I know posts here have been pretty sparse. This past year, I largely turned my attention towards another project, watching and reviewing as many versions of A Christmas Carol as I possibly could. Because that took a lot of time, I didn't really review much here.
But that doesn't mean I wasn't watching new stuff and taking notes. And that means it's time for my answer to the annual "best of" tradition. Only I've never really been able to stick to those limitations. I like to show my work and offer context, so here's everything released in 2022 I finished watching, ranked from least favorite to most favorite.
Let me take a minute and reiterate that: least favorite to most favorite. This is how I felt about what's listed below, not my opinion of their quality. In fact, there's something in my bottom 5 this year I think is kind of better than something in my top 10.
I also want to mention I'm doing something very different this year: these aren't just movies. I've got seasons of TV shows and even a few specials in the mix. Television has improved to the point it's able to seriously compete with theatrical films, and it's time to stop pretending there's a meaningful boundary.
Because of the way television works, we're obviously going to need some guidelines. I'm counting seasons as complete works, so the year the final episode airs or is released determines whether it applies. In other words, Willow (which I'm loving so far) will have to wait for next year. Also, I'm only considering shows I've seen in their entirety, which obviously means the bulk of this list is going to skew towards stuff I like (excluding a bunch of Christmas stuff gathered near the bottom).
As a word of warning, this is going to run long, because it's a long list. I'm including quite literally everything I saw that was released in 2022, and it turns out that's a lot. Some of these will be accompanied by short explanations of why they're ranked where they are; others will have more or less complete reviews, so skim accordingly.
Let's get started.
PART ONE: DISAPPOINTMENTS
I should probably feel bad about including a half hour special on this list, but I don't. Stop-motion, even when it's done cheaply, is still a pretty versatile artform, so there's no reason twenty-four minutes of it can't offer a phenomenal experience. I've seen specials made with less that left me breathless with wonder or falling off my chair laughing. This left me empty.
Actually, "empty" is a good descriptor for this special. Empty, vapid, and soulless, Mickey Saves Christmas is a reminder that stop-motion doesn't have to be good. As a medium, it tends attract great artists who find ways to bring their creations to life. But this wasn't life: it was corporate branding. I've never found this medium or these characters less interesting in my life. They're written and animated without a shred of inspiration or joy. What a waste of effort and talent.
Okay, I actually do feel a little bad about this one. A Unicorn for Christmas is here in part because it's a extremely low-budget production that falls short of the mark. Sometimes these manage to overcome their limitations, but this isn't one of those times.
I really don't want to harp on this: I was already mean enough in my review, and frankly it just didn't have the resources to compete. Let's just say I'm including this in the interest of being complete and move on.
71. Holiday Heritage
Hallmark's first Kwanzaa movie didn't work as well for me as their first Hanukkah flick (we'll get to that). The issue here is genre: while I've been pleasantly surprised by Hallmark's comedies this year, their dramas haven't been as effective. The network's mandate for exclusively G-rated fare with little -to-no tension just doesn't leave enough room for the writers to build anything compelling.
That's the problem here. The emotional stakes just ring hollow, and without a significant amount of humor to distract you, you're just left bored.
My suggestion is either to drop non-fantasy dramas entirely or (even better) allow these to at least climb up closer to PG. This just doesn't work otherwise.
70. A Christmas Story Christmas
The awkward thing about A Christmas Story Christmas is it's actually pretty good. They set out to mimic the style of the 1983 movie and they pulled it off. The new movie looks, sounds, and feels like a continuation, which couldn't have been easy. What they did is impressive.
But here's the catch: I hate the original, so I'm not too keen on this one, either. I find the jokes unfunny, the characters unlikeable, and the story dull for the exact same reasons I didn't like those the first time.
That doesn't mean I don't respect what was done here - I just don't like it.
69. Christmas at the Golden Dragon
There are things about Christmas at the Golden Dragon I respect, starting with the premise. The idea of centering a Christmas drama around a location typically used as a punchline has merit, and it's genuinely good to see Hallmark actually featuring diversity for a change. I also like how this subverts a number of tropes and stereotypes (though it still checks off a few - this is still a Hallmark flick, after all).
The problem is the movie isn't good. Hell, "bad" might be a generous designation: the dialogue and character work here is just abysmal.
In fact, the only reason this claws its way up this far is there's one scene that at least partially redeems the movie by featuring characters who aren't dressed and acting like normal Hallmark Christmas characters reacting realistically to some who are. It's a surprisingly clever moment in an otherwise dumb film.
68. Kimi
On paper, this must have seemed like a brilliant idea. Take the basic premise of Rear Window (a movie I should probably see one of these days) and update it via modern technology, all set in the uniquely isolated wasteland that is the pandemic: that should add up to a suspenseful, modern noir, right? RIGHT?
It probably should have, but even with a fantastic performance from Zoe Kravitz, Kimi is a disappointment. Rather than deliver something cutting edge or a great throwback, it splits the difference and somehow comes off feeling like something out of the 1990s. More than anything, this reminds me of The Net, a movie I haven't seen or thought about since I watched it on VHS.
Kimi really needed to feel harrowing, and - frankly - it just doesn't. The protagonist is intriguingly flawed in some interesting ways, but none of these actually manifest into meaningful obstacles to her ability to maneuver the plot. Of all the movie's disappointments, this was the most bizarre: there were plenty of opportunities to have her agoraphobia impact the plot. Instead, it just... didn't.
Likewise, there were several poorly timed continuity glitches, both helping and hurting the protagonist. As always, I'm trying to avoid spoilers, but there was a moment towards the end when Kravitz's character conveniently shook off the influence of a powerful sedative. Granted, that facilitated a fairly delightful climactic showdown, which was completely out of place in this movie but more than welcome.
It's difficult to take anything in this movie seriously, which is a problem given the tone wants you to take everything seriously (at least until the end, I suppose). But between the fuzzy logic, the pedantic lecturing about the dangers of a world without privacy, and the lack of attention to detail in something masquerading as hard SF, I found myself laughing at this in ways I don't believe were intentional.
Again, for what it's worth, Kravitz is great here. And if Soderbergh wanted to pick up a paycheck, he's more than earned to right to phone one of these in. But this definitely felt like just that: a hastily written script calibrated for pandemic filming limitations and made on the cheap for a streaming platform. The ending was fun, and the whole thing was diverting enough, but on the whole this felt closer to an above average TV movie than a "real" movie. I realize films produced for streaming can be either, so maybe I'm being unfair. And I'll be the first to admit it's landing behind quite a few movies far worse (I mean, look at what's next) because I expected more from this given the talent involve. But expectation is a real factor in the experience of watching a movie, and this one really didn't measure up.
67. Morbius
I watched Morbius the way I'm convinced it was meant to be seen: barely conscious and suffering through fever and other side effects of a COVID booster. In the interest of full disclosure, my fever dissipated over the course of the film's runtime. Am I suggesting that Morbius somehow magically cured me?
Yes, that is precisely what I'm suggesting.
The point is, my experience with this movie was not, strictly speaking, typical. Really, I should watch it again to make sure I'm not conflating my reaction to the vaccine with the quality of the film. I should. I know I should. I just... really don't want to.
I actually think I liked this a little better than most people. I thought some of the CG fight effects looked neat, particularly the weird super-speed thing they kept doing. Same goes for the "vampire-face" effect they used with Morbius: it's weird and comic-y, which are ingredients I almost always like.
I also don't think the movie is quite as bad as its reputation, with the caveat the word "quite" is doing some heavy lifting in the first half of this sentence. The story and characters are absolutely bad, but I'd describe them as "Ben Affleck Daredevil-bad," as opposed to "Origins Wolverine-Bad." In other words, it's not good, but I've definitely seen worse.
