11 of the best and 11 of the worst movies of the year, so far
Meghan Cook
- A lot of movies came out in 2022 but some fared better with critics than others.
- Films like "Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" and "Top Gun: Maverick" were a hit with critics.
"Marcel the Shell With Shoes On" was hailed as heartfelt.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 99%
Summary: An inch-tall shell named Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) goes on a heartwarming journey to reunite with his lost family members.
Creative and incredibly sweet, "Marcel The Shell With Shoes On" was a winner with critics.
"This kid-friendly A24 movie is somehow whimsical, bittersweet, life-affirming and a little bit heartbreaking all at once," Caroline Siede wrote for Fox 10 Phoenix.
"The Banshees of Inisherin" is an early contender for awards season.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 97%
Summary: After decades of friendship, Pádraic (Colin Farrell) is blindsided when Colm (Brendan Gleeson) cuts him out of his life without an explanation.
The dark comedy was a critical darling at an array of film festivals this past year and has garnered buzz ahead of Oscar season.
"It's a gut punch of a comic-drama that keeps finding new ways to land hard-hitting body blows, and it's easily one of the year's very best films," Adam Graham wrote for the Detroit News.
Critics were blown away by "Top Gun: Maverick."
Rotten Tomatoes score: 96%
Summary: After drawing unwelcome attention from his superior officers, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell (Tom Cruise) returns to the naval station where his career started to train hotshot recruits.
Reboots don't always have the best track record with reviewers, but critics gave the 80s sequel high marks across the board.
"'Top Gun: Maverick' delivers on just about every level imaginable and then exceeds it: plus ultra," Douglas Davidson wrote in a review for Elements of Madness.
"Everything Everywhere All at Once" had critics yearning for a rewatch.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 95%
Summary: Seemingly ordinary laundromat owner Evelyn Quan Wang (Michelle Yeoh) has an untapped connection to her parallel identities and is soon tasked with saving the multiverse.
Critics called "Everything Everywhere All at Once" everything from zany, brilliant, understated, and unique.
"All of the actors brought their A-game and I hope this gets numerous accolades this awards season," Brandon Collins wrote for Medium Popcorn.
Critics welcomed "The Fabelmans" as a return to form for Steven Spielberg.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Summary: Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle) comes of age in post-World War II Arizona and fosters his love of cinema as his family begins to unravel.
Reviewers thought that "The Fabelmans" was a stirring, semi-autobiographical turn for Steven Spielberg that exceeded expectations.
"It is a remarkable work of cinema, one of the best movies of the year, and unlike anything else in this innovator's incomparable career," Jordan Hoffman wrote for The Times of Israel.
"Emily the Criminal" was hailed as daring.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Summary: Deep in debt and struggling to move past a mark on her criminal record, Emily (Aubrey Plaza) starts working for a low-level con man (Theo Rossi) to pay the bills.
Critics admired the verve and energy pounding away at the heart of "Emily the Criminal."
"Written and directed by John Patton Ford, 'Emily the Criminal' showcases Aubrey's versatility and screen presence," Heidy Morales wrote for Hye's Musings.
"The Woman King" got a huge swell of applause from critics.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Summary: Based on a true story, this historical drama centers on the Agojie women in the 1800s African kingdom of Dahomey and their reign of power under General Nanisca (Viola Davis).
"The Woman King" earned fantastic reviews as a crowd-pleaser with memorable acting performances.
"Viola Davis is a cannonball in this, which is the most interesting/best performance she's given since 'Fences,'" Cory Woodroof wrote for 615 Film.
Reviewers had nonstop fun with "Enola Holmes 2."
Rotten Tomatoes score: 94%
Summary: When Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown) follows in her brother Sherlock's (Henry Cavill) footsteps and starts a detective agency, her first case leads her down a dizzying rabbit hole.
Many critics said "Enola Holmes 2" was reminiscent of big summer blockbusters from years past.
"There's nothing too ground-breaking or life-changing here, but it's just a fun, fast-paced adventure starring an exuberant young woman with a magnetic quality about her (applying to both Brown and the character she plays)," Tom Santilli wrote for Movie Show Plus.
Adam Sandler wowed critics in "Hustle."
Rotten Tomatoes score: 93%
Summary: Basketball scout Stanley Sugerman (Adam Sandler) feels pressure to put together a dream lineup for the Philadelphia 76ers and finds an unexpected gem in Spanish player Bo Cruz (Juancho Hernangómez).
Critics praised the noteworthy drama and lent particular praise to the gravity Sandler brought to his role.
"Sandler doesn't overdo the basketball-scout character of Stanley Sugarman," wrote film critic Dwight Brown. "He lives it."
"Barbarian" stayed with critics long after the credits rolled.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 92%
Summary: After an Airbnb reservation goes wrong and Tess (Georgina Campbell) is forced to stay with a stranger (Bill Skarsgård) overnight, her quick trip to Detroit grows bizarrely grotesque.
Critics appreciated "Barbarian"'s references to classic horror and praised the talent of first-time director Zach Cregger.
"The quality of this cinema, where originality and love for Wes Craven, Sam Raimi or John Carpenter are combined, is one of the best news for a genre that is worthy of collective enjoyment," wrote film critic Adrián Monserrat.
"All Quiet on the Western Front" drew critics in.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 90%
Summary: Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, this drama follows German soldier Paul Bäumer and his fellow calvary men in the final days of World War I as they face the sobering reality of battle.
"All Quiet on the Western Front" earned praise from critics who felt that everyone in front of and behind the camera handled the grave themes of war with grace and empathy.
