Best movies of 2022, according to film critics’ top 10s

Paramount Pictures – Director: Damien Chazelle – Total points: 28.5 — 1st-place votes: 2 — 2nd-place votes: 2 — Other-place votes: 18.5 – Metascore: 60 – Runtime: 188 minutes At the dawn of the age of the talkies in 1920s Hollywood, a group of hungry industry outsiders and members of the fading old guard grapple with a transition that will change their way of life and the film industry as they know it. The epic period dramedy from “La La Land” director Damien Chazelle received three nominations at the upcoming Academy Awards for Best Score, Production Design, and Costume Design. #28. Triangle of Sadness JP Production – Director: Panah Panahi – Total points: 30.5 — 1st-place votes: 3 — 2nd-place votes: 1 — Other-place votes: 19.5 – Metascore: 90 – Runtime: 93 minutes On a road trip across the Iranian countryside, a mother, father, and their two sons bond, bicker, and reminisce on happy memories as they attempt to smuggle their adult son to the Turkey-Azerbaijan border. “Hit the Road” marked Iranian director-writer Panah Panahi’s feature debut. #25. The Eternal Daughter (tie) British Film Institute (BFI) – Director: Terence Davies – Total points: 31.5 — 1st-place votes: 1 — 2nd-place votes: 2 — Other-place votes: 24.5 – Metascore: 81 – Runtime: 137 minutes Upon returning home from World War I, decorated British soldier Siegfried Sassoon (Jack Lowden) transitioned into a vocal critic of Britain’s continuing involvement in the war. Sassoon, a poet, became a major figure among the societal and cultural elite while simultaneously coming to terms with his homosexuality. Sassoon’s real-life niece spoke out against the movie’s portrayal of Sassoon’s conversion to Catholicism. #24. Turning Red A24 – Director: Kogonada – Total points: 34.5 — 1st-place votes: 2 — 2nd-place votes: 2 — Other-place votes: 24.5 – Metascore: 78 – Runtime: 96 minutes A young girl’s beloved android companion named Yang suddenly malfunctions, and it’s up to her father, Jake (Colin Farrell), to figure out how to fix him. Along his journey, Jake and his family reckon with love and loss in this near-future science fiction film. Directed by South Korean filmmaker Kogonada, “After Yang” was adapted from Alexander Weinstein’s short story “Saying Goodbye to Yang.” #22. Happening JP Production – Director: Jafar Panahi – Total points: 39 — 1st-place votes: 3 — 2nd-place votes: 3 — Other-place votes: 24 – Metascore: 92 – Runtime: 106 minutes In this work of metafiction, a documentary filmmaker (also named Jafar Panahi) directs a film from afar while stationed in an Iranian village as his film is shot across the border in Turkey and becomes embroiled in a romantic triangle. In reality, Panahi finds that his film, and his real-life circumstances, have begun to parallel one another. Panahi has been imprisoned in Iran since July 2022, having been under intense scrutiny by the Iranian government and previously arrested due to the dissident nature of his films. #19. Bones and All Srab Films – Director: Alice Diop – Total points: 46 — 1st-place votes: 5 — 2nd-place votes: 2 — Other-place votes: 27 – Metascore: 90 – Runtime: 122 minutes A pregnant novelist is called to jury duty at the trial of a young mother accused of killing her 15-month-old child by purposefully leaving her on the beach as the tide rose. But as the life and story of the accused woman unfold, a clearer portrait is painted that leaves the novelist even more shaken and questioning. After working primarily as a documentary filmmaker, “Saint Omer” serves as director Alice Diop’s narrative debut. #17. Elvis Warner Bros. – Director: Baz Luhrmann – Total points: 47 — 1st-place votes: 0 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 39 – Metascore: 64 – Runtime: 159 minutes This delirious biopic chronicles the life and death of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler)–from his upbringing as a poor boy who loved the blues to his time as a worldwide phenomenon–all the while revealing the parasitic relationship he shared with the very man who made Elvis a household name: Col. Tom Parker (Tom Hanks). For his portrayal of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Butler has received universal acclaim, landing him his first Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. #16. The Batman Netflix – Directors: Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson – Total points: 53 — 1st-place votes: 3 — 2nd-place votes: 1 — Other-place votes: 42 – Metascore: 79 – Runtime: 117 minutes Based on the classic children’s story, director Guillermo del