Here are the best of the rest of what I saw last year, 20 films in alphabetical order, with the exception of the first one listed. I don’t claim that all of these are great films (though some of them are), but they all got my attention and engaged me in one way or another. Sometimes it’s just a performance, a feeling, more often it’s the whole package. You’ll also notice that most of these films were written or co-written by their directors. I think this makes a difference in the result.

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RRR (S.S. Rajamouli, director/co-writer)  This film opened in the U.S. on March 25 of last year and until a week ago had been playing at various theaters in the city ever since. I somehow hadn’t cranked up enough interest to check it out until I received the following text from a friend of mine in Minneapolis last month: “We watched RRR last night. Have you seen it? Holy shit!” I saw it was showing at Cinema Village, but the day I’d planned to go, it had moved to a later showtime that I couldn’t make. A week later it had returned to the IFC Center, which is where I finally saw it last Wednesday. It’s currently streaming on Netflix, but this is a film that definitely benefits from being seen on a theater screen, the bigger the better.  That said, I’m sure the film’s energy will come through regardless of format, though it might shatter your TV screen in the process.

If I had seen it before posting Part 1, RRR would have shared the top spot with EO. Set in the 1920s in India, it tells a fictional story of the population revolting against the governing British authorities. The title stands for “Rise Roar Revolt.” I’ve read that no less than James Cameron is a fan. The two main characters are based on actual people, seen here as freedom fighters who are basically superheroes. It’s also the story of an enduring friendship. Everything is way over the top, and quite wonderful. I loved every minute of its 3 hour 7 minute running time. There’s one scene in particular that had my jaw on the floor. You’ll know it when you see it.

Note: The many animals — tigers, leopards, wolves, etc. — in the film are entirely CGI.

Available for streaming on Netflix. Strap yourselves in.

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After Yang  (Kogonada, director/co-writer)

Per Wikipedia: “Jake and Kyra live with their adoptive daughter Mika and Yang, a previously owned robotic child they purchased from certified reseller Second Siblings, rather than from his original maker, Brothers & Sisters Incorporated. When Yang becomes unresponsive, Jake goes on a mission to repair him. Brothers & Sisters recommend replacing Yang, which means his body will decompose. Not wanting to upset Mika, Jake becomes determined to save his robotic child. In a flashback, Yang reassures a curious Mika that she is still part of the family despite being adopted.”

Another excellent film that basically nobody saw. I was interested as soon as I learned it was made by the South Korean director Kogonada. I’d loved his earlier film, Columbus (2017). After Yang has a strong cast that includes the always excellent Colin Farrell and Hayley Lu Richards. The film addresses the question of what it means to be human, an issue that usually comes up when humanoid robots are involved, presented here in a way that is deeply touching and sad.

I’d forgotten this, but just read that at one point in the film, Yang says “The ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu once said that what the caterpillar calls the end the rest of the world calls a butterfly.” An interesting way to look at death.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Amsterdam (David O. Russell, director/writer)  Shaggy dog story with many moving parts, shiny objects, frequent flashbacks, and a great cast.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Armageddon Time (James Gray, director/writer)  Excellent coming-of-age story. Feels like a good novel. Anthony Hopkins is awesome as usual.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Bones and All (Luca Guadagnino, director)  Cannibals on the road. Was initially very wary of this film, not sure I’d want to see what I might see. But not to worry. It’s about a scattered society of cannibals, working class and lower, just getting through one day after the next. Definitely a love story. Excellent cast, which includes the amazing Mark Rylance, who I’m always in awe of. Could just as easily have been a vampire film. I liked it.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Decision to Leave (Park Chan-wook, director/co-writer)  Slow-burn thriller from a great director.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Emily the Criminal (John Patton Ford, director/writer)  Aubrey Plaza and the charismatic Theo Rossi are excellent in this story of a young woman in financial difficulty who gets recruited to do some low-risk scamming crime that gets more and more high-risk.

Available for streaming on Netflix.

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Everything Everywhere All at Once (Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, directors/writers)  I first took a run at this film shortly after it opened last April. Prior to that, I’d been seeing its trailer for weeks and thought it looked very quirky and right up my alley. So I was surprised to find that I hated it and actually left after an hour, something I almost never do. Even if I’m not liking a film, I feel obligated to see it through in order to have a fully informed opinion. Otherwise it feels like I’ve let both myself and the film down somehow. But this time, I’d had enough and bailed. Was confused because I thought the actor playing Michelle Yeoh’s husband had to be Jackie Chan in an unbilled role. Also hadn’t recognized Jamie Lee Curtis as the IRS official. When I saw the rave reviews the film was getting and how much people seemed to love it, I figured either everyone else was wrong or that I’d just had an off day. I kept putting off giving the film another shot, but when it received eleven Academy Award nominations, I thought I’d better see it if I wanted to be part of the conversation. So late last month I did. This time I was on board for the craziness and liked it. Still not sure it deserves that many nominations, but definitely worth seeing.

