Monday, December 19, 2022

The Top 5 Movies Of 2022

So, didn’t expect to see this kind of list again, didn’t you fellow otaku & metalheads?

It’s been a few years since I talked about the best movie of the year, but with the plague seemingly subsiding enough that some semi-balance of normality, the seats of a movie theater felt oddly refreshing. I should state that there’s no honorable mentions this year: while I did see a few movies in 2022, I didn’t see enough that I felt that such a section was necessary. Regardless, I saw some interesting flicks this year. Some of them were great, and a few others are.....well, you’ll see. Anyways, let’s not waste anymore time, and check out what I think were the top 5 best movies of 2022. Let’s begin!

5) Doctor Strange & The Multiverse Of Madness (Trailer)

So, I confess that my no. 5 & my no. 4 spots this year were devoted to movies that aren’t exactly.....well loved by a lot of people. In the case of our 2nd trip into the world of Doctor Strange, it’s due to a bunch of things. Flawed story & characters, weird acting, and the occasional odd placement of “popular” politics really didn’t help matters in the eyes of many. However, what endeared the movie to me was it’s visuals! The Multiverse Of Madness is far in a way the most visually stunning out of all of the Marvel movies that have been released at this point in time. Sam Raimi has always had a way with film making, able to create some impressive visuals out of just about anything. So, Doctor Strange & The Multiverse Of Madness may not be in the upper tier of Marvel movies, but on looks alone it’s fantastic! 

4) Jurassic World: Dominion (Trailer)

Weird fact: I saw this movie twice in theaters. Once with some friends, and the other with my folks.....and I enjoyed it both times. Yes, in the eyes of many this is the worst of the Jurassic World films, and to some extent I can see why. The acting at times is wonky, some of the characters are irksome, and parts of the story can be absolutely absurd! That being said, I found this to be a perfect example of a fun & dumb summer movie. One where you sit in your seat with a big bag of popcorn & drink, turn your brain off, and just enjoy what you’re watching. If anything, I actually think that Dominion is the best of the 3 films, on account that the original characters being used surprisingly well, and even some of the World characters were perhaps at their best in this movie. Again, Dominion certainly has a few issues, but if enjoyed in the right way, it’s a slice of the most deliciously unhealthy cheesecake you’ve ever had!

3) We Met In Virtual Reality (Trailer)

And here we arrive at one of the most intriguing films of 2022, and one of my favorite documentaries I’ve ever seen. Filmed completely in Virtual Reality, it’s an intriguing look into a digital world that’s surprisingly grounded in real world feeling & emotion. Taking place over the course of a year, We Met In Virtual Reality showed off the lives of those who were trying to get through the COVID-19 storm back in 2020. Their fear & struggles for sure, but also the optimism & positivity that VR gave to these people, and how it helped them live in such a disease-ridden year. It’s really something to see for sure, so if you have HBO in any capacity, then give this documentary a go!

2) Jackass Forever (Trailer)

Let’s be honest: the past few years have been a raging dumpster fire. Hell, even 2022 couldn’t escape the flames of burning garbage, and I have a feeling we’re gonna have to experience them for a bit longer. With that in mind, I felt it was only needed to end this list with some of the most lighthearted films I’ve seen in a loooong time (No. 3 is where this technically started). For starters, we got a couple of Jackasses to talk about! In a strange way, it’s nice to see Steve-O, Johnny Knoxville, and the rest of the Jackass crew come back to put their bodies on the line just to make us laugh. Yes, Bam Margera isn’t there (Long Story), and Ryan Dunn sadly is no longer on this Earth (Sad Story), but that doesn’t stop those who are left to perform (Along with some new people) what I think are the most over-the-top stunts in all of their films! From playing the Dum Dum game, to getting punched in the nuts by a professional UFC fighter (While wearing a cup, btw), to tap dancing on an electrified floor, there is nothing that the Jackass crew won’t do to get a reaction out of anybody. If you feel that life is garbage.....why not watch some jackasses?  

1) Violent Night (Trailer)

I normally don’t put recent games, movies, or albums at the number one spot of a list, but kinda like my top 5 albums of 2020 list, I am making an exception! When I first saw the name of the trailer, I confess I thought it was going to be a knockoff of Silent Night Deadly Night, but boy was I wrong! Someone at Universal must have been watching The Night The Reindeer Died segment from Scrooged & the original Die Hard at the same time, and though “Hey, that needs to be a movie”! I admit that I was absolutely scared that the movie would suck, but I was so wrong! Violent Night is a movie of 2 identities, with the first being a spiritual successor to Die Hard. Santa’s trapped in a situation he doesn’t want to be in against a “Naughty” group of mercenaries, and he goes to absolute town on just about everybody that gets in his way. Hell, David Harbour goes down even harder on these guys when compared to Bruce Willis against Hans Gruber & his boys. Maybe even a little more stomach churning at times!

But there’s the other personality, and that’s the fact that Violent Night.....is surprisingly heartwarming. Given the amount of gore & carnage, you’d think there wasn’t room for a touching story.....but there actually kinda is one alongside all of the action. David Harbour’s take on Santa Claus is actually kinda tragic: his original mission of spreading joy eventually turned him rather bitter & cynical about his yearly job. It’s not until he comes across a little girl that’s in some pretty big danger that he realizes that he’s gotta knuckle up, and do everything he can to save her (And her family by extent). I can’t spoil what happens in the movie, but I will say that the relationship they form is incredibly sweet, and you cheer for both of them at the same time. It’s this duality of personalities that makes Violent Night such a weirdly unique movie, but at the same time makes it a lovable movie. Watch it when you can!  

And those were my top 5 movies of 2022. Again, it was great to be in a movie theater after all of this time, and the stuff I did see was certainly interesting enough it was only necessary to talk about them after skipping this list since the end of 2019. With that said, I got one last thing for all of you. See you all towards the end of the month!





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If you’d like to see what I thought the best movies of 2019 were (Yeah, it’s been that long), then click on the link below:

The Top 5 Movies Of 2019




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