From soldiers to caped crusaders to documentaries, here are the 26 best films of the year.
Honorable Mention
Ghislaine Maxwell: Filthy Rich
Downfall: The Case Against Boeing
Egregious neglect and a massive cover-up is revealed in this examination of the aircraft giant's response in the wake of horrible accidents that could've been prevented.
The Great Postal Heist
The term "going postal" is given context and the crumbling infrastructure of an American institution is revealed in this documentary that presents the perspective of the people on the inside.
Use of Force: The Policing of Black America
Institutional racism within the criminal justice system is exposed and interrogated in this documentary that looks at America in a post-George Floyd world.
Frederick Douglass in Five Speeches
We hear Frederick Douglass' views on America in the legendary abolitionist and African-American icon's own words.
Untold: The Rise and Fall of And1
Street basketball meets exploitation in this documentary about the rise and fall of And1.
26. Black Ice
25. Living
24. Loudmouth
Civil rights activist and minister Al Sharpton allows cameras to chronicle his life and career as a social justice warrior.
23. Causeway
A Louisiana mechanic forges a friendship with a combat veteran when the latter returns home following a brain injury sustained in the field during her last tour. The two bond over their respective physical injuries and trauma.
22. Soft & Quiet
A suburban elementary school teacher's social mixer is more than meets the eye in this shocking thriller that puts toxic femininity on full display.
21. The Redeem Team
After falling from the precipitous highs of the vaunted Dream Team to winning bronze, the USA Men's Basketball team must mount an historic comeback in order to gain their standing in the world. Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Deron Williams, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosch, Coach K and the late, great Kobe Bryant join forces in an effort to retake the full-court crown.
20. Confess, Fletch
Who knew that Jon Hamm was such a good fit for comedy? Not only does he fill Chevy Chase's shoes, he splits them wide open in this latest -- and greatest -- movie featuring the titular investigative reporter "of some repute".
19. Uncharted
While it may stray from the source material, especially in regard to Mark Wahlberg's casting, Uncharted nonetheless stands out as one of the rare examples of a video game film-adaptation that's actually watchable.
18. Medieval
An early time in Czech military commander Jan Zizka's career is explored in this examination of a mission-gone-awry. Following Zizka and his men's abduction of the French king's niece in a bid to pressure her powerful fiance into cooperating with the Bohemian monarch, the future Hussite leader's betrayed by his employer and targeted by his captive's betrothed.
17. Maverick
More than three decades after losing both his best friend and the title of Top Gun at the US Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor Program, Lt. Pete Mitchell is ordered to return to the vaunted school in order to prepare a group of flyboys (and girls) for what will likely prove to be a suicide mission. Worse, is the fact that Mitchell's aforementioned friend's son is one of the pilots.
Following several delays, Maverick managed to become only the second film outside of the fantasy genre to gross more than $1 billion at the box office -- and it achieved this feat during a pandemic, no less.
16. Devotion
15. Death on the Nile
Five years after its predecessor's release and numerous pandemic -- and controversy -- related delays, detective Hercule Poirot's second modern outing is a more than worthy follow-up to his infamous murder case on a certain train.
14. Amsterdam
13. The Batman
Frustratingly close to being a great (as opposed to merely good) movie, The Batman lacks a crucial element. Where the best films about Gotham City's infamous nocturnal vigilante feature either a compelling Bruce Wayne or a great Batman, both identities are lackluster in this one. Fortunately, nearly everything surrounding the title character (with the exception of Selina Kyle) is spectacular -- particularly the villains.
12. The Pilot
Talk about fortitude. After being shot down, WWII pilot Nikolai Komlev battles bitter cold, German soldiers desperate to find him, wolves, starvation and gunshot wounds in a literal battle for survival. And after undergoing a double-amputation, he fights to get back into the cockpit and back in the fight!
11. All Quiet on the Western Front
After teenage Paul Baumer lies about his age in order to fight for Germany alongside his friends, who've all been inspired by jingoistic propaganda, he's thrown into the trenches and learns firsthand about mustard gas, near-starvation, carnage and pointless death.
In what is the greatest film about the first World War, this third cinematic adaptation of the best-selling book of the same name demystifies "the Great War", exposing the nasty realities of large-scale violent conflict and laying to rest notions of battlefield glory.
10. Bodies Bodies Bodies
After asking whodunnit, this murder-mystery asks, "Whose hands are actually clean?"
9. Nope
A horse trainer conspires with his sister and a couple of tech wizards to capture definitive proof of a mysterious presence that's been terrorizing his ranch.
