The Best Movies Of 2022

Movies are good.

Sorry. Ahem. We can do better than that. Movies are not only good, movies are enriching, nourishing, rejuvenating, beautiful, weird, funny, exhilarating, terrifying, discombobulating, and any other adjective you care to throw at them. The bad ones melt away. The good ones linger on. Therefore: movies are good. 

And 2022 proves that yes, movies are indeed still good. And to make that crystal clear, we're keeping a running tally, presented alphabetically, of the films we loved this year. The Indies. The blockbusters. The stuff you've heard of. The stuff that may not be on your radar. If it's on this list, it has the /Film staff's seal of approval. And we'll be updating it every few weeks. Happy to have you here. And we'll see you later. 

Netflix has been quietly becoming the home of some of the best cinematic epics in recent memory, and their release of the unflinching anti-war film, "All Quiet on the Western Front," is one of their very best. An adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's groundbreaking novel that was also the source of Universal Pictures' Academy Award-winning film of the same name, "All Quiet on the Western Front" is the antithesis of most American-made war films. This is not a film about war heroes or painting combat as a glorious event, instead presenting a bleak and painfully honest look at how war permanently changes people, especially the young and impressionable men often put on the front lines before they are mature enough to comprehend just what they've signed up (or were drafted) for.

Set in Germany in 1914, "All Quiet on the Western Front" focuses on Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) and his classmates after they eagerly enlist in the army to serve their fatherland in what would later be known as World War I. These young men have been successfully brainwashed by propaganda and are excited to join the war effort, unknowingly given the uniforms of already deceased soldiers. After being deployed in Northern France, their idealized perception of war is immediately destroyed after witnessing the reality of trench warfare.

"All Quiet on the Western Front" is a harrowing watch, but that's precisely the point. It's borderline irresponsible the way war has been portrayed in some major studio pictures, and showcasing the brutal authenticity provides a necessary dose of reality. The film transcends into a beautiful, devastating cautionary tale and a massive critique of what would later become the military-industrial complex. (BJ Colangelo)

Director: Edward Berger

Cast: Felix Kammerer, Albrecht Schuch, Aaron Hilmer

Runtime: 147 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Don't let the fact that this is one of the lowest rated movies on this list deter you! "Babylon" is a rambunctious portrait of Hollywood in the late 1920s and early 1930s as the industry navigates from the black and white silent film era into the dawn of talkies, and this isn't just a nostalgic look back at classic Tinseltown, even if it's coming from jazz fiend and "La La Land" director Damien Chazelle.

"Babylon" follows an ensemble of characters each navigating the chaos of show business. Margot Robbie is Nellie, a rising starlet with her eyes set on fame. Diego Calva is Manuel, a Hollywood gofer on the verge of his big break. Brad Pitt shines as silent movie star Jack Conrad, who goes from being one of the biggest stars in Hollywood to a washed up actor. Jean Smart plays Elinor St. John, running a Hollywood gossip rag that sees and hears everything. Jovan Adepo plays a trumpeter whose brass sound makes waves when the talkies arrive on the scene. And Li Jun Li plays Lady Fay Zhu, an exotic and erotic performer who commands the attention of all who set their eyes upon her. Oh, and Tobey Maguire shows up in the film's completely unhinged final act. 

In Damien Chazelle's three-hour epic, there are unbelievable parties fueled by endless drugs, alcohol and sex. The first half-hour of the movie alone is a non-stop party with more debauchery than many teenage sex comedies. As the film continues, we witness the incredible chaos that makes Hollywood tick, with unstable filmmakers and stars somehow coming together to create movie magic, though there is inevitable tragedy to be found. It's a wild romp, but it goes to some surprisingly dark places. It's the kind of big swing that we don't get to see Hollywood take very often, and we're here for it. (Ethan Anderton)

Director: Damien Chazelle

Cast: Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Diego Calva, Jean Smart, Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li, Tobey Maguire, Lukas Haas, Katherine Waterston, Rory Scovel, and more

Runtime: 189 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 55%

Martin McDonagh knows exactly how to turn bleak melodrama into a roaring comedy without compromising an ounce of necessary existential dread. Such was the case with "In Bruges," and such is the case again with "The Banshees of Inisherin." There are so many ways you can dissect the film, including (but certainly not limited to) a story of men's inability to truly reckon with and investigate their emotions, specifically older generations of Irish men. My nearly 80-year-old stepfather was born in Connemara in the West of Ireland, and there's a lot of him all over this movie.