Toro’s reimagining of “Pinocchio” follows the eponymous wooden boy brought to life by a grieving father’s wish. Pinocchio struggles to fit in in an embattled world that doesn’t quite understand him and longs to be loved and accepted. The film is del Toro’s first stop-motion animated feature movie, and it took over two years to complete. #13. Crimes of the Future Serendipity Point Films – Director: David Cronenberg – Total points: 57 — 1st-place votes: 7 — 2nd-place votes: 6 — Other-place votes: 24 – Metascore: 67 – Runtime: 107 minutes In a dystopian future, human beings have begun physically transforming in response to an increasingly synthetic world, and these mutations have become prized like works of art. Performance artist Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen) puts his metamorphosing organs on display, while eco-anarchists have altered their bodies to digest plastic. “Crimes of the Future” marks famed body horror director David Cronenberg’s fourth collaboration with Mortensen and his first body horror film since 1999’s “eXistenZ.” #12. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Netflix – Director: Rian Johnson – Total points: 57.5 — 1st-place votes: 2 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 43.5 – Metascore: 81 – Runtime: 140 minutes This standalone sequel to 2019’s “Knives Out” follows renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) on another confounding whodunnit case. A group of elite friends gathers on the private island of their wealthiest member for a weekend murder-mystery party–but the murder and mystery quickly become a little too real. The title “Glass Onion” is based on the song of the same name by the Beatles, which plays during the film’s end credits. #11. All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Participant – Director: Laura Poitras – Total points: 61.5 — 1st-place votes: 2 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 47.5 – Metascore: 90 – Runtime: 113 minutes Acclaimed photographer Nan Goldin becomes an influential activist against Purdue Pharma owners, the Sackler family, forcing numerous museums showcasing her work to cut ties and funding from the Sacklers for their crucial role in the opioid crisis. “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” chronicles Goldin’s life and work parallel to her late-in-life activism. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. You may also like: 50 times actors hated their own movies #10. EO Skopia Film – Director: Jerzy Skolimowski – Total points: 64.5 — 1st-place votes: 4 — 2nd-place votes: 7 — Other-place votes: 38.5 – Metascore: 85 – Runtime: 88 minutes See a world through a donkey’s eyes in “EO,” Polish director Jerzy Skolimowski’s loose reimagining of the 1966 film “Au Hasard Balthazar” by Robert Bresson. The film follows the eponymous donkey’s travels through Europe, encountering humans, both good and bad, leading up to his ultimate fate. The film was nominated for Best International Feature at the 95th Academy Awards. #9. RRR DVV Entertainment – Director: S.S. Rajamouli – Total points: 87.5 — 1st-place votes: 8 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 55.5 – Metascore: 83 – Runtime: 187 minutes In the late 1920s, two Indian revolutionaries form a strong friendship as they seek to defend their country from British colonial rule. A Telugu-language film, “RRR” is the most expensive Indian film to date, with a budget of $102 million. The song “Naatu Naatu” won Best Original Song at the 80th Golden Globes, and the song will be competing for the same honor at the Oscars. #8. Decision to Leave CJ Entertainment – Director: Park Chan-wook – Total points: 100.5 — 1st-place votes: 8 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 68.5 – Metascore: 84 – Runtime: 139 minutes A sleepless detective is on the tail of a widow suspected of killing her husband–only problem is: he’s falling in love with her. The stylish neo-noir from director Park Chan-wook doubles as a scintillating romance, and it was South Korea’s submission for Best International Feature Film at the 95th Academy Awards. It made the December shortlist but did not make the final cut. #7. The Fabelmans Amblin Entertainment – Director: Steven Spielberg – Total points: 117 — 1st-place votes: 13 — 2nd-place votes: 4 — Other-place votes: 70 – Metascore: 84 – Runtime: 151 minutes Steven Spielberg’s autobiographical coming-of-age drama is seen through the eyes of Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle), who begins making home films at a young age and explores his burgeoning talent. Still, he must grapple