Best Movies & Series of 2022: Mid-Year Edition
- Vega
- Jul 3, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Dec 1, 2022
Welcome to another edition of the mid-year Geeky Therapy Awards!!! As another June has passed, we are given a chance to reflect on the content journeyed through this year. Not accounting for the ebbs and flows of the numbers as this article is written, my numbers at this time of the year are as follow: 64 movies and 25 series' seasons. I thought last year would be a record in numbers for me, as I watched much of the content at a time I was taking a sabbatical from working. I guess with the right motivation, anything is possible, because I have gotten through much more at the same point this year.
The Geeky Therapy Awards, while inspired by annual film and television awards, does not adhere to their pre-exitsing formats or naming schemes and is its own creation. My goals for these awards remain the same, to bring awareness to recommended movies/series and to give myself a mid-year check for the end of ear awards. All of these spotlights will have a first and second place, as well as room for a few honorable mentions (the end of the year awards expands to a top three and honorable mentions). In case you are new or do not recall the rules from last year's awards, these are the established criteria for the awards eligibility:
1) the movie must have had its widest official release in 2022
2) the series or most recent season must have concluded in 2022
3) the movie, series, most recent season must have been seen in its entirety
4) the movie, series, most recent season must have been seen for the first time this year
5) the movie, series, most recent season can not be awarded more than once
An important thing to note is that these rankings are based on my own experiences and I, unfortunately, have not gotten a chance to watch everything I have wanted to this year. So if you scratch your head over why any of the following did not earn any recognition, that is why. Noteworthy additions to the "Yet to Be Seen/Finished" list include "Everything, Everywhere All At Once," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Jurassic World: Dominion," "Stranger Things S4," and "The Boys S3". With those criteria and notes in place, hit the lights and start the music. Here are your 2022 Geeky Therapy Award winners for the mid-year mark.
THE GOLDEN BUT OLDIES
The best content I watched this year that was not released in 2022
1. CODA
The Academy Awards may be a bunch of snobby, elitist bullshit, but it does not mean that they do not get things right sometimes. The only bad thing about this film was that it took me so long to get Apple TV+ and actually watch it. A beautiful portrayal of human connection, passion, duality, and isolation, CODA seamlessly navigates your journey to empathizing with a mostly deaf family. Astounding performances all around, but Emilia Jones' portrayal of Ruby elevates the final 15 minutes of this story to the heartfelt tearjerker I did not know I needed.
2. Wrong Turn
Runner-Up: N/A
THE UNDERDOG POTENTIAL
Did not expect much, but it was quite a surprise.
MOVIE
1. Cha Cha Real Smooth
Apple is really tapping into some special talent with its high quality content, and Cha Cha Real Smooth is clearly no exception. It may resist hitting some of the deeper notes that it cautiously avoids, but this was another Apple TV+ Original that created such engaging and wholesome relationships. An unorthodox coming of age story that follows a young adult with no certainties about his career, relationship, or family, he finds meaning in his sitter-relationship with a teenager on the spectrum and her mother. This movie carries a big heart as Andrew's relationship with Domino, her daughter Lola, his mother, brother, and even the Jewish community are evenly fleshed out. Again, it avoids taking things too deep, but it does take a mature approach to its relationship conclusions and avoids the major cliches of typical narratives.
2. No Exit
Runners-Up: Fresh, Emergency
SERIES
1. From
This was more than just a pleasant surprise. As a horror fan, that first episode was damn near perfect for not only capturing my interest but also drawing me back each episode. While it does not maintain that momentum throughout the entire series and falls into the sin of a finale more focused on starting a season 2 than closing season 1, the mystery at the heart of the show's town and the evils its townspeople endure was more than enough to overshadow its minimal character development and middling middle episodes. This is one of those "the less you know the better" situations, so I will not say anymore, but this is worth checking out, especially if you enjoyed shows like "Lost," "Twin Peaks," "The Walking Dead," and the like.
2. As We See It
Runners-Up: The After-Party, Outer Range
THE GUILTY PLEASURE
Might not be special critically, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.
MOVIE
1. Scream
Yeah, I know I kind of crapped on most of the movie in my review, including a terrible lead actress and too much cut-and-paste from the original. However, this is a franchise that will forever be able to draw me in and, upon my second viewing, found myself still having all the whodunnit fun amidst its many flaws. It is a cheap win considering all the nostalgia I have for the movies and how much I loved the first 2 seasons of the TV series, but that is what makes a guilty pleasure.
2. The Sadness
Runners-Up: Spiderhead, Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe
SERIES
1. Moon Knight
Amazing acting from the lead? Check. Egyptian mythology? Check. Marvel universe? Check. This series walked in with an unfair advantage of plot threads that directly appealed to some of my many interests. It was not paced well and kept the superhero portion of its lead character at a minimum, but my investment in the journey of Steven Grant/Marc Spector felt well worth it by the end. Contrary to popular opinion, the final two episodes and the weight thrown into exploring the past and psyche of the lead character was emotionally enthralling. Maybe Moon Knight deserved better, but Steven Grant and Marc Spector certainly earned their due with me.
