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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When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a travelling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Long regarded by Guillermo del Toro as a passion project, Nightmare Alley which is an adaptation of the classic noir novel by William Lindsay Gresham takes audiences back in time to the late 1930s and early 1940s and into the world of travelling carnivals, huckster showman and manipulation of the soul. Always a passionate filmmaker who gives everything of himself to the projects he works on, del Toro brings a great vision to Nightmare Alley and strives to bring audiences back into the fold of classic film noir tropes of the time period. With a finely attuned sense for detail and story, del Toro lets the narrative of Nightmare Alley plays out at its own pace and this is a slow-burn thriller that takes its time and wraps you up in its twisting and complex narrative.

With Nightmare Alley del Toro presents a lavish canvas of time gone by. We are first introduced to the nomadic world of the travelling carnival and its strange inhabitants via the film’s protagonist Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) who stumbles into their world and soon becomes a part of it. As the story grows we then see Stanton drift off to the pull of the big city and del Toro juxtaposes a sepia landscape of Rockwell inspired carnival imagery with the austere might and power of Art Deco Chicago and the harsh shadows and sterns lines that make up its skyline. With frequent cinematographer Dan Laustsen, del Toro produces some incredibly gorgeous imagery that pulls you further into the narrative stylings of the time. With its gorgeous visual trappings, Nightmare Alley is a film that is hard to avert your eyes from and as the narrative moves deeper into the abyss the images grow stronger and stronger.

Being a Guillermo del Toro film, audiences can also expect the usual accompaniments of the directors’ noted style. Dark shadows, dynamic colour palettes, misunderstood and complex characters and a haunted, creepy atmosphere all make their way into the production. Along with a good helping of gore. With Nightmare Alley Guillermo del Toro peers into the mind of a dark and troubled individual who’ll go to any means necessary to get what he wants and what begins as a tale of the American Dream soon turns into a total nightmare. A noted fan of the noir genre, as a director del Toro works to keep Nightmare Alley firmly entrenched in the scope of the genre, but also injects his own unique visual and narrative ideas and the results make this film a very intriguing and heightened watch.

Standing front and centre in Nightmare Alley as its haunted, no-good protagonist Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle is Hollywood A-lister Bradley Cooper and he cuts an impressive figure in the part. As the dashing and handsome Stanton, Cooper builds a character who begins as a dreamer who soon takes a darker turn and as he tastes the power that his act gives him, he’ll go to any length to keep it no matter how dark or traumatic the results. Cooper is a pure hustler as Stanton and his good looks, charm and ability to read people take him a long way as master psychic ‘The Great Stanton’, but his haunted past gives him a dangerous and feral edge and god help anyone who gets in his way. On-screen Cooper is very reminiscent of Clark Gable in his performance and he brings a matinee idol sense to Stanton and his gift and control over drama makes for an interesting character who will pull you into his dark side.

Playing opposite Cooper is Academy Award-winning actress Cate Blanchett and she brings out her inner vamp as the calculating and clever Dr Lilith Ritter. A classic femme fatale in every sense, Lilith is an excellent foil for Cooper’s Stanton and when she exposes his con she can’t help but fall into his game. Giving Lilith a keen intelligence and cat-like poise, Blanchett brings a dangerous sexuality to the role and slowly but subtly works her way into Stanton’s plan to con as many wealthy spiritualists as he can. As adversarial lovers, these two characters make for very interesting eye candy and each plays off the other with lustful zeal. As the narrative progresses in Nightmare Alley we begin to see Lilith’s claws come out and they’re sharp and ready to draw blood and it’s as the tension builds that Blanchett lets her bad girl persona out.

Stuck in between Stanton and Lilith is Rooney Mara as carnival ingenue Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Cahill who falls blissfully in love with Stanton and who builds a life with him early in his career as ‘The Great Stanton’. Mara brings an innocence to the role of Molly and gives audiences another perspective to view Stanton in as he becomes enamoured by his power and his ability to work ‘spook shows’; clairvoyant cons where he claims to speak to the dead. As the tension of the narrative heats up, Mara’s Molly moves in an interesting direction and her presence is key to the third act and the make or break decision that Stanton is forced to make.

Rounding out the rest of Nightmare Alley is a list of total A-list performers including the likes of Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins and Del Toro’s good friend and long time collaborator Ron Perlman. Collete brings a sensual maternity to psychic Zeena Krumbein, who takes Stanton under her wing in more ways than one and guides him in the art of her act with her alcoholic husband and Stanton’s mentor Pete (David Strathairn). Then there’s the great Willem Dafoe who is an utter scene-stealer as carny ringmaster Clem Hoately. Best described as a pimp and a peddler, Clem is a devious and dangerous individual who prides himself on presenting the most grotesque attractions including the infamous ‘Geek Act’ for his patrons and Dafoe dives into the role with plenty of zeal. There’s a sly, cutthroat quality to his performance and Dafoe holds your attention with his menacing character.

Haunting, menacing, thrilling and beautiful, Nightmare Alley is a cinematic presentation that delivers a true spectacle to the big screen. Holding to the tropes of film noir, while also working with the director’s style, Nightmare Alley is a film of considerable grandeur and spectacle and it presents a narrative packed out with twists and turns that deliver on the unexpected.

