This is a list that has it all: superheroes, vikings, volcanoes, Tom Cruise, and a boy made of wood. What a journey 2022 was! Did your favorite films show up in this list? Anything you're surprised to see here, or titles which you can't believe didn't make the cut? These weren't the movies with the best average ratings of the year -- but the movies which the highest percentage of users rated in their top 20% of all time. The ones which you really loved.
20. The Northman
Love Percentage: 25.28%
From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder.
"Bleak, bloody, brilliant. A top effort all round, Kidman's accent does settle down" - Difontaine
19. The Batman
Love Percentage: 25.76%
In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.
"Damn good. This is probably the best-looking Batman movie and I loved this iteration and look and feel of Gotham City. That was captured to a T. Pattinson was really good as a Bruce Wayne who has only been home for two years, who still makes errors and stays out of public eye if he can help it. I loved him, and I loved this story. It was grounded and gritty, perfectly cast, beautifully made and the detective story I’ve always wanted to see in a Batman movie. One of the best for sure." - Leonardis
18. Happening
Love Percentage: 25.93%
In 1963 France, Anne, a bright young student, gets pregnant, seeing her opportunities to finish her studies and excel slipping from her. As her final exams approach and her social life begins to fade, Anne's pregnancy progresses, forcing her to confront the shame and pain of an abortion, even if she must risk prison to do so.
"Several really good films have already been made about this subject including 'Vera Drake', '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' and 'Never Rarely Sometimes Always'. This Dardenne-ish picture is probably the best of the bunch, though." - KasperL
17. Avatar: The Way of Water
Love Percentage: 25.97%
Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet.
"Despite having one of the worst scripts and most cringe inducing dialogue I have ever heard... this movie was incredible. So well directed and meticulously crafted. It feels so weird to say that about a film with blue aliens calling each other bro and boy every 10 seconds, but it really was so amazing. These movies should always stay in theaters, I can't imaging watching them any other way." - jarobmul
16. All Quiet on the Western Front
Love Percentage: 26.47%
A young German soldier's terrifying experiences and distress on the western front during World War I.
"As is its original work, this is somber as hell. A devastating study of war and all that it destroys. The photography is bleak but stunning as is the score in its sudden bursts." - WWallce4prez
15. Mad God
Love Percentage: 26.7%
A corroded diving bell descends amidst a ruined city and the Assassin emerges from it to explore a labyrinth of bizarre landscapes inhabited by freakish denizens.
"A virtually plotless fantasy-horror mood piece set in a surreal hellscape presumably ruled by an imaginatively sadistic insane deity. The most frequently recurring character looks like an NCR ranger from the Fallout franchise. Many mediums are utilized, prominently stop-motion and live puppetry. Comic-book gore meets Svankmajer, Brakhage, Cosmatos. Instant cult classic for lovers of the aesthetic; a story would probably have ruined this, so for that do look elsewhere." - Moribunny
14. Moonage Daydream
Love Percentage: 30.26%
A cinematic odyssey exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey. From visionary filmmaker Brett Morgen, and sanctioned by the Bowie estate.
"I think anyone who is looking for a linear documentary will be disappointed, for this documentary is as ethereal and constantly shifting as Bowie was in life. I do think there are some great things here - the contemporary imagery from culture, film, and art that helps set the stage for the different eras of Bowie's career, the constant thread of Bowie's own internal monologue, pulled through some very honest interviews the artist has done, and, of course, the insane live performances." - thatyoungm
13. Hit the Road
Love Percentage: 30.86%
Follows a chaotic, tender family that is on a road trip across a rugged landscape and fussing over the sick dog and getting on each others' nerves. Only the mysterious older brother is quiet.
"Some tragedy, some comedy bordering on the absurd, some beautiful photography, and 100% brilliant acting. A must see." - Ric
12. Pinocchio
Love Percentage: 32.18%
A darker version of the classic children's fairy tale of a wooden puppet that transforms into a real living boy.
"There's a complexity and poignancy allotted to Pinocchio and Geppetto that I haven't seen explored in previous incarnations of this story and I found myself unexpectedly moved for almost the entirety of this section of the first half. Inevitably, I think this isn't quite as strong when it brings in its dual antagonists (the circus master Count Volpe and fascist war officer Podestà) as neither character nor the situation they offer is as satisfyingly rich as the Geppetto/Pinocchio relationship." - JLFM
11. Top Gun: Maverick
Love Percentage: 32.92%
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.
"Tom Cruise returns one last time (until the next MI) to save blockbuster cinema before he ascends into Scientology heaven. Maverick makes 99% of other action movies released between Fury Road and now look like dog water. Editing, sound, and the insane lengths they went to capture the aerial footage = best action film of the year. Everybody else is playing for second place. 2022 keeps on hitting with absolute bangers. Caveat: most criticism of the film's problematic elements are very correct." - Narg
10. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Love Percentage: 33.03%
Famed Southern detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece for his latest case.
