By Mark Pukalo
Sometimes, the way you view movies simply mirrors what is going on in your life.
There is no doubt that is how I feel about a wonderful year of filmmaking in 2022. Many of the movies that made the biggest impact on me during the past Oscar year caused this amateur critic to think about reaching a certain age, living with too much stress, too much anxiety, and dealing with health issues.
Walking out of the AMC West Shore in Tampa after seeing "Living" recently made me think about enjoying every minute I have left - following my recent second 59th birthday. I still have plenty of work to do on not letting little things bother me as much, but it has become a major goal moving forward.
Yes, Top Gun: Maverick, Avatar: The Way of Water, Wakanda Forever, Elvis and The Batman - among others - were all stirring cinematic experiences last year. But the six films that stood out to this movie freak often caused me to muse about my past and present on many different levels.
The Banshees of Inisherin made everyone think about friendships, despair, loneliness and regret among other issues. Dual is a light, sci-fi fantasy story, in part, about awareness of what your life is about and how people view you. Brendan Fraser produces the performance of the year in The Whale as a man whose depression from a tramatic event causes him to go into seclusion, but he sets a goal to make one more thing right in his world. While I did not binge and become a 600-pound man like Fraser's character the past year, I was diagnosed with heart failure like him and spent three days in the hospital in early December. FYI, I am quite thin right now, missing pizza, but I feel great.
She Said is an amazing depiction of investigative journalism, based on a true story, something near and dear to someone that has spent parts of five decades in the profession. I watched Aftersun three times within 48 hours on demand and could not stop thinking of it. It is about a 31-year-old woman looking back two decades to a period where she was too young to comprehend how to help her father deal with his hidden mental issues. Cha Cha Real Smooth is just a smart, simple story about a recent college graduate trying to figure out what is next in life and love. It also reminded me of all the times I pursued the wrong woman at the wrong time.
All six films were well reviewed, but only Banshees was nominated for Best Picture on March 12. No doubt The Whale and Aftersun deserved to be on that list. It's no surprise She Said did not make the grade as it exposed sexual abuse in the movie industry, while Cha Cha and Dual were not high profile enough for the Academy. This is one of the most disappointing lists of Best Picture nominees in the past dozen years. Everything, Everywhere All at Once and Triangle of Sadness - for two of them - are the most over-rated films of the year in my opinion. All Quiet on the Western Front was well shot, but bored me.
It's impossible for me to pick a top film of 2022 between Cha Cha and Aftersun, especially. Both were such unique, thoughtful, well-acted and simple stories. They made me laugh, think and cry. But Cha Cha Real Smooth is the type of film I can watch over and over. That's why, while I hate copying my favorite critic Amanda the Jedi (check her out on twitter and Youtube), it is my pick for the best movie of 2022.
Cooper Raiff's Andrew meets a single mother (Dakota Johnson) and her smart-as-a-whip teenage autistic daughter Lola (Vanessa Burghardt) while attending a bar mitzva with his little brother. Andrew goes on a see-saw journey of emotions afterward and Johnson's character Domino deals with the reality of life as a 30-something. Burghardt steals the movie at times, but every character is compelling in their own way.
I highly recommend you find a way to see it. While there are more ways to view movies these days on streaming services, many are not available on video to purchase or rent. That continues to disappoint me.
My rankings can never be 100 percent done. I was not able to find a way to see these highly-regarded films yet - Eo, House Made of Splinters, No Bears and Return to Seoul.
It was a year that had many memorable scenes and characters like Jenny the donkey in Banshees, Frankie Corio's Sophie in Aftersun, Maria Bakalova's Anika in The Bubble, Aimee Lou Wood's Miss Harris in Living, Daisy Edgar-Jones' Kya in Where the Crawdads Sing, Emily Skeggs' Patty in Dinner in America, Lemon and Tangerine in Bullet Train, Jon Hamm as the new Fletch, Tang Wei's Song-Soe-rae in Decision to Leave, delightful child Rayan Sarlak in Hit the Road, Marcel the Shell and fierce Amber Midthunder as Naru in Prey - among others. While there were so many emotional scenes in 2022, two that made me laugh the most were in The Bubble - which was panned by critics and I enjoyed - and the Foo Fighters' horror film Studio 666. Bakalova's flirting dialogue with Pedro Pascal in The Bubble was hilarious and Lionel Richie interrupting writer's-blocked Dave Grohl singing "Hello" at the piano floored me.
It was a great year for film. I viewed 292 in total. Crazy, yes. But well worth it.
The line of the year came in "Dinner in America," a smart, sometimes crazy and crude but likable little story. It's something we should all think about as we try to treasure each passing day.
"You need to take it down a notch."
I am trying.
I would say there are about 60 films I can recommend fully from 2022. Many are available on streaming services. Here's my top 25.
TOP 25
25. Not Okay - Zoey Deutch plays a privileged young woman, looking for attention at her social media company, who tells a lie about being in France during a mass shooting and must deal with the consequences when her story falls apart. Don't compare it to Dear Evan Hansen. It is way, way better and the ending is strong.
24. Till - The sad, gripping story of young Emmitt Till, lynched while on vacation in Mississippi for talking to a white girl in a store. It is a strong historical piece with a terrific performance by Danielle Deadwyler.
23. Living - Bill Nighy is brilliant as an aging man who finds out he has a terminal illness and the workaholic tries to figure out how to live his life again for a short time. Though it was a very simple story, it made a very strong impression on me.
