Another year has passed and with it movies have come and gone. I fancy myself an avid consumer of film so I am the perfect person to write this article for the Minnesota Republic. To disclose there were only a few films that I saw in theaters, Avatar: The Way of Water, was not one of them. 

Without further ado, here are the best movies that I watched in the year 2022. 

“Nope”

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, “Nope” is a horror/sci-fi film. This is the third film in his filmography, following “Get Out” and “Us.” Peele has stamped his name on the horror genre with his movies and “Nope” is no different. The American Film Institute (AFI) awarded this film a spot in their list of movies of the year, and I approve as well. There is some randomness within the movie, but it kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the whole thing. 

“Nope” is now streaming on Peacock. 

“The Menu” 

“The Menu” might be my favorite movie of 2022. The suspense and drama between the characters is extremely well shot and acted. The standout character and scene stealer of the entire movie is Ralph Fiennes who plays Chef Slowik. I cannot rave enough about this film, I was hooked immediately. One scene that shook me to my core was called “The Mess.” If you give this movie a chance you will know exactly what I am talking about. 

“The Menu” is now streaming on HBO Max.

“Smile”

If you couldn’t tell, there were an awful lot of great horror and suspense movies that came out this year, “Smile” is one of them. “Smile” has an interesting gimmick that sets it apart from other horror movies I have seen. The basics are that there is a spirit or disease that is going around causing people who are smiling to kill themselves in front of people in horrifying ways. This movie is extremely unsettling, making a smile into a thing of a nightmare. 

“Smile” is now streaming on Paramount+

“Emancipation”

“Emancipation” is a drama released at the end of 2022, featuring Will Smith about a slave who is trying to escape a plantation in the south after he is separated from his family. “Emancipation” is a unique film in its cinematography, completely in black and white. This is one of the most serious films of the year obviously due to its subject matter. As hard as it is to watch some of the scenes, it is an expertly made film with great acting and something I highly recommend.  

“Emancipation” is now streaming on Apple TV+

“All Quiet On The Western Front”

“All Quiet On The Western Front” is a recreation of the 1929 novel by Erich Maria Remarque and the 1930 film. A German film in its entirety about a group of best friends that decide to join the war in 1914. We follow them throughout all of their experiences but focus on Paul. Just like any war movie, it is a gruesome film, but one of my favorites of the year. 

“All Quiet On The Western Front” is now streaming on Netflix

“The Northman”

A film with an extremely simple plot, but not to the detriment of the film. The basic storyline of the movie is about a Viking who goes on a revenge quest after his father is killed in front of him as a child. The main character constantly repeats this throughout the film leaving it engrained in your brain, “I will avenge you father, I will save you, mother, I will kill you Fjolnir.” This is a gritty and gory film with lots of action and some epic fight scenes. If you are looking for something with a bit of a different vibe check it out. 

“The Northman” is now streaming on HBO Max