PART TWO: FINE, I GUESS
Eh. Honestly, it was better than I thought it would be. I've never liked the movies, and I'm not a huge fan of Tim Allen (and not just because of his politics). But this manages to salvage the franchise with a twist that untwists the original twist defining the movies. By the end, we're left with a take on Santa closer to the default cultural figure than the rules established in the first movie (to say nothing of the sequels). And some of the revamped lore is cool - I really liked the Yuleverse, though it was a little weird La Befana wasn't part of that tradition - and the sequences with the Calvin-Clauses in Chicago were fun.
Still, most of the jokes failed to land, and I had to slog through two and a half episodes of tedious setup to get to the decent stuff. This isn't good compared to most television today, though it would have been one of the best things on fifteen years ago (TV has gotten really good lately).
At the end of the day, this is passable, which is certainly more than I expected.
This was one of the first 2022 Hallmark Christmas movies I saw, and I was pleasantly surprised. I certainly didn't love it - the movie mostly exists for fan service, and I'm not really a fan - but it's pretty decent compared to what I was expecting. The cast does good work, and the premise is as good a match as any for the glossy, cartoonish Hallmark esthetic. And, for what it's worth, I laughed more than once during the first half of the movie, which ain't nothing.
That said, the last act slows to a crawl, and the emotional punches are weak (kind of a running problem with the company). Still, this was good enough to make it this far, and we've still got several Hallmark movies to go.
It's no surprise this movie wasn't a slam dunk. What was surprising was it kind of came close. As a reimagined take on A Christmas Carol, this was fairly clever in how it updated and transformed the text while retaining both the underlying story, moral, and politics of the original. On top of that, some of the jokes were fantastic.
Note I said "some." Unfortunately, a large number feel even more tired than its dated title. But that's not the real issue here. The reason this doesn't quite manage to thread the needle is it can't seem to decide whether it wants to be a zany parody or a comedic retelling of A Christmas Carol. It kind of oscillates between these extremes, never committing or getting them to coalesce (to be fair, the last section does a decent job at this, but it's not enough to really make the film work).
All that said, the good at least counterbalances the bad: on the whole I thought this movie was pretty decent, which is more than you'd expect from a low-budget holiday comedy named after what's essentially an internet meme. The filmmakers overdelivered here, and deserve credit: this is in no way a failure.
63. Ghosts of Christmas Always
I genuinely enjoyed this, which isn't something I usually say about Hallmark productions. But aside from some issues with the ending, this was surprisingly intelligent, both in terms of dialogue and structure.
It's that ending that holds it back. It's not so much that it goes in a bad direction, as it's not clear what happens or what it means in terms of timelines and reality. On one hand, it's the kind of detail that usually doesn't matter much. But in this case, there's so much continuity and lore tied up in what's going on, someone waving a wand and assuring us it all ended well just doesn't cut it.
62. Scrooge: A Christmas Carol
Despite being a mess of a movie, this CG animated quasi-remake of the 1970 live-action Scrooge musical looks beautiful. The designs are fantastic, and character expressions and physicality convey emotion. It sounds good, too: the songs are revamped (or as often as not outright replaced) to make them fun to listen to.
But while it all looks and sounds good on the surface, there was no real effort made to coalesce the various elements into a coherent movie. You've got clockwork designs, 1970's record album colors, an animal companion, new story elements, and a somewhat dark tone. A lot of the component parts are good on their own, but the whole is less than... well, you know the cliché.
I really think this has merit thanks to the quality of the designs and animation, but it's a deeply flawed film that failed to draw me in any deeper.
61. The Book of Boba Fett
Taken as a whole, this was kind of a mess. The series drops its central narrative four episodes in to pivot to other characters and lore. The weakest episode by far focuses intently on a digitally recreated Skywalker training Grogu. It's all absurd and unnecessary.
And yet... I enjoyed it.
Look, at the end of the day, recycled Star Wars is still Star Wars. I grew up with this stuff - even if I find myself wincing at absurd choreography and mangled plot structure, I can't help but get excited when I return to that galaxy.
That doesn't mean I can't see the flaws, nor does it mean I don't wish for more. This series - hell, everything being done with this franchise even before Disney bought it - feels so much smaller than it should. They're focusing on explanations and backstory rather than wonder. This is supposed to be set in a galaxy, with countless alien species. Why do we keep returning to the same handful of worlds with the same dozen or so creatures?
I'm hoping Disney figures that out soon. They're pouring a lot of money into this, and the creative teams are incredibly talented. I just wish we were seeing more imagination and less rehashing.
Let's just take a moment and appreciate the fact a Hallmark romcom made it higher than one of the Star Wars entries. Yes, there's more Star Wars later, but I still think it's kind of incredible.
The movie itself was sweet and amusing. The comedy was well delivered, though it's the kind of thing that has you chuckling, rather than laughing. The script and directing were fine, but the real MVP here was Jonathan Bennett, who delivers a fantastic comedic performance for the first 95% of the movie before catching you completely off guard with a character twist I found genuinely moving, which feels revolutionary in a Hallmark romcom.
For all its merits, this is still formulaic and over-reliant on clichés: in other words, it's still a made-for-TV Hallmark romantic comedy. And, in case it wasn't clear, I'm not a huge fan of that niche genre, so this is pretty much the ceiling unless one of these actually bothers subverting and reinventing the conventions of that genre. Don't hold your breath for anything like that - I'm pretty sure Hallmark execs stamp out that kind of dissention. But then they used to stamp out anything without a straight lead, so who knows? Maybe in a few years Hallmark will evolve again and start making great movies. There's really nothing stopping them but themselves.
59. The Adam Project
I know this is damning with faint praise, but The Adam Project really feels like a movie best summed up as "good enough." It's a long way from great, but as far as direct-to-streaming kids/family sci-fi/adventure flicks go... it's fairly enjoyable to watch.
Could it have been better? Sure! A few script revisions, less stunt casting (I can't be the only one who found Ruffalo extremely distracting in this thing), and a moratorium on self-aware references to other movies the stars have been in would have done wonders. With minimal work, this could actually have crossed the line into being actually good.
But for a direct-to-streaming MCU knock-off, this is already so much better than it should be. Whether that qualifies as good or not is more a function of what you're comparing it to than anything else. And at the end of the day, I enjoyed this overall. Not a homerun, by any stretch, but not everything has to be.
58. Black Adam
Better than Morbius, but not as good as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness... yeah, I think I've got this in more or less the right spot. It's honestly hard to tell sometimes.
Black Adam, to be fair, makes a lot of interesting choices. I like that the Justice Society are effectively co-leads here, though this would have worked much better conceptually if it had been set in the 50's rather than the present day. There are some good performances (I really liked Aldis Hodge as Hawkman), and I love that they made the various powersets look unique.
But the movie has two major flaws that more or less invalidate everything else: it's lacking enough fun characters and moments to anchor the tone, and the whole thing looks and feels like a videogame cutscene.
On the first point, Atom Smasher and Cyclone had potential, but they never got the screen time or focus to feel like anything more than extended cameos. Also, Cyclone's powers, while cool looking, weren't really put to much use - for the most part, she just tossed metal pipes around.
As for the CG, it wasn't exactly bad, so much as overwhelming and lacking realism. That's not automatically a deal breaker (in this space, we honor Speed Racer), but it only works if it fits the movie. And, again, this was going for something of an epic, brooding tone, rather than a zany, campy adventure. If the movie looked like this, the script needed to be more like Aquaman or Thor: Ragnarok and less, well, Thor: The Dark World.
Despite all that, the JSA were entertaining enough to crawl this far up the list. And Adam was pretty good, too - The Rock was always a good fit for the character. But I spent most of this movie in a state of boredom, which is kind of shocking given it features super-wizards and a reincarnated winged space hero fighting a demon.
57. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
All right, we're going to need to look at Multiverse of Madness from a couple different points of view. As a standalone movie, this just doesn't work. The villain, her motivation, and to a lesser extent the plot in general is essentially a continuation of WandaVision, to the point the movie sacrifices any real setup to instead recap the essential story beats that are carrying over. Taken on its own, this is a mess.