22. After Yang - A family tries to deal with the loss of their unresponsive AI, who has a much deeper past than they ever imagined in their futuristic society. It is a very unique story, simply told and one of two terrific performances from Colin Farrell in 2022.
21. The Outfit - Suit store owner and "cutter" Mark Rylance must try to outsmart the mob in 1950s Chicago along with his pretty secretary Zoey Deutch in this intriguing crime drama. Deutch is fast becoming a very versatile actress.
20. Where the Crawdads Sing - A young woman living alone in the marshlands of North Carolina is charged with murder. Smart, pretty and mysterious Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), known as marsh girl, fights against the presumption of her guilt in a small town.
19. Devotion - The story of the first black Naval pilot Jesse L. Brown (Jonathan Majors), who flew during the Korean War in 1950. Glen Powell, also a pilot in Top Gun Maverick this year, was very strong as Brown's wing man.
18. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever - As with every sequel, it failed to reach the level of the great original, but it was an action-filled, thought-provoking journey with a strong ending. I was not big on the enemy of Wakanda, but the film held my interest throughout. We all wish the late Chadwick Boseman was still around for many more chapters.
17. Vengeance - A black comedy with BJ. Novak (Ben) playing a womanizer who gets a call from the brother of a girl he hooked up with a few times in New York. He travels to her funeral in Texas and is pulled into the mystery of her death. Ashton Kutcher gives one of the best supporting performances of the year.
16. The Batman - The new story about the caped crusader is dark in a lot of ways, but entertaining and unique, with Zoe Kravitz joining the fun as a very sexy Catwoman. Robert Pattison shines in his debut as the Bat guy.
15. The Fabelmans - Stephen Spielberg tells the story of his early life and how he became interrested in making films. His parents and their struggles are depicted expertly by the under-rated Paul Dano and Michelle Williams while Judd Hirsch has one of the best scenes of the year as Spielberg's scary uncle.
14. Dinner in America - This quirky film was in the festivals as early as 2020, but the indy about a unique relationship between a geeky girl and a drug addict rock star did not get released in the US until 2022. Emily Skeggs is lovable as Patty and Kyle Gallner is perfectly creepy as Simon in this story that grows on you.
13. Hustle - Adam Sandler is definitely in his element as an NBA scout who mines Europe for prospects and finds an unusual player with untapped talent in Spain. Sandler deserved a nomination for his terrific low-key performance and Juan Hermangomez does a nice job as Bo Cruz.
12. Causeway - Jennifer Lawrence plays an Army soldier named Lynsey who returns home after a tramatic brain injury and must figure out what is important in her life. Brian Tyree Henry is excellent as Lynsey's new friend in the heart-felt story.
11. Elvis - Interesting biopic about the King through the eyes of his corrupt manager Tom Parker, played wonderfully by Tom Hanks. Austin Butler does a terrific job in the lead role and deserved his Golden Globe.
10. A Man Called Otto - American remake of the Swedish film "A Man Called Ove" with Tom Hanks playing the grouchy old man that can't live without his wonderful wife. But his new neighbors change his outlook on life.
9. Emily the Criminal - Aubrey Plaza plays a woman drowning in student loans who takes desperate measures by getting involved with credit card fraud. Plaza wasn't nominated for an Oscar or a Globe, but she should have been.
8. Top Gun: Maverick - Well worth the wait for this sequel, which is entertaining, well crafted, not overly predictable and very well acted. Jeninfer Connolly worked perfectly as the old flame for Maverick (Tom Cruise) while it was wonderful they included Val Kilmer's character.
7. Avatar: The Way of Water - It was a little too long, but it is a rare sequel that tops the original as the Na'vi try to ward off another challenge. Director James Cameron creates an amazing visual experience in this science fiction drama.
6. Dual - Sarah (Karen Gillan) has a terminal illness and purchases a double to take over for her, but she recovers miraculously and is forced to dual to the death with her clone. It's humorous, unique and mysterious. Fun film in a lot of ways, but it also makes you think.
5. The Banshees of Inisherin - Colin (Brendan Gleeson) abruptly breaks off his friendship with long-time buddy Paidraic (Coin Farrell) on a small island west of Ireland. That sets off a series of events. There is great dialogue and Paidraic's sister Siobhan (Kerry Condon) is outstanding.
4. The Whale - Brendan Fraser provides an Oscar-worthy performance as a professor (Charlie) that has secluded himself while gaining enormous amounts of weight by binge eating after the death of his lover Fraser tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink) before his heart stops. Hong Chau is wonderful as Charlie's nurse/friend.
3. She Said - Two intrepid female reporters from the New York Times battle many obstacles as they investigate the story of sexual abuse by powerful movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan hit it out of the park as Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, respectively.
2. Aftersun - A young woman looks back on the last days spent with her father when she was just 11 and unable to comprehend the mental pain he was in before his apparent suicide. Frankie Corio is adorable as Sophie, a smart mature little girl. It is both heartwarming and very sad.
1. Cha Cha Real Smooth - Cooper Raiff wrote, produced and starred in this story about a man trying to figure out where his life goes next after finishing college. Andrew falls for the single mother (Dakota Johnson) of an amazing autistic high school girl (Vanessa Burghardt), which both enriches and complicates his days. The slice of life is smart, heartwarming and sad.
Joe Lunardi's first six out
Bullet Train - Action mystery/caper set on a fast train in Japan with plenty of humor. Brad Pitt is terrific in the lead role of the film, which was much better in the second half than the first. Tangerine and Lemon are great characters and Joey King is one tough broad as the Prince.
