By Lizz Panchyk
The year 2022 was a big one for movies. While the pandemic cut a lot of filming time, with the world becoming safer, we’re finally back with more normalized filming patterns and titles that were nominated for the 2023 Oscars. There’s still time to see some of the most popular movies from last year before the Oscars take place on March 12. Here are seven of the most top-rated Oscar nominated movies from 2022 and how I’d rate them.
“Elvis” With Austin Butler as Elvis, this movie released in June 2022 recreates the amazing and rocking life of Elvis. It explores his journey throughout his musical career and is a nice homage to the King of Rock and Roll. Recognizing Butler from his days on Nickelodeon, the performance of Butler himself pays incredible tribute to Elvis.
“The Batman” It seems like with every superhero movie, we need a new one. Edward Cullen, the most popular vampire from 2008 to 2012, has now turned into Batman. This is the newest recreation of “Batman” starring Robert Pattinson. This movie, released last March, has gotten rave reviews, even with it being nearly three hours long. However, I am a DC fan, and the cinematography is absolutely mesmerizing.
“Turning Red” A turning point in Disney-Pixar movies, this family-friendly movie released last March explores young female adolescence. Only this quirky 13-year-old girl also happens to turn into a giant red panda when she wakes up from a nightmare. It’s a wholesome watch for any age, and you’re never too old to watch Disney or Pixar.
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” This second “Black Panther" movie released in November involves getting together a team in order to protect Wakanda from the world around it, fight for their land and discover a future path. This film brings an incredible amount of woman power to the screen, and their on-screen presence makes a huge difference. It also includes an emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman who starred in the first Black Panther movie.
“Top Gun: Maverick” When the original “Top Gun” movie was released back in 1986, Tom Cruise was only 24. This sequel released in May speaks volumes for its dedication to the continuation of the series. The storyline stays intact with that of the original making the back to back watching effortless. Although I’m not a fan of action/war films, I mean, come on, it’s Tom Cruise.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” A sequel to the original “Knives Out,” which came out in 2019, the September release surrounds a murder case on a private island getaway–only its a game. Because the two movies aren’t very connected, you do not have to see “Knives Out” before watching “Glass Onion.” While I don’t love the storyline or the comical drama, it does bring a great number of big name actors to the screen, which makes it more fun to watch.
“Blonde” Bringing an incredible on-screen performance, Ana de Armas portrays Marilyn Monroe in this September release. Although the expectation was to take a closer observation of Monroe’s life, this movie will take you on an emotional roller coaster, and as someone who’s always admired Marilyn Monroe, this movie was a bit more traumatizing for me than entertaining.
But if you don’t want to watch the 2022 Oscar nominees, we have lots of titles to look forward to for 2023, including “Guardian of the Galaxy 3,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Spider Man - Across the Spider Verse,” “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” and “Barbie.” Stay tuned for the Oscars on March 12 and enjoy another year of great cinema.