Year in Review: ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ ‘Bros’ and More of the Best Movies of 2022

Ringing in the new year in their own ways. After the Kardashian-Jenner clan’s epic Christmas party, the family went in different directions for New Year’s Eve.

Feeling the need for speed! Ever since its debut almost four decades prior, Top Gun has been considered an American classic — and it finally got a sequel.

We’re fast approaching the end of the third year of Covid and it’s clear by now, if it wasn’t before, that filmgoing will never be the same. The habit is gone, everyone has become accustomed to checking out films at home rather than in theaters, it’s unclear what films people are actually seeing and what they think of them, and it’s evident that most people have, with certain exceptions, simply lost the incentive to mobilize, to actually get off their butts and plunk them down in a theater to see a movie. For a life-long film fanatic as well as a critic for more than a few decades, I’m dismayed that it’s all come to this, but I can’t pretend otherwise, that I don’t see the writing — and the images — on the wall.

It seems this time of year every critic is going to weigh in with their 10 Best List for something or other. It is what we do at the end of the year, and 2022 is no different. And as I always do , I cheat. So, sue me. In what has turned out to be a very good year I think for movies, considering the sad state of box office success for the more ambitious and adult-aimed films out there, it has actually been heartening in this still pandemic-affected era to see the Hollywood studios so heavily in the game of producing quality crowd pleasers that also are good enough and deserving enough to make any of these lists, unless that is you are one of those grumpy critic-types who only go for the most obscure anti-entertainments out there. That ain’t me. I like to cheer on what I call movie movies, and I don’t penalize any of them for making some money along the way and bringing back audiences. If they are good, big or small , they are worth championing and so this annual ritual is just another cog-in-the-wheel of doing just that. Now for the “cheating” part.

We say this every year when we talk about Barack Obama’s annual list of his favorite films, but the former President of the United States actually has pretty great taste in cinema. Sure, you could argue that maybe this is a cultivated list pulled from the minds of various people in his orbit, but regardless, Obama is still highlighting some of the best films of the year and giving some deserving artists a bit of a push.  READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022 For 2022, Barack Obama, once again, delivers a list with some of the best films of the year.

Top Gun: Maverick is soaring to new heights on Paramount+, becoming the most-watched film to ever debut on the streaming service domestically.

We say this every year when we talk about Barack Obama’s annual list of his favorite films, but the former President of the United States actually has pretty great taste in cinema.

every year is a banner year—but 2022 in particular presented Kate Middleton with some of the highest highs we’ve seen since she became a royal.Some of those include: in January, becoming the (the first time anyone has been publicly known by that title in more than 25 years), and seeing Queen Elizabeth II celebrate 70 remarkable years on the throne at her in June. But these highlights were offset with notable lows—not the least of which, of course, was at 96 years of age on September 8.Sartorially, this made it an interesting year for the princess. Because there was, unfortunately, much to mourn for the royal family this year, we saw her wear more black than in years past.

Return to Seoul“A gorgeous portrait of a messy life, “Return to Seoul” is simultaneously dazzling and delicate, intimate and immense. First-time actor Park Ji-Min turns in a truly stunning, tour-de-force performance as Freddie, a young French woman who leaves her loving adoptive family to dig up roots in South Korea.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all of those choices to pluck out the movies most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

Learning from a pro. While reflecting on his Top Gun: Maverick role, Glen Powell credited Tom Cruise for helping him elevate his performance as Jake “Hangman” Seresin.

Every Tuesday, discriminating viewers are confronted with a flurry of choices: new releases on disc and on-demand, vintage and original movies on any number of streaming platforms, and catalog titles making a splash on Blu-ray or 4K. This twice-monthly column sifts through all those choices to pluck out the movies that are most worth your time, no matter how you’re watching.

In the wake of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s diversity controversy, and their pursuit to increase representation, this year’s selection of diverse TV and film nominees in acting, songwriting, film score, directing and writing is actually up over last year’s: 30 to 26.

and —illustrated the power and community of seeing an epic story play out on the big screen. From the visuals to the sound (and OK, the popcorn at the concession stand), they were a reminder that as much we like to stay in pajamas and cozy up on the couch, there's something rewarding about experiencing your local cinema in person.But that's not to take away from the fantastic movies that were just as enjoyable from the comfort of our own home this year thanks to streaming services. on Hulu and on Netflix are the kind of deeply personal and raw films probably best enjoyed with some privacy.

Now that we’ve started our process of looking back at the Best Films of 2022, it’s time to dig deeper into one facet that can make them so impactful—the mesmerizing work of their actors. Of course, every great film year leads to a surplus of great performances, and our favorites from 2022 are picked from quiet Sundance fare, auteur-driven blockbusters, future Oscar nominees, and much more.

One of the more prestigious stops on the Oscar-season circuit is always the annual AFI Awards Luncheon, and on Friday the American Film Institute revealed its list of Top 10 Movies and TV Programs for 2022 (see this post for TV list). Major studios dominated the movie list for a change, including some box office blockbusters. Streamers were AWOL for the first time since their emergence.

AFI MOVIES OF THE YEAR“Avatar: The Way of Water”“Elvis”“Everything Everywhere All at Once”“The Fabelmans”“Nope”“She Said”“Tár”“Top Gun: Maverick”“The Woman King”“Women Talking”AFI TELEVISION PROGRAMS OF THE YEAR“Abbott Elementary”“The Bear”“Better Call Saul”“Hacks”“Mo”“Pachinko”“Reservation Dogs”“Severance”“Somebody Somewhere”“The White Lotus”AFI SPECIAL AWARD“The Banshees of Inisherin”“AFI shines a light upon excellence in storytelling and the collaborators who bring these stories to the screen,” said Bob Gazzale, AFI President and CEO. “This year, more than ever, celebrating the community of artists that realize these dreams is particularly meaningful – as they have lifted our spirits through the most challenging of times and proven the power of this great art form.”Honorees will gather on Friday, Jan.