Emergency - Two African-American college students are faced with a dilemma when a drugged and under-aged white girl passes out after stumbling into their apartment by mistake. It's a study or race, friendship and impossible decisions.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Myrstery - Had high expectations for another solved mystery by detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), and it did not reach them. But a terrific cast made it more than fun enough.
The Good Nurse - Spine-tingling thriller based on the true story of nurse Charlie Cullen (Eddie Redmayne), who killed hundreds in eight hospitals before a "good nurse" (Jessica Chastain) had the guts to turn him in.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent - A few moments of awkward dialogue was easily drowned out by a whole lot of fun as Nic Cage stars as himself in this outlandish adventure, co-starring the Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal).
Women Talking - Director Sarah Polley tells the story of the females in a Mennonite society who must decide what to do after being abused by the men in their sheltered ultra-religious community. It is based on the true story of a group of women in Bolivia, but these girls make different choices.
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PREVIOUS PICKS FOR BEST OF THE YEAR
2021: CODA
2020: Promising Young Woman
2019: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, JoJo Rabbit (tie)
2018: The Hate U Give
2017 - The Big Sick
2016 - Lion
2015 - Spotlight
2014 - Birdman
2013 - Nebraska
2012 - Silver Linings Playbook
2011 - The Descendants
2010 - The Social Network
2009 - Inglourious Basterds
2008 - Frost/Nixon-The Wrestler (tie)
2007 - Once
Best of All Time - Almost Famous
Not very interested to see in 2022: The Cathedral, Compartment No. 6, The Cursed, The Devil You Know, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, The Duke, Family Camp, Gold, Guardians of Time, Hellraiser, The King's Daughter, Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend, Mad God, Lifemark, The Mulligan, One Piece Film: Red, Paradise Highway, Prey to the Devil, Summering, Terrifier 2, Unfavorable Odds
Highest Honorable Mention (33)
Alice, Darling - Anna Kendrick briliantly plays a young woman stuck in a domineering relationship, who goes away on a secret vacation with old friends.
Armageddon Time - Coming of age story about a young Jewish boy, struggling with family and school issues, who befriends a parentless black school mate in the 1980s. Anthony Hopkins is great as the wise old grandfather.
Bodies, Bodies, Bodies - Someone described it as a cross between Mean Girls and Scream. That pretty much clocks it. Rachel Sennott and Maria Bakalova make the movie tick and the ending brings it all together well.
Breaking - The sad, maddening story of an army veteran - down on his luck because of stupid, unfixed error with his benefits - who tries to draw attention to his dilemma by robbing a bank. Excellent performances by John Boyega and the late Michael K. Williams.
Broker - Korean film that asks a lot of questions about family and what is the best for children that can't be taken care of. Li Ji-eun is a beautiful young mother who drops off her child and then sets off with two "brokers" and an orphan to find viable parents for the baby with police lurking behind.
The Bubble - A great cast with gorgeous women, some laughs and lots of fun in this spoof of a monster movie being made during the pandemic. Most under-rated movie of the year in my opinion. I laughed a lot.
Confess, Fletch - Jon Hamm shines in place of Chevy Chase for the third installment of the movie series with his goofy, smart remarks.
Decision to Leave - South Korean romantic mystery which revolves around a detective who falls for a beautiful murder suspect (Tang Wei) and is "shattered."
Don't Make Me Go - A heartwarming-heartbreaking story as a father (John Cho) and daughter (Mia Issac) take off on a long journey to see her mother. Cho has decided against surgery for bone cancer and wants his ex wife to meet her daughter.
Do Revenge - A very complicated high school drama with some very good performances led by Maya Hawke, the daughter of Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman.
Downton Abbey: A New Era - The sequel to the surprisingly likable first film based in the Roaring 20s, sends the Crawley family to the South of France to see a property the countess inherited.
The Fallout - An interesting and emotional take on the aftermath of a school shooting with a good cast, led by emerging star Jenna Ortega. Way, way better than another film in 2022 that broaches the same subject - Luckiest Girl Alive.
George Carlin's American Dream - Terrific, detailed, entertaining documentary about one of the best comedians this world has ever seen.
Girl Picture - Three different young women deal with the pressures of their first loves in this very likable, simple and smart Finnish film.
Good Night Oppy - Fascinating documentary about the two Mars rovers - Spirit and Opportunity - who were supposed to last nine months and survived six and 14 years, respectively.
Hit the Road - An Iranian family travels together to help their oldest son escape across the border to Turkey. Rayan Sarlak steals the movie as the younger brother - smart and with a big personalty, well beyond his years.
Honk for Jesus: Save Your Soul - Well-acted satirical story about a show business Baptist couple trying to reopen their church after a messy scandal closed it.
Kimi - Zoe Kravitz is a powerhouse in this thriller about a troubled woman working for a tech company who discovers a murder.
Loudmouth - Strong documentary about Civil Rights Leader and now TV personality Al Sharpton.
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On - The live-action/stop-motion animated comedy/drama - as it is called - is very unique and entertaining. Marcel is one fun guy, who loooves Lesley Stahl.
Marry Me - Some of the situations aren't sold convincingly, but it is a very enjoyable film and I believe this is one of Jennifer Lopez's best performances.
McEnroe - Interesting documentary about the great and sometimes enigmatic tennis star. Was gonna watch it in short pieces, but ended up binging.
Mending the Line - The story of recovering war veterans - one young and one older - along with a beautiful young woman (Perry Mattfield) trying to move on from a tragedy.
The Menu - Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as the chef at Hawthorne, a exclusive restaurant on a small island where he serves his wealthy guests food and horror.