That said, if you look at this as an installment in a larger story... it's actually even more of a mess. Because they're not actually picking up from where WandaVision resolved: instead, they're just kind of retconning out her character growth and development, since those wouldn't really be convenient to the story being told instead. It's ostensibly tied together, but you can see where the strings are frayed. You're left with a movie sacrificing internal logic for the connected story, but also sacrificing that for cheap shock value.
Which isn't to say there's nothing of value here. Visually, this delivers some awesome moments. They're also completely cutting loose on the magic end of genre storytelling: no more halfhearted attempts to handwave this as misunderstood technology or energy manipulation or whatever. This is straight up, unapologetic mystic nonsense, and I really appreciate that.
But it's not enough to make up for the shortcomings. Likewise, the cameos were fun, but a host of alt-Earth Marvel characters appearing simply to get brutally killed was obnoxious. Just more shock value that's far less interesting than the movie supposes.
Even with a number of cool moments and images, this firmly lands in last place on the list of MCU films. Congrats to Thor: The Dark World on no longer being the worst.
56. Sonic the Hedgehog 2
According to my rough estimate, around 85% of Sonic 2 is just plain bad. Really bad. Cloying, idiotic humor, bad writing where situations are manufactured by filmmakers trusting their audience isn't paying enough attention to remember characters' superpowers should be more than sufficient to render threats meaningless, side plots that drag out far too long...
Most of the remaining 15% isn't exactly good, either: it's more a mix of "so bad it's good" and "dumb fun."
And yet, for reasons I don't entirely understand, I kind of enjoyed this overall. Maybe the stuff I consider "dumb fun" is just fun enough to overcome my reservations about the cheesy kid's movie junk that eats up most of the runtime. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for cute CG animals forming friendships. I can't really explain it: I had a decent time with enough of this to give it a pass. Barely.
55. Catwoman: Hunted
This was a low-budget direct-to-streaming movie I'm assuming most people never heard of. They make quite a few of these, most of which I get around to years later, if at all. There was a time I lived for this kind of stuff, but over the past fifteen years or so, the quality of animated comic book films has dipped while the live-action stuff has gotten better and better. I'm happy to say this is an exception. Well, more like half an exception.
The animation itself is pretty underwhelming. They clearly didn't pour a great deal of money into it, and it shows. Fortunately, the writing, directing, and voice acting more than makes up for that shortcoming. This is a long way from the top tier of DC Animated films out there (Mask of the Phantasm, The Red Hood, Batman vs. TMNT, New Frontier, etc.), but as a somewhat disposable piece of ridiculous entertainment, it's a great deal of fun.
A lot of credit goes to writer Greg Weisman, who's responsible for Gargoyles, Spectacular Spider-Man, and Young Justice (for those of you who aren't fans of this stuff, those are widely regarded as three of the best animated action/adventure series ever made). This isn't on par with most of his TV work, but it's still quite good as a Catwoman team-up (I'll refrain from spoiling who the other lead is, since it's supposed to be a surprise).
The mediocre quality of the animation along with some obnoxious moments keep this from ranking higher, but I really did have fun with this.
54. Moonshot
Moonshot is not at all an ambitious movie. It sets out to be a breezy, family-friendly romcom with a science fiction setting. It offers very little beyond that premise, but - by virtue of actually bothering to write some solid dialogue and cast good actors - it manages to deliver something fun.
If you're looking for something exceptional, this isn't the movie for you. It's not memorable, it doesn't have much to say, and the emotional beats are all pretty muted. But it's not really trying to do any of that: it just wants to be enjoyable and sweet. In short, it's passable.
52. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
It helps this is funny, too. Maybe not as funny as it could or should have been, but still funny. I also think the resolution to the central story arc between the title characters was a success.
That said, there are many, many aspects that just didn't work, beginning with the human co-lead. After managing to blend countless animation styles into the real world, somehow the place they came up short was a human being. On top of that, the story and villain just weren't all that interesting.
Overall, this was a decent movie, far better than it probably had any right to be, but disappointing in spots. I enjoyed it, but it's nowhere near the top of my list.
45. Paper Girls, Season 1
Sometimes I think about how the last decade has completely broken my expectations for television. This is almost certainly better than at least 95% of the shows I watched prior to streaming, and now... I mean, it's good! Really good! I enjoyed watching this, remained curious where it was headed, found myself engaged by the twists...
But at the end of the journey (or hopefully this leg of the journey), I still found the overall experience less than I wanted. Again, I think that's a factor of expectations more than anything, but I wanted this to be a little more fun. I wanted the characters to feel a little more believable. I wanted the world a little bigger.
44. Love Death and Robots, Volume III
I'm only ranking volume 3, but I actually just binged the entire series. For what it's worth, I'd have ranked the first two volumes a little higher, were they eligible. That's not to say I think Volume 3 is inherently worse, mind you, just not what I was looking for. At least not as consistently.
Even that's misleading. I find this series simultaneously amazing and frustrating. Visually, it's showcasing some absolutely gorgeous animation, some of which is on par with top-tier CG films. Likewise, the genre is right up my alley.
Where it all falls a little flat for me is the writing and execution. Or, more accurately, those are where it often falls flat: when this show delivers greatness, it really delivers. I'm just not sure anything in Volume 3 managed to juggle said greatness in a form I found appealing. The best episodes in my estimation were Jibaro and Bad Travelling. The first was a little too artsy for my taste, while the latter was grisly and disturbing to a degree I found unpleasant. These aren't flaws, mind you: another phrase for "too artsy" is "work of art," and Bad Travelling was trying to be unpleasant. These were both masterpieces; they just weren't what I was looking for.
The Very Pulse of the Machine was more along my interests. I liked several others, but that was probably my favorite of this bunch.
On another positive note, the episodes felt less obligated to include nudity for the sake of nudity (I can't help but suspect there was a mandate in Volume 1 - only a handful of installments excluded it). That's a huge plus: one of the show's strong suits is the availability of R-rated content, but the forced inclusion is a major weak point.
Overall, another strong collection in the best anthology series we've gotten in decades. Not quite what I was looking for, but I'd love to roll those dice again if they make a fourth volume.
40. Moon Knight, Season 1
Moon Knight was a bit of a roller coaster. The stuff was really good - great even - but too often the rest dragged. Whenever things got weird - truly and utterly so, I mean - I found myself pulled into the world. But then, almost without fail, the series would feel the need to slow down and explain. It wanted to deliver the bizarre surreal moments, but it didn't want to commit to them.
But there's really no denying the joy those moments - and in some cases episodes - conveyed. Moon Knight gave us some genuinely bizarre comic book fun, which is why it's as high on this list as it is.
It's not higher, because it couldn't (or perhaps wouldn't) sustain that energy.
39. The Boys, Season 3
I'm honestly not sure where this belongs. Part of me thinks this show is among the best things on TV, while another part is getting tired of the way characters keep backsliding to justify additional seasons. Characters undergoing the same arcs - or at least variations of those arcs - from previous seasons is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to television, which is a problem, as it's damn near universal on this kind of show. Season 3 of The Boys is no exception, with Hughie and Butcher more or less repeating mistakes and relearning lessons. To be fair, I felt like we got some new material with several other characters (particularly Kimiko).
I think it's worth noting that by now The Boys has entirely crossed over from "superhero parody" to just "superhero," in terms of genre. It's still dark, satiric, and most of the powered characters are horrible people, but enough of the protagonists are powered to nullify the original premise of a world where superheroes don't exist. Annie and Kimiko are superheroes, and Maeve becomes one as she completes (?) her arc. This isn't a world where the hero/villain dynamic is inverted, but rather a world where the majority of superheroes are secretly villains and the true remaining heroes are trying to set things right. That's still a superhero world, albeit a dark one.
