My personal choice of Top 10 Movies of 2022 in video form here – https://youtu.be/KJFMHL2Hcxg . It includes at the start of the video my “2022 Movie Montage” of all the movies I’ve watched (and rated) during the last year.
I’m aware that some folks prefer these lists in written form, so I’ve now republished this to include my Top 10 list below.
A happy New Year to all One Mann’s Movies followers!
The Top 10:
It’s been a cracking year for movies, and particularly for British movies. So here is my Top 10 selection for 2022.
No. 10 – Living
There’s a lot to love about this wonderful little British bitter-sweet drama. Not only is the production design for 1950’s Britain spot-on, but Bill Nighy delivers a nuanced and career-best performance as ‘old Mr Williams’: a man reevaluating his way of life before it’s too late. Emilie Levienaise-Farrouch also delivers a lovely score. My original review is here.
No. 9 – Pahanhautoja (Hatching)
What the E.T. and Elliott relationship might REALLY have been like… if E.T. was a bird-like alien little shit! “Hatching” is a Finnish horror movie, written and directed by the talented Hanna Bergholm, which manages to establish the creepy setting within a ‘perfect Scandinavian family’ home before ramping the weirdness up to 11. Yes, the ending went a little bit overboard for my liking, but this was one of my biggest (pleasant) surprises at the cinema during 2022. My original review is here.
No. 8 – The Menu
Co-written and directed by some of the team behind TV’s wonderful “Succession”, “The Menu” managed to deliver on the big-screen many of the same shocking twists and comic moments. Ralph Fiennes is excellent as the haute-cuisine chef giving his exclusive diners an evening they won’t forget. Nicholas Hoult is also brilliant as the diner in awe of the maestro at work, as is Anya Taylor-Joy (having another very strong year) as the surprise ingredient on the menu. A riveting movie that you don’t think has the balls to keep going there… until it does! My original review is here.
No. 7 – Boiling Point
Staying with the culinary theme, “Boiling Point” is distinguished by being filmed as a single continuous shot in real time. But… REALLY… there are none of the Sam Mendes’s “1917” or “Spectre” tricks in this one! Telling the story of a traumatic evening in the life of chef Andy Jones (Stephen Graham), the film manages to be immensely tense and claustrophobic. Graham, who was recently awarded an OBE in the King’s first honours list, is outstanding. My original review is here.
No. 6 – Fall
I really shouldn’t feel GUILTY about putting a particular film in my Top 10, but this one feels like a real B-movie! But, to be honest, if I were to solely assess films according to the amount of PURE FUN I had watching them in the cinema, “Fall” would be up there is my Top 3! Telling the story of two stupidly unprepared climbers who get into trouble, the movie has a very similar premise to the Blake Lively survival flick “The Shallows” from a few years ago. Just swap “shark” for “gravity” and you are there! It’s vertiguous (it made me feel sick with worry!), very exciting and has some excellent twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. It also manages to make you feel superior by working out all the cleverer things YOU would have done in that situation! It’s a real blast, and highly recommended! My original review is here.
No. 5 – Belfast
“Belfast” is the semi-autobiographical film of writer/director Kenneth Branagh, about his time growing up during “the troubles” in Northern Ireland in the late 1960’s. Full of wit, heartbreak and nostalgia, it’s a great tribute to the no-nonsense spirit and humour of the people of Belfast. It also features a fabulous ensemble performance from young Jude Hill, Jamie Dornan, Catriona Balfe, Dame Judi Dench and the often-overlooked Ciarán Hinds. My original review is here.
No. 4 – Top Gun: Maverick
I remain worried about the future of Britain’s cinema chains, given that the likes of Netflix, Amazon and Sky are financing so many films that invariably either go straight to streaming or else spend a paltry ‘token week’ in theatres for Oscar purposes. But one movie that helped out beleaguered cinemas no end this year was “Top Gun: Maverick”, which people went to see in their droves (and often multiple times). At the time of writing it is homing in on a box office of $1.5 billion, edging it towards the Top 10 of all time. And (unlike some on that Top 10 list…. “Fast 7”, I’m looking at you!), it really is very good indeed. Although it steals its plot shamelessly from “Star Wars: A New Hope”, it’s an exhillarating thrill ride and features a fabulous acting performance by Tom Cruise. If his discussion with Val Kilmer’s Iceman doesn’t give you a lump in your throat then you ain’t human! My original review is here.
No. 3 – Emily
Although I do have form in rating some period costume dramas highly (Emma was my No. 1 film from 2020) I wouldn’t have expected Frances O’Connor’s movie about the short and eventful life of Emily Bronte to have made my list. And particularly since I was very much ‘so-so’ about the movie’s trailer. But I just adored seeing this in the cinema. Well-written and beautifully crafted, this was a vehicle that really showed off the talents of the wonderful Emma Mackey. It exposes, at least in the movie, just what a rebel Bronte was for her day. I suspect very few of you saw this…. so seek it out to rent on a streaming platform (various at the moment, including Apple, Amazon, Sky and Google). My original review is here.
No. 2 – Glass Onion
“Knives Out” was my No. 3 film of 2019, and now the sequel does one better. Daniel Craig returns as the detective Benois Blanc, complete with his terrible Southern drawl. This time, he receives an unexpected invitation to a murder mystery weekend hosted by the eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (a magnificent Edward Norton). Fellow guests include washed-up ditsy model Birdie Jay (a deliciously over the top Kate Hudson), a stressed out US senator (Kathryn Hahn) and spurned business partner Andi Brand (an impressive Janelle Monáe) who gets a delightful little Beethoven-esque motif every time she appears in the movie! Together with some eye-catching cameos, it’s enormous fun and I’m so glad I got to see it on the big screen. Hopefully, particularly if it has some Oscar success, it will get more big-screen outings in 2023. My original review is here.
No. 1 – The Banshees of Insherin
Martin McDonagh (“In Bruges”, “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri“) is very sparing with his output, so it’s an event when he releases a new film. Written and directed by him, “Banshees” tells the slight story of Colm Doherty (Brendan Gleeson) who one day inexplicably turns his back on his long-term friend Pádraic (Colin Farrell). It’s a jet-black comedy that made me laugh like a drain multiple times. But it’s also desperately sad and upsetting in places. This has resulted in it being a bit of a “Marmite” movie, with some folks hating it – I’ve seen some comments of “depressing” and “pointless”. But I LOVED it! I’d be astonished if Gleeson, Farrell and McDonagh don’t get Oscar nominated, with a good chance of walking away with the prize. But one to add to that list, for me, is Barry Keoghan. He plays the lovelorn island dimwit Dominic Kearney and is superb, managing to generate both belly-laughs and tears in equal measure: I think it would be a crime if he didn’t get a Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for this. There’s also a cracking soundtrack by Carter Burwell. My original review is here.