Colm (Brendan Gleeson) complains that Pádraic (Colin Farrell) has become dull, too dull to be worth his time or energy since life is short and death is potentially imminent. He does, however, have the time and the energy to bemoan not having the time or the energy for this. Pádraic meanwhile plays the Nice Guy™ card as if niceness is a "get out of jail free" card that absolves him from any and all introspection and accountability. Every single man on the island (they're mostly men) is stuck there, incapable of growth or change, but fighting for some semblance of power over their own destiny as they remain stagnant, refusing to budge an inch literally or metaphorically.

Meanwhile, Pádraic's sister, Siobhán (Kerry Condon) is the smartest, most interesting, insightful, and empathetic person on the tiny little island of Inisherin, who sees their ridiculous world for exactly what it is. "This isn't about Inisherin," Colm laments when she confronts him about his baseless decision to ice out her brother. "It's about one boring man leaving another man alone, that's all."

"One boring man," she exclaims. "Yer all feckin' boring!" None of them will ever understand that, which only adds to the deep, cutting impact of "The Banshees of Inisherin." (Ariel Fisher)

Director: Martin McDonagh

Cast: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Kerry Condon, Barry Keoghan, Jenny the Donkey

Runtime: 114 minutes

Rating: 14A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Many critics reviled "Blonde," citing the film's non-stop horrific atmosphere and the never-ending torments inflicted upon Marilyn Monroe, as played by Ana de Armas. While I certainly understand not wanting to sit through Dominik's long, depressing saga, I also feel like many people pushed the film away without really trying to understand it. For one thing, Dominik isn't making a biopic here. He's making a fictional story inspired by Monroe's life. As such, he uses familiar players from Hollywood history, all filtered through a fictional lens. 

The end result is akin to a horror movie, as Marilyn struggles to find both acceptance from her peers and from herself. She wants love but can't have it. She gains fame but is taken for granted as little more than a sex symbol. She moves from one horrible man to the next, hoping that one of them will accept her for who she really is — not starlet Marilyn Monroe, but Norma Jeane, the poor, lost girl who came to Hollywood seeking glitz and glam and got something much more horrific. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Andrew Dominik

Cast: Ana de Armas, Adrien Brody, Bobby Cannavale, Xavier Samuel, Julianne Nicholson

Runtime: 166 minutes

Rating: NC-17

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 42%

How could you possibly resist the adorable story of a quirky, reclusive inventor and his makeshift robot with the head of a mannequin and the body of a washing machine? You simply can't. "Brian and Charles" is a delightful story of friendship mixed with a dryly hilarious take on "Frankenstein" tropes with a little "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial" and "The Iron Giant" thrown in for good measure.

In the movie from director Jim Archer, adapted from his own short film of the same name, Brian Gittins (David Earl) spends his time creating oddball inventions such as shoes with trawler nets on the back, a belt for holding eggs, and a flying cuckoo clock that he attempts to launch on a bicycle. Shy and socially awkward, he steers clear of most people in his small town, especially some bullying rough-around-the-edges locals. But he lights up after creating Charles, a robot somehow formed from some roadside junk and a washing machine. The two become best friends, inspiring Brian to come out of his shell a bit. However, their friendship is tested when Charles desperately wants to learn more about the world around him, and Brian keeps him from venturing too far away from their countryside home. 

What follows is a wonderful, hilarious and charming adventure where Brian and Charles learn a lot about what it really means to be friends and even more about themselves. It's simple but lovely and will undoubtedly be a crowdpleaser when it hits theaters on June 17, 2022. Check out our review from the 2022 Sundance Film Festival right here. (Ethan Anderton)

Director: Him Archer

Cast: David Earl, Chris Hayward

Runtime: 90 minutes

Rating: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 86%

After all the insufferable live-action CGI hybrid movies we've gotten based on classic cartoons, from "Alvin and the Chipmunks" to "Tom & Jerry," it's totally understandable if you initially rolled your eyes at the new Disney+ movie based on "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers." But we're here to tell you that this is one of the best movies of the year and it's a worthy successor to the innovative live-action animation hybrid "Who Framed Roger Rabbit."

