Check out our favourite films of 2022 below:

Honourable Mention: Barbarian

Unbelievably original and freakishly scary, writer/director Zach Cregger’s Barbarian was one extremely clever piece of horror that came right out of left field and delivered on all the terror. From its foreboding opening scenes to the excessive gore of its closing moments, Barbarian was a hell of a watch, and it really put the fear into audiences. This was a film that was unexpected and completely took audiences by surprise and its jump scares and repellent horror elements made for one of the best horror experiences of the year.

10. Cyrano

Noted filmmaker Joe Wright returned behind the camera for the opulent tale of the historical classic Cyrano de Bergerac in Cyrano, and this musical-historical-romance was a cinematic extravaganza. Show with a very luxurious eye and styled with beautiful baroqueness this film explores the very notion of love and its control over our souls. Peter Dinklage again commanded the very centre of the screen and as an audience member you could not but be caught up in the beauty and elegance of this amazing work.

9. Nightmare Alley

Visionary director Guillermo del Toro brought his unique gothic sensibilities to the outlaw carnival realm of the 1930s in his gripping and intense psychological thriller Nightmare Alley. And the result was film noir with a mean sense of bite. Re-adapting William Lindsay Gresham classic thriller to the big screen, del Toro narrowed in on the complexities of power and the dark side of man as Bradley Cooper’s ambitious carnie Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle would do anything for fame and fortune. With its dramatic scale and nerve-racking vigour, Nightmare Alley was a cinematic experience that kept audiences on edge the whole way through.

8. The Northman

A cinematic experience of full force, Robert Eggers’ The Northman was a teutonic movie of epic power and bold mythology and in watching it you felt the full fury of the Viking Age. Balancing the blood-letting ferocity of the past with the mysticism of the pagan era, The Northman was a beast of a movie and its savage power made you sit up in your seat. Alexander Skarsgard went to an extreme edge to become the murderous Prince Amleth, and this was a cinematic presentation that hit with the force of a battle axe!

7. Parallel Mothers

Renowned for his mastery of the cinematic arts, Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers was a piece of cinema that completely wrapped you up in the complexity of its layered storytelling and its dramatic severity made a lasting impact on the audience. Exploring themes of love, motherhood, family, trauma and history, Parallel Mothers was a film that surprised you at every moment and its narrative turns led to plenty of shocking exposition. Penélope Cruz and Milena Smit created a very meaningful sense of chemistry between one another, and all of Almodóvar’s creativity and focus were refined down in this picture.

6. The Batman

With a brooding film noir presence director Matt Reeves brought the Dark Knight back to cinemas and this was a new type of Batman that audiences had never witnessed before. Laced with shadows and psychological complexity, The Batman was a rough and tumble portrait of an all-new Batman and it made for a very severe watch. Robert Pattinson brought a new quality to his obsessive and extreme portrayal of Bruce Wayne/Batman, which was matched with the seductive sensuality of Zoe Kravitz Selina Kyle/Catwoman. Then there was the psychopathic villainy of Paul Dano’s The Riddler and the old-school gangster bravado of Colin Farrell’s The Penguin, and all of it made for a new kind of watch. The Batman was bold and operatic in its cinematic presentation and its opening 20 minutes is some of the best cinematic presence ever captured on film. A new Dark Knight rose with The Batman, and audiences were spellbound.

5. Avatar: The Way of Water

After 13 years visionary filmmaker James Cameron returned to cinemas with the much-awaited sequel to his 2008 triumph Avatar, with Avatar: The Way of Water, and this was an utter masterpiece. Pushing the art of cinema further than it had ever been pushed before, Avatar: The Way of Water dialled up the technology of its storytelling to present an utterly beautiful presentation, and the action and intensity of this film ran at speed. Cameron jumped on the accelerator with this picture, and for those lucky enough to see it in IMAX, this was a film that delivered on the sheer scale that only cinema can present.

4. Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris

With its heartfelt storyline, loveable characters and gorgeous haute couture style, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was simply one of the best films of the year and audiences would be spellbound by its presentation. Anchored by a flawless performance by Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris was a beautiful movie-going experience right from start and you couldn’t help but get wrapped up in the lovely little story. Every part of this production came together with a beautiful sense of refined elegance and it was an utterly magical piece of cinema to watch.

3. The Menu

In terms of cinematic satire, nothing was sharper this year than director Mark Mylod’s The Menu and from beginning to end audiences were in for one hell of a shock. With a pitch-perfect cast, clever narrative, elegant decor and acute moments of horror, The Menu was horror cinema with a pulse and it certainly served up something new to the genre. Anya Taylor-Joy and Ralph Fiennes engaged in one hell of a standoff in this picture, and the shock factor of this picture kept the audience guessing at every single moment.

2. Top Gun: Maverick

In 2022 Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise once again stepped back onto the flight deck and buckled in for the adrenaline rush of Top Gun: Maverick as Captain Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell, and this was a film that pulled audiences right back into the danger zone. With its non-stop adrenaline, heartfelt nostalgia and cinematic technology that put you right into the centre of an F-18 at full velocity, this was a blockbuster extravaganza and it was a picture that brought audiences back to the power of the cinema. From beginning to end, Top Gun: Maverick was a rush of energy and fun, and audiences looking to have their adrenaline maxed out were well rewarded by this picture. It was just AWESOME!

