The Best (And Worst) Of 2022

let's talk about the year in movies

As we enter the last few days of 2022, it’s time to take a look back at what the year brought us in movies and Film. The industry is in a weird space right now as studios try to navigate theatrical releases, streaming services, and several corporate shakeups. While it wasn’t the strongest movie year we’ve had in recent years, there was still a lot to like.

As per tradition, when looking ahead or looking back, Working Title needs an assist. I am once again joined by the very cool Canadian and good opinion haver Steph Mill. That’s right — the Movie Sluts™️ are back, baybeee.

Below you will find our favorite movies of the year (good), our Hall of Shame (bad), and the movies we missed but wished we hadn’t (sad). Just like last year’s recap, these movies are loosely ordered. This is more of a chance to highlight movies we feel deserve to be highlighted and dunk on those that we think sucked. You’ll notice we have a lot of crossovers, but you’ll also notice that we have some movies separated into different categories depending on who’s discussing them. The Movie Sluts™️ are not a monolith!

As always, a huge thank you to those of you who have read, shared, and subscribed to Working Title this year. We’ve published way more articles this year than last year and we can’t wait to see what movies come our way in 2023. We hope you’ll continue to come along for the ride.

Housekeeping note: There are a few movies on our list which we both liked but maybe one of us liked more than the other. Rather than list them separately in the honorable mentions and favorites sections, respectively, I will make a note as to which section that movie belongs in for each person.

Let’s discuss 2022 in film.

---

2022 Favorites

Movie: Morbius
Where To Watch: Netflix

It’s easy to make fun of this movie but I encourage you to take a look past the memes. It features some fun performances from Jared Leto and Matt Smith and once you let this movie wash over you and take it for what it is I am absolutely just kidding, let’s get to the real list.

---

2022 Favorites

Film: The Banshees of Inisherin
Where You Can Watch: HBO MAX

My favorite film of the year. A pitch-black comedy that made me wipe tears of laughter and emotion from my eyes in equal measure. Masterclass acting from everyone involved but particularly from Collin Farrell and Barry Keoghan, who gives one of the most heartbreaking performances you’ll ever see. My last name is Malone. Of course I’m gonna love the Irish movie. - Saul

---

Film: Women Talking
Where You Can Watch: currently in theaters

They talked, I listened. And so did Paddington - aka Ben Whishaw, the literal only man in this (and deservedly so, because he’s fucking Paddington). Everyone at the top of their games here - Claire Foy, Rooney Mara, and Jessie Buckley all equally rocked. In my professional opinion, more movies should have amazing casts giving amazing performances. That’s just my opinion though! - Steph

---

Film: NOPE
Where You Can Watch: Peacock

Just want to give a quick shout-out to the two most fucked up scenes on screen this year - Gordy the chimp ripping everyone to shreds then eye fucking the camera for way too long and the human vacuum aboard Jean Jacket. I read that Jordan Peele had everyone record their screams in two different ways, first like a blood-curdling scream, and the second like they were riding a roller coaster. He combined them in order to ruin the next week of my life after watching the movie. - Steph

I have purchased a lifetime pass to the Jordan Peele experience. While I still think GET OUT is his masterpiece, NOPE is definitely nipping at its heels in my estimation. Peele has really come into his own as an image maker and he reaches new heights here (shoutout to the scene of Jean Jacket swallowing an entire amphitheater of people). Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya are incredible and Steven Yeun is cooking. Incredibly funny in places. Peele has the juice. - Saul

---

Film: Everything Everywhere All At Once
Where You Can Watch: Paramount+ or Showtime which you can get as a free trial add-on to Prime and Hulu

One of the funniest, weirdest, most touching movies of the year. Everybody in it is so good. Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan give two of my favorite performances. Raccacoonie. Hot Dog Fingers. A rock with googly eyes that made me cry. This movie has it all.

