Top Hollywood movies of 2022 you should have seen

This year was one to remember as the most-awaited titles of the year from Hollywood lived up to its hype and how. Be it dramas, animated films, an out-and-out action film with spectacular sequences or superheroes saving the day once again, audiences enjoyed a host of movies from as they dug into their tub of popcorn. 

Here's a list of films we liked this year. Take a look. 

Top Gun: Maverick

No prizes for guessing which was the best action movie of the year. 26 years after introducing the world to Pete “Maverick” Mitchell, the terrific Tom Cruise was back again, showing each one of us he’s still got it in him with his charm, charisma, limitless energy and enthusiasm. Packed with a whole lot of fighter jets and sequences that make your job drop to the floor, it was the emotion that Cruise and the rest of the squadron poured into the film that made it one of the biggest entertainers of the year. It was a stunning spectacle, a non-stop flight of fun, right from start to finish. We’re just waiting for Tom Cruise’s next. 

Avatar: The Way of Water

Speaking of stunning spectacles, how can one not mention this cinematic masterpiece by James Cameron that made each and every second of a 13-year wait absolutely worth it. Even if we leave aside the level of detail that’s gone into each frame to engross us in the world of Pandora, it would be foolish to discard how fascinated one got with the story. While the first half of the film takes its slow and sweet time to introduce characters and set context, Cameron has given the world one of the most stunning of second halves by creating a universe (mostly underwater) that culminates into a spectacular climax. With another three movies of the franchise in the pipeline, we can’t wait to see what’s in store in the coming years. 

The Batman

We’ve seen this caped crusader overcome one villain after another in Gotham City in countless movies. Here, was finally a movie that gave viewers an insight into the method to the madness that makes Batman what he well and truly is. Watching why he does, what he does, and how it all started never felt better and more refreshing. In addition to watching Batman (played by Robert Pattinson in the lead) come to terms with grief-fuelled rage and violence, one was simply in awe of how visually stunning and grittier Gotham looked despite being shown in greys and black. 

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

I’d be really angry, and very sad if this film doesn’t make it to the nomination list at the Oscars for Best Animated Film. With the setting of Mussolini’s fascist Italy in the backdrop, the movie is a dark fairy tale about childhood, parenthood, and mortality, brought to life via stunning stop-motion animation. One of the best parts about the movie is that it can be watched by the tiny tots as well as the adults of a family. This is exactly what happens when you have the imagination of a child and make a film that perfectly simplifies the most complex of thoughts in a manner that makes us marvel at its storytelling. 

The Menu

We’re always game to watch a black comedy that’s got elements of horror in it. The films revolves around the life of a young couple (played by Anya Taylore-Joy and Nicholas Hoult) who find themselves part of a culinary experience that is everything but they expected. In fact, they soon find out that could very well be their last. Set in the world of fine dining, we see the head chef (played by Ralph Fiennes) cook up a tasty treat in a movie with a lot of unpredictable twists that is every bit worth watching. 

The Banshees of Inisherin

Following his dream debut with In Bruges, director Martin McDonagh reunited the duo of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for another bizarre dark comedy. The film takes place on an island off the coast of Ireland in the 1920s, where a argument between two lifelong friends Colm and Pádraic tears their relationship apart. Starring Gleeson, Farrell and a cute miniature donkey named Jenny, the movie is simple, sincere and sensible as it shows the good and bad of friendship. It’s one not to miss. 

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played the iconic Black Panther, is gone. But he’s certainly not forgotten. And this film, boy oh boy, well and truly made sure we’ll remember him forever. Even without him, this movie, right from the first scene—that shows the funeral of the Black Panther, to the last—a heart-warming number Lift Me Up by Rihanna, her first solo in six years, is all about who steps into his shoes and certainly lives up to his legacy. And just like me, you might just love the fact that the makers of the movie didn’t decide to end the franchise, post Boseman’s sudden death, or replace his character by having another actor play the role. 

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

It’s always great to see Daniel Craig in a film where he isn’t playing James Bond and saving the world from destruction. That said, this film sees him put his detective classes on as he’s tasked with decoding a murder party in Greece. Filled with mystery and a whole lot of satire, Glass Onion sees tech genius and billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), sends out cryptic invites to his five close friends for a weekend getaway on a remote island. He indulges them in solving his staged murder mystery as a game, until the killings get real. Each has a bone to pick with Miles and thus a motive to kill him. Who's the killer, that’s a job for Benoit Blanc (Craig) to solve on what is a hilarious ride of events.

Everything Everywhere All At Once

One of the best science fiction movies in recent times, let alone the year, was one we would have never expected. If surprises are supposed to be this good, bring them on we say. Here was a film that was fresh, for it was so insane, bizarre to many levels, yet felt so brilliantly made. Evelyn Wang (played by Michelle Yeoh, who’s probably given one of the best performances of her career, plays an Chinese-American laundromat owner who finds herself in the midst of an existential crisis. In the hope that things don’t get any worse, she sees herself surprisingly, and suddenly recruited to fight in an inter-dimensional war (we told you about bizarre). In order to save the day, we see Wang having to tap into the feelings, memories, and skills of her alternate selves, all of whom have done more with their lives than she has. Trust us, it’s something you never have or will ever see again. We absolutely loved this film, so will you. 

Tár

Tár is a Táriffic film. Why? Because it’s not often do you see a movie where awful people manage to get so much power or how power has the ability to make a person awful in an instant. This brilliant theme gets further explored when Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett), a visionary in the music industry, finds herself accused of personal and professional misconduct. Such is Blanchett’s performance (she simply has to earn an Oscar nomination) that you find yourself feeling sorry to see her downfall, yet at the same time are just waiting with bated breath to see the beginning of her end. It’s a captivating film, one that you surely shouldn’t miss. 

Women Talking

In a world that seems to be more grey than black and white, here is a film that showed its characters fight for what is right, and against what is wrong. Adapted from fellow Canadian Miriam Toews' novel, writer and director Sarah Polley’s film sees eight trauma survivors in a hayloft where they give each other the chance to hear one another out. Presented with choices in front of them—do nothing, stay and fight, or leave, it is the coming to terms with each other’s reality that makes this film so very impactful. Another major reason to love and appreciate this film is that majority of its crew are females—right from the producers, to the writer-director Polley, the ensemble cast. A movie that smashes the patriarchy, watching these women presented with the opportunity to reinvent their world never felt more empowering.