I Watched 304 Movies in 2022

That’s not a typo. I knew I watched a lot of films, but in 2022 I vowed to track them all via Letterboxd.com and I broke 300 just after Christmas. Here are the highlights of the 2022 movies I’ve seen thus far, and the breakdown of older films I watched.

Here’s the Letterboxd list

Best of 2022 (that I saw) – 66 in total released this year):

1. Top Gun: Maverick – This movie slapped so hard and I had zero expectations going in.
2. Everything, Everywhere, All at Once – A gem of imagination and execution. Rocks made me tear up.
3. Do Revenge – A sleeper hit that paid homage to the best of the teen movie genre. Maya Hawke rules.
4. The Black Phone – A fun thriller with an imaginative plot, well executed. Hawke is a perennial favorite.
5. Vengeance – BJ Novak kills with this indie about true crime podcasting that takes a turn.
6. The Northman – I love a movie that makes me think and this one inspired Hamlet, so there you go.
7. The Fabelmans – Spielberg looks back at his formative years. Worth the time to see the master at work.
8. Prey – This is how you reboot a franchise; don’t go bigger, go smaller.
9. Ambulance – The most Michael Bay, Michael Bay, has ever Michael Bay’d. Fun romp.
10. On the Count of Three – Two dudes decide to kill themselves. But first, maybe a few bucket list items? Great film.
11. Honorable mention: Armageddon Time – Banks Repeta and Hopkins kill this look at identity and belonging.

Worst of 2022 (that I saw) in no particular order:

1. Spin Me Round – A half-finished cash grab. I actually got angry at this one.
2. Black Adam – CGI to death. No heart. DC swings and misses. Again. Ugh.
3. The People We Hate at the Wedding – I like the “Kristen Bell is a bad person” schtick, but this was just unlikeable.
4. The Lost City – Who was this for? Don’t answer that.
5. Brainwashed – This was actually the worst doc I may have ever seen.
6. Spirited – What should have been a home run turned into a bunt to first. CGI & writing killed this one.
7. Morbius – Sony can’t get the Spider-man EU right to save its life. This was water trash.
8. Vesper – Such a great premise and cool look were wasted.
9. The Man From Toronto – Who thought this was a good idea? Even Kevin Hart couldn’t save this.
10. Uncharted – With a proven cinematic video game, this should have been easy. As bad as anything.

Here are some stats:

Decade	Count
2020s	97
2010s	72
2000s	59
1990s	34
1980s	27
1970s	4
1960s	3
1950s	6
1940s	2

Genre	Count
Drama	148
Comedy	115
Thrillers	87
Action	72
Crime	65
Romance	52
Sci-Fi	45
Mystery	31
Family, Music, Doc, War, Western	14, 12, 9, 6, 3

The Movies that hung with me the longest- first-time watches only:

1. Rumble Fish (1983) – I can’t fully explain how much this movie rules. 2022 was my first viewing and it felt incredibly fresh and evocative. The choice to shoot in B&W was inspired. I fell in love with the motif of repetition. This is a masterpiece.
2. Do Revenge (2022) – I wasn’t expecting anything and I got a feast for the eyes. Put this Netflix gem on your watchlist ASAP.
3. Carol (2015) – Fun fact about me, I like period pieces about LGBTQ relationships. Who knew? Cate Blanchett embodies the hopeless and hopeful nature of being trapped in a world where you can and can’t be who you want to be.
4. The Mercy (2017) – I saw this over the summer while thinking about how I wouldn’t get a boat day this year and it hasn’t left me since. Another true story adventure that you can’t shake.
5. Night of the Hunter (1955) – Robert Mitchum rocks as a creepy priest that needs to 86 a pair of kids. The performances and tone are a revelation of filmmaking.

Rewatches that made me bump up my previous ratings

1. The Gentlemen (2019) – My youngest son wanted to watch it so I gave it another go and it’s far better than I recalled. Guy Ritchie’s Opus? This is neck and neck with Snatch.
2. Trading Places (1983) – I saw this a lot on TNT growing up and didn’t realize they cut out whole scenes that elevated this to a real winner. Give it another watch and you’ll see a lot to like.
3. Filth (2013) – I remember seeing this one and being turned off by, well, the filth. A little older and I found it brisk, fresh, and well-assembled. James McAvoy should have been nominated for an Oscar, though he did win a BIFA Best Actor award for this.

Pleasant Surprises:

1. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers – Samberg & Mulaney turned a nostalgic cash-grab into a fun noir romp.
2. Boiling Point – Stephen Graham is fantastic in everything but he owns the screen as a head chef working through the busiest night of the year, and his own demons.
3. Cha Cha Real Smooth – Cooper Raiff (Star, Writer, Director) has a big future in front of him. If you haven’t seen Sh!thouse (2022) check it out. His work is personal, compelling, and honest in the best ways.

Long Awaited Watches – I don’t know why or how I put off watching these for so long but I did until this year.

1. The Godfather Part II: Electric Boogaloo – Honestly, I wasn’t smitten by part one enough to run out and see it but I’m glad I did. Not in my top 20 of all time, but I get the reverence.
2. Miracle on 34th Street – I don’t know why but I never bothered until this year and I found it better than I expected.
3. Some Like it Hot – I’d never seen a Marilyn Monroe film and I get why; not great. Curtis and Lemon make up for it.

I don’t watch regular, casual TV or sports (outside of College Football), but I did get through these as well:

The BEST TV in 2022:

1. Better Call Saul – I’m going to say it, the series is better than Breaking Bad. Rarified air for sure.
2. Station Eleven – This was a wildly transfixing apocalypse drama that I couldn’t get enough of.
3. The Afterparty – A stellar cast and songs that I lol’d over plenty of times.
4. Our Flag Means Death – So much heart and hilarity rolled into one. A truly innovative series.
5. The Bear – Yes, Chef. Thank you, Chef.
6. We Own This City – Jon Bernthal is my ride-or-die and starring in the heir to The Wire? Hell yes.
7. Severance – Weird concept that sucks you in when you consider the implications.
8. Succession – “You can’t make a Tomlette without breaking some Greggs.” This is the best series on TV, bar none. Long may it reign.
9. Only Murders in the Building – So. Much. Fun.
10. Ted Lasso – I hate soccer and love this.