Well, darkish. The thing I've loved about The Boys from the start is that it's surprisingly idealistic, with far more heart than the premise and sick sense of humor imply. The series has always been a repudiation of toxic masculinity in all its forms, including several idolized by more mainstream entries in the genre. For all the exploding heads and one-liners, the show elevates healing, honesty, and compassion.
Well, most of the time. I think it falls flat in this respect around a few minor characters who remain one-note jokes and outlets for the audience's distain (looking at you, Deep). Thematically, having characters who are pathetic, ineffective, and beyond redemption undercuts the central idea of the series. It'll be interesting to see whether they take The Deep anywhere interesting in the future. If not, they probably should have killed him off midway through the first season.
I also love the show's willingness to take moral and even political stances. The series is criticized by rightwing fascists upset they're being compared to fascists: I appreciate that this isn't sugarcoated or hidden. The bad guys don't talk like cartoonish exaggerations you'd find on old Saturday morning cartoons: they talk like Fox News commentators and police. Kudos to the showrunners for not taking the easy way out.
The main reason this isn't higher is the aforementioned redundancy in the main characters' arcs. There's also probably a ceiling on this, as some of the humor doesn't align perfectly with my preferences. It's hard to get offended watching anything this tongue-in-cheek, but there were times I got annoyed with the show's attempts to push things too far (though that the disclaimer on the Herogasm episode was hilarious).
I still enjoyed this a great deal, and I plan to continue watching. It remains a very good show, though I question how long they'll be able to keep it going before the premise runs out of gas.
38. The Bad Guys
I'm almost inclined to bump this up a few more spots on the basis of the animation alone: it's a joy just to look at this thing. On top of that, there are some really good characters in this, and the central premise - a kid-friendly, Tarantino-esque crime thriller with the main characters played by iconic cartoon villains - is great.
The problem is they don't adhere quite as closely to that template as I'd like. I'm not talking about the redemption arc - this is a kid's movie, and I respect that comes with limitations. My issue is more with the shift in genre from heist caper to superhero flick. It's admittedly not an "objective" problem, but it undercuts a big part of what makes this really interesting.
What's closer to an objective issue is the movie's central conflict hinges on a very weak premise. The split between the film's two primary protagonists doesn't really work emotionally, so the movie fails to connect on that level.
I'll add that the movie's twists felt absurdly telegraphed, but - again - that's a "me" problem, not an objective issue in a movie intended for kids who've never seen a heist movie in their lives. That said, this is a "me" list.
It's an entertaining enough movie with great animation in the vein of The Peanuts Movie, Spider-Verse, and Mitchells Vs. The Machines: that counts for a lot. But as that list implies, stylized blends of 2D and 3D aren't unique anymore, so that only gets you so far. I had fun with this, but it's far from a great film.
37. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Season 1
This is 90% of the way there. The cast is fantastic, the concept of the show is phenomenal, the effects are great.... Like I said, 90%. The issue is structure: for whatever reason, this seems adamant about being more than an "episode of the week" series, and that's holding it back. I want to be clear, that issue doesn't prevent this from being a great show - it clears that bar with room to spare. But it's so close to nailing the Trek formula and taking its place among the best installments of the franchise, and it just doesn't quite get there.
I'm not sure this needs to be entirely episodic, but I'd prefer that to the approach we have. To be fair, it strikes the balance between episodic adventures and ongoing story far better than Discovery ever managed (at least through season 3 - I haven't seen the most recent season yet, which is why it's not on this list). But the ongoing story of Pike contending with the fate established in the Original Series episode The Menagerie and disclosed to him via time travel shenanigans in Discovery just isn't as interesting as the writers seem to believe. I thought the storyline around M'Benga's daughter had more potential, but damned if I wasn't let down by the episode resolving that (at least for the time being: I assume she'll be back in some capacity later).
The good stuff is the episodic stuff. I loved the pilot, the Gorn episode, and delightfully wacky episode where Spock and T'Pring swap bodies. I feel like these kinds of things are more in line with the show's premise: of getting back to the franchise's roots by visiting "strange new worlds" serving as catalysts for science-fiction stories about culture and society. And yet how many new worlds did they actually visit this season? I only remember two or three.
I'm hoping the next season will deliver more of that. I'm not adverse to character arcs and frame stories, particularly if they're good, but I felt like a lot of what was present here was mainly interested in assuring fans this was a modern show with an interconnected plot. In short, the meta-plot is here for the sake of delivering a meta-plot, rather than because there's a worthwhile story to tell. This is why I drifted away from Discovery and Doctor Who: here's hoping Strange New Worlds either embraces the episodic format or finds something more compelling to drive its season arcs.
36. Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi, Season 1
I know conventional wisdom is that Star Wars has spent too much time focusing on Jedi, but the truth is I just absolutely love samurai space-wizards. In a lot of ways, this is closer to my ideal kind of Star Wars story: the only thing I'd like more is if they shifted the timeline ten thousand years one way or the other. Oh, and also if this were live-action. As technically impressive as the Lucasfilm house style animation is, it's started feeling a little bland to me, sort of like live-action lite.
But I love the simplicity of these stories and how effective the action is. The two duels we got (Ahsoka versus the Inquisitor and Dooku versus Yaddle) were fantastic. I'm also always grateful for Star Wars stories offering shades of grey to the typically black and white morality of the franchise, and we definitely got that while exploring the injustice and corruption at the heart of the Republic that inspired Dooku to turn on the Jedi. He chose wrong, but this offered sympathetic motivation for that choice, something Star Wars rarely provides.
35. What We Do in the Shadows, Season 4
Has any show ever had more success mining drama from farce? What We Do in the Shadows manages an amazing feat, telling what's ultimately a gentle story of broken people struggling to form familial connections in what's objectively an utterly preposterous situation. Even setting aside the fact most of them are vampires, the characters aren't remotely realistic, and yet the show manages to sell their pain. It's a masterclass in empathy.
This season, largely centered around Nadja opening a nightclub and Lazlo raising the next incarnation of Colin Robinson, makes for a solid chapter in the series, but it does feel like a bit of a bridge. The season ends with a sizable cliffhanger which might upend the status quo (or not: last season ended on an even bigger cliffhanger, which kind of fizzled out between seasons). Assuming this does change the trajectory of the show, I think the fourth season will be mostly forgotten, not because it's bad but simply because it's a transition. And that's okay: there's nothing wrong with pacing these things out, especially if it makes for a stronger series overall.
But that does hold this back a bit when viewed on its own. I'm excited for what's (possibly) coming next, and I enjoyed these episodes well enough, but this is my least favorite season to date. To be fair, that's more a reflection of how phenomenal seasons 1 through 3 are: season 4 is still great TV.
34. Night of the Coconut
Quite possibly the weirdest entry on this list, Night of the Coconut is a feature-length science-fiction/comedy film doubling as the season finale for Patrick Willem's ongoing series of YouTube video essays about movies. If you've seen any of those video essays, the concept of a fictional narrative continuation might make a little sense - Patrick has always approached his onscreen persona like a character - but the overall idea is still bonkers even before we get into the substance of the movie.
Fortunately, it's bonkers in a good way. A really good way, in fact: this thing is wildly inventive and extremely entertaining. That's not to say there aren't caveats, the most important being you really need to be familiar with Patrick's video essays to get a great deal of the jokes in this movie. The good news on that front is those video essays are absolutely wonderful, so if you're willing to put in the time, you're in for a real treat.
The other thing worth noting - and this probably goes without saying - is Night of the Coconut is made on a shoestring budget. They pull off some great shots in some impressive locations given what they spent, but you can still tell this doesn't have the resources of a major production. If you expect everything to look like it costs tens of millions of dollars, this might not impress you.
Honestly, though, it still might. This is a great deal of fun for fans of Willems's web series. I really enjoyed it.
