chris Smith, 2022)
RDJ makes a documentary about his infamous father. A story about underground filmmaking in the ’60s and ’70s, how drug-laden counterculture can create lifelong personal problems, and how identities are developed across three generations.
The Batman (Matt Reeves, 2022)
Maybe not the best Batman. Definitely not the best Bruce Wayne. But absolutely the best Gotham City.
Speak No Evil (Christian Tafdrup, 2022)
A fascinating, strange, and well-crafted psychological thriller. Sometimes the greatest horrors are real and ubiquitous.
Barbarian (Zach Cregger, 2022)
This kind of movie should become the standard for mainstream horror, especially for those who aren’t susceptible to jump scares.
Tár (Todd Field, 2022)
Don’t believe the hype. A fine film but not the exceptional tour de force it has been touted to be. Blanchett, however, is excellent as always.
Men (Alex Garland, 2022)
Not Garland’s best work, but he’s definitely not afraid to alienate audiences in an effort to say something. So points for that. Can’t say that I recommend this, but you’ll definitely see things that you’ve never seen in a movie before.
Crimes of the Future (David Cronenberg, 2022)
Palatable body horror in an imaginative alternate futuristic setting where late-stage capitalism literally changed humankind.
Glass Onion (Rian Johnson, 2022)
A fun whodunnit and a worthy follow-up to KNIVES OUT. Very amused to consider one of the core themes of the movie relative to the circumstances by which the movie was funded.
Top Gun: Maverick (Joseph Kosinski, 2022)
A standard action movie with a substandard script and exceptional practical effects that took the world by storm.
X (Ti West, 2022)
The aesthetic is perfect, but the movie is not. There’s something just fundamentally correct about a horror movie set in the ’70s.
Bullet Train (David Leitch, 2022)
This reminded me of those ’90s Tarantino ripoff flicks like KILLING ZOE or GO…only less good and with a massive budget for digital effects.
olde zoetrope 
One response to “Cinema Retrospective 2022”
yes! thanks for this!
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