Welcome to the 2022 SiftPop.com Sifties!
This year, the SiftPop writers came together to nominate five films for Best Movie. There is always a good deal of subjectivity that goes into an award like this, but there were five movies that stood out as clear favorites of the group.
2022 was great year for movies. Between huge blockbusters, multiverse epics, intimate breakup movies, and comedic murder mysteries, there was a wide variety to appreciate. The SiftPop crew nominated five films for Best Move: The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and The Banshees of Inisherin. Here’s how the voting played out:
When Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was first announced, it was a little polarizing because it was attempting to fill the big shoes of its predecessor, Knives Out. But somewhat surprisingly, Glass Onion hit the scene and brought nearly all critics and fans a sigh of relief as they watched this exceptional follow up. Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc returns with another fascinating mystery for him to solve. This film gushes with the same witty dialogue and humor as the first film, and the mystery unfolds in an exciting and satisfying way. When it comes down to brass tacks, Glass Onion is a worthy successor to the original, and it is safe to say that Rian Johnson followed up a near perfect film with another near perfect film.
Top Gun is a big-budget cult classic. It has a huge following despite not being very good. Top Gun: Maverick, on the other hand, is excellent in every sense of the word. Great performances, incredible cinematography, masterful sound, and excellent overall direction make sense of why a film released in May still had showtimes in December! Top Gun: Maverick was the “it” movie of 2022 — it felt like everyone had to see it, everyone loved it, and everyone wanted to see it a second time on the big screen. Despite the delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the trailer showing a million times as a result, Maverick is one of the best of 2022 that we still aren’t tired of.
You can always count on Martin McDonagh to bring some black comedy, but it’s taken to a whole new level in The Banshees of Inisherin. About two-thirds of his new film are laugh-out-loud hilarious, but once you get into that final act, McDonagh pulls the rug out from under you, which creates such a specific emotional, narrative, and cinematic journey. This is all, of course, buttressed by the excellent performances from Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, and Barry Keoghan, who each bring their own unique amount of empathy. Banshees tells a simple story, but it’s one of the best you can find from 2022.
The blockbuster is back, ladies and gentlemen. Given the past decade’s unprecedented audience demand for comic book films, it was inevitable that producers would begin to opt for a mindset of quantity over quality. Thankfully, The Batman came to remind us all what a gift it can be to receive a large-budget crowd pleaser with such earnest ambition behind the camera. The entire ensemble cast certainly comes to play, but director Matt Reeves and his all-star crew steal the show. From Michael Giacchino’s darkly playful score to Greig Fraser’s expressive cinematography, The Batman offers a stunning portrait of Gotham and the caped crusader that feels entirely its own.
Everything Everywhere All at Once does a lot of things right. It has an exciting but honest story, lots of different people give incredible performances, the editing is frenetic but precise, the music is diverse, and the visual effects are jaw-dropping. But what makes the movie as special as it is, is that all of these disparate elements come together to create a singular experience, one that feels unlike anything we’ve seen before. Not only does it energize its viewers with its action sequences, it hits us with emotional gut punches as well. Daniels crafted a truly special film.
Make sure to check out the previous 2022 Sifties winners! You can also listen to the SiftPop writers’ top five movies of the year on the SiftPop Writers’ Room Podcast, and watch live as the SiftPop podcast gives out their own Sifties!