33. The Batman
This is a gorgeous movie that finally gives us a great interpretation of both Batman and Gotham at the same time, something no previous live-action film has pulled off (exempting the Adam West movie). Throw in an operatic tone and great casting: this is basically my wish list for a Batman movie.
So why isn't this higher? There are several factors, but the largest is the writing. I don't think the script is bad, but it fails to establish and develop the relationships that would have taken this from a good movie to a great film.
Alternatively, if the action had felt truly inspired or original, I think this would have moved way up my list, even if the script was unchanged. As it is, this is still a welcome change of pace for the franchise. I really enjoyed it and can't wait for more. But as good as it was, it's a long way from my favorite piece of media for the year.
32. Everything Everywhere All At Once
I know, I know - this deserves to be higher. But this list is dictated by my personal taste, not quality, and while I respect family drama, it doesn't appeal to me the way other genres do. That said, it's refreshing to see a movie actually address this subject matter from the perspective of an immigrant family, touching on real emotion in unreal situations. It explores its main character's relationships in ways that are funny and poignant at the same time: the lead character's relationship with her husband is beautiful, as are her troubled relationships with her father and daughter. This is a great movie - I just wish this genre connected with me more.
PART FIVE: THE STUFF I LOVED
31. Ms. Marvel, Season 1
30. Archer, Season 13
What's there to say about Archer? It's almost certainly the funniest thing I watched this year and almost every other year it's been on the air. It's cleverly written, with characters you should hate but can't help but find yourself caring about despite their narcissism and lack of awareness. It balances the fun of heists and spies while being an over-the-top parody of those genres, and it's managed to do so for 13 seasons now. It's just great.
I don't really think this has many flaws in the conventional sense, but the reason I'm not placing this higher is the experience is fleeting. Despite some legitimately great writing around character arcs and emotional growth, what stays with you are the punchlines. That's by design, and it's the right choice for this series (as evidenced by the fact we're on season 13), but it does kind of place a ceiling on how high this can climb.
That ceiling was still supposed to be five or six spots lower, mind you - this fun enough to break through (insert "Danger Zone" joke here).
29. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special
Wonderful in its simplicity, the Guardians Holiday special commits to being, quite simply, that: an hour-long Christmas special set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are no galactic threats, supervillains, or really any serious danger. It's a short story about these characters interacting (in some cases badly) with the holidays. And it's simply wonderful.
A couple song choices felt uncharacteristically lazy to me (Gunn's usually so good at that), but as a whole he just knocks it out of the park. I enjoyed this a great deal, and the only reason it's not higher is this has been a really good year.
28. Werewolf by Night
I fully acknowledge this is at an unfair advantage. When I set out to include TV on this list, I was thinking in terms of TV series, which are longer and paced slower than movies. Werewolf by Night is a special: at less than an hour total, it doesn't have to sustain its tone or energy as long. There are episodes of shows I've ranked below this that I absolutely enjoyed better than Werewolf by Night, but the series on average fell behind.
Is that fair? No. Does it matter? Also no. This is subjective, so if shorter sometimes works better, the ranking can reflect it. Also, there's no prize or anything, so who cares one way or the other?
I do think this deserves some credit for pushing the envelope a bit. Disney+ is clearly experimenting with as many different permutations of episode length, number of installments, and tones as they can think of. After the Netflix Marvel shows wore out their welcome trying to copy the same old template, it's refreshing to see this kind of variety.
And this one's about as far outside of the box as they come, stylized after classic monster movies, with more violence and gore than I ever expected from the "family friendly" streamer. And on top of everything else, it's still loads of fun.
I'd love to see more from these characters and this side of Marvel Universe, but even more so I want to see more one-offs. I'd love an anthology showcasing obscure (or even not-so-obscure) Marvel characters teaming up and going on weird adventures.
Despite my general optimism about the MCU, the truth is a lot of their recent movies and shows - including ones I generally like - make me wish there was a little less. Yeah, I'm getting a little tired. But this one made me want more. That counts for a lot.
27. Lost Ollie
There's a lot to appreciate about Lost Ollie, a Netflix miniseries about a lost toy trying to sift through his own fragmented memories and navigate a hostile world to return to the child he loves. I'll start with something that seems trivial but might be the show's secret weapon: its brevity. It's only four episodes long, each clocking in forty-five minutes, give or take, so we're really talking about a cumulative runtime on par with with a long movie. But unlike some streaming miniseries, this isn't just a movie carved into chunks: it actually bothers to use the format it's presented in to structure the story. The individual episodes really are chapters in the longer tale, permitting the show time to explore side characters and ideas that wouldn't work in a film.
That's not even touching on the tone, which goes to some dark places. The turns the story takes are never gratuitous - everything here is present for a reason - but it doesn't pull its punches, either. This thing's dark. When people point to movies like Secret of N.I.M.H. or Watership Down and say they don't make them like that anymore... well, turns out they do.
On a technical level, this is a marvel, as well. At least to my eye, the light values looked spot-on, to the point it was easy to forget several main characters were computer generated. This is nothing we haven't seen in movies, but it's rare to see a television show pull it off this flawlessly.
I struggled with just where I wanted to place this. Part of me wanted to push it even higher - I think there's a case to be made it's about as close to flawless as these things get. But there were a few minor pacing issues (particularly in the first episode) that held this back a bit. On top of that, while this might deserve to be loved more, it wasn't quite a perfect fit for my own genre preferences. Again, subjective placement; subjective list. But make no mistake: this is a fantastic fantasy drama. If you missed it last summer, it's absolutely worth checking out.
26. Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
My assumptions going into this were that it would be a relatively straightforward adaptation of Pinocchio that looked at felt like a Guillermo del Toro movie, and it turns out I drastically underestimated how much of del Toro would make it into the finished project. First, it's worth noting this borrows its overall structure from the Disney classic: the serial it's based on includes numerous stories, most of which aren't in the major adaptations. Like the Disney movie, this also keeps the cricket alive for Pinocchio's adventure, though it changes the character and sends him with Geppetto for the second half of the story. It's also worth noting that while most of the story beats are retained, everything is heavily transformed. Fairies become nightmarish spectral entities, the carnival is now a fascist training camp, most of the talking animals are fascists... there's a lot of fascism in this version.
Which brings me to one aspect that kind of held this back for me. One of the movie's central metaphors was a comparison between fairytale rules and fascist authoritarianism. The idea and execution are handled well here, but he did the exact same thing in Pan's Labyrinth. There's nothing wrong with that, mind you: there's no law that says you can't explore ideas and themes multiple times, but seeing the same trick made parts feel like a repeat and pulled me out of the movie.
That said, the ending of this pays off those themes even better than his earlier work. It also subverts expectations you have for this story and makes the movie extremely relevant to contemporary rights struggles and almost certainly applicable to future ones.
Oh, and as a side note I should probably mention this is one of the best looking animated movies of the year, and the "one of" qualifier is only necessary because this has been a fantastic year for animation. Definitely worth checking out if you haven't already done so.
25. Thor: Love and Thunder
I know this was divisive, but I absolutely loved Love and Thunder. And, just for context, I'll mention I wasn't a huge fan of Ragnarok. Stylistically, I felt like Love and Thunder did a better job shuffling the various tones and ideas into a more compelling story. It's ultimately silly but also bittersweet and deeply sad in a way that feels thoughtful. I found the ending genuinely moving in a way only a few of these movies have managed to pull off.
I also really liked how this looked. Sequences truly felt as though they were set on different worlds or even different universes. Styles changes completely from scene to scene, giving each fight a decidedly unique feel. Some were silly, while others were breathtaking. The variety worked for me here.
Sure, if you want to go searching for plot holes, this movie has plenty to find. But plot holes are generally a side-effect of fast-paced storytelling. Dock them points if you like, but I'd rather shrug off how characters suddenly have access to teleportation or whatever than deal with a five minute explanation that leads nowhere.