1. Elvis

But when it comes to the cinema of 2022 one film reigned supreme and that was Baz Luhrmann’s auteur rock ‘n’ roll epic Elvis! And damn did this picture groove. With his unique sense of glamour, style and pop energy, Luhrmann brought the life of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll , Elvis Presley, to the cinema as only he could. This was a film of pure spectacle and marked rising star Austin Butler as one performer to seriously keep an eye on. His commitment was complete and total and he rocked out completely as The King! Elvis was a cinematic experience of pure energy and you found yourself fully grooving out in your seat with this picture, and watching it in the dark of the cinema, with a full audience around me was one of the best experiences of the year.

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Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Ney’tiri (Zoe Saldana) have formed a family and are doing everything to stay together. However, they must leave their home and explore the regions of Pandora. When an ancient threat resurfaces, Jake must fight a difficult war against the humans.

When it comes to filmmakers James Cameron is without a doubt one of the greatest visionaries to ever work in the medium of cinema. Decade after decade he has continually pushed what the medium and the art of narrative storytelling is capable of into the future. Now Cameron returns to the world of Pandora to continue his ambitious generational story of the Sully family in Avatar: The Way of Water. And this film will blow your mind. While Cameron was the filmmaker who achieved the potential of 3D cinema technology with 2009’s Avatar, he now elevates it to an even higher pedigree and Cameron’s expanded artistic and technological reach produces a magical experience for the screen.

In terms of its visual and narrative experience, Avatar: The Way of Water is a bold and incredible vision to witness. Working with the geniuses at New Zealand’s Weta Digital, Cameron has elevated what CGI storytelling is capable of in Avatar: The Way of Water and he then turns the volume way up. The details and complexity of these characters are fully rendered in Avatar: The Way of Water, and the visuals are absolutely stunning. You see every line and feature of our characters, and the Na’vi and landscape of Pandora are fully realised to an even greater dimension. The scope and canvas of Avatar: The Way of Water are considerably larger and Cameron takes audiences into the deepest depths of the ocean of this alien world as we discover the incredible array of new creatures that make up this incredibly complex ecosystem.

Stepping back into the spotlight of Avatar: The Way of Water is Sam Worthington, and the Aussie actor once again commands the centre of this story as the human marine reborn as a Na’vi war chief Jake Sully. A decade has passed in the events of Jake Sully’s life as the War Chief of the Omaticaya, and he has grown into a dignified, respected and courageous leader who must now lead his own resistance to stop a new human threat. Worthington again brings the same naturalness to the part that he previously displayed in 2009’s Avatar, but there’s a new authority and sense of duty and responsibility to his performance as he is driven to protect his family at all costs and so begins a new chapter of his life on Pandora. Along with considerable dramatic depth, Worthington also jumps into the action and Cameron really puts him through the wringer with this performance.

Along with the return of Worthington, we also see Zoe Saldana return to the role of Jake’s wife, the Na’vi Neytiri and like her husband, her role in the story has expanded considerably. Saldana’s Neytiri must adapt quickly to a new geography and way of life on Pandora amongst the water people of the Metkayina, and hers is a very dramatic performance. We see Saldana as both mother and warrior in Avatar: The Way of Water and this juxtaposition between her two roles leads to much of the film’s intensity, particularly during the film’s explosive third act.

Introduced to the world of Avatar and Pandora in Avatar: The Way of Water are Cliff Curtis and Kate Winslet as Tonowari and Ronal, the leaders of the water people of the Metkayina and both bring a sense of grandeur to the picture. Where Tonowari is the stoic War Chief of the Metkayina and is portrayed with great dignity and strength in a true show of mana from Curtis, Winslet’s Ronal is a far more complex and conflicting character. A gifted shaman and spiritual leader with a deep connection to the oceans of Pandora, Winslet’s Ronal is character that will take audiences by surprise, and she brings great significance and strength to the character on screen.

And returning once more as the big bad is legendary actor Stephen Lang who returns as the deceased Quaritch, who is now returned to life as a Recombinant, an Avatar/Na’vi hybrid with human memories embedded into their DNA and he’s ready to finish what he started. With increased size, strength and speed, Lang’s Quaritch is considerably more dangerous this time in Avatar: The Way of Water, and he definitely means business. But while he’s ready to bring the intensity and action in the part, he also undergoes considerable dramatic evolution and it’s clear that he’s a far more complex character than just the pipe hitter we once thought him to be. Lang again makes for a great villain, and he certainly does evil good.

As a cinematic experience Avatar: The Way of Water is a full-on rush, and the pace moves fast. Where James Cameron focused on intricate world-building in the first film, he knows dials up the action in a big way and this film goes for it very quickly. I liken it to his work on Aliens where he brought a new tempo of speed to the action genre, and fans of science-fiction action will be very pleased with the intensity and pace of Avatar: The Way of Water. This film is primarily a ‘resistance film’ and Cameron takes examples of the Camanche and Maori warriors into his design with the combat and pace of this film. The film’s marine setting also leads to a new style of combat and keeps things interesting and its third act will have you wide-eyed with excitement.

But it’s not just the action and intensity of this film that will get audiences excited, but grand themes of family, fatherhood, acceptance, loyalty and the balance of the natural world find their place in the film and there’s a level of dramatic depth that has a big effect on the audience. James Cameron has expanded the scope of the world of Pandara in a very big way, and this family saga enters a very exciting new chapter in Avatar: The Way of Water.

As a cinematic experience Avatar: The Way of Water is an utter masterpiece of the cinematic craft. Beautifully rendered, packed full of explosive action and delivering a deep and meaningful narrative of a still-developing saga, it’s a story that will bring audiences back into the magic of the cinema and the joy that only movies can give. It’s an utterly marvellous piece of work to behold, and you’ll come out of this event movie absolutely floored by what the cinema experience still delivers, and it’s an utter must-watch on IMAX screens.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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