Movies Update: The Best Movies of 2022

Plus, reviews of "The Whale" and "Empire of Light."

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 9, 2022 By Stephanie Goodman Film Editor Hi, film fans! It's that list-making time of year. For gifts, yes, but also for movies. Critics don't necessarily like this ritual — ranking titles can seem like a competition, and the point of criticism isn't thumbs up or down. Still, our chief critics obliged me and came up with fascinating Top 10s that are a mix of box office fare ("Nope"), art house favorites ("EO") and more. Fun fact: A.O. Scott put "Petite Maman," from the director Céline Sciamma, on his list for 2021, when it was released in France and making the festival rounds. And Manohla Dargis put it on her list for 2022, when it received an American release and The Times reviewed it. Those weren't the only lists drawing our attention this month. After the British magazine Sight and Sound unveiled its once-a-decade poll of the greatest movies ever, we took a deep dive into the results last week to understand how the survey became more global and more inclusive. Dargis and Scott mostly applauded the poll's outcome — "Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles," by Chantal Akerman, moved to the top — in a lively conversation that also delved into which films they would have liked to make the cut. (Speaking of lively conversations, reader comments on the Top 10s and the Sight and Sound analysis are worth checking out; you all are a tough crowd!) That's it for this week. Have fun at the movies! Universal Pictures Best Movies of 2022 Amid endless agonizing over the State of Cinema, the actual releases proved a bounty for film lovers, whether fans of the art house or the multiplex. By Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott What Makes a Movie the Greatest of All Time? The much-respected Sight and Sound poll of the best films ever shows that what is valued onscreen has changed over time, sometimes radically. By Eric Grode, Weiyi Cai, Rumsey Taylor and Josh Williams United Artists/Sunset Boulevard and Corbis, via Getty Images Is Sight and Sound's List of 100 Greatest Films Too Tasteful? To our chief critics, news that "Jeanne Dielman" topped the magazine poll was a welcome jolt. If only there had been more room for the weird and messy. By A.O. Scott and Manohla Dargis Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT CRITICS' PICKS Carole Bethuel/Les Films Pelléas/Sony Pictures Classics CRITIC'S PICK 'One Fine Morning' Review: The Moments That Make Up a Rich Life Mia Hansen-Love directs Léa Seydoux in a delicate look at a mother, daughter and lover whose quotidian existence is instantly recognizable yet sublime. By Manohla Dargis Film Forum CRITIC'S PICK Review: 'The Treasure of His Youth: The Photographs of Paolo Di Paolo' Delights A documentary by Bruce Weber about a nonagenarian Italian photographer is sprinkled with la dolce vita, our critic writes. By Glenn Kenny Outsider Pictures CRITIC'S PICK 'Blanquita' Review: The Victim's Dilemma Based on a sex scandal that sent waves throughout Chile in the early 2000s, the film looks at the meaning of victimhood and the impotence of black-and-white systems of justice. By Beatrice Loayza MOVIE REVIEWS A24 'The Whale' Review: Body Issues Brendan Fraser plays an obese writing instructor reckoning with grief and regret in Darren Aronofsky's latest film. By A.O. Scott Netflix 'Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio' Review: Puppets and Power This quirky classic has been made all the stranger by the decision to turn it into an ill-conceived metaphor about fascism. By Manohla Dargis Searchlight Pictures/20th Century Studios 'Empire of Light' Review: They Found It at the Movies Olivia Colman and Micheal Ward pursue a bittersweet workplace romance in Sam Mendes's look back at Britain in the early 1980s. By A.O. Scott Greenwich Entertainment 'Loudmouth' Review: Portrait of the Firebrand Preacher as a Young Man A stirring new biographical documentary about the Rev. Al Sharpton revisits a racially divided New York City and offers a critique of the news media then and now. By Lisa Kennedy Brett Roedel/Hulu 'It's a Wonderful Binge' Review: A Spiked Christmas In this sequel to "The Binge," on a night of copious drinking and drugs, two friends reflect on their lives. By Robert Daniels Arbelos Films '2/Duo' Review: Relationship Rituals This spare Japanese drama from 1997 gets a belated New York release. By Ben Kenigsberg Amber Fares/Roadside Attractions 'To the End' Review: Seeing Red While Left on Read This documentary follows climate activists and politicians like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as they lobby for the Green New Deal. By Teo Bugbee Eric Maldin/Walkman Productions Inc./Disney 'Idina Menzel: Which Way to the Stage?' Review: Wickedly Talented This Disney+ documentary uses a concert set list as a springboard to chronicle Idina Menzel's musical achievements. By Natalia Winkelman Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT NEWS & FEATURES Focus Features Highbrow Films Aimed at Winning Oscars Are Losing Audiences The kind of critically praised dramas that often dominate the awards season are falling flat at the box office, failing to justify the money it takes to make them. By Brooks Barnes Erik Carter for The New York Times THE PROJECTIONIST Can Movie Theaters and Netflix Coexist? Rian Johnson Makes His Case. The "Glass Onion" director explains why he sold the "Knives Out" franchise to a streamer, and how he feels about its theatrical test: "I want more." By Kyle Buchanan Eli Adé/Columbia Pictures/Sony Pictures A Cast and Crew's Commitment to Making 'Devotion' The biographical Korean War drama is more about the bonds of friendship than war itself. The film's director and stars share how they brought the story to life. By Brandon Yu Antoine Cossé CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK When Jewish Artists Wrestle With Antisemitism In this unsettling moment, comedians, filmmakers, playwrights and others have been struggling against a long-ingrained American response to look away. By Jason Zinoman Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images CRITIC'S NOTEBOOK How Streaming Has Rewritten the Script for Movies As a business and a cultural pursuit, Hollywood is in a state of chaos that has been growing year by year. By A.O. Scott STREAMING RECOMMENDATIONS Shudder/RLJE Films Five Horror Movies to Stream Now If you'd rather see Santa slashing through the snow, check out "Christmas Bloody Christmas," along with other frightful gems this holiday season. By Erik Piepenburg Paramount Pictures The 50 Best Movies on Netflix Right Now Movies upon movies await, and you don't even have to drill down to find them. By Jason Bailey Well Go USA The Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now New films, and classics, just keep coming, but you don't have to drill down to find the finest selections to stream. We'll do the heavy lifting. You press play. By Jason Bailey Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT How are we doing? We'd love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to moviesupdate@nytimes.com. Like this email? Forward it to your friends, and let them know they can sign up here. Continue reading the main story Need help? 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