GT Awards: Best Movies & Series of 2022
- Vega
- Dec 31, 2022
- 9 min read
Welcome to another edition of the year end Geeky Therapy Awards, highlighting the best movies and series from the past year. As the holiday season winds itself down, movie and television fans alike have the opportunity to reflect on the vast landscapes of genres, performances, and stories explored through the lense of a camera. Not accounting for the last minute ebbs and flows of the numbers as this article is written, my totals for content watched this year are as follows: 138 movies and 57 series' seasons. That is a lot of material to comb through and decide on not only the best, but also highlight some of the worst, watching experiences of the year.
The Geeky Therapy Awards, while inspired by annual film and television awards, does not adhere to their pre-existing formats or naming schemes. My goal for these awards remains the same, to bring awareness to recommended movies/series and to give myself a yearly check of all the content I consumed. All of these spotlights will have a first, second, and third place, as well as room for a few 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, did not have a chance to watch everything I had wanted to this year. Also, this is a reflection of my opinions on these movies and series, which are going to be different from any other persons. So do not gasp over the nerve of your favorite movie not being recognized on this list (looking at all the Top Gun: Maverick fans). As long as it makes your list, then that is all that matters. With those criteria and notes in place, hit the lights and start the music. Here are your 2022 Geeky Therapy Awards.
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
3. N/A
Runner-Up: N/A
THE UNDERDOG POTENTIAL
Did not expect much, but ended up pleasantly surprised, or in some cases, blown away.
MOVIE
1. Baby Assassins
In this wildly violent buddy-comedy, two young ladies on opposite ends of the spectrum attempt to live together while only having one thing in common: being professional assassins. This is a ridiculous movie in all the best ways, with no concern about taking itself seriously. Lead by its quirky lead characters, the film’s approach lends itself to feeling equally split between the personalities of the extroverted and bubbly Chisato and the introverted sociopathy of Mahilo. During the moments when all the film’s unique ingredients begin to blend together, Baby Assassins will hit you in the face with bloody endearment. This little slice of life from the growing pains of young assassins is a real treat for those looking for mindless, yet heartfelt, fun. There is a surprising amount of depth that makes these characters entirely endearing and will, hopefully, propel its young cast to great future opportunities.
2. Terrifier 2
3. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
Runners-Up: No Exit, Cha Cha Real Smooth, Fresh
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 building enough intrigue to have me clamoring for more. 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. Wednesday
3. A League of Their Own
Runners-Up: Paper Girls, The After-Party, As We See It
THE GUILTY PLEASURE
Might not have been critically well-received or been given much fanfare, 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. Smile
3. Belle
Runners-Up: Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio, Beavis and Butthead Do the Universe, Do Revenge
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. Wolf Like Me
3. The Midnight Club
Runners-Up: Only Murders in the Building, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Feria: The Darkest Light
THE OVERHYPED & OVERRATED
Loved by the critics or the audience, but not by me.
MOVIE
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
That's right, I said it. This trippy, overly-convoluted exploration of the meaning of life through the lens of a mother/daughter relationship had a lot of positive merits. But the creative lengths upon which the movie layers itself felt self-indulgent and left a lot more head scratches than it did satisfaction. It is absolutely the most ambitious film of the year, with its many genre mashups and deeply philosophical direction, but ultimately lands far outside my top cinematic experiences of the year.
2. The Black Phone
3. The Innocents
Runners-Up: X, 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. Westworld (S2)
3. Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities
Runner-Up: Space Force Season (S2)
THE SCENE STEALER
The actors/actresses with the most noteworthy performances.
MOVIE
1. Brendan Fraser (The Whale)
It is not often that I get lost in a character so much that I forget the actor I am watching, but Brendan Fraser's dedication to playing the character of Charlie did exactly that. From start to finish, the movie takes place in or just outside of Charlie’s apartment, leaving little impact from anything outside of the dialogue and characters, which lends itself greatly to Fraser’s absolutely riveting performance in both his delivery and body language of this confounding, yet frustrating, character. He excels in pulling the audience in and out of sympathy, anger, depression, and resentment towards him with the well-timed placement of a wheeze or gouging on a slice of pizza. This movie does not quite land with the weight of its emotional investment, but Fraser maintains this movie as must-watch for his transformative experience alone.
