Ranked: The 10 best movies of 2022, from Tom Cruise's 'Top Gun: Maverick' to 'The Whale,' 'RRR'
Blockbusters were alive and well in 2022, in quantity and quality.
Whether it was Tom Cruise in a cockpit, a couple of Indian superheroes or Robert Pattinson in a cape and cowl, big-time movies were a major part of our cinematic lives again after the effects of the pandemic, and surprisingly many were as good – or even better than – the usual critically acclaimed Oscar fare that tops normal year-end lists. Though there are a few of those award-worthy flicks, too, in what was a pretty awesome year for film fans.
Here are 2022's best movies, ranked (and where you can watch them):
10. 'Everything Everywhere All at Once'
The dizzying sci-fi/family/kung fu adventure about a laundromat owner who has to save the multiverse delivered on so many levels, and not just in complete weirdness. (Yay for the alternate world of hot dog fingers!) Michelle Yeoh quadrupled down as a Hollywood icon, Jamie Lee Curtis is getting a proper run at her first Oscar, Stephanie Hsu has a crazy bright future, and Ke Huy Quan – a 1980s kid favorite from "The Goonies" and "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" – scored one heck of a comeback.
Where to watch: Showtime, on-demand platforms
Review: Michelle Yeoh's reluctant heroine powers dazzling, dizzying 'Everything Everywhere'
9. 'The Inspection'
Director Elegance Bratton's auspicious feature film debut puts a different angle on the well-tread basic training drama (see: "Full Metal Jacket," "An Officer and a Gentleman"). Golden Globe nominee Jeremy Pope is great as a young gay man who, after being spurned by his homophobic mom (Gabrielle Union), decides to escape the streets and join the Marines. He runs into a wall of toxic masculinity and prejudice that tests his mettle in a moving narrative alarming in its rawness but not without a sense of hope.
Where to watch: In theaters
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8. 'Top Gun: Maverick'
His call sign isn't Wizard but Cruise pulled off an astounding magic trick by honchoing a long-awaited revisit to his '80s action classic – full of airborne bravado and beach volleyball – and unleashing a sequel that had no right being this good. "Maverick" succeeds by proudly owning everything "Top Gun" is and ever was, a macho romp that gloriously soars into the Danger Zone and tugs at that rebellious streak in all of us.
Where to watch: Paramount+ (starting Dec. 22), on demand
'Top Gun' review: Tom Cruise's excellent 'Maverick' takes to the skies, sticks to the formula
7. 'The Fallout'
Before Jenna Ortega goth-danced into our hearts in "Wednesday" – and faced sheer terror in "Scream" and "X" – the young actress had a powerhouse performance as a teen girl who survives a school shooting and navigates the aftermath with the popular classmate (Maddie Ziegler) she hid with while shots were fired. Megan Park's directorial debut, an emotional wrecking ball of a movie that doesn't let up till its gut-punch ending, is an essential watch for parents and kids growing up in this worrisome time.
Where to watch: HBO Max, on demand
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6. 'The Batman'
Did we need Pattinson as the 7,439th movie Dark Knight? Probably not. Are we glad he's slinging Batarangs at bad guys? You bet. The British actor brings broodiness and sharp detective skills to Matt Reeves' grimy, realistic and super-cool take on the Gotham City mythos. Thankfully, it also gave rise to Zoë Kravitz's feisty Catwoman, Paul Dano's eerie serial-killing Riddler, Colin Farrell's channeling of Robert De Niro as a gangster Penguin, and just a taste of Barry Keoghan's gleefully disturbed Joker.
Where to watch: HBO Max, on demand
'The Batman' review: Robert Pattinson embodies a broody, brawny Dark Knight for a new era
5. 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever'
The Marvel superhero sequel would be fantastic in whatever context – the fact that director Ryan Coogler and his cast did all this in the wake of Chadwick Boseman's death makes it a straight-up movie miracle. Through T'Challa's sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) and her fellow Wakandans, who have to save the day amid their own grieving process, the film honors Boseman's legacy as well as that of his iconic character, plus digs into geopolitical matters with the arrival of Tenoch Huerta Mejía's antagonistic Namor.
Where to watch: In theaters
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4. 'Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio'
Del Toro, a modern master of the macabre, gives the classic fairy tale a twisted bliss with this enjoyable stop-motion animated take set in 1930s Italy. With a precocious, troublemaking wooden puppet desperate to be a real boy and a star-studded voice cast (from Ewan McGregor to Cate Blanchett), the whimsical narrative takes on war and fascism – you haven't lived until you've seen Pinocchio mocking Mussolini – plus tackles dark and fairly mature matters with life-affirming zeal.
Where to watch: Netflix
Review: Guillermo del Toro crafts a practically perfect 'Pinocchio' revamp for Netflix
3. 'The Banshees of Inisherin'
Getting ghosted by a friend or a loved one is a relatable bit of stress and heartbreak. Add a 1920s remote Irish island setting, toss in two of the greatest actors of their generations, and you've got a dark comedy with something to say. Martin McDonagh's wonderfully bleak exploration of isolation, desperation and mortality lets Farrell and Brendan Gleeson loose as ex-best pals in a sudden fiery feud, with nice supporting turns from Kerry Condon and Keoghan as characters caught up in their not-so-civil war.
Where to watch: HBO Max and on demand
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2. 'The Whale'
If the thought of Brendan Fraser immediately conjures "Encino Man" and "George of the Jungle," then Darren Aronofsky's immersive psychological drama might just blow your mind. In a career-best outing, Fraser brings his entire soul to a beautiful and heartbreaking portrayal of a 600-pound man who, knowing his end could happen at any time, yearns to reconnect with his estranged, troubled teen daughter (Sadie Sink). It's the kind of an intimate story that appeals to the empathetic and weeds out the cynical.
Where to watch: In theaters
'The Whale' review: Brendan Fraser's soulful, Oscar-ready performance will blow you away
1. 'RRR'
Director S.S. Rajamouli's three-hour, genre-smashing action masterpiece is a muscular slab of over-the-top giddy joy. Set in 1920s India, the two-fisted tale of a loyal warrior (N.T. Rama Rao Jr.) on a rescue mission and an ambitious soldier (Ram Charan), first an enemy and then a friend, is an epic with a smorgasbord of historical fiction, huge emotional stakes, A-plus musical numbers and jaw-dropping cinematic chutzpah. The two magnetic leads are what truly give "RRR" life, from revelatory moments to one magnificent dance-off.
Where to watch: Netflix
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Best movies of 2022, ranked: 'Top Gun: Maverick,' 'The Whale,' 'RRR'