Off Track - Nice Swedish film on Netflix with a down-on-her luck single mother training for a 90-mile ski race aside her brother.
On the Count of Three - A very black comedy about two old friends deciding that they want to commit suicide together for various reasons. First, they take a trip to try and tie up loose ends.
The Quiet Girl - A nice film about a cute little withdrawn girl in a bad Irish family who moves in with her mother's cousin for a short time where she is cared for. That ending. Waterfalls.
Saint Omer - A writer/professor attends the baffling trial of a woman who left her 15-month child on the shore and allowed her to drown. Director Alice Diop is drawing on her own experience as she attended the actual trial that led to the tense, emotional film.
Shania: Not Just a Girl - Learned a lot about the very talented and, in my opinion, the most beautiful Canadian of all time. Great voice, smart woman.
The Swimmers - Heartwarming story of the Mardini sisters, who found a way to migrate from Syria to Germany. Yusra Mardini continued her training to try and make the 2016 Olympic Games for the Rufugee team.
Tar - Cate Blanchett is terrific as complicated and brilliant conductor Lydia Tar. All the acting is outstanding, but the subject matter did not thrill me enough to make the top 25.
Ticket to Paradise - George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Kaitlyn Dever in a very predicatble, but harmless and likable comedy/drama/love story in Bali.
To Leslie - A young mother (Andrea Riseborough) wins $190,000 in the lottery in a small town and must pick up her mess of a life after squandering the cash and becoming an alcoholic. Riseborough's performance is one of the best of the year.
Honorable Mention (Watchable for big movie freaks) (51)
The Adam Project - Fun science fiction, time travel jaunt with Ryan Reynolds, Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo.
All Quiet on the Western Front - The German adaption of the 1930 American film about World War I was very long and filled with action, but did not quite move me.
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed - Great title for an interesting documentary about photographer/activist Nan Goldin.
Alone Together - Katie Holmes and Jim Sturgess are double booked at an Air BnB in the country at the beginning of the pandemic and sparks fly. Holmes directs this unspectacular, but likable, watch.
Ambulance - Your basic Michael Bay action movie with the good brother being pulled in to help the bad brother after a robbery gone wrong, but Eliza Gonzalez steals the screen with a powerhouse performance.
Anything is Possible - Long, detailed and mostly interesting documentary on Hall of Fame basketball star Kevin Garnett's career.
Babylon - A wild view of the movie industry in the late 1920s and early 1930s through the eyes of an aging star (Brad Pitt) and a crazy-sexy newcomer (Margot Robbie), along with an ambitious Mexican immigrant (Diego Calva). Worth seeing, but over done. Liked the way it ended, though.
Bandit - Josh Duhamel plays Gilbert Galvan Jr., an American prison escapee who moves to Canada and robs almost 60 banks and jewelry stores with his own likable style. Mel Gibson and Elisha Cuthbert are also in the cast.
Bardo: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths - Director Alejandro Inarritu's (Birdman, The Revenant) latest film is visibly beautiful at times and has some very well-done scenes, but the moves between fact and fiction just make it a little confusing. Gorgeous Ximena Lamadrid is terrific as the daughter of the main character.
Blacklight - Liam Neesom action hero movie, but it has a decent story to it despite being a bit illogical at times. It should not be on worst of the year lists.
Black Phone - This crime/horror film about an abduction was headed in the right direction to be interesting, but veered off a bit in the middle. Madeleine McGraw was amazing.
Bones and All - Beautiful Taylor Russell and Timothee Chalamet play two young people with uncontrollable urges for cannibalism that fall for one another on the road. Yeah, really.
Clerks III - Third in the series had it's moments, but no sequel can compare to the brilliance of this original. 37. ....!!
Descendant - Interesting documentary about the ancestors of the survivors from the final slave ship that arrived in the United States.
Dog - A soldier (Channing Tatum) with a previous head injury takes an Army dog on a long trip to his handler's funeral. Story was entertaining enough.
Easter Sunday - A low-rent comic actor from L.A. visits his family in a Filipino neighborhood before chaos and a few laughs ensue.
Emancipation - A grand, historical film about the days before and after Lincoln freed the slaves. Will Smith plays a slave who is captured and later escapes to try and find his family again. It's just not anywhere as good as 12 Years a Slave.
Empire of Light - Olivia Colman stars in this drama about a unique relationship between a troubled older woman and a young black man. The relationship doesn't quite work and the talented Colman over acts a bit, but it's a decent film overall.
Enola Holmes 2 - The sister or Sherlock, played by Millie Bobby Brown, helps uncover another mystery with her likable style.
Falling for Christmas - Lindsay Lohan plays a filty-rich, spoiled young woman who hits her head in a skiing accident and loses her memory before falling for a widower. It's formulaic, but watchable.
The Greatest Beer Run Ever - Hard to believe this is based on a true story and it was shaky in the first half hour, but it grew on me as time went on. Just wanna know how he kept the beer cold?
Happening - A promising student trying to make university in France is saddled with an unwanted pregnancy with abortion outlawed in 1963. French/Romanian actress Anamaria Vartolomei is outstanding in the lead.
The Inspection - Jeremy Pope produces a wonderful performance as a gay black man, who has had issues with law and is estranged from his mother, trying to graduate from boot camp a marine.
Interceptor - Beautiful Elsa Pataky is a dynamo as she tries to save the world from a rogue Russian missile attack in the Pacific Ocean.
Is that Black Enough For You? - A documentary that studies the history of black actors in feature films.
