Six movies of 2022

Here comes a sextuple review! That’s right, this is six movies at once. Why am I doing this? Well, I’ve seen some notable new films over the last month. For some reason or another, none of them jumped out at me and demanded a review on their own. Now that they are sitting together in my head, I think I have something to say about them. Each of these films was successful (and unsuccessful) in a variety of ways, and I think the ways in which they overlap is really intriguing.

Before I dive in, one disclaimer: I’ve recently started working (mostly as a production assistant) on various sets and productions. Seeing firsthand how much work goes into capturing even the smallest sequence or story has shifted my thoughts on writing these reviews. Now, I’d say even the worst film I’ve ever seen is a monumental success– from the difficult trials of pre-production all the way through the final edits, the art of completing a feature film is worthy of celebration. No matter how “good” or “bad” I believe a film to be, I hope I never lose the respect for the process. With all this in mind, I was a bit nervous to write about films I did not enjoy. However, I believe part of maintaining that respect is staying honest. Films have started a conversation, and now it’s our job to continue the dialogue.

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I’ll begin with a review of a film that I watched just last week. Tàr is the fictional (despite the efforts of a strange marketing campaign, this is entirely fictional) story of a musician and world-renowned orchestra conductor. Cate Blanchett has rightfully received a ton of Oscar buzz for her performance. She’s absolutely incredible as the titular Tàr, a disturbed yet talented figure in power. That being said, this film did not resonate with me. First of all, the movie starts with three and half minutes of credits on a blank screen, supported only by a minimal soundtrack. It’s followed by three scenes that last for what feel like two hours. There are few camera cuts, little to no explanation of the complex musical theory and names, and nothing that grabs the audience’s attention to draw them in. I could live with the confusion or ambiguity if the story ultimately went somewhere noteworthy, but instead, we’re led very slowly down a dark and somewhat predictable path. This is one of the most unique movies I’ve ever seen, both from a stylistic and pacing standpoint– unfortunately, the style was not for me.

Next, we’ll move to what might be the exact opposite film: Wakanda Forever. It’s extremely difficult to be a sequel, and Wakanda Forever struggled to live up to its incredible predecessor. What made life more challenging for this film, however, was the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman. Marvel movies can be clunky, as they attempt to tell a stand-alone story that ties in with the greater MCU network. The additional challenge of honoring Boseman was too much to add on top of those requirements, resulting in a very long tell-instead-of-show story. The cinematography was absolutely beautiful, the characters were portrayed well, and the production value was immense. Unfortunately the movie fell short of these unreasonable goals. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Wakanda Forever for what it was, and think it’s important to recognize the talent of everyone involved in the production.

From one big-budget to another: let’s briefly discuss Don’t Worry Darling. To make a long story short, this movie did not work. I enjoyed exactly one scene in this almost three-hour sci-fi drama– when Florence Pugh and Chris Pine argue over dinner, you could cut the tension in the air with a feather. Not a knife, a feather– that’s how intense it was. However, the rest of the movie focused on the wrong things. The film fell in love with the set and the landscape of the time period, and instead of developing characters and enhancing the plot, we spent the first half of the film as lost in the fantasy land as its main characters. Although the costume design was immaculate, the score was weak and there was a long scene with over-the-top (and in my opinion, very fake) lens flares. Also, the weird black-and-white dancer sequences were relied on way too much to convey confusion; they did not have the desired effect of pulling me into the world of the movie, and instead put me entirely out of it. Again, I think there was a ton of talent and passion that went into this film. The filmmakers just got caught up with how cool it looked, and lost out on what could have been an interesting take on a timeless story.

This six-movie review is getting long, so I’ll give See How They Run a quick three sentences. First, Saoirse Ronan is absolutely incredible. Second, this movie was fun, if a bit slow at times. Overall, it’s a pleasant whodunnit, with the added bonus of some smart commentary on the making of whodunnits. 

Now we’ve come to Amsterdam. I was so excited to see this movie– the cast was insanely talented and the trailers made it look like a rollercoaster of a film. Unfortunately, we were all a bit misled. Christian Bale and Margot Robbie might be two of the best actors around– not to mention how well John David Washington performed alongside them– but even they couldn’t quite save this “somewhat true” film. The story being told was intriguing enough to keep an audience hooked, but it never quite paid off. I almost think the movie tried too hard to be clear and understandable, as opposed to letting some of the emotional moments take over for the details of the complex plot. Instead of a rollercoaster of tension and action and laughs, it was instead a rollercoaster of good parts and boring parts and confusing parts. There was a lot to enjoy about this film. However, there was almost an equal amount that didn’t quite work. 

Lastly, the movie I saw most recently: The Banshees of Inisherin. I don’t think I have the words to really describe this movie, but here goes nothing. First, I have to applaud the acting and the writing. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan were each outstanding, and I’d single out Farrell and Condon in particular for their powerful performances. The dialogue, despite sometimes being difficult to hear through thick Irish accents, was sharp and witty. In addition, the Irish landscape was beautiful. Even indoors, however, every single shot in this film was carefully composed and the result was a spectacular visual experience. Now let’s talk about why I didn’t love this film. It’s important to understand that the story is very unusual, as it’s both extremely simple and yet confoundingly deep. And for the first hour or so of the movie, I was really engaged. I got lost, however, by the last third. Everything that had been set up in this film just dove off a cliff. It ended in such a depressing and negative manner that it’s quite difficult to remember the positive parts from the first half. I honestly have no idea why this movie is described as a comedy, because I was left crushed by a wave of despair. There’s no doubt that The Banshees of Inisherin is a good movie– it’s just not one I’d feel comfortable recommending.

There you have it– six of the biggest movies of 2022. I still have to see The Fabelmans, and there are other new and noteworthy films that look interesting. But overall, I think this group paints an intriguing picture of the current film landscape. Box office hits and flops, telling both immense tales and personal dramas, these films capture all that works on the silver screen– and all that does not.