Saint Omer – TÁR – Top Gun: Maverick – RRR – Holy Spider – The Fabelmans – EO

2022: World Premieres
2022: U.S. Releases

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The Movies of 2022: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating  (what's this?)

= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

Updated: 12 Mar 2023, with Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris, BARDO, and Return to Seoul

Full Listing of Films Screened

⑤  Indispensable to film fans, even if it's flawed

Aftersun Dir. Charlotte Wells. Frankie Corio, Paul Mescal, Celia Rowlston-Hall A
All that Breathes Dir. Shaunak Sen. Documentary about bird healers in Delhi A
Decision to Leave Dir. Park Chan-wook. Park Hae-il, Tang Wei, Go Kyung-po B+
EO Dir. Jerzy Skolimowski. Sandra Drzymalska, Tomasz Organek A–
Everything Everywhere All at Once Dir. Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert B+
The Fabelmans Dir. Steven Spielberg. Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams B
Holy Spider Dir. Ali Abbasi. Zar Amir Ebrahimi, Mehdi Bajestani, Arash Ashtiani B+
No Bears Dir. Jafar Panahi. Jafar Panahi, Reza Heydari, Vashid Mobasheri B+
Pacifiction Dir. Albert Serra. Benoît Magimel, Pahoa Mahagafanau, Marc Susini B+
RRR Dir. S.S. Ramajouli. Ram Charan Teja, N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Alia Bhatt A–
Saint Omer Dir. Alice Diop. Kayije Kagame, Guslagie Malanga, Aurélia Petit A–
TÁR Dir. Todd Field. Cate Blanchett, Noémie Merlant, Nina Hoss, Sophie Kauer A–

④  Good or bad, this is risky and original work

Alcarràs Dir. Carla Simón. Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Xènia Roset, Albert Bosch A–
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed Dir. Laura Poitras. Documentary B–
Armageddon Time Dir. James Gray. Banks Repeta, Jaylin Webb, Anthony Hopkins B+
Avatar: The Way of Water Dir. James Cameron. Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña C
Babylon Dir. Damien Chazelle. Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt B–
Blonde Dir. Andrew Dominik. Ana de Armas, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel B–
Corsage Dir. Marie Kreutzer. Vicky Krieps, Florian Teichtmeister, Colin Morgan B+
Emily the Criminal Dir. John Patton Ford. Aubrey Plaza, Theo Rossi B
Godland Dir. Hlynur Palmáson. Elliott Crosset Hove, Ingvar Sigurdsson B+
Nope Dir. Jordan Peele. Daniel Kaluuya, Keke Palmer, Steven Yeun C+
The Northman Dir. Robert Eggers. Alexander Skarsgärd, Claes Bang B
Return to Seoul Dir. Davy Chou. Park Ji-min, Guka Han, Oh Kwang-rok B+
R.M.N. Dir. Cristian Mungiu. Marin Grigore, Judith State, Macrina Barladeanu B
Triangle of Sadness Dir. Ruben Ôstlund. Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean B
The Woman King Dir. Gina Prince-Bythewood. Viola Davis, Thuso Mbedu B
Women Talking Dir. Sarah Polley. Rooney Mara, Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy B
The Wonder Dir. Sebastián Lelio. Florence Pugh, Kíla Lord Cassidy B

