With the turn of the year fast approaching, I thought I would follow the suite of others doing so and compose a list of some of my favorite entertainment of 2022. I won’t be ranking things—partly because I don’t really believe in reducing things to a ranking, but mostly because I’ll be talking about a variety of mediums (movies, TV, books). I should also say: this isn’t meant to be a comprehensive list, just some things that really captivated me. There’s a ton of stuff I’m still trying to catch up on, and if you have any recommendations, feel free to comment or email me!
Note: I’ll be trying to keep this spoiler free.
FILMS
NOPE (Dir. Jordan Peele)
There are few modern filmmakers who have carved their own distinctive style quite like Jordan Peele. Exploding onto the horror scene with Get Out in 2017 (earning him an Oscar), and following it with the successful US in 2019, made NOPE one of the most anticipated films of 2022—and my god it did not dissapoint.
NOPE is the most fun I’ve had at the theatre in a long time, and for good reason. This is a film that is made for the big-screen—both literally, and figuratively. Peele draws from the pinnacle films of modern cinema—taking inspiration from westerns and blockbuster spectacle like Spielburg’s Jaws.
Spectacle is an apt word: the film is thematically obsessed with it, culminating in some jaw-dropping sequences and some truly terrifying horror. And I think that’s what makes NOPE so brilliant: as soon as you’re caught up in the grandiose action and levity of the narrative, Peele reels you back with some disturbing, fucked up shit, punishing you for your participation in the spectacle. It’s one of the most thematically tight films I’ve seen in a while.
And I haven’t even mentioned how good this film looks and sounds. Chef’s kiss.
The Banshees of Inisherin (Dir. Martin McDonagh)
I love a McDonagh joint. There are few people talented enough to perform the delicate balancing act of dark frivolity, fewer still who can master it. And goddamn, The Banshees of Inisherin is truly the apotheosis of comedy and despair. I don’t know how McDonagh continues to make films that are so profoundly dark and sad, and yet are broached with such human joviality.
Like many of his films, the premise is simple: what if someone was mad at you? Yet, instilled in this seemingly drole narrative is a world of human complexity, the likes of which are made equally laughable and tearful. It’s such a delight seeing Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson reunite for a bit of banter, and Barry Keoghan delivers one of the most crushing scenes of the year.
The Fablemans (Dir. Steven Spielberg)
I’m not going to lie, I did not expect to enjoy this film as much as I did. Don’t get me wrong: it’s Spielberg—I knew it would be great. But this movie crept up on me, and it’s one of those films that I keep thinking about even weeks after I’ve seen it.
It’s easy for a film like this to become overly sentimental—masturbatory, even. After all, The Fablemans is Spielberg’s own fictional biography, written and directed by himself. But what struck me the most about this movie was how much it strayed from filmmaking, the talent of it. You don’t see so much the methodology, the technique that will eventually make Spielberg the filmmaker he would become; you see something far more important. You see where his ideas about art—about what art means and how it affects the world and vice-versa—come into being through his childhood experiences.
Gabriel LaBelle is great as Sammy Fableman, but Seth Rogan and Michelle Williams steal the show. Williams is stellar in this—like, seriously fucking good.
Honorable Mentions:
The Northman (Dir. Robert Eggers)
After Yang (Dir. Kogonada)
The Batman (Dir. Matt Reeves)
Watchlist:
Aftersun (Dir. Charlotte Wells)
Triangle of Sadness (Dir. Ruben Östlund)
Decision to Leave (Dir. Park Chan-wook
TV
Mob Psycho 100 III (Studio BONES)
Mob Psycho is one of those shows that I would want my kids to watch. Not only is it one of the most uniquely stylized anime around, but it’s one of the most wholesome and heartfelt ones. It's a show about friendship, true, but more importantly its a show about identity—about accepting all the parts of yourself, even the ones that you’re ashamed of. Having watched Mob grow up and reckon with himself and his abilities through these three seasons was incredibly rewarding, and the third season did not disappoint in delivering a satisfying, honest, cathartic finale.
Barry (HBO)
I’m a little late to the Barry train. In fact, I started the show about a week ago on a plane to Vancouver. Not only that, but I accidently watching the first three episodes of the third season by accident, thinking it was the beginning. Although some things were spoiled for me, I actually think it’s a compliment to Bill Hader’s writing and direction that I was able to hop in late and still glean the various dynamics of the characters.
I binged the show every night at my airbnb. Hader takes the tired trope of anti-hero and gives it the McDonagh treatment: creating something ultimately funnier and darker than something like, say, Breaking Bad. What stands out the most is Hader’s unique direction. He’s a huge cinephile, and you can really tell. Each episode is entirely different in tone than the last, and he does some really interesting and novel things with his characters and camera work.
Also, can we make more dramas in this 30 minute episode format? It rules.
Dead to Me (Netflix)
2022 was clearly a year of tragicomedies for me.
Dead to Me was another surprise hit. I had never even heard of it, but this show is so well written! It’s a tale about increasingly scandalous secrets, and two women trying to just survive their pasts—lawfully conjoined by their mutual dirty deeds.
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are fantastic as the two leads, Jen of and Judy, and the delivery of some of the lines actually had me cackling.
Honorable Mentions
Chainsaw Man (Studio MAPPA)
Russian Doll (Netflix)
Hacks (HBO)
Watchlist
White Lotus (HBO)
YellowJackets (Showtime)
Pachinko (Apple TV)
FAVORITE READS
Fathers and Sons (Ivan Tugenev)
Usually, I’m not a huge fan of 19th century russian literature, but this one got me. For one, It’s relatively short, and I like short books, but what shines is the characters.
Arkady brings his nihilist friend/mentor Bazarov to his father’s estate after they finish school, leading to many conversations of generational differences, ideological conflict, and, ultimately, love.
This one's a banger. It’s surprisingly modern—read it.
His Name was Death (Rafael Bernal)
Just recently translated into English, His Name was Death is accredited as being one of the first examples of “eco-fiction”. Originally published in Mexico in 1947, the novel entertains a Heart of Darkness-esque narrative, following an alcoholic professor as he delves deep into an uncharted jungle, eventually becoming deified by the indigenous peoples and learning to communicate with mosquitos.
Yeah, it’s a wild one.
The Remains of the Day (Kazuo Ishiguro)
Published in 2004,The Remains of the Day is somewhat of a neo-victorian novel, becoming what I refer to as “butler-core”. I admit that doesn’t sound altogether appealing to modern sensibilities, but Ishiguro weaves the tale and the history of the aristocracy with nuance and grace. At it’s heart, it’s a novel about servitude, duty, and whether one is justified in commiting wholeheartedly to the lives of others.
Honorable Mentions
A Scanner Darkly (Philip K. Dick)
The Melancholia of Class: A Manifesto for the Working Class (Cynthia Cruz)
Pachinko (Min Jin Lee)
Readlist
The Cabin at the End of the World (Paul G. Tremblay)
The Passenger (Cormac McCarthy)
The Beast Within (Émile Zola)