The final group in our 2022 Year in Tiers recap finds the absolute best of the best, industry standards we'll hold up for future generations to be measured against for years to come. These are the icons. The legends. Like 15 time Hot Dog Eating Champion and the renowned World Record holder for downing 76 hot dogs in 12 minutes - these are the indomitable, Joey Chestnuts of film.
#6. Terrifier 2
Yet another instance of a sequel magnifying everything great about it's predecessor to unthinkable levels, Damien Leone's Terrifier 2 is a remarkable achievement in independent filmmaking. Art the Clown is the most captivating horror villain since Freddy, Jason, Michael or even Chucky were first introduced to us in the 80's and with this legacy affirming entry; David Howard Thornton cements his place alongside them in horror history as one of the genre's most iconic boogeymen. But Art the Clown already carved his way into cinematic immortality with the original Terrifier and the unforgettable hacksaw scene. Terrifier 2 belongs to Lauren LaVera's Sienna, establishing her as a final girl for the ages. Her dutifully sculpted character rounds out Terrifier 2 into a much more well developed picture and expands the lore of Art the Clown masterfully without spoon feeding it's audience easy answers and obvious exit ramps for future installments. While there's still plenty of jaw dropping practical effects to be found, Leone has proved there's much more to this story beyond cheap shock value. The buzzing atmosphere, stellar soundtrack, unexpected ventures into the supernatural and brutally uncompromising vision make this one of the most enthralling movie-going experiences of the year. A sure fire, genre classic and one of the most violent films you'll ever see.
Listen to our interview with David Howard Thornton Here
#5. The Batman
Although this is the 9th iteration of Batman on the big screen in last 30 years, somehow the character remains the paramount standard for comic book adaptations. Even more surprising is how director Matt Reeves still finds new places for his take on the IP to improve upon. Most notably his redesign of Gotham City, which is easily my favorite representation of Bruce Wayne's home town ever created. The swirling tension and unsettling environment serves as the film's most alluring character and coupled with Michael Giacchino's astounding score, this film has an immaculately crafted atmosphere that teeters the line between hypnotic surrealism and unyielding realism like only the caped crusader can. And with some stunning costume design for Robert Pattinson's new bat suit that enables more realistic fight scenes than ever and the zodiac-inspired Riddler redesign, this film is oozing with unmistakable style that may have been lacking in Christopher Nolan's more grounded approach. And yet the most impactful takeaway from Matt Reeves' new take on the character is the incredible storytelling and imagery used in The Batman's character arc when he finally chooses to represent hope rather than vengeance. While the rest of the DC Universe appears to be in total upheaval and the Marvel Universe is lost chasing it's tail in the multi-verse, it's nice to know that this inevitable re-launch of Batman is in incredibly capable hands and sets the stage for an exciting foundation to build upon.
View Our List of the Top 20 Batman Movie Villains of All Time Here
Listen to our deep dive discussion on The Batman Here
#4. The Whale
When we first brought up the potential career resurgence of Brendan Fraser on the podcast last summer, I did so partially mocking the idea that Fraser was a talented enough actor to pull off a McConaughey-like career rebirth. But holy shit, he is absolutely stunning in this movie. "Oscar worthy" doesn't even begin to fully measure how moving his performance is. Forget the stupid conversations around the fat suit, when I saw the Encino Man himself bring my sister to tears walking away from this I knew, The Bren-assaince was upon us. This tragic character study of a morbidly obese man compulsively eating his way through mourning the loss of the love of his life is an empathetic examination of our instinctual tendency to cast judgement and our intrinsic capacity for love in spite of that. Darren Aronofsky's close quarters setting and limited cast, highlighted by the brilliant supporting performance from Hong Chau, creates an unshakably, emotionally affecting feature on par with his masterful 2008 film The Wrestler. Simply put, it's a devastating story and one that shows that through all of life's ugliness, there is always reason for optimism to be found.
#3. Nope
There hasn't been a filmmaker as distinctively intellectually stimulating as Jordan Peele in quite some time. And with only his third film under his belt, he's forcefully declared himself one the best living directors on the planet. Unlike Get Out or Us, Nope sheds the political symbolism found in Peele's previous works for a much grander examination of our overarching relationship with entertainment as a whole. Whereas Us really wore it's societal themes on it's sleeves, Nope much more seamlessly integrates Peele's messaging into the surface level story without giving you a specific key for how to process all of it's intertwining pieces. Which I think makes for a much more satisfactory and subjective experience, in allowing the viewer to piece things together and draw their own conclusions. The great irony of Nope is that Jordan Peele has made a massive summer spectacle out of castigating our inherent desire for them. Once again (as traumatic as the 'Gordy's Home' sequence may be), WE are the monsters in Jordan Peele's horror film. Whether it's as a creator or consumer, we all want that Oprah shot and are willing to sacrifice way too much to achieve it. Nope serves as a solid alien encounter film with stunning visuals but you'll find it most rewarding after the final credits have ended and you continue to explore all of the devils hidden in the details throughout this intricately orchestrated thrill ride.