I Want You Back - You definitely have seen this script before in a rom-com, but it is likable enough to let that slide with Jenny Slate playing the lead.
Jurassic World: Dominion - Another chapter in the series, four years after the island is destroyed, with dinosaurs living among humans. Oh, what could go wrong?
Meet Cute - Kelly Cuoco lives what she plans on being the final day of her life over and over after finding a time machine. Pete Davidson is the guy she meets in a bar day after day.
Montana Story - Two half siblings, meeting for the first time in many years, deal with their abusive father's impending death. It's simple and real, and I like Haley Lu Richardson.
Moonage Daydream - Director Brett Morgen uses a unique non-chronological form of documentary to cover the career of the great David Bowie, using interviews and some never-seen-before performance footage.
Monnshot - Enjoyable HBO Original with an average young adventurer (Cole Sprouse) stowing away on a ship to Mars. Along the way, he falls for a brainy girl (Lana Condor).
Murina - A beautiful young daughter (Gracija Filipovic), who loves the water and where she is living, tries to deal with a domineering father wanting to sell the family's island home.
Navalny - Documentary about the brave Russian leader poisoned by Putin and then imprisoned unjustly by the Russian government.
Next Exit - Two young people make a trip together to end their lives as part of an afterlife study and stuff happens. It's a great concept, well acted, but is one of those near misses.
Nope - Good performances and well directed by Jordan Peele, but was not impressed with the predator overall. Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya save the weird, but intense film.
Nothing Compares - Interesting documentary about the brilliant, but complicated and sometimes baffling singer Sinead O'Connor.
The Pale Blue Eye - A brilliant but troubled detective, Augustus Landor (Christian Bale), is tasked to uncover the mystery of brutal killings at West Point. One of the most surprising twists at the end of a movie in 2022.
Prey - Amber Midthunder is terrific as precocious young female Comanche Indian fighter Naru in the fourth of the Predator series.
The Redeem Team - A documentary about the 2008 USA basketball team that made up for failures in the previous Olympics with Gold. It was also the turning point in Kobe Bryant's public perception.
Riotsville USA - Documentary about civil unrest in the 1960s and the militarization of the police, using fictional towns to practice. It is a quite maddening and interesting history lesson.
Rosaline - A try at humor with the Romeo and Juliet storyline is only mildly entertaining, but the appearances of Kaitlyn Dever and Isabela Merced make it slightly better than average.
RRR - A mythical drama based on two Indian revolutionaries who battle the evil English Empire and save a young girl.
Senior Year - Not a great script and it's quite predictable, but it ends up being an entertaining netflix high school movie.
Sheryl - Solid documentary about the career of Sheryl Crow, which left out a lot of things and could have been another hour. What really happened with Clapton, Sheryl?
Sr. - Robert Downey Jr. with a strong, interesting and light documentary about his film director/actor father Robert Downey Sr. in the final years of his life.
Stars at Noon - A gorgeous freelance journalist (Margaret Qualley), stuck in Nicaragua during a civil war, meets an English businessman who ends up being in more danger than her as they try to escape to Costa Rica.
Studio 666 - The Foo Fighters rent a haunted house to record their next album and all Hell breaks loose. Not a great flick, but Dave Grohl singing "Hello" briefly before getting choked by Lionel Richie is one of the funniest scenes of the year.
Thor: Love and Thunder - Marvel film got better as it went on, but did not ever get to a high level. The ending was emotional and good, though, setting up for the next one.
Travelin' Band: Creedence Clearwater Revival at the Royal Albert Hall - Documentary leading into a concert by the under-rated band of the late 60s and early 70s.
Watcher - A young couple moves to Bucharest, Romania in this chilling thriller in which Julia (Maika Monroe) grows fearful that a man in the window watching her from across the street is a serial killer..
The Woman King - Viola Davis is brilliant as usual in this African tale of an elite fighting force of women, but the film does not become compelling enough for a higher rating.
The Wonder - An English nurse (Florence Pugh) is hired to observe a young girl who has claimed to not eat for four months and remained alive miraculously in 1800s Ireland.
Medium Honorable Mention (worth a watch, but a few levels below recommended) (31)
All That Breathes - Interesting documentary about two brothers in New Delhi, who make it their life's job to care for injured black kite birds.
A Love Song - A lonely widow invites an old flame to her camp site for a nice meeting and the two talk about their past and their beloved departed spouses before moving on. It's a simple, watchable film, but it does not go past that.
A Madea Homecoming - Another chapter in the series made me laugh - especially near the grill - and had a decent message at the end.
A Man of Action - A Spanish bricklayer becomes an anarchist and hatches several schemes to steal money from banks while marrying gorgeous Satur (Ana Polvorosa).
Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood - Cartoon story leading up to the Apollo 11 launch from the recollection of director Frank Linklater and his family
Argentina, 1985 - The story of the prosecution of the last Argentinian military-civilian dictatorship by very brave lawyers.
Barbarian - A weird, but somewhat compelling, horror film about an Airbnb with a dangerous basement. The thing that bothers me is, why in the heck did Tess go back there after leaving?
Call Jane - Joy (Elizabeth Banks) deals with a life-threatening pregnancy in the 1960s, where seeking an abortion means going to an underground woman's club.
Close - Interesting Swedish film about a close friendship between two young boys. After some classmates tease Leo about the two being boyfriends, he pulls away from Remi. Tragedy occurs.
Corsage - An Austrian Empress and estranged wife of a philandering husband deals with depression and self worth issues as she ages.
