By 2022, audiences were back, expectations were higher, and excuses were gone. This was the year filmmakers had to prove they still knew how to make movies people wanted to see on the big screen. The results were a mixed bag of creative resurgence and formula fatigue.
S-Star Ranking - All-Time Greats - Reserved for films that transcend their release year. These are the rare titles that leave a permanent mark on cinema, influence the industry, and continue to be discussed, studied, and rewatched years later. Craft, impact, and legacy all align here. Very few films earn this rank, and that scarcity is the point.
5-Star Ranking - Best of the Best - Exceptional films operating at the highest level of filmmaking. Strong direction, performances, and execution elevate them above their peers, even if they don’t redefine the medium or achieve long-term cultural immortality. These are the best films of their year and stand as near-flawless examples of their genre.
4-Star Ranking - Top 10 Worthy - Well-crafted, confident films that excel in multiple areas and earn their place among the year’s standouts. They may have minor flaws or limited scope, but the strengths far outweigh the weaknesses. Highly recommended viewing and often among the most enjoyable or impressive releases of the year.
- The Batman
- Sonic the Hedgehog 2
- Where the Crawdads Sing
- Nope
- Bullet Train
3-Star Ranking - Good Entertainment - Solid, watchable films that do their job well. They entertain, engage, and deliver on their premise without pushing boundaries or taking major risks. These are enjoyable experiences, even if they’re unlikely to linger long after the credits roll.
- Enola Holmes 2
- Prey
- Barbarian
- Deep Water
- Don't Worry Darling
- The Princess
- Beast
- The Munsters
- Hellraiser
- Significant Other
- Grimcutty
- Gone in the Night
- Luckiest Girl Alive
- Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
- Run Sweetheart Run
- X
- Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
- Thor: Love and Thunder
- Death on the Nile
- Fall
- Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris
- M3GAN
- Violent Night
- Rosaline
- The School for Good and Evil
- The Pale Blue Eye
- Titanic 666
- Day Shift
- The Mean One
- Corrective Measures
- Escape the Field
2-Star Ranking - Wasted Potential - Films with promising ideas, talent, or concepts that fail to come together. Whether due to weak execution, poor pacing, tonal confusion, or studio interference, these movies fall short of what they could have been. Frustrating more than offensive.
- The Gray Man
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
- The Woman King
- Private Property
- The Curse of Bridge Hollow
- Bitch Ass
- Ophan: First Kill
- Darby and the Dead
- Bodies Bodies Bodies
- Black Adam
- They/Them
1-Star Ranking - Total Garbage - Broken films with little to no redeeming value. Poorly written, badly executed, or fundamentally misguided, these releases fail on nearly every level. Watching them feels like a chore rather than an experience, and they serve as cautionary tales rather than entertainment.
- Scream
- Jurassic World Dominion
- Morbius
- Fire Island
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
- Jeepers Creepers: Reborn
- Halloween Ends
Conclusion
2022 showed signs of recovery—but also cracks in the foundation. When films trusted craft and storytelling, they soared. When they relied on brand recognition alone, they sank fast.
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