I missed great movies this year, notably Top Gun: Maverick, Everything Everywhere All at Once, Aftersun, Babylon, and Avatar 2. If I watch any, I will update it here.

1. Memoria (PG), directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the greatest living directors, but his films aren’t for everyone. The Thai master’s style is unmatched in the immersion and atmosphere it creates, though his ideas tend to be dense. The plot follows a woman searching for the origins of a loud sound she hears one night; what follows is possibly the most remarkable use of sound design in storytelling I have seen. I would love to put this on while I study or sleep; it is so calming. This film is not on home video, so one must find a theater playing it. It is worth the effort.

2. Triangle of Sadness (R), directed by Ruben Östlund
The winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival, the most prestigious film award in the world, was a class-comedy set on a cruise ship. The director, Ruben Östlund, joined a prestigious club of directors, such as Francis Ford Coppola and Austrian master Michael Haneke, who have won the award twice. While heavy-handed with its criticisms, Östlund composes one of the most consistently hilarious movies in recent history. The entire cast gives excellent performances, and the cinematography is arguably this year’s best. Triangle of Sadness is available to rent for 5.99 on Amazon Prime.

3. The Banshees of Inisherin (R), directed by Martin McDonagh
The Banshees of Inisherin should sweep the Oscars. The performances are incredible, the screenplay is this year’s best, and the cinematography and editing are fantastic. McDonagh creates one of the funniest movies of the year and one of the saddest. Also one of the most simple. The plot is that Colm no longer wants to be Pádric’s friend, and Pádric doesn’t know why. So much depth from such a simple premise. If you can only watch one movie this year, make it this one. The Banshees of Inisherin is available on HBO Max.

4. The Northman (R), directed by Robert Eggers
The Northman is feral. This movie is the best Viking movie ever made. Robert Eggers is on track to be one of the best directors of his generation. His dark and brutal style is one of the most exhilarating forces in cinema today. The cast is excellent, and the atmosphere is top-notch. Even if the film could lose 20 minutes, watching two mountains of muscle fight in a volcano makes up for that. The Northman is available on Amazon Prime.

5. RRR (PG-13), directed by S.S. Rajamouli
RRR is one of the best action movies I have ever seen. The two lead performances are incredible, and the insane action setpieces are some of the best of the year. Rajamouli constructs something so bombastic and entertaining while also sliding in a reflection on the colonial period and its horrors. Also, the British are portrayed like the Nazis in Indiana Jones, far from what we would see in the west. The only issue with RRR is parts of it could lose a few minutes, notably a few of the musical numbers. RRR is available on Netflix.

6. The Fabelmans (PG-13), directed by Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg is getting old; he knows that. The Fabelmans feels like the last work by a great director, although it likely won’t be. That said, this is the most personal work Spielberg has made, and I left the theater reminded of how much I love movies. Watching a man nearly in his 80s describe his childhood with this passion and frankness is admirable. Also, the David Lynch cameo might be the best thing I have ever seen. The Fabelmans is still in theaters.

7. Decision to Leave (NR), directed by Park Chan-wook
Bong Joon-ho recently made Korean cinema known to America with his masterpiece Parasite, but he is not the only Korean master currently working. Park Chan-wook is one of the greatest living directors, and this is one of his best films. A detective love story that is both the best detective movie in recent years and one of the best romance movies of the year is a rare combo. Only someone like Park Chan-wook could pull this off. The less the viewer knows about this film, the more enjoyable it is. Decision to Leave is $6.99 to rent on Amazon Prime.

8. Pinocchio (PG), directed by Guillermo del Toro
This movie is stop-motion, and much of the set and characters were hand-carved out of wood. Del Toro brings his brand of storytelling to the classic tale, placing the story in Mussolini’s Italy and adding a solid theme of mortality to his account. The result is an updated version of the classic made for modern audiences. Besides a few minor pacing issues in the second act, this is fantastic. This film is available on Netflix.

9. Crimes of the Future (R), directed by David Cronenberg
David Cronenberg is one of the great cynics of cinema. His work in cinema examines our bodies and how much control we hold over them. In Crimes of the Future, Cronenberg asks what would occur if we began manipulating our bodies for commercial gain. The mood is overpowering; not much occurs, yet the viewer is hooked to the screen by the unsettling performances and score and by Cronenberg’s brilliant direction. Crimes of the Future is available on Hulu.

10. The Batman (PG-13), directed by Matt Reeves
The Batman does a great job of building atmosphere. That said, this movie is like a video game. Batman will have a big confrontation with the police, and such a confrontation’s consequences are never really addressed. Batman gets away with almost everything he does. This movie is also 40 minutes longer than it needs to be. Robert Pattinson is arguably the best Batman to grace the screen, and Greg Fraser’s cinematography looks great. The Batman is available on HBO Max.