Crush - Likable, woke, but sorta poorly written high school movie. Auli'l Cravalho and Rowan Blanchard make it work because they are very good young actresses.
Everything, Everywhere All At Once - Chaos develops after an Asian businesswoman visits an evil IRS agent, sending her into the metaverse where she becomes many different versions of herself. The film is saved a bit for me at the end with a decent message, but I think it's extremely over-rated.
Last Seen Alive - Your basic Gerard Butler crime drama, but it held my attention until the end as he looked for his gorgeous wife (Jaimie Alexander).
Lesson Plan - A former cop goes undercover at a high school where his friend was killed after trying to stop a drug ring.
The Lost City - Harmless fun with Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, but not anywhere near as many laughs as expected.
Metal Lords - Three high school outcasts put together a metal band for Battle of the Bands - eventually - and it's mostly fun.
Moonfall - An imperfect Sci-fi drama, especially in the final half hour, but one compelling enough to keep your eyes on it throughout.
The Northman - There was a decent story in there, but it was clouded by too much nonsense in the medieval film. This is not a Game of Thrones caliber movie.
Scream - The latest in the slasher series brings back Neve and Courtney to help end another spree.
Slumberland - A likable young girl tries to find her father along with a scoundrel (Jason Momoa) in her dreams.
Spin Me Round - Weird black comedy about a work trip to Italy, but Aubrey Plaza and Alison Brie are always fun to watch.
Spirited - Musical comedy with Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds that has its fun moments, but does not provide many laughs.
Spoiler Alert - Jim Parsons stars in a gay love story that is realistic and sad. While Bros had more laughs, this was a better movie for that genre.
Thirteen Lives - Ron Howard's take on the great rescue of a young soccer team from a cave in Thailand is too long, but is not without some stirring moments.
The Tinder Swindler - Documentary about an Israeli con man Simon Leviev. Can't imagine these women getting fooled that easily, but Stockholm Syndrome can get anyone I guess.
Triangle of Sadness - A mess of a film with a few interesting or funny scenes, but I was not 100 percent sure what it was really getting at. Over-rated.
Uncharted - Intermittently fun treasure jaunt with Mark Wahlberg, Tom Holland and the gorgeous Sophia Taylor Ali.
Violent Night - A few laughs and a whole lot of violence as Santa saves the day for a little girl and her broken family.
I Wanna Dance With Somebody - The story of Whitney Houston had some decent moments, but was a bit disjointed at times.
Weird: The Al Yankovic Story - Had a few laughs, but not sure why they had to change so much of his story. Poor decision.
We're All Going to the World's Fair - Weird little psychodrama about a lonely young woman making videos to show as an initiation to join a club on the internet.
2nd Chance - A documentary on the enigmatic and sometimes crazy Richard Davis, who invented the bulletproof vest that policemen use.
Low Honorable Mention (Has a few good elements, but otherwise forgettable) (75)
Against the Ice - A pair of explorers from Denmark battle the cold in Greenland to get important information.
Agent Game - A spy-action thriller with Dermot Mulroney in a pickle after his boss is murdered and he is blamed for a detainee's death.
Amsterdam - Glad I did not go to see it in the theater. Great cast for this 1930s mystery, but the story never pulls you in.
Athena - French film that pits soldier brother vs. brother after their younger sibling is beaten and killed by corrupt police.
Beast - Adventure in Africa with Idris Alba, his two film daughters and some pissed off lions.
Benediction - The story of Siegfried Sassoon, a British Poet who opposed the home country's continued participation in World War I.
The Big 4 - A straight-laced poilice officer finds out her father had a secret life in charge of assasins and travels to find his retired group after he is killed, in the Indonesian film.
Black Adam - Another substandard Marvel enterprise, but The Rock and the beautiful Sarah Shahi at least make it somewhat watchable in parts.
Black Site - Agents at a secret site must fight off a infamous detainee who escapes. Beautiful Michelle Monaghan looks hot leading the agents.
Blonde - Ana de Armas does a good job playing Marilyn Monroe and I learned a lot, but the movie is way too long.
Book of Love - An average writer falls in love with the woman who rewrote his average book and made it a hit in Mexico. Veronica Echegui is very likable.
Borrego - A woman looking to get away from a tragedy at home gets caught up in a drug trafficking deal near the border and needs help from a new young friend.
Both Sides of the Blade - Always-stunning Juliette Binoche stars in the French film as a woman married to the former best friend of her ex-husband. The two friends get together for a business venture, which causes obvious issues.
Captain Nova - A female pilot travels back in time to try and avert a climate disaster and the trip makes her a younger age.
Catherine Called Birdy - Delightful Bella Ramsey (Game of Thrones) plays a young teen in medieval times who perfects the art of pushing away suitors her father introduces.
Day Shift - Vampire movie has some good action and Jamie Foxx, which makes it a tiny bit better than passable.
DC League of Super Pets - Cartoons with animals are always at least a little fun, but few climb above this category. Great cast. Kevin Hart's dog is humorous.
Deep Water - Sexual thriller with the Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck is ok, but did not grab my full attention.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - A good visual experience, but the story was all over the place and the action chaotic at times
Don't Worry Darling - A somewhat interesting storyline is ruined by unnecessary filler and no ending or answers to questions. Florence Pugh is very good as usual in this Stepford Wives-like movie.
The Estate - Anna Faris and Toni Collette are down on their luck, but see an opportunity when a rich aunt has terminal cancer. I probably rate it too high, but I guess it didn't annoy me as much as others.
Facing Nolan - Documentary about Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan that has it's moments, but is not extremely compelling.
