The 15 Best Movies of 2022—and Where to Watch Them

While 2021 was largely defined by its proximity to the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, when worldwide lockdowns and cinema closings forced the moviegoers to establish new viewing habits, 2022, seemed to be about getting back to normal. Which is a constant evolving concept. In the past year, there have been massive blockbusters, surprising flops, unexpected hits, and a parade of superhero movies. It all added up to a really solid year of entertainment, with fantastic films being made in countless genres and coming from almost every corner of the world. WIRED picked the best movies of the year.

Glass onion is a mystery.

Sometimes a movie comes along where the cast and crew are having a good time making the film. It was called Glass Onion. It is possible that Daniel Craig has had a hand attached to James Bond's martini glass for the past 15 years. Rian Johnson is back in the director's chair with a script he wrote for the sequel. The action has moved to Greece, on a private island, owned by a tech billionaire. A murder mystery is on the official itinerary, but it is interrupted by something else. Everyone is a suspect yet again. It is up to the man to figure out who did it. It is yet another blast.

There are women in Inisherin.

Fans of In Bruges only needed to hear that the writer-director was teaming up with Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson again in The Banshees of Inisherin. The movie takes place in 1923 when the Irish Civil War is ending and a new battle is about to start. Colm and Pdraic have been friends for a long time, but when Colm decides he's had enough of Pdraic, the relationship ends. That isn't a good enough reason for Pdraic, who tries to get Colm to listen. The men are going to war with each other and that is where the humor comes in. The Banshees of Inisherin will get a lot of attention when the Academy Awards are held.

Everything at one time.

Six years have passed since the premiere of Swiss Army Man and the introduction of the phrase "Daniel Radcliffe farting corpse movie" Everything Everywhere All At Once takes two hours and 19 minutes to complete, and they made the most of every second of it. Evelyn Wang gets the chance to experience many different lives she could have led in a multiverse storyline the directors wisely milked as an opportunity to pull out every tool and trick they've got The entire movie can change from one minute to the next. Different languages and aspect ratios are used in the film. Also, there is a fight. It is possible that multiple viewings are needed.

Tr.

Lydia Tr appears to have it all from the outside. She achieved many firsts for a woman in the classical music world, and is preparing for a live recording of Gustav Mahler's symphony. Lydia has had to fight for everything she has achieved, and she hasn't always done so fairly. Lydia feels the walls closing in at a high point in her career. Most actors are lucky to get a single career- defining performance in their careers, but Blanchett seems to up the ante with each new project. Todd Field is one of the most talented directors of the modern era. Over the past two decades, he has directed three films. He played a piano-playing friend of Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut.

The bones and all.

In the same way that Swiss Army Man became known as a horror movie, Bones and All is a cannibal movie. It is correct. The adaptation of DeAngelis's novel involves a couple of fine young cannibals and is being directed by Luca Guadagnino.

No, not at all.

It might be the most accomplished film by Jordan Peele, even though Nope didn't make as much noise as Get Out. Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer play the siblings who help and train horses for films and TV shows. Otis was killed when a coin fell from the sky. They discover that a huge, horse-eating alien has staked a claim over their home. That doesn't get weird. There is a sense of humor in the script and it is masterfully woven by Peele.

There is a film by the author of The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Two movies in a year is a lot. If you want to pick one, make it a stop-motion animation version of the movie. This isn't Disney's version of a wooden boy's dream of becoming a real boy Right down to being set in Italy in the 1930s, it is a statement on fascists. Mussolini comes by. It is sad and a stark reminder that life is short, so appreciate it while you can. Is it possible to see? It's not Disney.

There is still time.

Americans know the name of the Chicago teen who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955. For nearly 15 years, Mamie Till fought to get justice for her only child, who was murdered in 1955. Danielle Deadwyler is a master at playing lived-in grief and she is the star of the film.

It's happening.

It could not have come at a better time for American audiences to see the film, which is about an abortion drama. Anne is a college student with a bright future until she learns she's pregnant. Anne has to make a difficult decision, either embrace motherhood when she is barely out of childhood, or seek an abortion, which could result in prison time. The film focuses on the pain of having to make that decision in the first place and the life-threatening dangers women face when forced to make those choices in the shadows.

It was a decision to leave.

Spike Lee mounted his own version of Oldboy a decade after Park Chan-wook's film shook viewers, but he wasn't the only one. One might argue that Decision to Leave is the auteur's tamest effort, since he's known for turning acts of extreme violence into beautiful movie moments. When a man plummets to his death from a mountain, a detective is sent to investigate if he was murdered. He is starting to suspect that the dead man's wife may be the guilty party but he is also starting to fall for her. It isn't a new thing, but in this director's hands it could be. He does more than stick the landing.

There is no noise on the western front.

Edward Berger's adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front doesn't make it any less interesting. Or threatening. It's really violent. The lessons about the horrors and futility of war can not be more timely. Felix Kammerer offers an impressive performance as Paul Bumer, a young soldier whose excitement about fighting for his country quickly turns to anxiety. The cinematography of James Friend puts you in the trenches. It is not an easy watch, but it is needed.

You can hit the road.

Panah Panahi is the son of legendary filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who was sentenced to six years in prison earlier this year for "inciting unrest". A family of four set off on a road trip that made them both cry and laugh. When the purpose of their journey is revealed, the squabbles of any family are unimportant.

There is a top gun.

It's hard to admit that this movie overdelivered on what most people expected. It took 36 years, but it was worth it. Tom Cruise won't approve a movie that isn't properly action-packed. This movie is action-packed. It is an homage to the original film as well as an inside joke for '80s kids. If your only reason for watching is to see a re-enactment of the movie's famous volleyball scene, you'll be disappointed.

There is a moonage.

A musical experience is what Moonage Daydream is about. The Kid Stays in the Picture and On the Ropes were both directed by Oscar-nominated documentarians, and the same can be said of David Bowie's work. The film is the first official doc on the late artist, and it is narrated by the man himself.

Jackass is still going strong.

Is it a good idea to name one of the best movies of 2022. Yes, that's right. We don't know if we're going to do it anyways. It's uh-huh. Jackass isn't for everybody. Even if you watch a few of the nausea-inducing stunts with your hands over your eyes, you are all in. Steve-O summed up the crew's slogan best when he said that concussions aren't great. It's cool if you have them before you're 50.