With a self-aware sense of humor and a cavalcade of cartoon cameos and references, "Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers" is a witty Hollywood satire that lovingly sends up the animation industry, from two-dimensional Saturday morning cartoons to not-quite-lifelike computer generated imagery and even more in-between. Fueled by a mystery that threatens the cartoon characters of Hollywood, "Chip 'n Dale" finds John Mulaney and Andy Samberg as the estranged crime-fighting TV duo who are forced to become real-life heroes instead of just chipmunks acting for the small screen. Family friendly and endlessly rewatchable thanks to the dozens of Easter eggs sprinkled throughout, this is one of the biggest surprises of 2022, and it's easily one of the best original movies to come out of Disney+ since the streaming service launched. We're keeping our fingers crossed for a sequel. (Ethan Anderton)

Director: Akiva Schaffer

Cast: John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Will Arnett, Eric Bana

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rating: PG

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 81%

After 2016's sublime erotic masterpiece "The Handmaiden," a flawless high point in a career full of them, where was Park Chan-wook to go? As was revealed by this year's ravishing, meticulous "Decision to Leave," the answer is deeper into eroticism, deeper into noirish mystery, and deeper into formal experimentation.

Premiering in the main competition at Cannes and available to stream now on MUBI, "Decision To Leave" snakes and sidewinds its way through a hardboiled crime thriller plot. Hae-Jun (Park Hae-il), a Busan-based detective, begins tailing Seo-Rae (the incredible Tang Wei, who folks may know from "Lust, Caution" and "Long Day's Journey Into Night"), the newly widowed wife of an immigration caseworker who fell to his death while climbing a mountain. Or so it seems.

As Hae-Jun circles Seo-Rae, entranced by the mysterious caretaker, she begins to circle him in return, drawing them both into a fatalistic embrace, as they sprial downward towards darkness. As is so often the case in Park's films, there is a thin line between violence and sensuality, and he explores it here through a stunning array of formal experiments. If "The Handmaiden's" delights and surprises turned on a narrative pin, here, they turn on a technical one. "Decision To Leave" is a feast of unconventional setups, breathtakingly maximal wide shots, and mind-bogglingly inventive zooms. It's the kind of film you could watch with the sound off, but stay completely turned on by all the dazzling formal pyrotechnics (not to mention the heat between Park Hae-il and Tang Wei). (Ryan Coleman)

Director: Park Chan-wook

Cast: Tang Wei, Park Hae-il

Runtime: 139 minutes

Rating: Not Rated

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Everything you've heard about Baz Luhrmann's "Elvis" is true. It's chaotic, and overstuffed, and features an abundance of Tom Hanks jumpscares. It's also a wild, funny, sexy blast of entertainment; a wobbly carnival tilt-a-whirl ride disguised as a movie. While Luhrmann does traffic in the traditional musician biopic tropes, he also flips them on their head, rushing through parts of the King's life and career, all seen through the eyes of his ghoulish manager Colonel Tom Parker, played by a delightfully hammy Tom Hanks. 

Anyone trying to understand Elvis as a person will probably come away disappointed (for that, I recommend watching the excellent documentary "Elvis Presley: The Searcher"). Instead, Luhrmann seems more interested in Elvis: The Symbol; Elvis: The Entertainer; Elvis: The Sad, Lonely Guy Who Was Ruined By People Around Him. At the center of it all is Austin Butler's incredible, almost scary performance. This is the very definition of a "star-making performance," with Butler not doing a mere Elvis impression but seemingly channeling the man. There's not a single wrong note in Butler's performance: he talks like Elvis, sings like Elvis, and moves like Elvis. Even if you want to discount everything else Lurhmann and company are doing here (and you shouldn't), you can't deny the raw power of Butler's work here. (Chris Evangelista) 

Director: Baz Luhrmann

Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey

Runtime: 159 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 78%

Steven Spielberg's most personal film is an autobiographical look at what drew him to filmmaking in the first place. But this isn't Spielberg playing the hits and singing his own praises. Instead, the acclaimed director is re-examining his own origin story, and reflecting on his parents' divorce — a seismic event that played a major part in nearly all of his films. Spielberg's avatar, young Sammy Fabelman, learns to love movies. More than that, he learns to love making movies — and he's damn good at it, too. But he's not just creating art, he's also hiding. Spielberg and co-writer Tony Kushner suggest that the reason Spielberg got so damn good at making movies — other than his inherent cinematic mindset — is that he buried himself in work in order to avoid the more troubling elements of his life — specifically, his parents' fractured marriage, and the antisemitism he faced in school. 