Really can’t believe this got made. A small miracle. Also really can’t believe we had to have capital D Discourse about this movie. Everybody shut up. - Saul

Nothing I need to contribute to the dialogue here that hasn’t already been said, we all know this was amazing. A true example of how to successfully break every single possible norm and convention in storytelling. - Steph

---

Film: Bones And All
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

Was somehow not expecting this to be so disgusting, but was so happy it was. Also glad to see Timmy’s Ladybird character finally got out of Sacramento, so happy for him! SLAY! - Steph

---

Film: Crimes of the Future
Where You Can Watch: Hulu

Cronenberg in conversation with Cronenberg. Looking back at all his movies and being like “what if I took all the stuff people said makes a Cronenberg movie and cranked that shit up to 11.” The most lived-in world of any movie this year, IMO. Kristen Stewert basically doing a meta-performance of Kristen Stewart. Really insane performance art. Weird pods. A bone chair. Kids eating micro AND macro plastics. I loved it. - Saul

---

Film: TÁR
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

Tar is officially now a part of the “Cate Blanchett can fuck me up any day” cinematic universe. If she doesn’t win Best Actress for this, I’m flipping my very own coffee table. - Steph

I think it’s very telling that a lot of people think that Lydia Tar is a real person after seeing this movie. Cate Blanchett is in the zone for this entire movie and she’s a lock for Best Actress. She’s funny, mean, and a real dick. It’s awesome. Some people want to make this a movie about Cancel Culture. Don’t let them. It’s so much more than that. - Saul

---

Film: Bodies Bodies Bodies
Where You Can Watch: available to rent from the service of your choice

Rachel Sennott for president! Her line delivery of literally everything is out of this world perfect. Laughed a lot, cringed even more. All I could ask for, really. - Steph

I found most of the characters in this movie simultaneously insufferable and weirdly empathetic. That, to me, is good. Perfect ending. Shoutout to Lee Pace, perhaps the hottest man to ever walk this planet. - Saul (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: Barbarian
Where You Can Watch: HBO MAX

There’s no other way to describe this movie other than to say it whips absolute nuts. Completely out of left field. Tense. Scary. Wrongfooting you at every possible turn. Also, features maybe the funniest scene cut of any movie in the last five years. If you haven’t seen it, go in blind. If you have seen it, watch it again. - Saul

What I would do to watch this for the first time again. Hell, I’d even suck a… uhhhh anyway, did you know you can’t spell Barbarian without AIRBNB? - Steph

---

Film: The Fabelmans
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

Steven Spielberg presenting this in the flesh at TIFF wearing a bright blue pair of Hoka Ones made my movie-going year. David Lynch owning my ass was the cherry on top. Best ending in Spielberg’s filmography, by a long shot. - Steph

I love a movie about The Movies, sue me. Who better to pitch a movie about the movies than the guy who’s been making some of the best of them for most of his adult life. Michelle Williams is ACTING. One of the girls from the movie works out at my gym. Have to have it on the list for that alone. - Saul

---

Film: Jackass Forever
Where You Can Watch: Paramount+

The hardest I’ve laughed in a theater in a long, long time. Also, the most scared I’ve been in a theater in a long, long time. There is a segment that features bees that makes me involuntarily shiver just thinking of it. 90 minutes of almost pure male genital trauma. A guy uses a fart to blow something up. I’m only half joking when I say Johnny Knoxville deserves a nomination for Best Actor. - Saul

These old geezers still got it! Kinda! At the very least, they’re trying their best and making other younger geezers do their dirty work for them! - Steph (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: The Northman
Where You Can Watch: Amazon Prime

Kinda reeling at the fact that this came in 2022. I thought this year flew by, but this says otherwise. Loved this a lot, and cannot wait to rewatch it on blu-ray high as a GD kite on my couch, with the biggest shit-eating grin on my face while I try to count Alexander Skarsgard’s abs. - Steph

The Robert Eggers Hive continues to eat baby! This movie features some of the most visually stunning sequences of the year including a Viking raid that looks like it was filmed with actual Vikings, two guys getting killed and having their bodies used to make the tableau of a horse (a moment so insane and visceral that when I was watching it in a theater I felt like I left my body) and Alexander Skarsgard looking the most ripped a person has ever looked on film. There is a scene where he is sitting in a hot spring that looks like his traps are going to burst out of his skin. Hell yeah. - Saul

---

Film: Decision To Leave
Where You Can Watch: Amazon Prime

This will leave film bros shaking in their boots. Genius editing. The two handcuff shots made me gasp, each for a different reason. IYKYK! - Steph

Park Chan-wook is a master filmmaker in the most literal sense. His films are always works of art. Easily the best-edited movie of the year and it has some of the most gorgeous shots you’ll see on film. A slow burn mystery with mood and vibes galore and a truly masterful ending. It ultimately didn’t work for me as much as for others, but sometimes it’s good to just sit back and watch a master at work. - Saul (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: The Batman
Where You Can Watch: HBO Max

If you recall from this year’s Batman Movie Power Rankings, I loved this movie. It actually ended up being one of the movies I saw most in theaters, which is crazy considering that it’s way too long. Really loved how this captured Bruce Wayne’s rage and the opening sequence of the Mayor’s Murder/Batman in the shadows was some incredible stuff. Another heater from Collin Farrell as The Penguin. The best Batmobile and easily the best superhero of the year. - Saul

Absolutely excellent, but you’ll only ever catch me watching a superhero movie once and then probably never again. - Steph (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: Top Gun: Maverick
Where You Can Watch: Paramount+

You can run from it, hide from it, or try to avoid it all you want, but the fact of the matter is that the truth comes for us all. And the truth is this: you cannot stop Thomas Cruise Mapother IV.

