As ScreenHub’s Film Content Lead, I’ve had a wonderful year of seeing great films and TV shows, so many of which deserve to be on this list. It’s so difficult narrowing it down, but I’ve tried anyway.
I ended up with 11 favourite films, and nine favourite TV series. Here they are:
Favourite films of 2022
Glass Onion 🔍 dir. Rian Johnson
A murder-mystery treat wrapped in layer upon layer of class consciousness, zinger dialogue, and sumptuous colour. It’s a shame it only ran for a week in cinemas. Read my full opinion here.
You Won’t Be Alone 🧙♀️ dir. Goran Stolevski
Australia’s Best International Feature Oscars contender for the year, and so worthy of it too. This Eastern European witchy horror filled me with dread and hope as it explored, essentially, what it is to be human. Director Goran Stolevski is a marvel.
Read: You Won’t Be Alone named as Australia’s official Oscars film 2023
Triangle of Sadness 🛥️ dir. Ruben Östlund
Perhaps the funniest film of the year, this satire of the uber-wealthy delights in letting its horrible characters really have it, and you’ll be laughing the whole way (do take a nausea tablet if you’re particularly squeamish though).
Broker 👶 dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda
Kore-eda is the master of films about morally dubious people that will make you weep with equal amounts of joy and sadness. This tale of a found family among human traffickers is no different.
The Batman 🦇 dir. Matt Reeves
Perhaps it’s controversial to chuck a superhero movie into my list amongst such heavy-hitters as Kore-Eda, Chan-wook, Strickland and Östlund, but stuff it: it’s my list. The Batman was a refreshing take on the caped crusader; as gripping and action-packed as it was thoughtful and creepy.
Read: The Batman review: a return on a staggering scale
Decision to Leave ⛰️ dir. Park Chan-wook
This Korean neo-noir has such a stunning stunning visual craftsmanship (as expected from director Park Chan-wook), and its Hitchcock-esque story and nuanced performances left me wanting more. Read my full review here.
Of An Age 👬 dir. Goran Stolevski
Easily my favourite Australian film of the year, and one that does my hometown of Melbourne proud, this queer coming-of-age flick will melt your heart and then break it into a thousand pieces. Read my full review here.
Flux Gourmet 🎙️ dir. Peter Strickland
Similar to Triangle of Sadness, you may need a nausea tablet going into this performance-art satire, but it’s worth losing your lunch over. The sound design alone is masterful, as is the Giallo-esque composition. It’s also weirdly relatable to journalists with gastrointestinal disorders (e.g. me).
Neptune Frost 🌌 dir. Anisia Uzeyman & Saul Williams
Neptune Frost is an afro-futurist sci-fi musical that pushes the potential of film as an actual art form, and for that I’m so grateful. One of the most interesting, exciting, and thoughtful flicks I saw this year. Read my full review here.
Nude Tuesday 🐐 dir. Armağan Ballantyne
Another great Australian flick, and IMO our best comedy offering this year. All dialogue is delivered in an invented gibberish language, and top comedians were hired to write the hilarious, and often purposefully mistranslated, subtitles. I’m certain it will be a cult classic in a few years’ time. Read my full review here.
Everything Everywhere All At Once 🥯 dir. The Daniels
I know that by now a lot of people think this A24 film about Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese immigrant ‘just trying to do her taxes’ and battle the multiverse while she’s at it is overrated, but I truly think it deserves all the hype. Just the mere mention of things like ‘Raccacoonie’ and ‘hot dog hands’ has me bent over in giggles, and then suddenly I’m tearing up at the complex mother-daughter relationship – not to mention the competing ideologies of bagel people vs googly-eye people.
And then Ke Huy Quan had to go and win a bunch of awards for it and make us all cry! This film is a beautiful thing and I will treasure it forever.
Read: Everything Everywhere All at Once review: bonkers but brilliant
Favourite series of 2022
Better Call Saul S6 ☕
A ripper of a finale to a Breaking Bad prequel series. Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman/Gene Takovic is a character I’ll be thinking about for a long time. Not to mention Kim Wexler! What a powerhouse. That final episode killed me.
Read: Ode to Odenkirk: Better Call Saul may be Breaking Bad’s better half
Interview with the Vampire 🧛🏿
It’s gay and it’s got vampires. It also has an unexpectedly great subplot about journalistic integrity. Australian Sam Reid absolutely embodies Lestat. Read my full opinion here.
Our Flag Means Death 🏴☠️
It’s gay and it’s got pirates. Initially a bit of a sleeper-hit, this show jumped to ‘Most in Demand’ at HBO due to its ever-growing fanbase of people who really want to see Rhys Darby and Taika Waititi kiss. Read my full opinion here.
Derry Girls S3 ☘️
We Aussies had to wait so long for the final Derry Girls season. It should have been here in 2021. Better late than never though! This series was consistently hilarious throughout and managed to make me cry like a baby in its final episode.
Read: Derry Girls Season 3 is a ghost story of hope … and laughs
Heartstopper 🏳️🌈
Based on the graphic novel series by Alice Oseman, this Netflix series made me ‘squee’ out loud so many times that I think I gave my cat a headache. Nick and Charlie are an adorable couple, and if anything bad happens to them I will throw myself from a cliff.
Read: Heartstopper is the queer TV show we need right now
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power 💍
This multi-million dollar, high fantasy epic really divided audiences. Was it a worthy entry in Tolkien adaptations, or did it sully his good name? I’m firmly on team ‘this show rocked’. The casting was perfect, the twists were genuinely surprising, and it looked bloody incredible.
Read: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power – nice cake, OK icing
Reservation Dogs S2 🚓
I think this show about Indigenous American teens is criminally underseen in Australia, so let me champion it for a bit: you need to watch Reservation Dogs. Created by Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi, this part coming-of-age, part irreverent comedy series is stellar stuff.
Dopesick 💉
Another show that was underseen in Australia is this Michael Keaton-led miniseries about the modern opioid crisis in the US. Keaton’s role as a doctor-turned-addict earned him a Golden Globe and a SAG award, which were both much-deserved in my opinion.
Andor 🔫
So much to say about this series, so little time. It’s not just ‘great for a Star Wars show’, it’s a great show, period. Diego Luna absolutely kills it. This is such an action-packed political thriller with a big socialist heart, and I’m amazed that The Big Mouse let this get made. I don’t care if you’ve never seen a Star Wars in your life: see this show, and then join me in the revolution.
Read: Andor is the perfect reward for Star Wars fans’ devotion