24. Our Flag Means Death, Season 1
A large aspect of what makes this show work as well as it does comes from the decision to conceal critical aspects of both its genre and its premise in ads. I have no idea whether this was done as an intricate strategy or if HBO Max lacked faith a romantic comedy centered around gay pirates would attract viewers and subscriptions. Whatever the rationale, it made the experience of discovering the show all the more delightful.
Throw in an extremely impressive cast that includes a number of top-tier comedic actors, and you've got something special. So special, in fact, I was tempted to bump it higher on this list.
Obviously, there's "but" coming.
The area the show comes up short is in the season finale. I understand the temptation to end these on cliffhangers, but I think it's a mistake here. Honestly, I think it might generally be a mistake to end almost any modern streaming serialized show without at least some sense of closure. The story doesn't need to be "over," but I feel like it should feel more like the end of an arc than the beginning, particularly since there's no guarantee the next arc will ever materialize.
It's not the biggest issue in the world, but it does factor into my overall impression of the show, and I sincerely doubt I'm alone here. Regardless, the season was still funny and touching, even if the last few minutes were a tad frustrating.
23. Peacemaker, Season 1
I hope to God this is the future of television.
Not necessarily the R-rating (though it certainly worked here), but the simple fact the series was in the hands of a talented filmmaker who was given the resources and time to make something exceptional. I feel like we were conditioned for decades to accept the TV quality could never be in the same ballpark as a movie. And it turns out that isn't true.
The series is funny, touching, and exciting, with fantastic fight scenes and great character moments. Every performance is great - I honestly don't feel like I can pick standouts, because no one comes up short.
The closest I can come to a complaint is that I felt like the last episode bit off a little more than it could chew, and the big fight felt a little small. It was a rare moment when this reminded me it was being made in a TV budget and schedule. But even that was more than mitigated by focusing on character rather than spectacle. And also because the "cow" looked like something you'd see in a Guardians of the Galaxy movie.
This show delivered and proved superhero television doesn't need to feel like a cheep knockoff of the movies.
22. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
The main joke in Weird, of course, is that it plays out like an actual biopic (at least for the most part). There are plenty of silly side-jokes and absurd moments, but Radcliffe plays Yankovic as a tormented artist, rather than a cartoonish joke. It essentially shifts the punchline from individual scenes to the film as a whole. It's all silly, of course, but it's surprisingly intelligent at the same, asking the audience to consider how its relationship with reality mirrors that of the genre its parodying.
I had a lot of fun with this one. Granted, I've got a soft spot for Yankovic. I'm part of the generation that grew up listening to his music as it was released, so this is all nostalgia for me (despite being entirely fictitious). I can't imagine this plays well to people who aren't fans, but for those who are... it's absolutely wonderful.
21. Station Eleven
Most of Station Eleven aired in 2021, but the last few episodes landed early in 2022, so this qualifies for the list.
To be honest, I'm still working through my feelings towards this. On one hand, it was somewhat frustrating in its refusal to commit to a subgenre and tone. On the other... I'm pretty sure that was intentional. It outright refused to give us the ending we expected, as if mocking us for believing humans could ultimately be as simple and one-dimensional as cliché heroes and villains who resolve their differences through acts of violence. And if we consider a nonviolent resolution unsatisfying, what's that say about us?
Or me. I'm not certain. I'm not even certain I consider the ending unsatisfying, so much as surprising. And while I was watching, I remember feeling fascinated and entertained. There's a whimsy to Station Eleven that's admirable.
But at times it overstays its welcome. It feels like the show is trying to be too clever in its fixation on theme over plot. I found the experience enjoyable enough, but I was left wanting a bit more than I got.
That said, the longer I sit with this, the higher my opinion creeps. I'm adding this paragraph right before publishing, as it jumps another four or five spaces, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I look back on this and wonder why it isn't higher still. This is a series that sticks with you.
20. Everything Everywhere All At Once
19. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The majority of these don't work. I'm referring of course to the micro-genre of comedies where the lead character is an actor playing a fictionalized, exaggerated version of themself, in the vein of Being John Malkovich (possibly one of all my all-time top 10 favorite movies, depending on the time of day and weather). Maybe Malkovich set the bar too high: movies like Cold Souls and The Congress tried recreating the dark tone and cerebral premise, and it never seems to work (at least not for me).
But I wasn't reminded of any of those while watching The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (aside from one absolutely phenomenal deleted sequence that is a little like the inner-worldly chase sequence in the third act of Malkovich). If anything, the movie feels more like Galaxy Quest, of all things. The genre is different, obviously, as this is a comedic homage to Cage's career, as opposed to sci-fi, but the relationship between the fictional Cage and his real-life counterpart is closer to that between Jason Nesmith and William Shatner than any of the movies mentioned above. His arc is certainly closer.
Which is a way of saying Cage isn't just a punchline of point or point-of-view here: he's the protagonist. And the movie's runtime isn't solely devoted to ironically making fun of its own concept (though there's plenty of that). Story, character, and relationships are the driving forces here - the fact Cage is playing himself (as well as several characters from his past) is just facilitating those elements. To put it another way, this same movie could have been made with Cage playing an actor with a fictional name, the references could have been tweaked, and the movie would have been just as good and just as effective (though maybe not quite as much fun).
Because - with apologies for buying the lead here - The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an absolute blast. Even if you're not familiar enough with Cage's filmography to catch all the references (I'm sure I missed a bunch), this works as a straightforward buddy comedy. Pascal and Cage are wonderful here: it's genuinely delightful seeing them bond on screen. And that's setting aside this movie's value as a celebration of Cage's career, as well as the film's meditations on the Hollywood machine. Is it borrowing from Adaptation in that respect? A bit, though - for my money, at least - I think Unbearable offers a more satisfying exploration of that idea by not sacrificing the surface level story in service of conceptual themes (I still love you, Adaptation).
The short of all that is this one may be clever, but most movies doing this sort of thing are clever. What sets this apart is it manages to be a fun, light-hearted comedy at the same time. Definitely worth seeing if you haven't already. And once you're done watching, check out the deleted scenes, because the one I mentioned above is awesome.
18. Obi-Wan Kenobi
Endings count for a lot. I think that's something people making movies understand, while those making TV shows... not so much. To be fair, television show endings didn't used to be quite as important, largely because for the bulk of their existence, the goal was to never end. But that's changed with the advent of streaming, where the structural lines between movies and shows have become blurred. I think some of the studios have been quicker to figure this out. Disney has been frustratingly slow. Possibly setting aside the first season of The Mandalorian, every live action Marvel and Star Wars season before Kenobi kind of fell flat in the last episode. That's not to say all the last episodes have been bad, but they've consistently been among the least satisfying of their respective seasons, and as a result you're left feeling let down. Underwhelmed. Disappointed.
The finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi is the opposite. It wraps up its main arcs in ways that make the preceding series, the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and - hell - even the original films better in retrospect. It delivers some emotional punches you feel.
Sure, I could nitpick a few choices that bugged me (the Qui-Gon thing felt extraneous), but overall this is damn near the best version of this we could have hoped for. I enjoyed this throughout, and the ending gave it the resonance needed to make it feel like something bigger than just another generic franchise installment.
17. Everything Everywhere All At Once
16. Andor, Season 1
Periodic reminder this list is based on preference, not quality, which is the one and only reason this isn't significantly higher. Andor was, by any metric I can imagine, phenomenal. It's the most mature, thoughtful incarnation of Star Wars we've gotten ever. It's great storytelling, and there damn well better be more on the way.
But here's the thing: part of its brilliance is tied in the decision to drop the space wizards with laser swords, dial back the silly aliens, and deliver a show with a serious tone. I like gritty, realistic science-fiction, but what I love is space fantasy. Hell, I almost put Obi-Wan ahead of this for that reason, despite this being a far superior show. But, I mean, this was so much better (and Obi-Wan was already good).
