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Considering it is not even Oscar season yet and the majority of movies that will end up being Oscar contenders have not been released yet (Amsterdam from David O. Russell and Babylon from Damien Chazelle immediately jump to mind). Be that as it may, there have still been hundreds of movies that have come out in theaters and on streaming services that could be in contention for awards come awards season. These are the top five movies that have been released between January 1st and June 30th, 2022. Keep in mind this list omits titles that were released originally in the calendar year of 2021 so movies like Cyrano, The Tragedy of Macbeth, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America, and Flee are not in contention because they were released originally in 2021, even if the wide theatrical release was not until 2022.
Honorable Mentions: Hustle and Kimi: Both Hustle and Kimi were close to making the top five and, despite barely missing the cut, still deserve a shout-out. Hustle is Netflix’s latest Adam Sandler movie about a scout for the Philadelphia 76ers who meets a talented new player and makes it his mission to give him a chance in the NBA. Sandler has a fantastic performance in this heartfelt story that makes this movie worth a watch. Kimi
is a science fiction thriller about an agoraphobic woman who discovers a domestic issue while on her job troubleshooting vocal misunderstandings in Amazon Alexa-like devices. Zoe Kravitz carries the movie that is almost entirely defined by her performance. It can be watched on HBOMax.
5. Top Gun: Maverick: The original Top Gun from 1986 is not a great movie. There is a nostalgia value to it and the movie has permeated into the cultural zeitgeist, but that does not make it a great movie. It is a monument to toxic masculinity and the military-industrial complex. The latter complaint is still valid for Top Gun: Maverick, and there is a broader conversation to be had about if movies should be required to disclose if government funding or approval went into the production, but this time the masculinity has been tuned into a more positive way. One of the best single scenes in a movie this year is where Maverick and Iceman have their discussion about what to do with Goose’s son and there is a surprising amount of emotional intimacy between the two. The only reason this movie is not higher is because Maverick should have died in the end saving Goose’s son because that end for Maverick would be the ideal sendoff based on the way that Maverick is characterized throughout the film.
4. Elvis: Austin Butler and Tom Hanks make the first strong cases for Oscar nominations as Elvis Presley and Colonel Tom Parker respectively. Elvis tells the life story of one of the largest pop culture figures in American history. Though it may take a number of liberties when it comes to showing the impact of contemporary events on his musical career, it does paint a picture of the man behind the legend that pulls very few punches, even if it is a little long. The decision to frame his life in the same way the modern superhero movie frames an origin story elevates the work into something that stands out, even from other musical biopics like Walk the Line, Bohemian Rhapsody, and Rocketman.
3. The Batman: The Batman is one of the best superhero movies of the last few years. It is not perfect and it is way longer than it needs to be, but it still provides a fresh take on a character that people almost certainly know pretty well at this point. The iteration of Batman that audiences are introduced to is a young Batman who is new at his job and still trying to figure out his role in Gotham City. He faces off against the Riddler who tries (arguably successfully) to pull Batman through the tangled web of corruption, politics, and organized crime that plagues the city for generations. The idea of changing Martha Wayne’s origin beyond her marriage to Thomas Wayne (making her a descendant of the Arkham family that founded Arkham Asylum) is a great decision that ties Bruce Wayne’s familial legacy, not just to the family that built and allowed for the corruption that destroyed the city for so many, but also to the parts of the city that caused the worst aspects of mental illness to get worse and worse at the same time. Like Top Gun: Maverick, The Batman goes on a bit too long, but establishing Batman as more than a vigilante and as a symbol of hope for Gotham is a long overdue change.
2. The Northman: Robert Eggers is one of the most consistent directors making original movies today. Now “original” in this case is a fairly straightforward adaptation of Hamlet, but the visuals and acting performances are above and beyond what anyone would expect from a Shakespeare adaptation. The Northman boasts a large ensemble cast of tremendous talent like Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Alexander Skaarsgard, all of whom bring their absolute A-game. The film is a little gorey, as one would expect from a historical epic focused on Vikings, but it is well executed and adds to the overall experience. Unlike other historical epics that tend to light as if it is a movie set in the modern era, The Northman very uniquely keeps the scenes lit as if they are only from natural light sources like the moon or the sun, and from fires.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once: This topping out the list should not come as a surprise considering how well Everything Everywhere All At Once manages to be everything it sets out to be. It is a science fiction multiversal adventure with a heartfelt family drama at the center of the story. Michelle Yeoh emerges as the clear frontrunner for Best Leading Actress after playing a mother who’s life is falling apart until she gets plunged into a fight against a primal force of evil. The movie is funny and emotional all at the same time while also rejecting the nihilistic takes that come from shows like Rick and Morty
that deal in the existential questions based in the existence of the multiverse. It is worth a watch for anyone who enjoys what the visual medium of cinema can do when used to its fullest extent.