Image: 20th Century Studios

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Here’s the official synopsis:

Watch the brand new trailer for Nightmare Alley here:

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Building off of the noir edge of the first teaser trailer, this second trailer for Nightmare Alley takes audiences further into the dangerous con game of the charismatic, yet dangerous trickster Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper). Cooper brings a charming charisma to the the role of Stanton, while also hiding his characters darker intentions and it becomes clear rapidly that his con game has the stakes raised all the way up.

Facing off against Cooper’s Stanton is Cate Blanchett as the clever and calculating psychologist Dr. Lilith Ritter who sees through Stanton’s game and while at first trying to reveal him as the fraud he is, soon begins to revel and take a role in his dangerous scheme. Blanchett brings an alluring femme fatale style to the role of Ritter and she goes toe-to-toe with Cooper’s Stanton and you can tell that there’s certainly going to be some solid give and take between the two of them here.

Nightmare Alley is a visual splendour to look upon thanks to the gorgeous photography of cinematographer Dan Laustsen and cinema fans who ache for a feeling that is evocative of Hollywood’s golden age will be very pleased with the setting, tone and style that Del Toro brings to the screen here in Nightmare Alley.

Prepare yourself to be on edge from beginning to end with Nightmare Alley and brace yourselves for an utterly memorable cinema event when it arrives in cinemas on January 20, 2022.

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Watch the brand new trailer for Nightmare Alley below:

Here’s the official synopsis:

Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), an ambitious carny with a talent for manipulating people with a few well-chosen words, hooks up with Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), a psychiatrist who is even more dangerous than he is.

Based upon the classic psychological thriller published in 1946 by William Lindsay Gresham, Nightmare Alley stars Bradley Cooper as Stanton ‘Stan’ Carlisle, a drifter with a talent for showmanship and the con job, who decides to strike out on his own and build a fortune by any means necessary. This brings him to the attention of calculating psychiatrist Dr. Lilith Ritter (Cate Blanchett), who at first sets to expose him, but then becomes intrigued by Stan’s game of cat and mouse and that’s when things really get dangerous.

Nightmare Alley represents new territory for Guillermo del Toro who is swapping his usual monster horrors for a story of man’s darkest side and the result is a tense and calculating film noir experience that will be certain to leave your heart pumping.

This first look trailer sets up the world that the story takes place in and it’s a setting where the lowest fringes and high society meet on equal turns and there’s plenty of spooky moments that will have you gripping your seat with tension.

Cooper and Blanchett lead an all-star cast that includes the likes of Willen Dafoe, Toni Colette, David Strathairn, Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman, and this a-list cast is certain to bring their all and they all look perfectly cast in their respective parts.

For Guillermo del Toro, Nightmare Alley is a project that has been long in the making with the filmmaking being introduced to it back in 1992 by frequent collaborator Ron Perlman, and this first look certainly has our attention.

With its standout casting, uneasy story and beautifully rendered imagery, Nightmare Alley is a piece of cinema you’re certainly not going to be able to look away from and there’s serious awards buzz building for this project.

Get ready to discover the dark side of man when Nightmare Alley arrives in cinemas on January 20, 2022.

Images: 20th Century Studios

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In a special presentation from Vanity Fair, we now have our first look at this edgy new production which stars Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, Willen Dafoe, Toni Colette, David Strathairn, Rooney Mara and Ron Perlman, and it’s got the trappings of an incredibly interesting and intense watch.

Nightmare Alley which is based on the 1946 novel by William Lindsay Gresham, and which was filmed in 1947 starring Tyrone Power, is new territory for del Toro, but the director wanted to go back to the source for this project.

“From the beginning, our interest was to go for the novel, but it’s almost impossible to adapt because it has a very kaleidoscopic, very peculiar voice. You would need a six-hour miniseries and shifting points of view, and this and that. We started from the novel, and didn’t want to do a remake as much as a new adaptation.”

The director also confirmed that the project was first brought to his attention back in 1992 by his friend and frequent collaborator Ron Perlman who suggested they work on it together. Always wanting to do a film noir, del Toro found the right subject matter with Nightmare Alley, although the director is very upfront in that he wants to bring something different to the genre.

“Curiously enough, in approaching Nightmare Alley, I said I’m not going to do any of the clichés associated with the genre. I’m not going to do an artifact. I’m not going to do the Venetian blinds, and voiceover, and detectives walking with fedoras in wet streets. I wanted to do the universe of the novel, which is a little gritty, but also strangely magical. It has a very strange, mystical allure— and mythical. I was very attracted to that possibility.”, said del Toro.

del Toro is also looking to invert the expectations of audiences with Nightmare Alley and the genre of film noir and this is clearly seen through Bradley Cooper’s performance as the lead character and ambitious carny Stanton Carlisle. Where normally audiences are used to an alluring and seductive female presence, in Nightmare Alley del Toro is looking to switch that up instead

“Thematically, I’m very interested in exploring the genre from a different point of view,” the director says with a chuckle. “Instead of a femme fatale, I have three very strong female figures and an homme fatale.”

Nightmare Alley is shaping up to be one of 2021’s most intriguing pictures and audiences and film fans will be ready to step into its dark corners when it arrives in cinemas in January 2022.

Source: Vanity Fair

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