Top 7 Movies of 2022 Ranked

If there’s one thing that everyone looks forward to every year is the movies that release. Some turn into guilty pleasures, some are a one-time watch, and some even turn into Oscar-worthy stories, nevertheless, a lot of hard work and dedication goes into all of them, and we’re here to appreciate some of the best movies that released in 2022, and hopefully, you agree with our list, and if not, we’d love to know in the comment section which movie you would have liked to see on our list!

Before we start, this list is based on audience reviews, critics’ reviews, box office numbers, and of course, some of our own opinions sprinkled across. So here are the top 7 movies of 2022 that you need to watch right away if you haven’t already! 

1. Top Gun: Maverick

Going by the numbers and reviews, Top Gun: Maverick has been the most popular movie of 2022, and we completely understand why. Top Gun: Maverick had some of the most talented cast members which included Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Jon Hamm, and Glen Powell amongst others. Along with the brilliant and versatile cast, we witnessed the direction of Joseph Kosinski, which was one of the key factors that led to Top Gun: Maverick becoming the blockbuster hit of 2022. This movie is for anyone who likes action, a little bit of romance, some mesmerizing soundtracks and visuals, and of course, Tom Cruise.

From A to Z, Top Gun: Maverick had nailed everything down perfectly. It was truly a pleasure to see Maverick return to his alma mater to ready new kids for a very serious mission while also dealing with his past. If you’re looking for a visually stunning masterpiece with a captivating storyline, Top Gun: Maverick is the way to go! A little fun fact on the side, Top Gun: Maverick is Tom Cruise’s highest-grossing movie so far with $1.3 billion at the box office worldwide, and that includes the very popular Mission Impossible franchise. 

2. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Although Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery only released towards the end of the year, with a limited theatrical release in November and then finally being released on Netflix in December, it has managed to become a fan favorite, while also being praised by the critics for the twisted mystery. Rian Johnson, the director of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery truly has an exceptional mind, and we already witnessed that from his first Knives Out movie. With Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, he simply raised the stakes, along with some exceptional A-list Hollywood celebrities, and a murder mystery that no one could have expected the outcome of.

The title of the movie, Glass Onion, also played an important part, because just like an onion, this movie and its mystery also had several layers to it. As always, Daniel Craig stole the show with his Southern accent and wit, and we are convinced that his character, Benoit Blanc, might just be the best detective ever. Rian Johnson will start writing Knives Out 3 in January, and we can’t wait to see what more he has in store for us! 

3. Enola Holmes 2

After Enola Holmes was released in 2020, fans were very impatient for a second installment, and while it took some time, Enola Holmes 2 was released in October of 2022 and was directed by Harry Bradbeer, who has done a phenomenal job the second time around with this titular character that viewers have grown to love. Who knew that in a movie with Henry Cavil as Sherlock Holmes, the focus could remain on his younger sister, Enola? Well, that’s exactly what’s happened, which has resulted in a riveting detective story that had everyone hooked from start to finish.

Enola Holmes 2 revolved around Enola who had set up her own detective agency, and sadly, for the longest time, she saw no success. She was young and a woman at a time when no one wanted either of those in a detective. However, a young girl seeks Enola to help find her missing sister, and this leads us to some of the most unexpected plot twists, which dragged Sherlock in as well. Sherlock and Enola team up to solve the mystery, while the focus remains on Enola. Enola Holmes 2 has also taken a page from Marvel with a post-credit scene that has hinted towards Enola Holmes 3, and thus begins another waiting game.

4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was one of the most anticipated titles of phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, partly because of how successful and brilliant the first installment was, but mainly because Black Panther: Wakanda Forever served as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman, who left a void in everyone’s hearts all across the world. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever checked all the boxes of the perfect Marvel movie with the villains, the plot twists, the new Black Panther, and of course, the glory of Wakanda. Letitia Wright aka Shuri stole the show with her performance which was equal parts badass, emotional, and supportive.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever also introduced us to two new characters, who will definitely be playing an important role in the future of the MCU: Namor and Ironheart. Although the movie had its share of action sequences and a character death too, it centered around the concept of grief and loss, and how Wakanda as a nation was recovering from the loss of T’Challa and desperately needed a new warrior to lead them. Of course, we cannot forget the post-credit scene which has set up some very interesting plotlines in the future! Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was hands down one of the best installments of Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase 4. 

5. Everything Everywhere All At Once 

Some movies stay with you for years to come, and Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of those movies. Directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan, Everything Everywhere All At Once took the box office by storm as it tells the story of a Chinese immigrant, who finds herself caught up in a twisted mess that she had ever anticipated, and frankly, neither had the viewers. Everything Everywhere All At Once revolves around the concept of multiple universes and how a different version of you exists in different universes based on choices mixed with a little bit of destiny. Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn Quan Wang, who is the protagonist of the movie, and she must save the world from the big bad villain, who turns out to be her daughter.

While on the surface, Everything Everywhere All At Once is a brilliant science fiction movie with some visually stunning scenes, it boils down to relationships and generational trauma that has been passed down, something we see very frequently in immigrant families. This movie teaches us about love, forgiveness, and acceptance and it will surely bring tears to your eyes. We recommend watching this movie over and over again if you can because you will find yourself focusing on different aspects of the movie every single time. Everything Everywhere All At Once is one of a kind, and we hope 2023 has more movies like these, which will truly be making you question the meaning of life and the entire universe that consumes us. 

6. Nope 

Nope, directed by Jordan Peele was one of the movies in 2022 that left you with several questions and introspection. Nope was a science-fiction thriller with a dash of suspense and horror, which made for an incredibly interesting watch, despite the run time being 2 hours and 10 minutes. Nope might have been a little confusing at certain points, but at the end of the day, this movie was a metaphor for the treatment of animals, but you might have to watch it twice to truly understand that.

If we just look at the surface of this movie, Nope is all about a UFO sighting that has targeted a very remote area in California, and things go incredibly wrong when siblings OJ and Emerald notice something odd and choose to investigate. With Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as the leads of Nope, it was set to become a success. Kaluuya also appeared in Jordan Peele’s 2017 movie Get Out, which in retrospect might have similarities to Nope, in terms of both movies having several layers to it. Nope is available to stream on Prime Video and Peacock, depending on where you are! 

7. Avatar: The Way of Water

One of the most anticipated titles of not just 2022, but also the previous years was Avatar 2, aka Avatar: The Way of Water. The first Avatar movie which was released almost a decade ago, went on to become a cultural phenomenon and one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Director James Cameron had expressed his thoughts about making a second movie long ago, and the fans had been waiting since then. Years went by, and while Cameron had a story and team ready, what he lacked was the right technology. We know that James Cameron is a perfectionist, so he waited for a decade to make sure he had his hands on the right technology, to be able to shoot a lot of the scenes underwater, and this wait has definitely paid off.

Even though Avatar: The Way of Water hasn’t been in the cinemas for too long, audiences can’t stop talking about just how beautiful the movie was. The runtime of Avatar: The Way of Water exceeds three hours, but we don’t see anyone complaining because from start to finish, along with the visuals, there were the mesmerizing sound effects, the gripping storyline, the unforgettable cast, and just the overall experience that made the whole movie worth the wait, and worth the runtime! 

Conclusion

2022 was a great year for movies, and some of the examples are right up here in front of you. We have even higher expectations from 2023, especially since Christopher Nolan is back with a new movie! While you wait for the new year to bring new entertainment, make sure you don’t miss any of the brilliant releases from 2022!