An impossible mission. Authority who tries to stand in the way. The requisite homoerotic beach scene (this one involves a game of football that, not joking, goes both ways.) I simply cannot help but be in awe of what this movie accomplishes. It’s lightyears better than the original, sorry to offend. Get your damn tower buzzed and watch this movie. - Saul

I am proud of Tom Cruise for a) doing all his own stunts, as per usual and b) finally getting off his box and out of his high heels and showing the world his true height on screen for the first time ever. - Steph (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: All The Beauty and The Bloodshed
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

For the general public, I’m going to call this my deep cut on the list. Nan Goldin has been a hero of mine since my art school days, and seeing Laura Poitras talk about her at TIFF meant a lot to me. This is really hard to watch, but it’s SO important and I’d urge anyone to seek it out if they can. - Steph

---

Film: RRR
Where You Can Watch: Netflix

I can’t believe how long this movie just sat in my queue on Netflix. I just kept it there like an idiot despite seeing rave review after rave review. This movie rocks ass. It is capital B BONKERS. I really don’t know how to describe it to you other than it has literally everything you could think of. There are dance sequences. There’s romance. There’s a guy THROWING A TIGER AS A WEAPON. It’s 3 hours long and it’s the most fun 3 hours Netflix has to offer you without question. Marvel wants what RRR has and RRR is cooler than anything Marvel has ever put on screen. Dudes rock. Watch this movie. - Saul

Can’t stop thinking about the review that called this “We Fought A Zoo” - Steph (Honorable Mention)

---

Film: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Where You Can Watch: Netflix

Really amazing with a packed theatre, pretty good sitting on the couch at home. Starting to *maybe* think I liked the first one better, but only after the second watch. Still makes my faves list either way because Benoit Blanc is a character I want to see year after year after year after - Steph

One of the best in-theater experiences of the year, which I know I’m lucky to say I experienced (release more movies in theaters, cowards.) This movie does indeed lose a little steam when on a smaller screen but not enough for me to take it off the list. Janelle Monáe is really something in this. I think the twist is great. There’s a joke about sweatshops that is just terrific.

Put Daniel Craig in his little outfits and let him cook for as many movies as they wanna make. - Saul

---

Film: Aftersun
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

Sad on a molecular level. Took until the credits rolled for everything to hit me like a punch to the gut. I sat there and went “ohhhh…” out loud, suddenly playing everything back in my head and realizing how deep it cut. Every second meant something, maybe not in the moment, but upon reflection, yeah. Ouch. Fuckin’ ouch. - Steph

---

Film: Broker
Where You Can Watch: Currently In Theaters

An age-old tale - if you do not like your family or where you come from very much, just steal a baby and make your own family. I’m going to deem this the South Korean Little Miss Sunshine. Pretty much perfect. - Steph

---

2022 Honorable (Honourable for our Canadian Readers) Mentions

Here are a few more movies that we enjoyed but didn’t quite make our lists.

---

Film: The Menu
Where You Can Watch: currently in theaters, on HBO MAX January 3rd

A very whelming movie! I enjoyed a lot of it, but this ain’t a 5-star experience (both dinner, and the film). - Steph

This movie was not as smart as it thinks it is but it had great performances by Nicholas Hoult, Raph Fiennes, and Hong Chau. It also has one of my favorite exchanges of dialogue of the year. - Saul

---

Film: Cha Cha Real Smooth
Where You Can Watch: Apple TV+

Quirked-up white boy with a little bit of swag busts it down sexual style. Is he goated with the sauce? Seriously, shoutout to Cooper Raif for writing a movie that is essential “Dakota Johnson falls in love with me.” Go off, king! - Saul

---

Film: X/Pearl
Where You Can Watch: X is available on Showtime, which you can try for free on HULU or Amazon Prime. Pearl is available for rent on the service of your choice.

