THE BEST FILMS OF 2022
BY SAIFFILMS
Saif counts down his favorite films of 2022 - including the year’s biggest hits at the box office and at the Oscars, and indie gems from around the world that you might’ve missed. Check out his 2021 list here!
10. (tie) Saint Omer and The Quiet Girl
Set in rural Ireland in 1981, Saint Omer centers around a quiet, neglected girl who is sent away from her dysfunctional family to live with foster parents for the summer. where she discovers a new way of living and a secret. The Quiet Girl is an excellent film about how family can be emotionally abusive and negligent but also presents a kinder side to families. Talking about this film would spoil it but it does a great job using visual storytelling.
Saint Omer is a French legal drama centering around a novelist who attends the trial of a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter. Saint Omer is probably the most intriguing courtroom films I've seen in years. This film discusses racism and immigration in France in a very nuanced way. This works as a character study as well. The film has great technical aspects on top of its excellent screenplay.
9. The Northman
From horror director Robert Eggers, The Nortman is a viking tale that follows a young prince on a quest to avenge his father's murder. A violent portrait of the cycle of revenge and hatred, The Northman talks about how children can be manipulated at an early age and set their life goals to something that would doom them and how our environment shapes us as people. It also shows us how male heroism and masculinity can be repressive.
8. The Banshees of Inisherin
Academy Award winning filmmaker Martin McDonagh’s latest film surrounds the falling out of a friendship on a remote Irish island. The film is an allegory for the Irish Civil War, but The Banshees of Inisherin instead explores the concept of loneliness, isolation, self-worth and broken friendships. It has comedic undertones that help it be more entertaining for the audience, and manages to ask us interesting questions about keeping people company.
7. Close
Lukas Dhont's Close is a cautionary tale on the causes of childhood trauma. The film is split in two parts and these two parts say something else, but the film encourages us to change our biased perception of masculinity and end how we police other people's display of affection. This film offers some of the best child performances ever seen in a film.
6. Joyland
Joyland is a nuanced commentary on gender norms and how society sets harmful expectations on its people. This film does an excellent job criticizing patriarchal societies by giving us different scenarios that affect the characters in very negative ways, as well as a criticism of how society views feminity and masculinity.
5. Nope
Nope is Jordan Peele's version of Jaws (1975) and at the same time a critique of the obsession of spectacle in Hollywood. It is commentary about filmmaking and the tragedy of all kinds of movie stars that have been victims of Hollywood, using different tools and religious imagery as well. It can be interpreted depending on the person, which sparks interesting conversations surrounding the film.
4. Tár
Set in the international world of classical music, the film centers on a renowned composer-conductor named Lydia Tár, who is days away from recording the symphony that will elevate her career, with every element in her life seemingly conspiring against her. One of the most nuanced screenplays of the year is about power dynamics and the exploitation of that power by respected artists and how society views them when they conduct immoral actions. With incredible cinematography and an exceptional performance from Cate Blanchett this film is one of the most professionally made in recent years.
3. Decision To Leave
The latest film from South Korean director Park Chan Wook follows a detective who, while investigating a man's death in the mountains, ends up meeting and developing feelings for the dead man's mysterious widow. This film is masterfully made from all aspects, it is uniquely shot, edited, acted, and written. This film uses mountains and oceans to highlight specific characteristics about the main characters and foreshadows specific events brilliantly. This is an original romance about failed relationships disguised as a crime-thriller. This film has a sense of style that cannot be overlooked.
2. Aftersun
A masterclass of show and don't tell. Aftersun is the directorial debut from Charlotte Wells, centering around the vacation a man takes with his 11-year old daughter. This film uses different tools to convey different messages, it is very subtle, and due to its great attention to detail, it leaves you enough hints to understand what the film is talking about. It's better to not state what the film is about but this is easily one of the best films in recent years. It's a very close #2.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
The deserving winner of Best Picture at the Oscars is one of the most original films ever made. This is an insanely made film with a humble budget but manages to give us one of the most entertaining pieces of art in years, following a middle-aged Chinese immigrant who is swept up into an insane, multi-versal adventure. It's a sci-fi comedy but deep down it's a film about depression, generational trauma and the meaning or purpose of life. It can be interpreted in different ways but the film has concrete themes that it explores.