2. Feria: The Darkest Light
Runners-Up: Murderville, The Summer I Turned Pretty
THE OVERHYPED & OVERRATED
Liked by the critics or the audience, but not by me.
MOVIE
1. The Black Phone
Maybe this is my felt and I had too much anticipation built up for this film. I honestly feel bad giving "Scream" positive recognition and then throwing an original idea under this category, but that is how the cookie crumbled. Loved the establishing of the setting, tone, and characters in the opening act of the film. However, once the main narrative actually starts, their is a slew of supernatural plot devices that exist without much connection or depth. The acting is really good and the character development from the young lead is expertly done, but there is little thrill to this horror film.
2. X
Runners-Up: Kimi, The Lost City
SERIES
1. Archive 81
Before readers come for my head, this was a series that I fully intended would end up under a more positive category through the first half of its premiere season. The show built a very intriguing mystery that doubled as a means of character depth. Even though the cult aspect clearly brought a sense of sci-fi, the narrative kept itself grounded in these concepts. The last few episodes, however, lost me as the show dove deeper into portals and alternate dimensions that cheapened the extremely sharp opening episodes. The writers clearly knew how to build a mystery but could not maintain that expertise to what lied on the other side of that door.
2. Space Force Season (S2)
Runner-Up: The House
THE SCENE STEALER
The actors/actresses with the most noteworthy performances.
MOVIE
1. Jenna Ortega (The Fallout, Scream)
This kid is good. What she may lack in technical skills she makes up for in emotional expression and carrying the tone of a story. She is believable in her performances and can easily draw attention away from everyone else in the room, including the lead, as it was in "Scream". But her breakout was in "The Fallout," where she takes a journey through trauma as a teenager looking for relief and understanding in all the typical teenage areas after a school tragedy. Taking the lead performance in Netflix's upcoming Addams Family-based series "Wednesday," I would not be surprised to find Ortega in this same spot come the end of year awards.
2. Sebastian Stan (Fresh)
Runners-Up: Ethan Hawke (The Black Phone),
Vanessa Burghardt (Cha Cha Real Smooth)
SERIES
1. Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight)
Maybe it is too easy to give this to the actor who has the benefit of being multiple personalities in a character with Dissociative Identity Disorder, but Isaac did it so damn well. Leading this series as both Steven Grant and Marc Spector and capturing each so distinctly elevated this MCU entry far beyond the best performance of any comic book-related series. This was an actor at his best, making you believe that these characters are represented by different actors that just happen to look the same. Seamless transitions between personality quirks and accents will keep you on your feet as Oscar Isaac puts on an absolute clinic.
2. Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets)
Runners-Up: Ben Schwartz (The After Party),
Toni Collette (Pieces of Her)
THE REGRETFUL VIEWING
The worst content I watched.
MOVIE
1. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
I do not know where to start with all the idiocy of this terrible revival. There was nothing present in this Netflix offering to benefit the return of Leatherface or the horror genre as a whole. Perhaps there was too much focus on its "woke" leads or it was directing or just the inconsistent writing of the beyond horror-stupid character decisions. Wherever one wants to place its blame, this movie is just as forgettable as the rest of its uninspired narrative.
2. Moonfall
Runner-Up: Firestarter, Death on the Nile
SERIES
1. Cracow Monsters
A University research group that serves as the cover for individuals with unique abilities who explore paranormal events and fight what others can not see; it should write itself, correct? This series rooted in Polish folklore leaves its slew of characters feeling unremarkable with little depth and an underlying narrative that does not get the attention it needs to feel important. It may have been more accurate for this to get second place, cause I did not completely dislike it. It squandered a lot of its potential and leaves little into which to sink your teeth.
2. Welcome to Eden
Runner-Up: N/A
THE BEST IN THE WORLD
The best all-around content experiences.
MOVIE
1. The Fallout
I gave no 2022 film as much of a ringing endorsement as I did to this HBOMax original film. Already having sung the praises of Jenna Ortega's performance as the lead, I will turn to the film's honest portrayal of trauma and its raw take on tragedy. Very little is held back in the movie's opening as a bold emotional tone is set and lingers as the characters attempt to move forward with their new burdens. As Ortega's Vada looks to bond over the shared experience with Maddie Ziegler's Mia, it is the relationship between Vada and her younger sister that is the beating heart of this narrative. An honest ending and a realistic approach to varying responses to trauma, this is a powerful film that belongs in a psychology class just as much as it does in Hollywood.
2. You Won't Be Alone
Runner-Up: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness
SERIES
1. Yellowjackets
It is a telling sign of how much you like a show when your loyalty does not falter even after they kill off a favorite character. A show that see-saws between the present and past/teenage versions of its cast female soccer players as it uncovers the layers of a mystery that has roots in the 19 months they spent stranded in the wilderness. The unfolding of each layer welcomes new secrets about the blackmail, cannibalism, murder, and battle lines drawn throughout the series. The present day narrative is never as strong as that of its younger counterpart, but the division between the two surely shrinks as the season reaches its finale and its season 2 set-up.
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