2022 ended up being a solid year for movies. There weren’t many releases this year that were flat-out bad, and one of my all time favorite movies came out this April. I did still miss out on quite a few I’d still really like to see, such as Aftersun, Babylon, X, and The Fabelmans. But, I still saw a decent amount, and I’d like to discuss them.

21. Morbius (2/10)

There’s not really much I need to say about Morbius. You all already know that it’s bad. This is one of the most pointless movies I have ever seen. Sony saw the massive success of the Venom movies and decided that they’re going to make a movie series revolving around only Spider-Man villains. They’re currently producing a Kraven the Hunter movie. You may have heard of that character, but have you heard of Madame Web or El Muerto? Because they’re both getting movies too. Fun fact: El Muerto has only had two appearances in mainline Marvel comic books. TWO. And Sony’s making a movie about him. Morbius is just the beginning. We’re about to see a wave of flat out awful comic book movies. Here’s hoping that they’re at least fun like Venom, and less like Morbius.

20. Halloween Ends (3/10)

The first two films in David Gordon Green’s recent Halloween trilogy aren’t the best, but I love them. I already discussed Halloween Ends at length earlier this year, so I’ll keep it short- this movie is bad. There are some very interesting ideas present in this film, but they are executed in the worst way possible. This could have been a very refreshing change of pace for the series, but it’s just another terrible Halloween movie. Add it to the list. And the worst part? It’s not even funny, which is my favorite part about most of the Halloween movies.

19. Jurassic World: Dominion (4/10)

I don’t think anybody really expected Dominion to be good. As a big fan of the Jurassic Park franchise, I recognize that the series has one great film, and a lot of bad to mediocre ones. But, I still love all of them. They’re all very fun to watch- even Jurassic Park 3. There’s really only one problem with this movie, and it’s the fact that dinosaurs are barely even in it. This was set up to be a movie about humans learning to coexist with dinosaurs, which is a very neat idea for a Jurassic Park film. But, for some reason, that’s the B-plot. The main focus of this film is on… giant locusts? What? It truly baffles me why this movie made the choices it did. It’s kind of like Halloween Ends– some good ideas, but just executed horribly. I really don’t understand why they made this choice. These movies have such a big budget, but pick the worst ideas for stories. It’s not the worst thing ever, but it’s definitely not good. If you’re watching the series, I wouldn’t say you should skip it, but I don’t think I really need to see this one again (or, at least, not for awhile.)

18. Uncharted (4/10)

I am a massive fan of the Uncharted games. It’s probably my favorite game series of all time, except for The Last of Us. This movie has been in the works for a very long time. I believe the idea was initially brought up after the release of the first game, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, in 2007. It was considered cancelled or scrapped for a long time until rumors started to spread about an Uncharted movie actually happening. I was cautiously excited- video game movies have a pretty bad reputation, but it’s Uncharted. This is quite possibly Sony’s most recognizable game franchise, except for maybe God of War. And then Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg were casted. And then the trailer came out. I knew this movie was going to be bad, but I was still excited. And surprise, surprise- it is bad. It basically takes plot points from the first 4 games in the series and mashes them together in this hodgepodge of a movie. It wasn’t good, but it really wasn’t as terrible as I thought it would be. It’s worth watching at least once, especially if you’re a fan of the series- there are a lot of fun references and easter eggs. Plus, if you don’t want to pay to watch it, it’s on Netflix now.

17. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special (5/10)

I was very disappointed by this. The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies are the best in the MCU, and some of my favorite superhero movies in general. The Guardians seemed like the perfect pick for a holiday special, and the idea behind this one is actually quite funny- Mantis and Drax kidnap Kevin Bacon as a Christmas gift for Quill. The problem is, it’s not funny or charming. It feels extremely rushed and lazy. It’s odd- this special was announced quite a while ago, and wasn’t some random thing they decided to make in a couple months just because. They had a lot of time to work on this short, but it feels like the script was written in two days. It’s hard to explain why this wasn’t great- you kind of just have to watch it for yourself. The best part about it is that it’s only around 40 minutes, so you don’t have to deal with it for that long.

16. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (5/10)

I may love Sam Raimi and his Evil Dead franchise, but Multiverse of Madness is not his best work. I’m not somebody that wants every single MCU movie to have massive consequences and effects on the whole Marvel universe, but this movie really seemed like it was going to be one that did. It’s called Multiverse of Madness. I was really expecting Dr. Strange to explore the multiverse a little bit more, especially after he appeared in Spider-Man: No Way Home. The best part of this movie is when Sam Raimi is just making horror scenes. I never expected to say this about a Marvel movie, but this one has some pretty brutal kills. Spoilers, I guess, but it was also pretty fun to see characters like Professor X, Reid Richards, and Black Bolt that hadn’t appeared in the MCU yet. This is worth watching if you want to see every Marvel movie, but I really don’t feel any desire to revisit it.

14. Thor: Love and Thunder (6/10)

I really like Taika Waititi’s movies- Thor: Ragnarok is one of the best MCU movies, and Jojo Rabbit is one of the best movies of 2019. So, when I heard that he was making a new Thor movie with this logo, I was excited. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out that great. The jokes don’t land a lot of the time, and the visual effects are very lacking. Gorr doesn’t get nearly enough screen time, and the plot just feels very lazy. I don’t dislike this movie like a lot of people do, but it’s definitely not great. It’s a perfect example of the MCU oversaturation that me and many others have been feeling lately. Ever since Wandavision, Disney has been releasing MCU movies and shows nonstop, and you can really feel it with this one. It’s not bad, but again, I don’t feel much of a desire to revisit it.

13. Black Adam (5/10)

Yes, it looks odd that I put a 5/10 movie above a 6/10 movie, but I would rewatch Black Adam over Love and Thunder any day. This movie is not good, and I recognize that, but I had so much more fun than I thought it would. The action scenes are surprisingly well done, and it is very entertaining. Love and Thunder is probably a bit better, but we’re splitting hairs here. This one is 100% skippable, but it’s honestly not the worst.

15. The Adam Project (6/10)

It seems that the world is now being put through extremely mediocre yearly Sean Levy and Ryan Reynolds projects. In 2021, we got the most 6/10 movie I’ve ever seen, Free Guy. Earlier this year, Netflix put out The Adam Project, which isn’t bad, but very forgettable. Honestly, I’ve got nothing to say about this one. It’s very inoffensive, but nothing special. If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted action comedy to watch with your family, this is a good pick.

12. The Bob’s Burgers Movie (6.5/10)

I was a bit disappointed by The Bob’s Burgers Movie. I’ve seen the whole show, and it’s one of my favorite animated series of all time. It just never gets old; I love all of the characters, and even the episodes that aren’t as good have some great moments. The movie was essentially a longer version of one of those meh episodes. I did enjoy it, and the animation looks very nice, but it was definitely lacking something. However, if you’re a fan of Bob’s Burgers, this is worth your time- plus, it’s on HBO Max and Hulu.

11. Werewolf By Night (7/10)

This was a very nice change of pace from the recent Marvel oversaturation that I discussed earlier. It’s a Halloween special, and was a nice addition to my October 2022 horror marathon. It introduces some very interesting new characters, and a side of the Marvel universe not yet seen in the MCU. It also proves that Michael Giacchino can do more than soundtracks, as he directed this short film, and I really hope he’s given more work.

10. The Woman King (7/10)

A lot of people really hated on this movie, and I don’t think that that hate is warranted. This definitely wasn’t the best that I watched this year, but it was still a very solid attempt. It didn’t perform very well, but I think that’s more of Sony’s fault than the movie’s. I only ever saw a trailer for The Woman King play before one movie, and I went to the theater a good few times this year. It goes on for about 15 minutes too long, but besides that, this is an overall good film. I don’t think that everybody would enjoy it, as it can be pretty slow at times, but I did enjoy it.

9. The Bad Guys (7/10)

While it may be a little forgettable, The Bad Guys is probably the best animated kid’s movie of this year. I enjoyed watching it with my younger brother, and really appreciated the animation style. It uses ‘cel shading’, which is quite possibly my favorite type of animation. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Telltale games such as The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us all use this style. It always looks very nice, and I will watch a movie or show exclusively for this reason- it’s the reason I wanted to watch The Bad Guys in the first place. Besides that, it’s a fun kid’s heist movie, and you won’t be bored if you find yourself watching it. I hope this one gets a sequel or two- again, I’d watch it just because of the visuals.