"Perfect. No notes. I could try to critique it, but why, when every minute of it was a delight? And I loved that there were so many minutes of it! Daniel Craig is sooo fun! And Janelle Monae completely rocks in this. (It's also oddly clairvoyant about the past couple of months at Twitter somehow." - RuruSmasher
9. Triangle of Sadness
Love Percentage: 33.84%
A pair of models find themselves at a crossroads in their careers.
"Pretty thoroughly perfect. There’s maybe one scene that could be shorter in the final 15 mins but I don’t mind it honestly. Ostlund carefully provides these moments of characterization to make the satire just relatable enough to make our laughing hurt deeper. I like how the first chapter transitions from the themes/world of The Square to this new direction. It’s like Haneke with the subject matter of Bunuel. Ostlund has made something more commercial here without losing his boldness. Excellent" - sellis
8. The Fablemans
Love Percentage: 36.11%
Growing up in post-World War II era Arizona, a young man named Sammy Fabelman discovers a shattering family secret and explores how the power of films can help him see the truth.
"Brilliant. Restrained. Honestly dramatic and heartbreaking without being a nostalgia piece. This shows me so much about all of Steven Spielberg's filmography, and it also shows a director who still hasn't lost his touch after all these years. The brilliant turns from the three leads make this feel lived-in and naturalistic, while the lack of over-the-top melodrama is shocking yet very welcome in a film about filmmaking. One of the best things this stellar director has ever done." - jacobclark12
7. RRR
Love Percentage: 38.4%
A fictitious story about two legendary revolutionaries and their journey away from home before they started fighting for their country in 1920s.
"Uninhibited cinema with all the highs and highs (there are no lows) of pure storytelling passion. Maybe a cooler head could have edited it tighter, but a cooler head could never get near this project without becoming as hot as its two stars. Unrelentingly entertaining, it demands investment and pays it all back a hundredfold at each incredible turn. There’s no distillation here - it’s pure magic chugged from the source, and a little bit of messiness and silliness is just part of its spell." - Corbad
6. Fire of Love
Love Percentage: 39.44%
Intrepid scientists and lovers Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcanic explosion doing the very thing that brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of volcanoes by capturing the most explosive imagery ever recorded.
"Not that fond of the narration, and I think the couple are mad, but the footage is incredible and worth it alone." - dunetails
5. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Love Percentage: 41.43%
Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. But when a documentary filmmaker discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.
"brb raiding my couch cushions and parking lot for crafting materials that will make me cry" - brell
4. Aftersun
Love Percentage: 44.75%
Sophie reflects on the shared joy and private melancholy of a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined fill the gaps between as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.
"Beautifully crafted-the editing, sound track, camera work-and profoundly subtle and moving acting from the two lead characters, portrays a picture of a strong, loving but ultimately flawed father-daughter relationship." - mandy
3. Everything Everywhere All at Once
Love Percentage: 48.04%
An aging Chinese immigrant is swept up in an insane adventure, where she alone can save the world by exploring other universes connecting with the lives she could have led.
"Budging in line above my backlog of reviews to write one about a movie I just saw is something I've never done. I've also never given out a 98 before, but this is complete, maddening, perfection. It is literally everything you could possibly want in a movie. It's a breathtaking, singular experience from the robust laughs to the punchy, heartfelt, sincere moments, right on down to spectacular fight sequences and uniquely effective score. It made me feel like I had never seen a movie before today." - Luna6ix
2. Tár
Love Percentage: 52.38%
Set in the international world of classical music, the film centers on Lydia Tár. widely considered one of the greatest living composer/conductors and first-ever female chief conductor of a major German orchestra.
"I watched the trailer before I saw this, and immediately googled Tar to see who the real person was like and how close Blanchett came to her. Was legit shocked to see she wasn't real. Then I watched the movie knowing she wasn't real -- and I'm not easily susceptible -- and I still ended that movie thinking she was a real person. This was a towering performance from Blanchett. Will be studied and referenced for decades. And if you pay attention to the credits, she actually conducted!" - krf7
1. The Banshees of Inisherin
Love Percentage: 55.71%
Two lifelong friends find themselves at an impasse when one abruptly ends their relationship, with alarming consequences for both of them.
"McDonagh starts with a hilariously simple narrative and slowly unveils its insidious power through to a devastatingly equalizing finale. Banshees' true drama exists in the conceptual, the hidden inner turmoil of the characters. In this way it feels almost literary, dealing with human yearning, suffering, irrationality through a series of outbursts and fallout. Easily my favourite thing I've seen this year." - deaddilly