Fall - A young woman still hurting from her husband's fall to death while climbing decides to scale an old tower with her adrenalin junkie friend. What could happen?
Father Stu - Mark Wahlberg plays Stuart Long, who goes from amateur boxer through a long process that takes him to the priesthood.
Fire of Love - Documentary on an intrepid couple of volcano explorers. It has some good moments, but is boring overall.
Fresh - The so-called black comedy horror film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones (Where the Crawdads Sing), who goes away with her boyfriend for the first time and finds out he has a gruesome secret.
Funny Pages - A teenage cartoonist leaves school after the teacher that inspired him dies and tries to break into the professional world. Thought it would be better.
The Good House - Sigourney Weaver plays a previously successful real estate agent struggling with her business and alcoholism in a small Massachusetts town.
Good Luck to You Leo Grande - Emma Thompson, a retired widow, hires a young sex worker for a night of wild fun. Well acted, but over-rated.
The Gray Man - Big buildup to this Netflix spy drama with Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas turned into a letdown.
Halftime - Solid documentary on Jennifer Lopez's year leading to her Super Bowl halftime performance with Shakira.
High Heat - Don Johnson is in trouble with the mafia and his ex-KGB agent, sexy wife Anna Kurylenko tries to save him along with their restaurant.
Hocus Pocus 2 - Modern remake of the original back in 1993 as three witches return to haunt on Halloween.
The Invitation - Gorgeous Nathalie Emmanuel (Missandei in Game of Thrones) is invited to a Vampire Party in England and she takes them on.
Lady Chatterley's Lover - The third film based on D.H. Lawrence's book about the infidelity of a beautiful aristocrat woman.
Lightyear - Buzz is a cool character, but the Disney cartoon is not quite fun enough to climb out of the average category.
Look Both Ways - College student Natalie (Lila Reinhart) is tossed into the world of parallel realities after taking a pregnancy test.
Love Lizzo - Interesting HBO documentary about the trials, tribulations and the rise of the talented, plus-sized recording artist.
Lyle, Lyle Crocodile - Lyle is certainly a cool dude with a good voice, but the film is a bit hokey overall.
Mack & Rita - A pretty, but socially inept, young woman writer (Elizabeth Lail) turns into a popular 70-year-old woman after something called regression. It isn't awful and Lail is sweet. It's just weird and forced.
Man from Toronto - Kevin Hart plays his normal likable bumbling guy, getting mistaken for a contract killer, but the story is a bit of a mess.
Meet Me in the Bathroom - Documentary about the underground New York rock scene before and after the 9/11 disaster.
Me Time - Stay at home dad Sonny (Kevin Hart) gets some free time and reconnects with crazy old friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) for a wild time.
Men - There is a little smart intrigue in this horror/drama and Jessie Buckley is as good as usual in her lead role of a woman dealing with her estranged husband's suicide. But it gets way too weird near the end.
Mindcage - Crime/thriller with the pretty Melissa Roxburgh (Manifest), Martin Lawrence and the great John Malkovich as a serial killer helping with a copycat murderer.
Minions 2: The Rise of Gru - Young Gru wants to join a super villain gang and the goofy minions are there to help.
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris - An English widow travels to France to buy a special Dior dress and the former cleaning lady becomes a star.
Munich: The Edge of War - College friends re-unite in a fantasy, historical story about the potential plot to assassinate Hitler.
Orphan First Kill - Psycho girl escapes from a Russian mental institute and tries to take the identity of a missing American girl.
Panama - Mel Gibson stars in a story about arms dealing in the Central American nation before a potential United States invasion.
Paradise City - One of the better Bruce Willis crime dramas over the last few years. Pretty women and decent action.
Persuasion - Dakota Johnson shines in this adaption of a Jane Austen book. It just doesn't get over the hump from average to good.
Pinocchio - Guilermo del Toro's take on the classic tale has plenty of style, but it did not quite become a must watch for me.
Poker Face - A Big Tech billionaire (Russell Crowe) invites old friends to a high stakes poker game that gets hectic when robbers show up.
Qala - A brilliant Hindu singer must deal with the scars of her past, including a difficult mother, as she navigates the pitfalls of success. It is a beautifully shot film.
Return to Space - Dislike Elon Musk intensely overall, but it was an interesting documentary about his SpaceX mission.
Rubikon - Science Fiction film with an interesting premise, but a bit too much talking. Three survivors on a space station decide whether to return to a near dead Earth.
Rumspringa - Coming of age story for a young Amish boy in Germany creates a few laughs and is basically harmless fun.
Samaritan - Sylvester Stallone plays an aging hero who must save a city from some very evil people and save a kid.
See How They Run - Two great actors (Sam Rockwell and Saoirse Ronan) try their hardest with a rather boring old style mystery script.
The Sea Beast - Cute cartoon with a message at the end, but nothing more.
Secret Headquarters - Kids sci-fi film in which a young boy finds out that his father is a secret super hero. It's fun enough.
Significant Other - The sci-fi horror film on Paramount Plus was different, but not compelling or straight forward enough for me.
Smile - Weird horror movie about a supernatural force affecting people who have witnessed trauma. Sosie Bacon is outstanding in the lead role of this slightly-below average horror film.
Sniper: Rogue Mission - A crooked cop is involved with a nasty sex trafficking ring and the good guys go after him with a little humor.
The Son - Good actors Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern and Vanessa Kirby try to save a bad script about a teenager dealing with depression.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 - Sonic is a fun character, but this one was not as enjoyable as the original.