This could've backfired into a treacly experience in which the filmmaker is simply patting himself on the back. But "The Fabelmans" is much more complicated than that, exploring the neurosis and mental angst that plague the characters as they grow and age throughout the years. It all culminates in a finale that's one of the best things Spielberg has ever created, and that's saying something. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Steven Spielberg

Cast: Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, Gabriel LaBelle, Judd Hirsch

Runtime: 151 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

After the delight that was "Knives Out," it would've been easy for Rian Johnson to simply phone it in for a sequel and do the same old same old. Instead, with "Glass Onion," Johnson crafts a bigger, funnier, more engrossing mystery. Once again, Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc is in the midst of rich, awful people — and he has a murder to solve! But nothing is as it seems, and Johnson keeps dropping one twist after another. Just when we think we have it figured out, a new development arises that shifts practically everything that came before it. 

Craig continues to shine in this role, and he's backed up by a game cast, including an excellent Janelle Monáe, who has a role that's trickier than it first appeared, and Edward Norton, who is great as a Musk-like billionaire. Johnson and Craig are already signed to make a third film in the series, but if they wanted to go ahead and keep making new sequels every other year, I certainly wouldn't complain. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista

Runtime: 139 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

There's so much junk on Netflix. But there are hidden gems, too. Titles that get next to no promotion from the streaming service. Titles that are doomed to slip through the cracks if you're not actively on the hunt for them. One such title just waiting to be discovered by more audiences is "The House," a spooky little treat featuring stop-motion animation. Three different stories unfold in this anthology, and the only connection is that they all appear to take place in the same mysterious house.

In the first story, which appears to be set sometime in the late 1800s, a family is offered a chance by a famous, mysterious architect to move into a brand new house. They leap at the chance, but as you might've guessed, the house is full of dark, scary secrets that threaten to destroy them all. The second tale is set in the present day, and for unexplained reasons, the characters have now transformed from humans to anthropomorphic rats. One such rat has bought the house and intends to flip it for a profit, but once again, nothing goes accordingly to plan. The final story is set sometime in the future, where a catastrophe (global warming seems the most likely culprit) has sunk most of the world underwater. But the house remains, standing like an island. 

Eerie, strange, and even a little beautiful, "The House" got next-to-no-buzz when it dropped in January. But you owe it to yourself to seek it out. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Emma de Swaef, Marc James Roels, Niki Lindroth von Bahr, Paloma Baeza

Cast: Mia Goth, Matthew Goode, Jarvis Rocker, Helena Bonham Carter

Runtime: 97 minutes

Rating: N/A

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Hey, did you know there was a movie this year in which the uber-prolific Steven Soderbergh paid homage to Alfred Hitchcock and Brian De Palma? You may have missed it in the deluge of streaming content, but this particular HBO Max original is absolutely worth checking out. "Kimi" is Soderbergh's riff on movies like "Rear Window" and "Blow Out," and the result is a heart-pumping little thriller that's actually made for adults. There are no post-credits stingers here, no big cameos or connections to other movies. "Kimi" knows exactly what it wants to do, and executes that vision efficiently and effectively. 

