Since 2011, I have been pulling together a list of the best movies of the year according to the Brisbane-based critics who I run into regularly at preview screenings. Films to have topped prior year lists have been Drive in 2011, Argo in 2012, Gravity in 2013, Boyhood in 2014, Mad Max: Fury Road in 2015, La La Land in 2016, Get Out in 2017, The Favourite in 2018, Parasite in 2019, Nomadland in 2020, and Nine Days in 2021.
To come up with an overall top 10, I’ve used a simple points system and applied it to the list of each critic. It is as follows:
- 3 points for the top film on each list.
- 2 points for the films ranked between 2nd and 5th on each list.
- 1 point for the films ranked between 6th and 10th on each list.
If two films finished on the same score, the film that appeared on the greater number of top 10 lists is ranked higher (as an indication of wider approval). If that's the same, it goes to an average of the individual rankings of each film.
The 10 list includes movies released in Australian cinemas and also those made available on streaming platforms.
There were 3 standout films which appeared on more than 50% of lists. Topping the table this year was Martin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin which was released in Australia in Boxing Day and has since picked up 9 Academy Award nominations.
Rounding out the placings were the surprise hit Everything Everywhere All at Once, and the action blockbuster Top Gun Maverick. They too have been showered with love this awards season.
Four non-English language films earned spots in the top 10 – Drive my Car from Japan, Decision to Leave from South Korea, Petite Maman from France, and RRR from India.
An interesting mix of genres rounded out this year’s list. We have a “neo-Western science fiction horror film” Nope, the dark comedy The Menu, the superhero movie The Batman, and the documentary Fire of Love.
As always, it’s a great list of movies. Hunt them down on streaming services if you missed them in cinemas.
On that note, here are the top 10 movies of 2022 according to Brisbane critics…
Brisbane Film Critics - Top 10 of 2022
1. The Banshees of Inisherin
2. Top Gun Maverick
3. Everything Everywhere All at Once
4. Nope
5. Drive My Car
6. The Menu
7. The Batman
8. Petite Maman
9 (tie). Decision to Leave
9 (tie). Fire of Love
9 (tie). RRR
You can view a table of all the votes and final scores by clicking here.
A big thanks to all who submitted their lists. If you're a Brisbane critic would like to contribute in future years, please reach out to me on social media.
You can check out information on all the Brisbane critics (along with their choices for the best and worst of 2022) below.
Matthew Toomey |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
2. | Lost Illusions |
3. | Top Gun Maverick |
4. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
5. | Flee |
6. | C'mon C'mon |
7. | Quo Vadis, Aida? |
8. | Good Luck to You, Leo Grande |
9. | Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom |
10. | Full Time |
Best Australian Film: | |
Blaze | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Flee | |
Best Documentary: | |
Flee | |
Best Performance: | |
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once) | |
Worst Film: | |
Moonfall | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Barbarian |
Sarah Ward |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Decision to Leave |
2. | Moonage Daydream |
3. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
4. | Drive My Car |
5. | Petite Maman |
6. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
7. | Nope |
8. | Bones and All |
9. | Red Rocket |
10. | After Yang |
Best Australian Film: | |
The Stranger | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Belle | |
Best Documentary: | |
Moonage Daydream | |
Best Performance: | |
Tang Wei (Decision to Leave) | |
Worst Film: | |
Father Stu | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Ambulance |
Garry Williams |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Fire of Love |
2. | Moonage Daydream |
3. | The Northman |
4. | Parallel Mothers |
5. | The Stranger |
6. | Nightmare Alley |
7. | Amsterdam |
8. | The Eyes of Tammy Faye |
9. | Official Competition |
10. | The Batman |
Best Australian Film: | |
The Stranger | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | |
Best Documentary: | |
Fire of Love | |
Best Performance: | |
Viola Davis (The Woman King) | |
Worst Film: | |
Moonfall | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
The Gray Man |
Peter Gray |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
2. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
3. | Top Gun Maverick |
4. | Nope |
5. | Glass Onion |
6. | Cha Cha Real Smooth |
7. | The Batman |
8. | Red Rocket |
9. | Good Luck to You, Leo Grande |