This is the sort of quality television creators should reach for. I'll watch as many seasons of Andor as they're willing to give me and be grateful. But if they ever give me a live-action fantasy about Jedi this good, you might just see a TV show take the top spot.
15. The Banshees of Inisherin
It's almost too tempting to focus on the aspects of Martin McDonagh's movies that carry over from his background as a playwright - his grasp of character is incredible, and I'm not sure anyone working in film can match his dialogue - but while watching The Banshees of Inisherin I found myself equally drawn to the subtlety of facial expressions, the movements of animals, and the evocative landscapes. There are plenty of classical Hollywood productions that really feel like plays on film, including some absolute masterpieces. But McDonagh isn't just doing that: he's taking the best aspects of stage plays and combining those with everything movies bring to the table.
I should note I've yet to see a film from McDonagh I didn't love (I know Seven Psychopaths is widely regarded as a misstep, but I found it delightful). Banshees of Inisherin is no exception. In Bruges remains my favorite of his movies (it appeals to my sensibilities), though part of me thinks Inisherin is probably the better work. Given how good In Bruges already was, that's saying a great deal.
14. Russian Doll, Season 2
It must be hard making a sequel season for something like Russian Doll. While everything about the first season was phenomenal by any measure, it was also one of those pieces of media you watch and wonder where the hell it came from. A lot of the appeal was how fresh and unexpected it felt, a smart genre show that seemed uninterested in the usual conventions. It took old tropes in new directions, which transformed something already great into a work of art that felt revolutionary.
But that's a double-edged sword, because the very nature of a sequel requires it to retread its own steps. It literally can't be as fresh a second time. But it turns out it can still be great. And, more impressively, it proves you can make a logical follow-up that doesn't feel like a rehash. The second season retains its leads and the broader genre elements, but it takes them in very different directions. The decision to stick with time travel but abandon the Groundhog Day-style loop was a good one: it gave the writers room to explore while still feeling like a continuation.
If the season has a flaw, it's the same as the one in the first season: the ending sacrifices logic for emotional impression. And if you're thinking that hardly sounds like a flaw at all, well... I'm right there with you (this paragraph starts with the word, "if" for a reason). It's difficult to do something new with time travel (believe me, I know), and I admire them for leaning more towards fairytale than traditional science-fiction. But this list isn't ranked by admiration, and I found myself feeling the tiniest bit let down by the ending.
To be clear, this is a reaction, not a criticism. I think this was absolutely the right choice for the show. Hell, I'm not even able to offer some sort of "here's the ending I wanted" blueprint. I'm not sure what would have completely satisfied me. Maybe nothing could have.
And all this is just a longwinded explanation for why one of the best acted, best written genre shows ever made is only near the top of my list for the year. I still loved this thing.
13. Prey
Back in the '90s, Dark Horse Comics produced a ton of comics based on popular movie franchises. The three most prolific - or at least the three I recall seeing most often - were Alien, Star Wars, and Predator. I actually read more from the first two properties, but my understanding is the quality and approach were largely consistent. While there were certainly arcs that attempted to build out lore or threaten the galaxy or whatever, the best were contained adventures that set out to tell a contained, intelligent story using elements from the source material.
Thus felt like the cinematic version of one of those, and it was incredibly refreshing. We didn't learn about the Predator's religion or political faction or any of the other nonsense that dragged down the last installment. And the Predator wasn't threatening the world the main character inhabited (how could it - we know her world is already doomed). It's ultimately a story about a woman setting out to prove herself a warrior and coming face to face with a monster. Also, there's a Predator.
I love the simplicity. I also love that the Comanche are depicted realistically, while the white traders are essentially two-dimensional savages incapable of introspection or reason, flipping the dynamic from traditional westerns.
Likewise, the action is fantastic, the design for the new Predator is a series best, and the cast is phenomenal. Do I wish the CG was a little better? Sure. The CG animals look rushed to me: a little more time and money would almost certainly have fixed that. But it's a trivial matter in a great movie.
12. Glass Onion
All right. This one's new, so *spoilers* or whatever.
I feel like Rian Johnson is playing a game with us. Knives Out subverted our expectations around who the main character would be and whether the story being told was a mystery or suspense. We all knew Glass Onion might do the same thing. Or not. Maybe it would just be a conventional murder mystery.
And clearly Rian Johnson knew that we knew. So he dangled the possibility we were watching a straightforward mystery this time in front of us. Then, when he pulled that back around the halfway point, he dared us to start second-guessing him. And I briefly got the better of him! I figured out, well... I don't want to say what I figured out in case someone ignored the spoiler warning, but I picked up on something important.
But maybe Rian wanted me to, because there were a bunch of twists waiting in the wings, and by the time I realized I was watching a stealth revenge flick concealed within layers of murder mysteries, I wasn't sure how he he'd pulled off that slight-of-hand. I'm still not.
These movies are kind of zany. They're absurd and surprisingly upbeat, and the politics behind them somehow make them delightful instead of depressing.
I can't wait to watch whatever Johnson's got planned for the third installment of this franchise.
11. Derry Girls, Season 3
I'm including the series finale, "The Agreement," here, despite it being ambiguously a separate special that aired directly after the season as a cap to the show in its entirety. And here's the thing: if I weren't including it, this would jump up a few spaces.
The Agreement isn't at all bad: quite the contrary, when taken on its own merits. I'm sure it's even better if you lived in Ireland in 1998. But as a fan of the show, it left me feeling cheated in the exact same way I felt a bit let down after watching the Firefly sequel, Serenity. Both featured time jumps and felt like conclusions to seasons we hadn't gotten, rather than what had actually been shown to us. Characters had developed in the intervening time and seemingly undergone significant arcs.
The finale showed us the characters had grown into intelligent adults, ready to think about politics and the world through a mature lens. They still retained their impetuous energy, propensity for mischief, and self-centered inclinations, but they'd grown beyond the inability to think beyond that. I'd have liked to see that happen rather than skipping right to the result.
I'd also have liked some resolution to the arcs started in this season. Erin and James's relationship and Michelle's insecurity around it were dropped entirely. The episode before the finale seemingly sets up multiple storylines for Clare, but these evaporate in the time-jump and she's reduced to a minor character in the finale.
I was invested in all that. The series pulled off a remarkable feat in setting up shallow, self-centered leads then, without sacrificing that premise, making them sympathetic by building out their relationships in ways they themselves don't understand. It's also one of the funniest shows I've seen in years, and this season contains one of the best episodes in the series (see my list of favorite episodes below). I loved it.
I just wish we'd gotten a fourth season between the penultimate episode and The Agreement. There was a lot left to do and a lot more worth setting up.
PART SIX: THE TOP TEN
10. The House
This stop motion anthology is weird, quirky, and legitimately creepy. All three stories were fantastic, though I do think it would have benefited from a either tying them together or having the second and third feel a bit more distinct. That's splitting hairs, though - I loved this thing, start to finish. If Netflix wants to keep paying for tonally dark animated pieces that actually feel artistic, I'm more than happy to keep watching.
9. Spirited
It's tragic that the business end of the musical genre seems to crashing and burning at the same time there's an artistic Renaissance in the genre. Last year there was In the Heights and West Side Story, both amazing films, and both box office failures. I'm not sure if Spirited was sent direct-to-streaming (no, I don't count limited runs) as a result, but it sure feels like it. And it also feels absurd. This was fantastic: if I were at a place in my life where going to theaters was practical, this is the kind of movie I'd want to see. Big, bombastic, fun... it would have been been amazing on the big screen.
On the small screen, however... actually, it's still pretty damn amazing. The songs are great, the jokes land, the cast is phenomenal... this is great.