Simply a blast, great theatre experiences, can’t wait for Maxxxine. - Steph

I am not kidding when I say that there is an 8-minute monologue from Mia Goth (the coolest name in the world, BTW) in PEARL that should have earned her a best actress nomination. X was some of the most fun I had in a theater this year and features the year’s best Jenna Ortega performance. - Saul

---

Film: Tony Hawk: Until The Wheels Fall Off
Where You Can Watch: HBO MAX

Maybe the movie that took me most by surprise this year. A genuinely moving and fiercely honest portrait of a man who became a legend, but a film that’s more interested in what drove him then and what drives him now. The story of a man who, it seems, can only find true peace when he’s on a skateboard and pushing his body, mind, and spirit to their literal breaking points. Really stunning stuff here and something I hope you make time for, skateboarding fan or not. - Saul

---

Film: Sanctuary
Where You Can Watch: nowhere yet :(

Christopher Abbott looked me in the eye and then immediately looked down at his feet during the Q&A of this movie at TIFF and I really just needed to get it out of my system that I possibly intimidated him with my good looks. Movie was good. - Steph

---

Film: Disney Channel’s Theme: A Defunctland Mystery
Where You Can Watch: Free on Youtube. I’ve linked it in the title above.

I have enjoyed the Defunctland YouTube Channel ever since I discovered it during the pandemic. What began as simple videos exploring the history of theme park rides that were shut down has evolved into one of the most engaging video essay channels on the internet. While this is ostensibly what the title describes (a movie about who wrote the earworm of a theme for the Disney Channel) it is also about who gets to call themselves a filmmaker, who defines what art is, and features one of the best reveals of the year at its end. Don’t let the platform fool you. This is a movie and a damn good one - Saul

---

Film: See How They Run
Where You Can Watch: HBO MAX

Give Saoirse Ronan a little beep-beep car and a cute hat in every single movie, please. - Steph

Whenever Saoirse Ronan was gonna arrest someone for murder in the movie, I didn’t need to hear any evidence. They were guilty. Believe women. - Saul

---

Film: Turning Red
Where You Can Watch: Disney+

If we had a Canadian Oscars, this would win over Pinocchio - Steph

2 songs from 4*Town (the fictional boy band from this movie) made it into my Spotify Top 100, so yeah, it’s pretty good. - Saul

Film: Prey
Where You Can Watch: Hulu

As someone with a dumb Predator tattoo, I’m glad this one actually rocked. - Steph

No quippy dialogue. No stupid jokes. Just some great action, a good dog, and the French getting their shit rocked. That’s a big thumbs up from me player. They should make more good movies in the Predator franchise, IMO. - Saul

---

Film: The 3-Episode Prison Break Arc on Andor (episodes 7 - 9)
Where You Can Watch: Disney+

This is cheating since we are a newsletter about movies, but each episode of Andor is like a small movie, and these three episodes when watched together are essentially a 3-hour movie. Andor was my favorite television show this year (followed closely by Severance) and these 3 episodes are a huge part of that. They feature an incredible Diego Luna, and two of the best speeches I’ve ever heard on television (IN THE SAME EPISODE) from Stellan Starsgård and Andy Serkis, both of who are throwing nothing but 100mph fastballs. That’s cinema, baby. - Saul

---

Film: Smile
Where You Can Watch: Paramount+

Not sure what to rate a movie that was perfectly fine and then suddenly rocked my world in the last 15 minutes, so we’re tossing it in this list - Steph

---

Film: Hellraiser
Where You Can Watch: HULU

Yassified Pinhead! It’s about time the girlies got ripped apart! - Steph

---

Film: Watcher
Where You Can Watch: Amazon Prime

Maika Monroe being paranoid about someone following her? Never heard that before! - Steph 

---

Film: The Woman King
Where You Can Watch: available for rent on the service of your choice

Viola Davis and Lashana Lynch kicking ass for 2 hours. Modern-day GLADIATOR, unironically. Now that’s a movie. - Saul

---

Hall of Shame

These are the movies that we felt missed the mark this year.

---

Film: Deep Water
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HULU

My expectations were so low, and yet, they were not even met. This wasn’t even the slightest bit horny OR thrilling. - Steph

I will be forever grateful that this movie gave us the Ana de Armas and Ben Affleck PR relationship and also the funniest movie trailer I’ve ever seen, but yeah, the movie was not good.

---

Film: Fresh
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HULU

I know this was a fan fave this year, but it was so underwhelming. Decent chemistry, but could’ve been taken light years further. Came off as goofy. I’m sorry! - Steph

---

Film: Black Adam
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HBO MAX

This is like if one of those “we made an AI watch 1,000 hours of Superhero movies and write a script and this is what it gave us” tweets was real. Zero stakes. Bad jokes. A kid that skateboards everywhere like it’s 1996.