10. | Causeway |
Best Australian Film: | |
Sissy | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers | |
Best Documentary: | |
Omoiyari: A Song Film by Kishi Bashi | |
Best Performance: | |
Emma Thompson (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande) | |
Worst Film: | |
Morbius | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Orphan: First Kill |
Ella Donald |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Top Gun Maverick |
2. | Petite Maman |
3. | C'mon C'mon |
4. | RRR |
5. | Bergman Island |
6. | Elvis |
7. | Red Rocket |
8. | Matilda: The Musical |
9. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
10. | After Yang |
Best Australian Film: | |
n/a | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Turning Red | |
Best Documentary: | |
Flee | |
Best Performance: | |
Austin Butler (Elvis) | |
Worst Film: | |
n/a | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Matilda: The Musical |
David Edwards |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
2. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
3. | Decision to Leave |
4. | The Menu |
5. | Drive My Car |
6. | Nope |
7. | Top Gun Maverick |
8. | The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent |
9. | Bones and All |
10. | Parallel Mothers |
Best Australian Film: | |
The Drover's Wife | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Strange World | |
Best Documentary: | |
The Sound of 007 | |
Best Performance: | |
Tang Wei (Decision to Leave) | |
Worst Film: | |
Ambulance | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Bones and All |
Rob Hudson |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Prey |
2. | The Woman King |
3. | The Menu |
4. | Nope |
5. | The Duke |
6. | Mrs Harris Goes to Paris |
7. | Nitram |
8. | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
9. | Kimi |
10. | Glass Onion |
Best Australian Film: | |
Nitram | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Turning Red | |
Best Documentary: | |
Vinyl Nation | |
Best Performance: | |
Michelle Williams (The Fabelmans) | |
Worst Film: | |
Blonde | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
The Good Guys |
Baz McAlister |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | RRR |
2. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
3. | Top Gun Maverick |
4. | All Quiet on the Western Front |
5. | Belfast |
6. | Fresh |
7. | Barbarian |
8. | The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent |
9. | X / Pearl |
10. | Clerks 3 |
Best Australian Film: | |
The Stranger | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Lightyear | |
Best Documentary: | |
Nalvany | |
Best Performance: | |
Colin Farrell (The Banshees of Inisherin) | |
Worst Film: | |
Unchartered | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Fall |
Nick L'Barrow |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Top Gun Maverick |
2. | Cha Cha Real Smooth |
3. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
4. | Jackass Forever |
5. | The Batman |
6. | The Stranger |
7. | Nope |
8. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
9. | Armageddon Time |
10. | The Black Phone |
Best Australian Film: | |
The Stranger | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio | |
Best Documentary: | |
My Old School | |
Best Performance: | |
Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) | |
Worst Film: | |
Texas Chainsaw Massacre | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Smile |
Hannah Grzesiak |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | Drive My Car |
2. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
3. | Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone |
4. | Fire of Love |
5. | The Souvenir: Part II |
6. | De Humani Corpis Fabrica |
7. | Because We Have Each Other |
8. | Petite Maman |
9. | Both Sides of the Blade |
10. | Crimes of the Future |
Best Australian Film: | |
Because We Have Each Other | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | |
Best Documentary: | |
Russia 1985-1999: TraumaZone | |
Best Performance: | |
Brendan Gleeson (The Banshees of Inisherin) | |
Worst Film: | |
Avatar: The Way of Water | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
De Humani Corpis Fabrica |
Jacob Richardson |
Top 10 Films: | |
1. | The Banshees of Inisherin |
2. | Avatar: The Way of Water |
3. | Spencer |
4. | The Menu |
5. | The Northman |
6. | Everything Everywhere All at Once |
7. | Puss in Boots: The Last Wish |
8. | The Phantom of the Open |
9. | Full Time |
10. | The Batman |
Best Australian Film: | |
Sweet As | |
Best Animated Film: | |
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish | |
Best Documentary: | |
Running with the Devil | |
Best Performance: | |
Ralph Fiennes (The Menu) | |
Worst Film: | |
Moonfall | |
Most Surprised To Enjoy: | |
Puss in Boots; The Last Wish |