Zoe Kravitz stars as Angela, who works for a big tech company reviewing the audio that comes in from its Amazon Echo-style device in peoples' homes. When she overhears what she thinks is a murder, she tries to run it up the corporate chain — but the people in power aren't interested in dealing with the issue. In fact, they just might be willing to kill to keep it covered up. For the first half of the film, Soderbergh keeps us inside Angela's apartment. She's agoraphobic, and has not handled the isolation of the pandemic well. (Yes, this movie acknowledges the pandemic, but in a refreshing and not obnoxious way.) But as soon as she ventures beyond her familiar walls, the movie opens up and kicks into another gear, and "Kimi" never lets up after that. A streamlined, simple premise in the hands of a master filmmaker? More like this, please. (Ben Pearson)

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Zoe Kravitz

Runtime: 89 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

Alex Garland's "Men" is a puzzle. Garland is a filmmaker who seems to relish not spoon-feeding his audience, and you know what? Good for him! We need more directors who are willing to challenge us. Of course, there's a flip-side to that: some folks who watch Garland's latest might get annoyed at how mysterious it all is. There are no easy answers here. No moment where someone stops to explain to the audience just what the hell is going on. There are plenty of clues mixed in with plenty of strange images, and the rest is up to us.

Jessie Buckley plays a recently widowed woman who decides to get away from it all by renting a country house in a small village. It looks peaceful and idyllic, but almost as soon as Buckley's character arrives, things seem off. As she moves about, the strangeness only increases as it becomes clear that every male figure Buckley encounters (save for flashbacks with her husband) is played by Rory Kinnear. Kinnear, who dons a series of wigs, false noses, and more, to play multiple characters, is phenomenal, bringing a distinct air of menace to each of his parts. Every single man Buckley interacts with is slightly off, or even downright threatening. That includes a child, also played by Kinnear (or rather, Kinnear's face digitally added to a younger actor's body, which is just as disturbing as it sounds). 

By the time "Men" reaches its gruesome, body-horror-heavy finale, audiences will either love the folk horror insanity Garland is dishing out, or vow to never watch one of his movies again. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Alex Garland

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Rory Kinnear

Runtime: 100 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 75%

With Russia's authoritarian leader Vladimir Putin waging war on the citizens of Ukraine, Daniel Roher's new documentary "Navalny" feels more vital than ever. The doc follows Alexei Navalny, a charming and handsome orator who became a major player in Russian politics and eventually Putin's chief political rival after openly criticizing the corruption that was happening in his home country. He's amassed a huge social media following, and he knows how to galvanize the younger electorate: As a middle-aged man, he's making viral TikTok videos and regularly meets Russians on their level by directly addressing them on the digital platforms they use on a daily basis. Putin, willing to do anything to retain his grip on power, is so scared of Navalny that he won't even speak his name aloud in press conferences — oh, and there was also that whole thing when Navalny was poisoned using a method frequently utilized by the Kremlin. 

After Navalny recovers from the botched assassination attempt, he teams up with a Bulgarian journalist to try to find proof that the Kremlin organized the hit on him, and the movie shifts into a "Bourne"-style spy thriller. The doc gives us access to these stories in a way the headlines never could, tapping into the politician's family members and closest allies and showcasing the footage they captured of these events while they were happening. Unfortunately, things don't end well for the protagonist — but perhaps if this film is more widely seen, it could prompt harsher official responses from global powers than the tepid statements that have been made thus far. (Ben Pearson)

Director: Daniel Roher

Cast: N/A

Runtime: 98 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 99%

It's a testament to Robert Eggers' talent that "The Northman" is his weakest film so far, and yet still completely rocks. While not as brilliant as the one-two punch of "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse," "The Northman" is still a great showcase for Eggers' unique brand of historical storytelling. Here, Eggers draws on the legend of Amleth, which heavily inspired Shakespeare's "Hamlet." As a result, the film often feels like a Viking version of "Hamlet," with a little of "The Lion King" thrown in for good measure. 

Alexander Skarsgård and his gigantic traps plays Amleth, a prince who, as a child, flees his kingdom after his father (Ethan Hawke) is murdered by his uncle (Claes Bang). When Amleth grows up, he becomes a hulking killing machine and vows to finally get his revenge. Anya Taylor-Joy plays a witchy woman who helps him along the way, and Nicole Kidman chews plenty of scenery as Amleth's mother. 

