Check out Andrew Shearer's picks for the 10 best films of 2022. Have you seen them all?

Andrew Shearer, Athens Banner-Herald
Updated ·4 min read

2022 was undoubtedly the year everyone returned to movie theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic, with eight out of the year's top 10 box office champions grossing over a half billion dollars and two ‒"Top Gun: Maverick" and Jurassic World: Dominion" ‒ surpassing the $1 billion mark by year's end.

Whether you chose to sit shoulder-to-shoulder in an auditorium packed with people or just enjoy streaming entertainment from the comfort of your home, there was no short supply of incredible and groundbreaking films in 2022. As the OnlineAthens / ABH arts & culture reporter, these are my picks for the best of 2022.

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(L-R) N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan appear in a promotional image for writer-director S.S. Rajamouli's "RRR." The record-breaking Telugu-language action epic screened at Athens Ciné on June 1, 2022.
(L-R) N.T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan appear in a promotional image for writer-director S.S. Rajamouli's "RRR." The record-breaking Telugu-language action epic screened at Athens Ciné on June 1, 2022.

Andrew Shearer's to 10 movies of 2022

10. "Bones And All": Before seeing this, I'd have told you that the only good cannibal movies were set in the Amazon jungle. But I was happy to be proven wrong by this occasionally hilarious (and occasionally stomach-turning) road movie that plays like "Easy Rider" if the protagonists had a taste for human flesh instead of cocaine.

09. "RRR": There are action movies and then there is "RRR," an Indian Telugu-language action spectacle that didn't need CGI dinosaurs, superhero powers or fighter jets to leave my jaw open and my face absolutely melted for three hours straight. Yes, Tom Cruise can really fly, but he can't sing and dance like Bheem and Raju.

08. "Wakanda Forever": I can think of no better way to carry on after the enduringly profound loss of "Black Panther" lead actor Chadwick Boseman than bringing the women behind King T'Challa front and center for the next story. As with the comic books that inspired them, the finest Marvel movies and shows evolve and reflect our times.

07. "Men": In a year that saw the return of body horror godfather David Cronenberg ("Crimes of the Future"), besting him at his own game is no easy feat, but "Men" rose to the occasion with a truly unsettling gimmick and unforgettably bizarre climax that seemed to dare the audience not to look away from the screen.

06. "Brian And Charles": There were two Pinocchio films released by major studios in 2022, but their impressive animation couldn't match up to the heart and humor of this UK-based comedy about a lonely curmudgeon who makes his own friend. Rated PG and only 90 minutes long, it's a lovely dream of a movie.

05. "Prey": For the fifth installment of the 1980s "Predator" sci-fi action series, the filmmakers went the prequel route by setting the new movie in 1719 and casting Indigenous actors to face off against the iconic extraterrestrial hunter. Of all the films on this list, "Prey" is the only one that wasn't released in theaters, and that's a real shame.

Stephanie Hsu stars as Joy Wang in "Everything Everywhere All At Once."
Stephanie Hsu stars as Joy Wang in "Everything Everywhere All At Once."

04. "The Woman King": If one movie deserves to sweep the 2023 Academy Awards, it's this one, the absolute definition of how a historical epic should be made in the 21st century. The ensemble cast lead by Viola Davis command just as much respect as they inspire, and the best part of all is that the Agojie really existed.

03. "Three Thousand Years Of Longing": No one expected director George Miller to follow up the explosive "Mad Max: Fury Road" with a charming comedic drama about a Djinn, but that's exactly what happened. Though the prospect of having Idris Elba grant three wishes is divine, the message in the bottle is even more so.

02. "Nope": Though Jordan Peele's "Twilight Zone" revival only lasted for two seasons on CBS, his feature films continue to carry on Rod Serling's legacy and expand on what science fiction was before "Star Wars" came along. "Nope" is a heart-pounding masterpiece that only gets better with repeat viewings.

01. "Everything Everywhere All At Once": When you put a globally-beloved superstar in your movie, this is what you do with her. Michelle Yeoh uses every ounce of her decades of experience as a performer in her role as a universe-jumping dry cleaner with a much higher purpose. Easily one of the best movies I've ever seen, period.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Top 10 films of 2022 as chosen by OnlineAthens reporter Andrew Shearer