2. Sebastian Stan (Fresh)
3. Angela Bassett (Black Panther: Wakanda Forever)
Runners-Up: Amber Midthunder (Prey), Keke Palmer (Nope), Ralph Fiennes (The Menu)
SERIES
1. Jenna Ortega (Wednesday [and The Fallout, Scream, X...])
This kid is beyond good and she proved it over and over again this year, culminating in her role as the iconic Wednesday Addams. Emotional expression and carrying the tone of the story is second nature for the young actress, which she expertly did throughout Wednesday while maintaining a deadpan face, stoic mannerisms, and memorable dance moves. Ortega alone elevated this series beyond its issues with narrative pacing and character motivations. Partly also an annual achievement award, I would be remised to not mention her breakout in "The Fallout," where she takes a journey through trauma as a teenager looking for relief and understanding in all the typical teenage ways following a school tragedy. She has played a strong hand in drama, horror, and a character study, the world is Jenna Ortega's oyster and we are all just living in it.
2. Christina Ricci (Yellowjackets)
3. Rupert Grint (Servant S3)
Runners-Up: Oscar Isaac (Moon Knight), Ben Schwartz (The After Party),
Toni Collette (Pieces of Her)
THE REGRETFUL VIEWING
The worst content I watched.
MOVIE
1. Horror Icon Trifecta: Jeepers Creepers Reborn, Halloween Ends, Texas Chainsaw Massacre
This was a resurgent year for the horror genre, no thanks to the highly anticipated return of the Creeper or Leatherface, or the conclusion of David Gordon Green's Halloween trilogy. Reborn had the production value and writing of an amateur fan film. Texas Chainsaw Massacre had poor characterizations, an uninspired plot, and was an overall bland experience. Ends is not the conclusion I wanted to see, nor one I found fitting for the end of such an iconic horror relationship (Michael and Laurie). But, moving the backlash of its narrative aside, it could not maintain the consistency of its narrative decision through the final act, seemingly crumbling under the pressure of its own attempt at originality.
2. Moonfall
3. Jurassic World: Dominion
Runner-Up: Firestarter, Crimes of the Future, Thor: Love and Thunder
SERIES
1. Resident Evil
This is the type of series that continues the conversation regarding the inability of studios to successfully adapt video games to movies/TV. The show does get a little better towards the latter half when it becomes more of a sister/family drama and abandons trying to feel like the franchise it is adapting. The terrible CGI is a standout, but the heavy focus on bland characters and its loosely-based narrative carried none of the horror excitement from the video game series.
2. First Kill
3. Cracow Monsters
Runner-Up: Welcome to Eden, Blockbuster
THE BEST IN THE WORLD
The best all-around content experiences.
MOVIE
1. The Menu
The theme of the tonight's meal is meticulous deconstruction. An exploration of obsession, passion, status, and perfection, this uniquely told thriller creates equal parts tension and hunger. Ralph Fiennes steals the show as evil culinary genius Chef Slowik, commanding every scene with the holier-than-thou complex of his character. Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult, and the remaining cast of elite dining guests all deliver great performances in their own right as the respond to the bizarrely personal circumstances of what may be their final meal. Led by a thought provoking premise of passion versus status, this film slowly strings you along with each course bringing a newfound anticipation, and in some cases excitement, for every character to face their comeuppance. Though it has less of a personal introspection, I found this to be thematically similar to another of my favorite films, Black Swan.
2. The Fallout
3. Prey
Runners-Up: You Won't Be Alone, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Nope
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 of female soccer players as it uncovers the layers of a mystery that is rooted 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 season 2 set-up.
2. Stranger Things S4
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