Well, 2022 was…something.

It’s been one hell of a year - quite literally - however, while war, crisis, and all manner of nonsense have been raging in the world around us, it’s nice to know that we’ve still got cinema to keep us safe. Kind of.

Thankfully, with COVID (somewhat) in the rear-view mirror, cinema has shown remarkable resilience in bouncing back after a couple of bleak box office years. Make no mistake, there have been flops aplenty, and we are still very much living in uncertain times for the theatrical experience, yet, considering where we were this time last year, the very fact that people are back in cinemas at all must be considered a win.

While the rise of streaming continues to take lumps out of the box office, the financial success of big hitters like Top Gun: Maverick, Jurassic World: Dominion, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, and now Avatar: The Way of Water shows that the escapist lure of cinema is still alive and well. Now, what happens to the fate of non-franchise, non-blockbuster stuff is anyone’s guess, but with the right kind of support from studios and audiences alike, there remains hope.

Regardless, whether it’s via theatrical release or through streaming, the movie quality in 2022 has been as good as it’s ever been, and as we stand on the edge of a new year, there’s no better time than now to look back and celebrate the incredible cinematic achievements the last twelve months have had to offer.

So, here we are then. My top ten films of 2022!

Relentless. Ridiculous. Really bloody good.

What a remarkable rush of a film. With a liberal approach to subtlety and a tad overlong, RRR certainly has its faults, but these are more than made up for by everything else.

Beautifully bombastic action, vibrant and creatively choreographed song and dance numbers, engaging characters, and a heartfelt story with real-world historical foundations all combine for an absurdly exhilarating cinematic experience.

Written with razor-sharp wit and executed with diamond-cut precision, Glass Onion marks a more than worthy follow-up to Knives Out.

Arriving stocked with another star-studded cast and gleefully toying with our whodunit preconceptions, Rian Johnson and Benoit Blanc twist and turn their way into our hearts once again. It’s not quite the masterpiece its predecessor was, but it’s not far off.

Grungy, grim, and gripping, The Batman throws its iconic hero cowl-first into the kind of hardboiled noir we’ve been waiting decades for. Embracing Batman’s detective elements like we’ve never seen before, Matt Reeves crafts a thrilling crime tale thick with Fincher-like atmosphere and loaded with beautifully calibrated tension.

Bolstered by stellar performances from Robert Pattinson and his supporting cast, The Batman negates its narrative and tonal shortfalls to offer a solid superhero tale that falls just short of knocking The Dark Knight off its lofty Gotham perch.

What a wild ride The Woman King is. Utterly unique but reassuringly old fashioned, The Woman King is a simple but effective dose of crowd-pleasing drama that feels both comfortingly familiar and thrillingly unique.

Full of rousing, heart-pounding action and with an admirable emotional depth, director Gina Prince-Blythewood nails it, while Viola Davis proves herself an absolute king.

Bloody hell. Or should that be bloody Hel? Robert Eggers is 3 for 3 with The Northman, a blood-drenched revenge epic like nothing you've ever seen before.

Huge, surreal, dark, and bleakly poetic, The Northmen is an absolute stunner of feverish Norse mythology and gut-wrenching, blockbuster-sized action, wrapped around a brutally personal vengeance mission.

In true Guillermo del Toro style, the director makes his animation debut with a dark, immaculately crafted, frequently disturbing retelling of the classic fairy-tale that’s among his finest work to date.

Magical yet mortifying, Disney this Pinocchio is not, as del Toro transports the story to 1930s Fascist Italy for a heart-warming, heart-breaking rumination on love, life, and loss that’s sure to be one of this year’s Oscar front runners.

A hypnotic kaleidoscope of sound and image, Moonage Daydream is a dizzying David Bowie odyssey and an oddly poignant love letter to everything that made him such an enduring icon.

There’s a vague chronological structure to it, however, the whole thing is such a stream of all-encompassing consciousness that it’s often best to just sit back and let it all wash over you. If you’re a Bowie fan of any kind – or even just an appreciator of music – Moonage Daydream is the documentary/biopic for you.

Undeniably some of Martin McDonagh’s finest work since In Bruges, The Banshees of Inisherin is a beautifully balanced blend of heartbreak and macabre comedy, brought to life by a lyrical, razor-sharp script and a collection of terrific performances, led with gloriously grim distinction by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson.

Finding humanity and humour amidst heartache, The Banshees of Inisherin is a parable-laced, contrary crowd pleaser that will stick with you. 

What a ride. Writing, directing, acting, action and editing combine for one hell of a trip through the multiverse. So much is done using so little and the results are both mind-blowing and heart-wrenching.

The sheer imagination on display from creators Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert (known collectively as Daniels) and the enthusiasm with which Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and the marvellous Stephanie Hsu go all-in with Everything Everywhere All at Once’s batshit        crazy concept is truly something to behold.

A charming, understated father-daughter coming-of-age tale at its heart, Aftersun slowly builds to something altogether different, yet powerfully affecting.

As fractured and fragmented moments fade in and out of the film’s consciousness, Charlotte Wells’ assured direction and the affecting performances of Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio hit right to the heart of our complex relationship with memories, especially those of our loved ones, and will undoubtedly leave you an emotional wreck by its conclusion. 

Happy New Year one and all! Here’s to better times and more marvellous movies in 2023.