Year-end lists are always subjective. Every person that writes their list usually picks the movies they enjoyed the most and shares that list with everyone. What usually happens is that list is dissected and torn apart by everyone on the internet due to certain movies being left out of the list. I am trying to do something different with my list.
For my list and the children’s movie list, I am going to share ten movies that I enjoyed this year. Yes, I can list the blockbusters that might be on everyone’s list, but I want to share movies that might not be talked about by everyone. While I did enjoy Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Nope, and Top Gun: Maverick, I feel those movies will be on hundreds of lists and you might have already seen them a few times in the theaters.
So let’s begin and these movies are listed in no particular order. All movie descriptions come from the IMDb website.
THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN
There are movies that stay with you long after they are over and The Banshees of Inisherin is one of those movies. From the storyline to the actors and the performances, this is a great movie to watch.
It is heartbreaking at times but it is a movie that I think many of us can relate to.
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
WATCHER
Watcher is a throwback to an Alfred Hitchcock film. This movie has a slow burn to get to the climax but the trip is well worth it.
The movie builds up a lot of suspense as no one believes Julia and what she has seen. Is Julia seeing things because she misses being home or are Julia’s suspicions about the man across the way correct?
A young American woman moves with her husband to Bucharest, and begins to suspect that a stranger who watches her from the apartment building across the street may be a local serial killer decapitating women.
AFTERSUN
We have written about Aftersun before and spoken about the beauty in this movie. As the father of a daughter, there was a lot in this movie that resonated with me and left me in tears long after it was over.
On the surface, this may look like a movie about a father and daughter on vacation, but there are more layers to it than that. The acting and the dialogue are superb.
At a fading vacation resort, 11-year-old Sophie treasures rare times together with her loving and idealistic father, Calum (Paul Mescal). As a world of adolescence creeps into view, beyond her eye Calum struggles under the weight of life outside of fatherhood. Twenty years later, Sophie’s tender recollections of their last holiday become a powerful and heartrending portrait of their relationship, as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn’t, in Charlotte Wells’ superb and searingly emotional debut film.
DECISION TO LEAVE
Park Chan-Wook gives us an unusual love story in Decision to Leave. He carefully takes the viewer on a journey that has enough twists and turns to keep you wanting more. This is one movie where the cinematography is an actor in certain scenes.
The love story is hidden within the murder mystery and the ending will punch you in the gut.
From a mountain peak in South Korea, a man plummets to his death. Did he jump, or was he pushed? When detective Hae-joon arrives on the scene, he begins to suspect the dead man’s wife Seo-rae. But as he digs deeper into the investigation, he finds himself trapped in a web of deception and desire.
BREAKING
Breaking needs to be talked about more and John Boyega should be getting awards nominations for this movie. Boyega’s performance in this is fantastic and having him bounce off Michael K. Williams is incredible.
Reminiscent of A Dog Day Afternoon, Breaking shows us what one man does to stand up to a system that will not do its job.
Read our review here.
A Marine war veteran faces mental and emotional challenges when he tries to reintegrate into civilian life.
BONES AND ALL
This is not your typical coming-of-age love story. Bones and All not only tackles the subject of first loves but also the subject of finding out where you belong.
Read our review here!
A story of first love between Maren, a young woman learning how to survive on the margins of society, and Lee, an intense and disenfranchised drifter, as they meet and join together for a thousand-mile odyssey which takes them through the back roads, hidden passages and trap doors of Ronald Reagan’s America. But despite their best efforts, all roads lead back to their terrifying pasts and to a final stand that will determine whether their love can survive their otherness.
THE WHALE
I was lucky to see The Whale during the Chicago International Film Festival and I was floored by it. When asked for a quote I described it as “The Whale is minimalist perfection by telling a heartbreaking story in a contained environment.”
There is so much emotion and brillance from the actors in one room that you can not help but feel everything that happens to Charlie. Brendan Fraser deserves all of the accolades he is getting for this film and hopefully he will walk away with awards and more roles after this film.
You can watch our recap of the Chicago International Film Festival here along with our quick interview with Darren Aronofsky.
A reclusive English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.
RRR
I am going to say that you must believe all the hype about RRR. This movie is unlike anything that you have ever seen. From the action to the dancing, and the singing, this movie has it all! If you are looking for an amazing trip with a great story, go watch RRR!
A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in the 1920s.
EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE
Everything Everywhere All At Once was that movie that seemed to be talked about by everyone. Yes, it was a popular movie and I said I will not talk about popular movies but I really loved this movie.
What really struck me about this movie was that amongst all of the action there was a beautiful story about the family within. There were certain lines from Ke Huy Quan that just had me in tears and don’t get me started on Stephanie Hsu. She should definitely be in the running for best-supporting actress for her role.
Like RRR there is a lot of hype surrounding this movie but believe it all.
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, in which she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
DEVOTION
I stated in our review that Devotion would probably be looked over when it is released and compared to the other movie involving fighter jets. This is not that movie and this needs to be seen. Devotion expands our minds by sharing the story of Jesse Brown and all he accomplished as the first Black aviator in Navy history.
Jonathan Majors is amazing in this and should be getting buzz around awards season for his performance. The practical aerial scenes are fantastic in this movie. While there are some action sequences, this movie is about family and friendship.
Check out our interview with Jonathan Majors and Devotion director J.D. Dillard here during the Chicago International Film Festival.
A pair of U.S. Navy fighter pilots risk their lives during the Korean War and become some of the Navy’s most celebrated wingmen.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
This list could have gone on and on but I wanted to highlight a few other movies that I feel you should see whan you get a chance.
EO – A moving movie about a donkey and the adventure he has after being “rescued” from being a circus animal. Read our review.
THE HOUSE – This stop motion anthrology is scary, mindblowing and surreal all at once. Available to stream on Netflix. Here’s our review.
PREY – A prequel to the Predator series that in some ways surpases the sequels that preceded it. Available to stream on Hulu. Our review.
LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE – This horror movie from the Philipines is not scary at all. It’s more suspenseful and tells the story of a former screenwriter who gets pulled into one of her movies after an accident. This was one of our favorites from the Chicago International Film Festival.
RAYMOND & RAY – A fun performance from Ethan Hawke and Ewan McGregor who play brothers fulfilling their fathers last wish. Available on Apple TV.