8. Prey (7/10)

The Predator franchise has finally received its second good movie with Prey. Dan Trachtenberg of 10 Cloverfield Lane fame made a solid action film, and I hope they let him make more. It could be very interesting to see different Predators challenging humans across history. Imagine a Predator going up against a Gladiator, the Spartans, or a Chinese dynasty. Personally, I believe that this is the best way to continue the franchise- it had become very oversaturated in recent years with mediocre to bad movies.

7. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (7.5/10)

I’ve discussed this film at length, and my opinions are still very similar. While I don’t think it’s as good as many others, it still provided some great emotional moments, character work, and very solid action scenes. It is very long, but you really don’t feel the length. It only starts to fall apart for me when the Everett Ross subplot is introduced. This is the only part that really feels unnecessary, which is pretty impressive for an almost three hour long Marvel movie. This is by far the best Marvel movie of the year, and probably the best of phase four.

6. Bullet Train (7.5/10)

Bullet Train is not by any means a great movie, but it’s one of the most fun blockbusters I’ve seen in a while. I’ve talked about this one at length as well, and again, my opinion hasn’t changed. This one caught a lot of flak from critics, but I don’t think much of that criticism was very fair. Many summer blockbusters don’t really attempt to have an interesting story, but this one does, and I really appreciate it. The action is great, the story is interesting, and the characters are very charming. This is a very easy watch, and something I can see myself revisiting several times in the future.

5. Top Gun: Maverick (8/10)

I’m not the biggest fan of the original Top Gun. Honestly, I find it to be pretty boring at times, and really don’t care for any of the characters. When I saw the trailer for Maverick, I thought to myself, ‘that’s probably going to be bad‘. Safe to say, I was very wrong. This movie has received universal critical and commercial acclaim, and many have put it at the top of their list for this year. It’s pretty hard to not enjoy Maverick– the performances, action, and story are all very good, and it’s a great time from start to finish. Tom Cruise might be a bit of a weird guy, but his passion for this project really shows.

4. The Batman (9/10)

While I don’t think that this is the best Batman movie, it’s a very solid second. In a way, I think that this is the Batman movie me and many others always wanted- a dark, brooding, slow-paced noir thriller that never gets boring for one second. Personally, I think that it’s the best comic book movie in recent memory, probably since Logan or Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. This probably gets the character of Batman more than any other Batman movie, except for maybe The Lego Batman Movie (I’m not joking). The Dark Knight is my favorite Batman and comic book movie, and one of my favorite movies of all time, but I do understand why some prefer The Batman. Matt Reeves did a fantastic job with this one, and I am very much looking forward to the already greenlit sequels.

3. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (9.5/10)

The original Knives Out was probably my favorite movie of 2019. It’s a very rewatchable, charming, and just fun whodunit. I’ve seen it four times, and plan on watching it many more. Glass Onion is just as entertaining as the first, and provides an even more complicated mystery. These are the type of movies where you notice something new on each rewatch. I was lucky enough to catch it during its limited release in theaters, and had such a blast. It’s coming to Netflix on December twenty-third, and I’ll probably watch it again the day it releases digitally. The Knives Out franchise can be enjoyed by anyone, and I am looking forward to what new mysteries and cast members they can get for future entries.

2. Nope (9.5/10)

This is another one I’ve already written an article about, and yet again, my opinion remains the same. It’s very different from any other alien movie I’ve seen, although it may not seem that way at first. Some of the most memorable horror scenes in recent memory came from Nope- if you’ve seen it, the ‘Jupe show’ and ‘blood rain’ scenes probably come to mind. Jordan Peele is still on a hot streak, and I doubt that it will end anytime soon. Not everyone will enjoy this one, but if you’re looking for a horror movie that’s not too scary, Nope is a perfect choice.

  1. Everything Everywhere All At Once (10/10)

Everything Everywhere All At Once isn’t just my favorite movie of 2022, but one of my favorite movies of all time. This is quite possibly the most creative and unique film I’ve ever seen. The Directors, Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan (AKA Daniels) are very good at making weird movies. If you’ve seen their directorial debut, Swiss Army Man, you know what I’m talking about. I could write a whole article about all of the different reasons I love this film, and I probably will eventually. For now, I’ll leave it at this: Everything Everywhere All At Once is the best movie in years, and I truly believe that this is a solid recommendation for anybody.