Of course, I'm also watching this as a Christmas junkie. And, even more specifically, a Christmas Carol one this year. This was approximately the fiftieth adaptation (or quasi-adaptation) I watched in 2022, so when I say it's the most fun I've seen, that means something. "Most fun" isn't the same as best, mind you (that's still the 1935), but this pulls off comedy, spectacle, and character at the same time. A lot of recent versions have attempted that trifecta, none have come close. Spirited, on the other hand, makes it look easy.
8. The Princess
I've seen people complain The Princess doesn't have enough of a story - personally, I think it's got too much. This movie would seriously have had a shot at the top of the list if it weren't for the dull backstory and the resolution in which she [checks notes] wins the approval of the patriarchy (for fuck's sake, Hollywood, hire an actual feminist to proof your feminist action movie scripts, and this wouldn't happen). And, yes, I know without the backstory you'd have legions of men lining up to prove they don't know what the phrase "Mary Sue" actually means, but fuck 'em. The Princess is a ridiculous power fantasy, and pausing the fun to assure us the protagonist was adequately trained to explain her abilities doesn't help anyone.
But when the movie gets into its rhythm, the volume's cranked up to the eleventh century. It's a comically absurd and immensely satisfying experience. The iconography of seeing a storybook princess turn into a gruff, pissed-off scrapper in the vein of Wolverine is delightful. The script to The Princess may be idiotic, but the premise - and more important the way that premise is communicated visually - is nothing short of brilliant. Women almost never get to play this kind of fighter. In the rare case when they're cast as action leads, they're almost always presented as elegant and graceful, so seeing an actress turning pain into anger and relishing brutality - all while ostensibly in the role of the literal archetype for feminine refinement - carries a great deal of meaning (again, assuming you can look past the script).
Also, this is likely a better Dungeons & Dragons movie than the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie will be. Just saying.
7. Only Murders in the Building, Season 2
There's something hauntingly effective about this show. Tonally, it whips back and forth between farce and existential drama, but it does so without ever feeling jarring or forced. It's kind of miraculous to watch: I almost wish I was less invested, so I could study the technique.
With one key exception, I liked season two even more than season one, and that's saying something: I absolutely loved season one. That exception, sadly, is the story's culmination. While still great, the actual resolution wasn't shocking or emotionally impactful this time. To be clear, I'm not saying it has to be: they went for something sillier in the finale, and peppered their emotional gut punches throughout instead. Nothing inherently wrong with leaving the audience smiling, but it's the only reason this is *near* the top of this list, rather than *at* the top.
I'm of course really looking forward to season three. The series remains among my favorite shows in the middle of what may be the best era in the medium's history. Just a phenomenal blend of comedy, mystery, and drama.
6. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, Season 1
On one level, this should have been a 26 episode season. To really pull off the effect they were going for, we needed more courtroom-centered episodes, more time with Jen's character arc, and more of whatever else they wanted to pour into this.
But of course that would have been impossible. This must have been absurdly expensive to produce as it was, to say nothing of the time required to prep, stage, and shoot a series where the main character is nine feet tall and green. Frankly, it's incredible this got made at all. And another miracle it was great.
And it was absolutely great. It captured aspects of the comics better than I could have hoped. Not just She-Hulk comics, either - though it was more or less a perfect encapsulation of those - this brought in tones and ideas that have until now been absent from the MCU. This establishes a world where the spectacular and absurd really is becoming mundane. That's funny, but it's also a basis for kinds of stories they haven't been able to tell up until now. We've never really seen street-level villains like Man-Bull before. For everything Marvel's done right, the MCU has tended to err on the side of realism. But this changes that, and it is incredibly refreshing.
And that's not even touching on the ending. Or Madisynn, for that matter. Start to finish, this show was delightful. I want more.
5. RRR
I really need to see more Indian movies. RRR was just incredible to behold, a gorgeous unironic period action movie unfettered by realism or other limitations holding American productions back. The fight sequences were inventive, funny, and exhilarating on a level that puts our film industry to shame. Same goes for the musical numbers: I absolutely loved this.
In fact, I loved it so much, the main thing I feel I need to explain is why this isn't in the top spot. Because part of me thinks it should be.
What holds it back is the turn its politics seemed to take in the last few minutes of the film. I say "seemed to take" because I want to acknowledge this is all based on my reading. I've done a little research to confirm I'm not entirely off-base on what I'm about to say, but I don't want anyone to think I'm claiming to be an expert on Indian culture, history, or politics.
After rightly focusing on the evils of imperialism and colonialism, the movie took a turn towards nationalism. That's not entirely unexpected, given the history being referenced, but the extent and tone of that shift left me uncomfortable. The line between national pride and extreme right-wing nationalism (or even fascism) is blurry.
Without doing far more research than I have time to get involved in, I can't really discuss whether this was justified in context, nor can I weigh in on other cultural controversies the movie is being criticized for. However, from a subjective point-of-view, I can say elements, particularly in the closing musical number, tempered an otherwise universally positive reaction.
4. The Northman
Deconstructed revenge flicks aren't a new concept, but as a rule of thumb there's a price. By their nature, if you're challenging the genre itself, you're sacrificing the visceral thrill these movies offer. You can't very well create a movie critical of the genre that maintains the same levels of energy and excitement.
Only... The Northman does. By creating a truly immersive experience, it pulls you into the world and worldview of the main character. You're treated to an experience reminiscent of Conan: The Barbarian in all its glory. It's thrilling and engaging and wonderful.
But not stupid. The movie understands how toxic that worldview is, and it's not shy about explaining that. The hero isn't a hero, his quest is clearly not righteous, and the things he does in the name of that quest are objectively awful.
You're pulled in two different directions throughout the movie, and by rights one should give, yet neither ever does.
3. Wednesday, Season 1
This almost took the top spot. At the end of episode 7, I really thought it was going to. Because I love this show. I just absolutely, completely love it. Until the last episode, that is.
The season finale isn't even bad. It's grandiose, with great effects, solid fights, and some wonderful moments. But it's also... well... it's all very generic fantasy adventure. Because, once again, we're let down by the writers or producers scared they won't be taken seriously if the lead lacks an arc. If she doesn't display weakness. If she doesn't grow and change as a person.
I know, I know. Conventional wisdom holds the best stories adhere to this formula. And to a degree, that's generally been true for much of cinema and television. But the sheer volume of shows - genre shows, in particular - conforming to this template has rendered the Hero's Journey trite. And, while I could see them setting up Wednesday's transformation throughout, I also saw them pushing back on convention.
For the majority of the show, Wednesday was the anthesis of the standard heroine. While she never came close to fulfilling the actual definition of a "Mary Sue," she seemed to defiantly embody the now common use of the term... and it was glorious. Every time she unveiled a new skill and seemed invincible was a delight. For seven episodes, she was fearless, and I've never been happier. It was an unapologetic power fantasy, and I rejoiced in it.
Then, at the very end, it offered a bit of an apology. She showed fear. Her enemies drew blood. She made obvious mistakes and took them to heart. Then it all concluded in a big, typical fight against the bad guy. A parody of Harry Potter turned into Harry Potter for the final act. And it was still solid, particularly for television.
But until that moment, it was so much more.
2. Turning Red
This is my favorite Pixar movie since at least Toy Story 4, and even then it's close. More importantly, Turning Red represents the sort of original, out-of-the-box creative thinking the studio was in danger of replacing with house-styles and script formulas. You can still see Pixar's fingerprints on this, but it feels new and exciting in a way Pixar movies haven't in a while.
It's also just really damn good. The situation is funny, the characters are relatable, and the world is gorgeous to look at. And, of course, the kaiju in the third act is just delightful. I'm not certain what Domee Shi does next, but I can't wait to find out.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Closing Thoughts
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2 comments:
(is anyone still reading this?)
Yeah, Erin. Still reading. <3
-Alex
I posted this in December, it's now June, and you've just reached the end.
Given how long the damn thing is, that's actually a pretty good reading rate.
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