"Much like '1917' or 'Saving Private Ryan,' though, this sprawling German-language adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's classic WWI novel is a film that feels both aesthetically dazzling and full of necessary truths: an antiwar drama that transcends the bombast of propaganda mostly just because it's so artfully and indelibly made," Leah Greenblatt wrote for Entertainment Weekly.
On the other hand, "The Invitation" was just too predictable.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 25%
Summary: When Evie (Nathalie Emmanuel) takes a DNA test, she finds she has relatives living lavishly in the English countryside and soon plunges into a nightmare where she can trust no one.
Overall, critics agreed the film was too predictable and didn't stick out among the horror or romance genres.
"Had the movie emerged as a friskier game of eat the rich, it might have had a fighting chance of survival," Natalia Winkelman wrote for The New York Times. "Instead, it's middling, morbid pap."
Critics felt like Judd Apatow strayed from his form in "The Bubble."
Rotten Tomatoes score: 21%
Summary: Carol Cobb (Karen Gillan) and her co-stars deal with COVID-19 restrictions while filming their bombastic action movie "Cliff Beasts 6: Battle for Everest: Memories of a Requiem."
Many critics said that this satirical comedy was much less focused than Apatow's stronger works.
"'The Bubble' puts its own budget on full display throughout, yet rarely makes that a target of its satire," Nick Schager wrote in a review for the Daily Beast.
Critics called "Big Gold Brick" a dissatisfying dud.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%
Summary: While on the verge of a nervous breakdown, writer Samuel Liston (Emory Cohen) is tasked with penning the biography of enigmatic middle-aged father Floyd Deveraux (Andy Garcia).
Despite marketing itself as a cerebral film, "Big Gold Brick" was a dud for most critics.
"The title of this perfectly well-appointed production is apt: "Big Gold Brick" looks all right but it truly just sits there," Nicolas Rapold wrote for The New York Times.
"The King's Daughter" was dubbed a mind-boggling bore.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 20%
Summary: Marie-Josèphe (Kaya Scodelario) reconnects with her father King Louis XIV (Pierce Brosnan) and protects the life of a mermaid being hunted by the king's guard.
Written off by critics as far-fetched and incredibly boring, "The King's Daughter" had very few defenders.
"It took eight years to make such a dud, I can only imagine how bad it was then," wrote film critic Dennis Schwartz.
"Morbius" left critics puzzled.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 15%
Summary: In this Marvel film, Morbius (Jared Leto) and his adoptive brother Milo (Matt Smith) become vampires after curing themselves of a degenerative blood disease.
Critics largely agreed that "Morbius" was so poorly made that it wasn't even a fun film to hate-watch.
"Even if you take the poor quality and bland performance from Leto out of consideration, 'Morbius' barely feels like a movie," said film critic Amanda the Jedi.
The action thriller "Blacklight" was anything but thrilling.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%
Summary: Vietnam War veteran Travis Block (Liam Neeson) is given one last assignment before he retires from undercover work for the FBI.
With a dismal screenplay and completely absent direction, "Blacklight" left critics scratching their heads.
"Obviously, Neeson can be a gifted actor, but this genre has not been the arena to display that talent, and by this point, the tried and true methods that would normally sustain a film like this are wearing thin," Josh Parham wrote for Next Best Picture.
Critics thought that "Redeeming Love" relied on harmful stereotypes.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 11%
Summary: In the 1850s, a woman named Angel (Abigail Cowen) finds hope in a new relationship with Michael (Tom Lewis) after an upbringing of pain and torment.
Critics were alarmed by the messaging and themes at work in "Redeeming Love."
"The movie's sexist and awfully preachy message is that an abused woman can overcome child rape, forced prostitution, and incest if a religious man falls in love with her," Carla Hay wrote for Culture Mix.
"Firestarter" failed to inspire critics.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 10%
Summary: Based on the novel by Stephen King, this horror thriller centers on Charlie McGee's (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) growing telekinetic powers and her parents' attempts to protect her from prying eyes.
Critics found little to latch onto or care about the remake of the 1984 original adaptation.
"The running time is only 94 minutes long, thus proving there may, in fact, be a merciful higher power out there," Jason Bailey wrote for Rolling Stone. "It's still a four-alarm disaster."
Critics felt like "Me Time" lacked laughs.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 6%
Summary: Stay-at-home dad Sonny (Kevin Hart) is pulled into messy hijinks with his old friend Huck (Mark Wahlberg) when he finally has the day to himself.
Critics said that "Me Time" squandered any promise of real fun early on in its runtime.
"'Me Time' takes an interesting family dynamic and hides it under crass jokes and hackneyed stunts," Jake Cunningham wrote for Empire magazine.
"The Nan Movie" was called joyless.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%
Summary: Nan (Catherine Tate) is happy to live estranged from her sister until her grandson (Mathew Horne) inspires her to go on a road trip to visit her.
As of publication, "The Nan Movie" had yet to find a positive review in its corner.
"Predictable, unfunny, and offensive, this spin-off from the British sketch show 'The Catherine Tate Show' is a soul-sucking experience," Tom Cassidy wrote for Common Sense Media.
Critics said "Good Mourning" was not worth the price of admission.
Rotten Tomatoes score: 0%
Summary: A confusing text message from his girlfriend leads London (Machine Gun Kelly) down a path of mishaps and misadventures.
Many critics said that the comedy "Good Mourning" was completely devoid of jokes or any semblance of a narrative.
"In the current barren wasteland that is the stoner-comedy landscape, this laziness is nothing short of inexcusable," Natalia Keogan wrote for Paste magazine.
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