The best movies of 2022 (so far)

Despite the low supply (compared to other years), this 2022 has given much to talk about.

Despite efforts (and promises), things are still not back to normal. The offer of "big" movies has been greatly reduced and the small ones have gone (almost all) directly to streaming. This is the world we live in and, whether we like it or not, on the big or small screen, cinema must continue to be enjoyed. So let's see what the best films have been so far in 2022. (For practicality we limit this list to films that have already had their commercial release in Mexico).

The Batman

• Dir. Matt Reeves
• Where to watch: HBO Max
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   What started out as a big "riddle" about what Robert Pattinson could or could not do in the role of the Dark Knight, became one of the best performances in superhero movies, not only of 2022, but for a few years. behind. Matt Reeves' version of the Gotham universe is serious, grim, and willing to question his biggest icons. In case anyone had any doubt that the cinema reflects the reality of its times.

• Fresh

• Dir.ª Mimi Cave
• Where to watch: Star Plus
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•  Its title is Fresh (fresh), but that word could well describe the film itself. Or, more appropriately, to its structure. Narratively speaking, Mimi Cave's feature debut makes the kinds of decisions that "studio" cinema no longer has the luxury of choosing. That is why its direct premiere on the platform is not surprising and is proof that the most interesting films are no longer in theaters. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan play two people locked in a peculiar game of cat and mouse that, at the same time, is an ironic and acid commentary on modern relationships.

• north man

• Dir. Robert Eggers
• Where to see: For rent on digital platforms
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•  Like few people before him, Robert Eggers has yet to disappoint with any of his films. Until now, at least. Through his powerful visuals and thunderous sound design, The Northman tells us of a Norse legend that – like Hamlet , from whom he openly borrows – tells of ambition, revenge and frustrated desires. His approach is brutal and uncompromising, which is quite a risk in the current scenario. It may not have worked for everyone (Eggers is, after all, an acquired taste), but one thing is undeniably true: it's a movie you can't ignore.

• Elvis

• you. Baz Luhrmann
• Where to watch: Still in theaters
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   One would not think that Baz Luhrmann (with his bombastic, brilliant, musical and fantasy-filled style) would be a suitable filmmaker for these times of questioning, reflection and, yes, let's face it, darkness. One would believe that…if he hadn't paid attention to the emotional core of the Australian's accounts. From Moulin Rouge! to The Great Gatsby, there has always been a terrible sadness covering the hearts of all the protagonists of it. In Elvis, Luhrmann does not limit himself to reproducing the life of an icon to repeat how great he was and generate a soundtrack of hits. His Elvis (albeit iconic thanks to the work of Austin Butler) is a tragic figure who doesn't always get his way: a small-town boy who "made it big" only to be consumed by his own excesses. Yes,Presley had "a tail to be stepped on" ), but Lurhmann, like Colonel Parker, knows how to put on a good show.

• Red

• Dir.a Dome Shi
• Where to watch: Disney Plus
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   We're not going to try to guess why of the two movies Pixar released this year, Disney chose to go all-in on Lightyear (and his confusing premise). However, it's Red that really shined this 2022 with its razor-sharp (and hilarious) portrayal of what it's like to go through those disconcertingly awkward moments of adolescence. This is a film that is not afraid to be specific and risks being itself. Domee Shi's voice as narrator is assertive, playful and, at the end of the day, highly universal and relevant.

• Apollo 10 1/2

• Dir. Richard Linklater
• Where to watch: Netflix
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   The meticulous recreation of the childhood of celebrated filmmakers seems to be the fashion among authors. They did Rome , Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood , Belfast , and just this year Licorice Pizza . But Richard Linklater, who has always inhabited a creative space a little apart from his colleagues, decided to move away from the careful reconstruction of streets, buildings and local myths, to focus on what it felt like to inhabit those spaces of illusion that are only possible in the childhood… before everything that is not possible enters our reality. Apollo 10 1/2it does not necessarily relate what Linklater lived through, but what he imagined himself to have lived through. It's a truthful fantasy about a person who was selected to go to the moon as a child and would eventually become one of the most purposeful filmmakers of his day.

• Licorice Pizza

• Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson
• Where to see: For rent on digital platforms
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   One of two films by true auteurs on this list. Like any Robert Eggers movie, it's impossible to ignore the cinema of Paul Thomas Anderson. After a third of sober and calculated films (comparisons with Kubrick have never been free) the Los Angeles director returns to urban stories to tell a tale of teenage love. For his position, his coming of age is not conventional and his authorial hand is present in each frame. Special mention goes to his cast, led by Alana Haim and Cooper Hoffman, who shine on their own in a movie that he knows when losing control is the only appropriate response.

• Top Gun: Maverick

• Dir. Joseph Kosinski
• Where to see: For sale on digital platforms
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   Quite simply, this 2022 has not released a movie more "Movie" than Top Gun: Maverick . It's everything a true blockbuster should be. It's visually spectacular, it tells a clear story (with well-established goals, motivations and characters), it doesn't take itself too seriously, and it doesn't falter under pressure from an industry that doesn't seem to understand that the motto "bigger, bigger strong, more, more, more» is not always the best thing for a tape. Top Gun: Maverick knows exactly what he is and is better for it.
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  Everything everywhere at the same time

• Dirs. the daniels
• Where to see: For rent on digital platforms
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  In an age when the word "multiverse" seems to have become the key to financial success among studios, it's no surprise that the best application of the term came from outside the system. With its irreverent humor, nonsensical premises, and carefully selected cast, Everything, Everywhere at the Same Time is a film that doesn't stop to make sure the audience is following it, and has no interest in ceasing to be exactly what it is. I want to be. It is the result of unleashing the creativity of two artists who know what they are doing.

• Beyond the two infinite minutes

• Dir. Junta Yamaguchi
• Where to watch: HBO Max
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   This is not exactly from this year, but (with the exception of festivals) it was until now that it reached Mexican screens. With a simple premise, but a complex narrative and an economy of resources with which only independent theater knows how to operate, Beyond the Two Infinite Minutes is a film that has to be experienced. The film is intriguing, exciting and never ceases to amaze. What good would it do to see two minutes into the future? Not much... except to deliver one of the best movies of this 2022.
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