Discover Our Must-Watch Movies of 2022!

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This edition of The Watchlist is dedicated to our favourite movies from last year. In the entirely possible scenario that you’ve already seen all 10 of our suggestions, we also finish off with our signature “If You Liked” section where we propose 30 more!

If you’ve seen all 40 recommendations then maybe you don’t need to be subscribed to a movie recommendation newsletter after all.

The Wonder

Genre: Psychological Drama
Director: Sebastián Lelio

In The Wonder, an English nurse (Florence Pugh) is summoned to an isolated Irish village and tasked with solving the mystery of a young girl who’s survived for months without food.

Many in the village believe it to be a divine miracle rather than just a new diet trend. The film examines the divide between faith and rationality, leaving you guessing until the end.

Living

Genre: Drama
Director: Oliver Hermanus

Living is an English adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s iconic film Ikiru (literally meaning “To Live,” in Japanese).

It stars Bill Nighy as a lonely and reserved civil servant with an apathetic approach to his life and work, or in other words the required qualifications for any government job. A terminal diagnosis changes everything and sends him on a search for purpose.

Aftersun

Genre: Drama
Director: Charlotte Wells

Aftersun is a poignant story about a father-daughter (Paul Mescal and Frankie Corio) summer vacation at a resort in Turkey. Set in the late 1990s it has that serene before-social-media vibe when people more often encountered each other by chance.

It’s the perfect film to help you de-stress after spending too much time browsing those old family albums. It also topped Sight and Sound’s list of the “50 best films of 2022”.

The Pale Blue Eye

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Director: Scott Cooper

The Pale Blue Eye is a murder mystery in which Detective Landor (Christian Bale) is invited to a military academy to investigate the killing of a cadet. Harry Melling plays a shrewd Edgar Allan Poe wanting to help crack the case.

The film is loaded with creepy details like the victims having their hearts torn out. A must-see if you’re planning your own string of murders in 1830s New York.

The Menu

Genre: Comedy/Horror
Director: Mark Mylod

Lord Voldemort & Anya Taylor-Joy star in horror-comedy The Menu which gives a glimpse into the world of eating at expensive restaurants run by celebrity chefs.

Whilst the social commentary is served up in predictably small portion sizes with edible flower garnish, the overall feast of black comedy is surprisingly quite filling. The less you read about this one the better, we recommend going into it blind.

The Whale

Genre: Drama
Director: Darren Aronofsky

Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale follows a morbidly obese English teacher who pushes the boundaries of reclusiveness and attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter.

I was hesitant at first… if I wanted to watch a fat guy lay around his apartment I’d just look in the mirror. But I digress, this movie isn’t about just self-reflection, it relentlessly deconstructs themes ranging from guilt to grief, love to loss and religion to addiction.

Triangle of Sadness

Genre: Satire/Comedy
Director: Ruben Östlund

Triangle of Sadness is Ruben Östlund's Palme d'Or-winning film that follows a celebrity couple on a luxury cruise ship that sails the turbulent waters of power, wealth, and beauty.

Seems last year was the year of the dark comedy, but did any of the others contain a disgusting 15-minute-long vomiting and raw sewage scene? No.

Depending on how this information resonates with you, we either strongly recommend this movie or strongly recommend you avoid it.

The Banshees of Inisherin

Genre: Comedy/Drama
Director: Martin McDonagh

Even mates break up sometimes. The Banshees of Inisherin tackles the fragile nature of friendship in an intimate story set on a fictional Irish island during the Civil War. Colm (Brendan Gleeson) wants to dump Pádraic (Colin Farrell) so that he can focus more on his musical ambitions.

Pádraic takes it badly (to say the least) and intense turmoil develops between the former friends. They seemed to be getting along a whole lot better during In Bruges (2008).

Bones and All

Genre: Horror/Romance
Director: Luca Guadagnino

Bones and All is a haunting romance with a brutal wound at its heart. Overly sensitive viewers should definitely avoid this film about a pair of star-crossed cannibals (Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet) traversing the United States looking for their next meal.

The story is beautifully brought to life by director Luca Guadagnino (Call Me By Your Name) who won the Silver Lion for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival for this film.

The Northman

Genre: History/Action
Director: Robert Eggers

The Northman is a classic revenge tale about a man hunting down the guy that’s sleeping with his mum. Whether she met him through Viking Tinder, or he lured her in with the invention of the hair comb, it’s payback time.

Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), stubbornly vows to save his mother and plans his whole life around it instead of getting therapy.

If You Liked…

The Wonder: Hunger (2008), Saint Maud (2021), Lady MacBeth (2016)

Living: The Remains of the Day (1993), Ikiru (1952), The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)

Aftersun: Somewhere (2010), Captain Fantastic (2016), Call Me By Your Name (2017)

The Pale Blue Eye: Sleepy Hollow (1999), Knives Out (2019), The Prestige (2006)

The Menu: Parasite (2019), The Hunt (2020), Boiling Point (2021)

The Whale: The Wrestler (2008), Shame (2011), What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)

Triangle of Sadness: Force Majeure (2014), Another Round (2020), The Square (2017)

The Banshees of Inisherin: In Bruges (2008), The Nice Guys (2016), Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

Bones and All: Thelma and Louise (1991), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Raw (2016)

The Northman: Valhalla Rising (2009), The Revenant (2015), Gladiator (2000)

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Next Friday, we’ll return with our usual format, covering what’s new in the world of cinema and streaming.

Until then, enjoy your weekend!

The Watchlist.