with the stigma of venturing into an art career alongside his parents’ increasingly tenuous marriage. The hilarious and moving scene where Sammy meets legendary Western director John Ford (David Lynch) is an almost exact retelling of a real encounter. #6. Top Gun: Maverick Paramount Pictures – Director: Joseph Kosinski – Total points: 127 — 1st-place votes: 12 — 2nd-place votes: 9 — Other-place votes: 73 – Metascore: 78 – Runtime: 130 minutes Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) has been one of the Navy’s top aviators for the last 30 years but continues to evade an advancement in rank due to frequent insubordination. After a test mission gone awry, Maverick is sent to train a class of Top Gun graduates for a special mission, where he’s forced to confront his past. With the help of real Navy fighter pilots, real jets were actually being flown in “Top Gun: Maverick.” You may also like: 100 best American movies of all time #5. Nope Universal Pictures – Director: Jordan Peele – Total points: 134.5 — 1st-place votes: 8 — 2nd-place votes: 12 — Other-place votes: 86.5 – Metascore: 77 – Runtime: 130 minutes Following two legacy Hollywood ranchers, the Haywood siblings (Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer) lose their father in a freak accident and are now tasked with managing the stable of horses their father had employed on sets for years. But the siblings discover something deadly creeping above them in the California skies. For those that have seen the film, its monster can feel vaguely familiar; some have said it takes inspiration from the anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion.” #4. Aftersun BBC Films – Director: Charlotte Wells – Total points: 167.5 — 1st-place votes: 21 — 2nd-place votes: 15 — Other-place votes: 74.5 – Metascore: 95 – Runtime: 102 minutes A debut feature by Scottish-born writer and director Charlotte Wells, this film follows 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) and her young father, Calum (Paul Mescal), vacationing at a fading resort in Turkey, the last vacation they would ever take together. There, they shared in the unique joy and pain of their complex relationship, one that Adult Sophie looks back on as she tries to reconcile the duality of her father. Based loosely on the real-life relationship between Wells and her own late father, “Aftersun” scored the first Oscar nomination for lead actor Paul Mescal and 16 nominations for the British Independent Film Awards. #3. Tar Focus Features – Director: Todd Field – Total points: 196 — 1st-place votes: 24 — 2nd-place votes: 17 — Other-place votes: 90 – Metascore: 92 – Runtime: 158 minutes Acclaimed composer Lydia Tár (Cate Blanchett) is both revered and feared–a towering figure in the world of classical music, where, as a woman, her existence is a groundbreaking presence. But in the days leading up to the recording of a career-defining symphony, an unsavory open secret about Lydia slowly becomes public. “Tár” marked director Todd Field’s first return to filmmaking in 16 years, following 2006’s “Little Children.” #2. The Banshees of Inisherin 20th Century Fox – Director: Martin McDonagh – Total points: 208.5 — 1st-place votes: 18 — 2nd-place votes: 27 — Other-place votes: 100.5 – Metascore: 87 – Runtime: 114 minutes Longtime pals Pádraic (Colin Farrell) and Colm (Brendan Gleeson) form a rift in their friendship when Colm one day plainly reveals to Pádraic that he’s decided he doesn’t like him anymore. Pádraic’s hurt and determination to win his friend back are complicated by Colm’s grim promise: He will sever one of his fingers every time Pádraic attempts to talk to him. “The Banshees of Inisherin” marked a reunion for Farrell, Gleeson, and director Martin McDonagh, who all previously worked together on McDonagh’s film “In Bruges” in 2008. #1. Everything Everywhere All at Once A24 – Directors: Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert – Total points: 248 — 1st-place votes: 44 — 2nd-place votes: 19 — Other-place votes: 78 – Metascore: 81 – Runtime: 139 minutes Immigrant mother Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh) has problems in her marriage, business, and relationship with her teenage daughter (Stephanie Hsu). But everything changes when an interdimensional rift opens up, and a man who looks just like her husband explains to her that the fate of the world rests solely in her hands. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” is the frontrunner at the 95th Academy Awards, scoring 11 nominations, including Best Picture. You may also like: 50 best WWII movies of all time