8. Beast
Amazingly enough, Hollywood has seen fit to cast its eye on the continent of Africa three times year without even resorting to a single white savior narrative. The most thrilling of these endeavors is Beast: a man vs. nature tale involving a single father and the king of the jungle (or plains).
During a trip to South Africa's Mopani game reserve, widowed physician Nate Samuels, his two teenage daughters and old friend, Martin Battles, are stalked by a rogue lion.
7. Emergency
6. Emancipation
Peter, an enslaved Haitian man, escapes to a Union army camp in Louisiana upon learning about the Emancipation Proclamation.
5. Purple Hearts
Despite their mutual physical attraction, when Cassie meets Luke, she immediately stereotypes him. And her attitude prompts him to act accordingly. However, their respective dire straits lead to a literal marriage of convenience. Unmarred by silly rom-com conventions, Purple Hearts ditches the cheap laughs in favor of sincerely illustrating how people with seemingly divergent worldviews and different backgrounds can find common ground -- and more -- if they interact with each other long enough to see each other as people.
4. The Contractor
The last time that we saw Chris Pine in a feature film was the unwatchable Wonder Woman 1984. But he's back -- and he's reteamed with kid performer turned versatile character actor Ben Foster for the first time since 2016's excellent Hell or High Water.
My cautious optimism about seeing this movie was rewarded because Pine and Foster's new collaboration is a winner. While The Contractor isn't quite on par with Hell or High Water, it's miles ahead of Pine's last espionage flick, Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit. Channing Tatum also returned to theaters this year in a lead role, portraying an army vet suffering from PTSD, coping with the loss of friends and attempting to find his way in the world following an unwanted discharge from the army due to an injury. While it handles similar themes to the ones in this film, Dog tackles the issue from a different angle and isn't half bad either. But The Contractor has more rewatch value. Chis Pine's done with Jack Ryan and Wonder Woman. And Star Trek's still a question mark. But based on the quality of this movie, he's got a potential James Harper franchise on his hands. Give The Contractor a shot. Or watch some trash instead. I don't give a shit either way.
3. The Northman
After taking moviegoers to colonial New England and 19th century New England, director Robert Eggers veers away from witches, lighthouses and North America entirely, instead focusing on ancient Scandinavia. His third film, The Northman, is the story of the direct inspiration of Shakespeare's Hamlet. It would be generous to describe the accents on display here as inconsistent, which has to be a little frustrating for fans of Vikings and its sequel series, Valhalla, not to mention actual Scandinavians, some of whom happen to be members of the cast -- including 90s weirdo Bjork, believe it or not.
But not nearly enough. However, like the aforementioned television series, when the accents click, the MCU's Thor franchise looks that much worse by comparison for its commitment to its dicey British ones. But unlike the Asgard saga, The Northman is a damn fine piece of filmmaking and a rewatchable one at that. Director Robert Eggers and stars Alexander Skarsgard, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe and Anya Taylor-Joy have all delivered the crowning jewel of their respective careers. The Northman also serves as a sort of redemption for Hawke, who starred as the title character in an adaptation of Hamlet set in New York City in the year 2000. While reminiscent of Vikings and Valhalla, this film surpasses both and deserves some recognition during next year's awards season. But I advise anyone who hasn't seen those shows to avoid them, at least until after you watch The Northman. That way, most of what you see in the movie will be fresh and won't come off as a retread of familiar lore and imagery that you've already witnessed produced on a lower budget.
2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
The former Sorcerer Supreme devotes himself to protecting teenage orphan America Chavez from an embittered mass-murder Wanda Maximoff, who intends to steal her ability to travel between universes. Strange must confront his own character flaws or neither he nor his rescuee will survive.
Forced to battle demons, monsters, secret societies and a fallen witch, Dr. Stephen Strange's second solo mission is exponentially better than his first. Doc Strange is undoubtedly the most-improved MCU hero and sub-franchise -- hands down. The movie's only flaw lies in the inclusion of cheesy ass Illuminati members: Black Bolt, Reed Richards and Professor X (and his goofy yellow hoverchair).
1. Wakanda Forever
Director Ryan Coogler has added to his flawless resume by creating this contemplative follow-up to his cinematic masterpiece. Following the death of King T'Challa, his subjects must come to terms with his absence while grappling with the discovery that there's isn't the only secretive, yet powerful kingdom wary of attempts at colonialism. The film also doubles as a stealthy, feature-length meditation on grief, specifically, in the wake of the passing of its planned star: Chadwick Boseman.
Updated 12/11/22
No comments:
Post a Comment