Read our Full Analysis on Nope Here
Listen to our Discussion on Nope Here
#2. Babylon
Writer/Director Damien Chazelle's audacious 3 hour coke orgy sprays it's audience in elephant shit and golden showers in the first 5 minutes, seemingly hell bent on stripping away all of the old Hollywood romanticism he conjured up with 2016's La La Land. This is more of a tragic exploration of the asshole of Los Angeles through grandiose escapism in the vein of pitch black comedic epics like Boogie Nights or Once Upon a Time in America. And this time capsule of Hollywood's seismic shift from debauchery to degradation during the introduction of "sound pictures" overtaking the silent film era, is a refreshingly ambitious attempt even if it doesn't always pay off. The 3 hour runtime could admittedly be trimmed down and there a few sequences like the superfluous "Stroking My Girl's Pussy" musical number or Margot Robbie's insistence on fighting a snake that could be cut almost entirely. But with so much content being produced these days and the majority of it feeling sanitized of any personality whatsoever, I can't help but admire Chazelle's visionary swing for the fences approach. I find myself valuing the ambition over precision and the fearless manner with which Chazelle tells his story fits the theme of his film to perfection in the resonant final scenes. No, not Tobey Maguire's insane bit role, although he was incredible (and yes that "bit" pun was intentional). But as our title character Manny sits teary-eyed in a movie theater full of strangers, watching his own story told without his voice in a sanitized studio presentation that's bleached clean of any personality, you can see how Chazelle is mourning the slow eventual death of his artform. Especially as the images on the screen shift through the impending years of cinema to come with snippets from Tron, Terminator 2, Jurassic Park, The Matrix and the final deathblow, Avatar. Not only are these technological landmarks throughout the recent history of cinema but they're all carefully selected films centered on the dehumanizing industrialization of the natural world. And like these films, Chazelle is symbolizing the spiritual strangulation of filmmaking as the industry prioritizes technological advancements over artistic expression. This sentiment is also brilliantly encapsulated in one of the most tense and hilarious scenes of the year when Margot Robbie's character is dropped into a shrill and pressurized sound studio, contrasting in every way from the recklessly uninhibited sets the film opens on, as the movie making process has been homogenized into a soulless systematic procession. This is the kind of statement making industry satire I was hoping for with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and Damien Chazelle has bested QT's effort in every possible way. Yes, including the performances from Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt (who hasn't been this good since Fight Club). There's so much magnetic charisma pulsating throughout this film that even at it's lengthy 3 hour runtime, as soon as the credits hit I already wanted to revisit this vibrant collection of characters again. And I did. It's the first time I've seen a movie TWICE in theaters since 2008's The Dark Knight and my second viewing only confirmed how moving this film was. As polarizing as it may be, with this picture I think Damien Chazelle has staked his claim as the best living director in Hollywood today. It's simply stunning.
#1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
I don't want to sound like the "I was into these dudes before anybody" guy at the party but while Everything Everywhere All At Once may have put the directing duo Daniels on many people's radars this year, they're now 2 for 2 in my books by following up the criminally underrated Swiss Army Man with this existential kung fu family dramedy about laundry and taxes. The chaotic, yet therapeutic construct established on this journey through the multiverse allows you to take inventory of your own missed opportunities and the infinite possibilities your life once had mirrored against the decisions you made to lead you to your present self. And while that may sound like an intellectual snooze fest, don't worry, the film also features Indiana Jones and The Temple of Doom's Short Round returning to the silver screen for his first role since 1992's Encino Man, in an ass-whipping fanny pack fight scene for the ages. Ke Huy Quan is the emotional core of the film and his effervescent charm is as palpable as ever here. But the entire ensemble cast is truly phenomenal - from Jamie Lee Curtis' curmudgeonly accountant to Jenny Slate's uppity purse dog bitch to Stephanie Hsu's dildo wielding Jobu Tupaki - everyone is doing fantastic work here and exhibits a shocking level of trust in their directors by following all of the insane paths this cathartic journey takes them down. There's a barrage of hilarious alternate realities with everything from hot dog finger love scenes to a raccoon puppeteering a chef while singing Randy Newman tunes. It's like The Matrix re-imagined as an absurdist comedy about self discovery. Filmmakers Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert throw everything imaginable at you in this genre hopping deconstruction of how small our failures really are in the grand scheme of everything while teaching us not to be held hostage by your past or threatened by your future. Embrace your present self by focusing on what you can change instead of obsessing over what you can't. Emotionally charged, action-packed, irreverent and heartfelt - this movie really does show you Everything. Everywhere. All At Once. And it does so in such a skillfully crafted script, with outstanding performances and unbelievable visuals that I really couldn't recommend any 2022 film more highly than this. It's a remarkable achievement from two of the most creative and unique filmmakers to emerge this side of the millennium. And oh yeah, shout out to Biff Wiff, you killed it brother <3
View the Rest of the 2022 Year in Tiers Here:
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