2022 Year in Review : Movies

It wasn’t a great year for the box office. While the pandemic and its lingering effects scared people off heading to the movies, the absolute feast of movies we were served on streaming services during the pandemic contributed to audiences acquiring a taste of staying at home for certain films as well. That aside, there were some truly surprising films that became box office hits and some that should have been big winners but ultimately ended up disappointing.

We have narrowed down our top movies of the year to a mere 5 and thrown in some honourable mentions from the team showcasing the wide variety of tastes and interests in the broad scope of cinema.

5.Top Gun Maverick

Who could ever say they saw this coming? The long-awaited and in-development sequel finally roared into theatres proving that lightning can strike twice, delivering one of the best sequels ever made. The movie elevated Tom Cruise as an action star for this new generation while satisfying older audiences. You can read the Novastream review here

4. Bros

Billy Eichner and Nick Stoller got Universal to agree to do the first gay rom-com from a major studio. The film was filled with actors from the Queer community in varying roles and was a genuinely funny and well-told story. Everyone on our team who saw this genuinely loved it and watched it multiple times. While it didn’t make the biggest splash at the box office, it is now available to rent/buy in Australia and streaming on Peacock overseas. You can read our review here

3. After Sun

Hot on our radar after its stunning debut at the Melbourne International Film Festival, this movie had all of our critics agreeing that this was one of the best debuts from a filmmaker in a really long time. The unsettling quiet that permeates throughout this film and its career-defining performances from both lead actors, will have this go down as a cult classic. You can read the review here

2. The Banshees of Inisherin

Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson team up for an intimate story about friendship that what initially looked like a drama, ended up being one of the year’s best comedies. This is elevated by outstanding performances and a drop dead beautiful Irish countryside, if you are looking for a great film to watch over the holidays, this is it. Read our review here

1. Everything, Everywhere, All At Once

I honestly feel like no justification is needed for this one. This movie not only propelled lead actor Michelle Yeoh to the centre of conversation for pop.culture, it also bought back Ke Huy Quan out of retirement for a multiversal story about life, love and regret. You can read our review here

Honorable Mentions

Not everything we loved this year could make it top the top 5, so we had some additional films for you to watch outside of these below.

• Three Thousand Years of Longing – Director George Miller takes a hard left from directing Mad Max Fury Road, to bring a story about the power of telling stories, love and the power of time. You can read our review
• Nope – Director Jordan Peele adds to his masterful horror films with a take on the aliens genre. Beautiful effects and a blood rain scene that will stick with you, this is definitely one to watch (not alone!) you can read our review here
• The Batman – Matt Reeves finally got his take on the caped crusader with Robert Pattinson donning the cowl for the first time. We got our second-best performance from Colin Farrell this year and Zoe Kravitz delivered a memorable performance as Catwoman. You can read our review here
• Uncharted – While traditional critics didn’t love this, the long-awaited Playstation adaptation had Tom Holland playing the beloved Nathan Drake in a globe-trotting adventure that was the perfect setup for this to become an ongoing series. While we have no news of any sequels just yet, you can enjoy the film on VOD right now. You can read our review here
• Good Luck to you Leo Grande – A sex-positive film starring Emma Thompson as a widower who wants to get her first orgasm it beautifully filmed and cleverly crafted script brings one of the years best. You can read our review here
• All Quiet on the Western Front – The Netflix film about the Great War adapts one of the most sorrowful stories put to paper. The sheer achievement in the visuals and how well the story is handled translates perfectly on screen. You can read our review here

What was your favourite movie of 2022? Let us know in the comments below or comment on our social posts.