Let me tell you something. I was so high when I saw this movie. I also had a couple of margaritas at Margaritaville before the screening. I love The Rock in movies most of the time. I was extremely pliable and probably in the best position to like this movie. I couldn’t do it.

It also has an extremely unfortunate needle drop of Kanye West, which lmao. - Saul

---

Film: Men
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: Available to rent from the service of your choice

The title says it all, unfortunately. Jessie Buckley was the only redeeming quality here. Alex Garland: go to therapy, babe! Or better yet, jail! - Steph

Finally, a movie for the fellas.

I am usually in the bag for Alex Garland, but I can’t get behind this one. Jessie Buckley deserved so much better and I want nothing but the best for her. Did you know trauma is a cycle that men suffer and give birth to in other men? Get ready to get beat over the head with that for a couple of hours, especially with the extremely on-the-nose ending. If you want to see a movie about the trauma men cause and how the real monsters are human, just watch BARBARIAN. - Saul

---

Film: Crimes of the Future
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HULU

I feel like I’m reaching a character arc where I’m looking forward to Croney’s son's work more than I am papa Croney. Not so patiently waiting for Infinity Pool to rock my world. - Steph

Boooooooo, Steph!!! - Saul

---

Film: Elvis
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HBO MAX

Rumour has it Austin Butler is still talking in the Elvis accent! - Steph

I like this more than Steph and I legit think Austin Butler is astounding in this, but it is infuriating for a couple of reasons. Love to tell the story of Elvis using *checks notes* everybody else’s point of view but Elvis’. Tom Hanks does his voice from THE LADY KILLERS for 3 hours. That’ll sink your movie. - Saul

---

Film: Don’t Worry Darling
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: HBO MAX

Incel representation baby! Chris Pine’s fits were sick. - Saul

As the ever-so-insightful Harry Styles once said, it did feel like I was watching a movie. - Steph

Film: Bros
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: Peacock (lol nice)

*Extremely Homophobic Voice* It’s comforting to know that gay people can also make an extremely mid romantic comedy. FIRE ISLAND was way better. - Saul

Film: Blonde
Where To Watch If You’re A Sicko: Netflix

Cruel, incoherent, weird politics. No thanks. - Saul

Movies We Missed :(

Film: Banshees of Inisherin

 I have no excuse for this one since it’s already streaming, except for generally speaking not being in the mood to watch two men talk (or not talk) for 2 hours. - Steph

Steph, what the hell??? - Saul

---

Film: Babylon

Likely seeing this literally tomorrow, but Saul gave me a deadline of December 29th and I’m scared that if I’ll miss it he’ll never let me express my hot takes on his newsletter anymore. - Steph

I will be seeing this movie on Saturday and I just know it would have made this list if I had already seen it. There WILL be a follow-up email addressing this.

Steph is no longer welcome to express her hot takes on this newsletter anymore but it’s only because of her CRIMES OF THE FUTURE opinion. - Saul

---

Film: The Whale

I have heard that this movie is Not Good, but I really want to see Brendan Fraser’s performance because I heard THAT part of the movie is Very Good. The Brendanissance continues. - Saul

I feel like I’m going to hate this, but I also feel like it’s going to make me cry a lot, so I’m waiting for it to hit a streaming service in like, 3 days. - Steph

---

Film: Aftersun

I just know that this movie is going to absolutely wreck me and I’m just not really in the headspace for that right now. I’m just trying to chill, maybe rewatch THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY, and have a nice time. It’s called self-care. I’ll get around to it when I have the emotional fortitude, so sometime around 2044. - Saul

---

Film: All The Beauty and The Bloodshed

You can just read what I wrote about AFTERSUN and apply it to this movie, thanks. - Saul

---

Film: The Eternal Daughter

I have no excuse for this one as well, except for generally speaking not being in the mood to watch Tilda Swinton stare out the window for 2 hours (shocking, I know). - Steph

---

*Deep breath* okay, that’s Working Title’s Year In Film for the year of our Lord 2022! As stated above, we are eternally grateful for anyone that chooses to read, subscribe, engage with, and most importantly, share the writing of this newsletter. It means the world to us. Please continue to do so, especially with this yearly recap!

You can follow Steph on her Letterboxd here!

You can follow Saul on his Letterboxd here!

We’ll see you in 2023!