Available for purchase to stream @ $19.95 from Amazon Prime. This price will surely come down at some point.

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God’s Country (Julian Higgins director/co-writer)  Slow-burn thriller, very tense.

Available for streaming on AMC+

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The Good Boss (Fernando Léon de Aranoa, director/writer)  A different kind of role for Javier Bardem. Terrific performance as things just get worse and worse.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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The Good Nurse (Tobias Lindholm, director)  Based on a true story, this film is low-key and very disturbing. Excellent performances from Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne. I’ve liked the Danish director’s previous films, which include Another Round (2020) and A Hijacking (2012). Noah Emmerich is especially good as one of the police detectives investigating the hospital deaths.

Available for streaming on Netflix.

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Hold Me Tight (Mathieu Almeric, director/writer)  Vicky Krieps, also in Corsage, scores again in this tricky film in which you’re not always (or ever) sure of what is actually going on. Rewards a second viewing.

Available for streaming on MUBI.

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Marcel the Shell wifh Shoes On (Dean Fleischer, director/co-writer)  The cuteness factor is off the charts in this wonderful film.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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Montana Story (Scott McGehee & David Siegel, directors/writers)  Deeply human story of coming home and reconciliation. Excellent performances. I always like Haley Lu Richardson.

Available for streaming on Showtime.

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No Bears (Jafar Panahi, director/writer)  Jafar Panahi, a truly great director, was arrested in March 2010 and charged with propaganda against the Iranian government. In December 2010 he was sentenced to six years in prison and a twenty-year ban on directing films, writing screenplays, giving interviews or leaving the country. While waiting on an  appeal, he made This Is Not a Film in 2011, which was smuggled out of the country on a flash drive hidden inside a cake and shown at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. He continued making films in spite of the ban. His films are inventive acts of resistance.  No Bears is the latest. Panahi was arrested last July and is currently in prison in Iran.

Not yet available for streaming.

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Nope (Jordan Peele, director/writer)  Science fiction film with a high WTF? factor. Since his feature debut with Get Out (2017), Jordan Peele has been expected to deliver something new with each new film, and so far has not disappointed. Keke Palmer is a standout in Nope, as is the murderous chimp that runs amok.

Available for streaming on Peacock.

The following trailers are different enough that I think both are worth including.

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The Northman (Robert Eggers, director/writer)  Meticulously researched by Robert Eggers, this is purportedly the most authentic Viking movie ever. Set in 914 AD, it’s also very violent. Vikings, you know. A son seeks to avenge the murder of his father and kidnapping of his mother, regardless of what it takes or how long. This is only Egger’s third feature. His first, The Witch (2015), put him on the map. The Northman is his biggest production yet, and quite an achievement. You’ll know you’ve seen something.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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The Outfit (Joe Wright, director)  Mark Rylance gives another masterful performance as Leonard, a Saville Row tailor (or “cutter”) relocated in Chicago, who provides services to an Irish mobster. The film takes place during the course of one night in December 1956, almost entirely within the confines of Leonard’s shop, which becomes a pressure cooker of tension. This noirish thriller takes many twists and turns before the night is over. Good cast, but Rylance owns the film.

Available for streaming on Amazon Prime.

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White Noise (Noah Baumbach, director/writer)  Based on the novel by Don DeLillo, this is, it seems to me, an unexpected film from Noah Baumbach. It’s his first time writing and directing a book-to-screen adaptation. It has a larger scope and focus than his previous films, which include The Squid and the Whale (2005), Frances Ha (2012), The Meyerowitz Stories (2017), and the blistering Marriage Story (2019).

White Noise is fascinating in the way you think you’re in one story and then it shifts gears before you even know it, and you realize it’s become something else. Interesting how Baumbach pulls this off.

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The Wonder (Sebastián Lelio, director/co-writer)

Film description from IMDb: “Set in The Irish Midlands in 1862, the story follows a young girl who stops eating but remains miraculously alive and well. English nurse Lib Wright is brought to a tiny village to observe eleven-year old Anna O’Donnell. Tourists and pilgrims mass to witness the girl who is said to have survived without food for months. Is the village harboring a saint ‘surviving on manna from heaven’ or are there more ominous motives at work?”

Florence Pugh plays the English nurse. I always like seeing her. She’s a very interesting actress. This fascinating, disturbing film is another strong addition to her filmography.

Available for streaming on Netflix.

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I was going to add some interviews and clips at this point, but I suspect this may be too much already. I’ll post that supplementary material separately. After that, stay tuned for my picks for best documentaries of 2022. Stay safe. — Ted Hicks

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