Full of strange, mystical energy and bursts of brutal violence, "The Northman" probably should've seen a little weirder than it ended up being. Eggers does pepper in plenty of evocative imagery, but this is also his most mainstream, straightforward film to date. (Chris Evangelista) 

Director: Robert Eggers

Cast: Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Cales Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy

Runtime: 137 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 89%

Ti West's return to horror with his period-specific "X" was a delightful surprise set in the same southern heat of the 1970s that gave us "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre." A director with a history of subverting expectations, West then blew the minds of horror fans across the globe with the announcement that he had already shot a secret prequel film, "Pearl," telling the story of Mia Goth's elderly character from "X" during her younger years. Shot with a dazzling technicolor production design, a score from Tyler Bates that sounds like something straight out of a Judy Garland film, and a career-making performance from Goth, "Pearl" is not just an exceptional horror film, it's one of the very best films of the year.

Set in 1918 in the midst of the influenza pandemic, "Pearl" sees Goth as a newlywed feeling stuck on the farm of her German immigrant parents while her husband is away at war. Pearl's mother is a stern and domineering force, who insists that her only duties should be taking care of the farm, and her paralyzed father, who is infirm from the great sickness. Despite her obligations, Pearl has big dreams of becoming a dancer in the movin' pictures and will do anything it takes to see her dreams become a reality.

Goth is in every single scene of "Pearl," and it will be a certain crime when the Academy Awards once again neglect the legitimate talent found in horror cinema. The final 15 minutes of "Pearl" alone should be studied by every actor currently working because as terrifying as Pearl is, she's also one hell of a captivating performer. (BJ Colangelo)

Director: Ti West

Cast: Mia Goth, David Corenswet, Tandi Wright, Emma Jenkins-Purro

Runtime: 102 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%

The "Predator" franchise has seen plenty of ups and downs over the years. There's no beating the original 1987 sci-fi thriller where some of Hollywood's most beefy stars were brutally killed one-by-one by a mysterious hunter in the jungle. "Predators" offered an intriguing new formula on the franchise, and at the very least it was leaps and bounds better than anything from the "Alien vs Predator" series. Then we have "The Predator," which offered up a promising throwback to 90s action movies, but fell apart with a messy third act. But 2022 gave us "Prey" and totally redeemed the franchise with a refreshing spin on the original premise. 

"Prey" takes us to the Northern Great Plains, all the way back in 1719, where a young Native American girl (Amber Midthunder) is keen to prove herself as a warrior and hunter to the rest of her Comanche tribe. But that proves to be especially challenging when the prey she attempts to hunt turns out to be a highly evolved Predator with a technologically advanced arsenal. Using her cunning and resourcefulness, she goes head-to-head with this deadly alien threat, making for a face-off that comes rather close to matching the greatness of the original "Predator," including a few clever nods to the original movie. 

The premise alone offers an intriguing new formula that could span a variety of time periods, but this one feels particularly special by focusing on a young Native American girl being able to match wits with one of the most lethal hunters in the entire universe. Amber Midthunder rightfully earns her place among some of the great action heroes of the 21st century, and with the tease of a possible sequel in the film's closing credits, we hope she gets to throw her axe and draw some green blood again in the future. (Ethan Anderton)

Director: Dan Trachtenberg

Cast: Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers, Dane DiLiegro

Runtime: 100 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 93%

Rebecca Hall is one of the best actors working today, someone who always delivers — and frequently delivers intense, electrically-charged performances. Hall seems to specialize in playing women who are slowly coming unglued; women who are tormented, or on the verge of a nervous breakdown. That trend continues with "Resurrection," in which Hall plays a no-nonsense single mother who descends into stress and horror when her past comes back to haunt her.

One day, Hall's character Margaret spots a man at a conference. The man, played by Tim Roth, seems harmless at first sight, but Margaret is seized with panic. She starts spotting Roth's character elsewhere, and finally confronts him, begging him to leave her alone. At first, he claims he has no idea what she's talking about. But that facade is dropped quickly, and we learn that Margaret and this man, named David, have a highly disturbing past together. David's very presence is a threat, and Margaret agrees to placate David if he agrees to leave her — and her teenager daughter — alone. 