Spiderhead - Inmates are recruited to test obedience drugs in a remote location. Miles Teller stars in the disappointing film.
Strange World - Cute cartoon about family, science and exploration. It may be too woke for wacko Republicans.
The Takedown - French comedy/action film with two old detective friends teaming up to try and take down a bad dude.
The Takeover - A smart, beautiful young hacker (Holy Mae Brood) is targeted and framed by an international crime syndiate.
They/Them - Slasher movie at a conversion camp with a nasty Kevin Bacon in charge. Had some ok moments, but nothing more.
Three Thousand Years of Longing - A Jeannie arrives allows Tilda Swinton three wishes. It's a weird movie that isn't really compelling.
White Noise - Wacky, offbeat comedy/drama about a family with a husband (Adam Driver) and wife on their fourth marriage, who must deal with a aftermath of a chemical spill in their town.
Wildcat - An English soldier returns from Afghanistan with PTSD and tries to recover in the Amazon rainforest where he befriends an American scientist. The two help nurse a baby leopard in this interesting documentary.
X - Making a low-rent porn film in a creepy location, owned by weird old people in Texas. What could go wrong? Slasher movie with three beautiful women.
Merely Passable (Just enough elements to keep it out of the worst list) (52): A Day to Die (Another Bruce Willis dud), Aline (based on the life of Celine Dion), All the Old Knives, The Aviary (Good premise, escaping a cult. Boring story), The Bad Guys (cute cartoon, but nothing special), Belle (Japanese cartoon isn't all bad), Bigbug (futuristic weirdness), Black Crab, Bros (gay love story had a few laughs), Cirkus (two sets of twins separated at birth end up in the same town), The Contractor, Death on the Nile (Great cast, average acting, below-average and somewhat boring story), End of the Road (Queen Latifah and family on a racially-charged trip through Texas), The Eternal Daughter (Tilda Swinton plays a daughter and a mother at the same time), Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (You kind of had the watch the previous movies, but it had its moments), Fire Island, The Forgiven, Gasoline Alley (Bruce Willis and Luke Wilson in a crime snoozer), The Girl in the Picture (Documentary about the murder of two young women in Tampa), God's Country (bad people in Montana), Godspeed (A disabled Army captain drives a soldier to stop the wedding of his lost love), Gone in the Night (Shame on you Winona Ryder, John Gallagher Jr. and Dermot Mulroney for accepting this weird script), I Believe in Santa Claus, Infinite Storm (Naomi Watts rescues a guy probably not worth rescuing from a snowstorm), Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case (Documentary about the baffling murder of a journalist by an entrepreneur), Jackass Forever (liked the cup test bit, but the rest was trash), Katrina Babies (documentary on the aftermath of Katrina), The Lair, Live is Life, Luckiest Girl Alive (Mila Kunis stars in a mess and I hated that Luke character), Master (Racism at a school, but it kinda falls flat), Memory (Liam Neeson shoot'em up) Mid-Century (three hot girls in the cast pull this horror/drama out of the worst list), Mr. Harrigan's Phone, My Policeman, Nanny, The Next 365 Days (third in series is slightly better than the second and Anna Maria Sieklucka is the most beautiful woman in Europe), Operation Mincemeat (World War II story that is well acted, but rather dull), Our Father (Documentary about a doctor who used his own sperm to artificially inseminate many, many women), Purple Hearts (I like Sofia Carson, but this was way below average), Puss and Boots: The Last Wish (Wasn't thrilled), Recurrence (Argentinian crime drama), Restlless, The Stranger, The Tiger Rising (A bullied young boy finds his imagination when he sees a caged tiger behind his hotel), Turning Red (sorta cute cartoon that peters out), Umma, Unplugging, Valley of the Dead (Not a lot new to this Netflix flick), We Met in Virtual Reality (cartoon about people taking different identities during the pandemic), The Wrath of God (Slow crime drama, but Argentinian Macarena Achaga is quite beautiful), The 355 (Four great actresses slog through a bad action movie with a below-average script)
Worst of the Worst for 2022
Dishonroable mention: After Ever Happy (why do they keep making these movies? I can't hate Hardin any more), American Carnage (immigrants sent to weird health care facility), Bob's Burgers: The Movie (thought the cartoon was a mess), Redeeming Love (Nice man tries to convert prostitute to wife; mindless script), The System (dumb prison drama)
10. Pearl - The more horrific prequel to X just did not hit me right, despite critics liking it pretty universally.
9. 365 Days: This Day - It's really a porn movie with some weird story in between. Anna-Maria Sieklucka's beauty keeps it out of the top five.
8. Windfall - Bad movie about a billionaires house being broken into that got even worse with a mindless ending.
7. Halloween Ends - The long-time series of movies ends with a whimper.
6. Vendetta - It's amazing how many bad crime/action movies Bruce Willis has been in the last 3-4 years.
5. Morbius - Dark Marvel which does not pull you in at all, even after it was held back many times for improvements.
4. You Won't Be Alone - A witch steals a daughter and I'm not sure how anyone could sit through the ugly story.
3. Firestarter - It's just really bad in every way and extremely boring. Perhaps they should have set the film on fire.
2. Crimes of the Future - Viggo Mortensen, Lea Seydoux and Kristen Stewart in a futuristic story about humans adapting to a synthetic environment that causes mutations. Impossible to follow this mess.
1. Dashcam - An incredibly despicable woman named Annie Hardy live streams a weird, horror-filled night in her life for the internet. Right there with Mother! as one of worst few movies of all time. Apparently Annie Hardy was not acting. She's really that bad a person.