③  Try to make time, but don't cry if you miss it

All Quiet on the Western Front Dir. Edward Berger. Felix Kammerer B–
The Banshees of Inisherin Dir. Martin McDonagh. Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson C+
BARDO: False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu C+
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Dir. Ryan Coogler. Letitia Wright C
Both Sides of the Blade Dir. Claire Denis. Vincent Lindon, Juliette Binoche B
Burning Days Dir. Emin Alper. Selahattin Pasali, Emin Koç, Erol Babaoğlu B
Cha Cha Real Smooth Dir. Cooper Raiff. Cooper Raiff, Dakota Johnson B+
Close Dir. Lukas Dhont. Eden Dambrine, Gustav De Waele, Émilie Dequenne C+
Crimes of the Future Dir. David Cronenberg. Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux C–
Descendant Dir. Margaret Brown. Documentary about slave ship excavation B+
Elvis Dir. Baz Luhrmann. Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge B–
Fire of Love Dir. Sara Dosa. Documentary about married volcanologists B
Framing Agnes Dir. Chase Joynt. Chase Joynt, Zackary Drucker, Jules Gill-Peterson B
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande Dir. Sophie Hyde. Emma Thompson B
The Good Nurse Dir. Tobias Lindholm. Jessica Chastain, Eddie Redmayne B
A House Made of Splinters Dir. Simon Lereng Wilmont. Documentary B
The Inspection Dir. Elegance Bratton. Jeremy Pope, Raûl Castillo B–
Jackass Forever Dir. Jeff Tremaine. Johnny Knoxville, Chris Pontius, Steve-O B–
The Janes Dir. Tia Lessin, Emma Pildes. Documentary about abortion activists B+
Living Dir. Oliver Hermanus. Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp B–
The Menu Dir. Mark Mylod. Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, Nicholas Hoult B+
Metronom Dir. Alexandru Belc. Mara Bugarin, Serban Lazarovici, Mara Vicol B
Monica Dir. Andrea Pallaoro. Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson, Joshua Close B
Moonage Daydream Dir. Brett Morgen. Documentary about David Bowie B
Nanny Dir. Nikyatu Jusu. Anna Diop, Michelle Monaghan, Morgan Spector C+
Navalny Dir. Daniel Roher. Documentary about Kremlin-targeted Putin opponent B
Paloma Dir. Marcelo Gomes. Kika Sena, Ridson Reis, Suzy Lopes, Samya de Lavor B+
Pearl Dir. Ti West. Mia Goth, Tandi Wright, Matthew Sunderland C+
Piaffe Dir. Ann Oren. Simone Bucio, Simon(e) Jaikiriuma Paetau B
Sister Carrie Dir. Daniel Nearing. Eve Rydberg, Fabrice Calmels B–
Stars at Noon Dir. Claire Denis. Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Nick Romano C+
The Swimmers Dir. Sally El Hosaini. Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Ali Suliman B
Till Dir. Chinonye Chukwu. Danielle Deadwyler, Jalyn Hall, Sean Patrick Thomas B
To Leslie Dir. Michael Morris. Andrea Riseborough, Marc Maron, Owen Teague B
Top Gun: Maverick Dir. Joseph Kosinski. Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Glen Powell C

②  Even if it's good, it's hardly groundbreaking

Argentina, 1985 Dir. Santiago Mitre. Ricardo Darín, Peter Lanzani C
The Blue Caftan Dir. Maryam Touzani. Saleh Bakri, Lubna Azabal C+
Bones and All Dir. Luca Guadagnino. Taylor Russell, Timothée Chalamet B–
Bros Dir. Nicholas Stoller. Billy Eichner, Luke Macfarlane, Guy Branum D+
Call Jane Dir. Phyllis Nagy. Elizabeth Banks, Chris Messina, Sigourney Weaver B–
Causeway Dir. Lila Neugebauer. Jennifer Lawrence, Brian Tyree Henry C+
The Eternal Daughter Dir. Joanna Hogg. Tilda Swinton, Carly-Sophia Davies C+
Fire Island Dir. Andrew Ahn. Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Conrad Ricamora C+
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Dir. Rian Johnson. Daniel Craig C
It Is in Us All Dir. Antonia Campbell-Hughes. Cosmo Jarvis, Rhys Mannion B–
Kimi Dir. Steven Soderbergh. Zoë Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Derek DelGaudio C–
Prey Dir. Dan Trachtenberg. Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane Diliegro B–
The Quiet Girl Dir. Colm Báiread. Catherine Clinch, Carrie Crowley C+
She Said Dir. Maria Schrader. Zoë Kazan, Carey Mullligan, Patricia Clarkson B–
Three-Headed Beast Dir. Fernando Andrés. Tyler Rugh, Jacob Schatz B
Three Thousand Years of Longing Dir. George Miller. Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba D+
Two Eyes Dir. Travis Fine. Benjamin Rigby, Kiowa Gordon, Lily Gladstone B–
The Whale Dir. Darren Aronofsky. Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau D
X Dir. Ti West. Mia Goth, Martin Henderson, Scott Mescudi, Brittany Snow C

①  Low ambition, little originality, easy to forget

Apostles Dir. Scud. Bank Chuang, Teslin, Adonis He, Wei Kai Huang D
Empire of Light Dir. Sam Mendes. Olivia Colman, Michael Ward, Tom Brooke D+
Erin's Guide to Kissing Girls Dir. Julianna Notten. Elliot Stocking, Jesyca Gu C+
God's Creatures Dir. Saela Davis, Anna Rose Holmer. Emily Watson, Paul Mescal C+
In from the Side Dir. Matt Carter. Alexander Lincoln, Alexander King C–
Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris Dir. Anthony Fabian. Lesley Manville C–
Ticket to Paradise Dir. Ol Parker. Julia Roberts, George Clooney, Kaitlyn Dever C