To say more would ruin the shocking surprises "Resurrection" has in store. As the film progresses, things grow more frightening, and Hall's character goes further and further into the deep end, with the entire film building towards a gruesome, nightmarish finale that will linger with you long after the credits have rolled. (Chris Evangelista)

Director: Andrew Semans

Cast: Rebecca Hall, Grace Kaufman, Michael Esper, Tim Roth

Runtime: 103 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%

Tom Cruise finally returns to the role that made him a superstar in "Top Gun: Maverick," a spectacular sequel that, against all odds, actually ends up being worth the three-decade wait between movies. Despite his boundary-pushing personality constantly getting him in trouble, Pete "Maverick" Mitchell is called back into action to train the next generation of fighter pilots, who are faced with an impending mission that could avert nuclear disaster. Maverick's particular set of skills makes him the perfect person to teach the new class, but when he realizes that one of his students is Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), the son of Maverick's beloved and long-dead former partner, things get a lot more complicated. The stage is set for high drama and even higher flying — and you know Maverick isn't gonna be sitting on the sidelines as a teacher when the real mission kicks off. 

Even though director Joseph Kosinski doesn't have the same eye for pure style that original filmmaker Tony Scott had (there is significantly less sweat in this movie, and the color palette isn't nearly as creative overall), he's still able to deliver outstanding aerial action that will get your heart pumping and have you holding your breath in the theater. There's also a surprising emotional core to this movie: If you happen to find yourself wiping away tears and asking yourself, "Wait, did a 'Top Gun' movie just make me cry?", you won't be alone. When all is said and done, this just might be the most crowd-pleasing film of the year. (Ben Pearson)

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Cast: Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Glen Powell

Runtime: 131 minutes

Rating: PG-13

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97%

Nicolas Cage playing Nicolas Cage. That's all you need to know in order to get psyched about "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent." All right, so Cage is actually playing an exaggerated, fictional version of himself, including a digitally de-aged, physically manifested inner-monologue who appears from time to time. This version of the Hollywood star is down on his luck at this stage in his career, so he finds himself taking a somewhat embarrassing gig asking him to appear at the birthday party of Javi, a rich superfan. However, the FBI is interested in this fan because he's a dangerous drug cartel kingpin, and they end up recruiting Cage to help them find a girl that Javi seems to have abducted.

What makes this meta comedy from director Tom Gormican work so well is that it manages to be a great buddy action comedy that not only makes impeccable use of Cage's eccentric and eclectic career, but it allows "The Mandalorian" star Pedro Pascal to be his hilarious fanboy counterpart. Watching Cage get caught up in espionage and intrigue has an almost "Last Action Hero" vibe to it, and there are flares of "Tropic Thunder" and "Three Amigos" too. It's wildly entertaining, and it will make you wonder why Cage hasn't been asked to make more comedies. His timing is extraordinary, and he's not afraid to really cut loose, even if it means making fun of himself. There are also plenty of fun references to Nicolas Cage movies, from "Con-Air" to "Captain Corelli's Mandolin." It's an irresistibly good time. (Ethan Anderton)

Director: Tom Gormican

Cast: Nicolas Cage, Pedro Pascal, Tiffany Haddish, Sharon Horgan

Runtime: 107 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 87%

Ti West's "X" isn't just a slasher movie throwback; it feels like a crystallization of every single slasher movie ever made, rolled into a slick, sexy, scary package. West is using a very familiar set-up here: a group of rowdy youngsters head to a remote location and run afoul of the backward locals. But the filmmaker isn't just going through the motions, or playing the hits. He's crafting an incredibly enjoyable horror pic full of gore, laughs, thrills, chills, and plenty of sex.

The story follows a group of filmmakers in 1979 who head to a remote cabin in Texas to film a porno. There's the horny producer (Martin Henderson), his girlfriend who also performs in the film (Mia Goth), the bombshell porn star (Brittany Snow), the leading man (Scott Mescudi), the film nerd cameraman/director (Owen Campbell), and his quiet girlfriend who acts as the sound girl (Jenna Ortega). The shoot goes well — at first. But a homicidal, horny old woman (also played by Goth, buried under unrecognizable makeup) has other plans for the group. 

What makes "X" so refreshing is the fact that West isn't burying all his horror under subtext and mystery. He's laying it all out on the table, delivering the type of crowd-pleasing slasher pic we don't see nearly enough these days. (Chris Evangelista) 

Director: Ti West

Cast: Mia Goth, Jenna Ortega, Martin Henderson, Brittany Snow, Owen Campbell, Stephen Ure, Scott Mescudi

Runtime: 106 minutes

Rating: R

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 95%