This is not my Best of 2022 list, but it is...
The year in review
Leave it to me to pick the last day of the year to write up my “Best of 2022” list (In my defense, there were a lot of shows and movies that didn’t arrive until very late in the year). But let’s not really call it a “Best of…” listing. That feels a bit tired anymore, I don’t like ranking things and on any given day these lists might change depending on a variety of factors. Instead, I like to think about what has stuck with me instead of what is “best”. Last April, I wrote a mid-year top ten of shows (I know, I’m inconsistent) and I’m here to revisit that somewhat. A few of those selections have stayed with me, some have somewhat gone by the wayside, though not because their quality was poor but by the simple fact that there was an embarrassment of riches. Everything Everywhere All At Once is a movie title that could also refer to how overwhelming it felt to try and take in all the content that was released this year. I’m not necessarily complaining but I do hope that 2023 is better paced and without as much glut.
I’m also here to share a few pieces of advice with creators and audiences. Not that anyone will care about or heed them, but I offer them nonetheless, as follows:
TV creators, please utilize editors. I know so much focus is based on screen time these days, but cutting scenes, cutting episodes, even cutting entire characters are wise propositions moving forward.
You don’t need “bottle episodes” if they don’t enhance the story. It’s that easy.
Andor was amazing and we most likely won’t get anything like that again because so many more people watched The Book of Boba Fett more than something that was actually intriguing and had something to say. That just sucks.
I wish all shows would go back to the once-a-week release model. When Netflix releases a show to binge, two things happen (at least for me): (1) It immediately feels like I have a large amount of homework to finish, and (2) those shows just don’t stick with me as long. I need time to marinate and think about what might happen next. The binge model encourages me to forget storylines.
Can we move on from creating top ten lists? I just can’t do it this year, it feels increasingly odd and off-putting to make art competitive in this way (even though these are just my opinions). I will, however, share what my favorite was for each category (because I’m hypocritical in that way).
Let’s all work to go back to movie theaters, and not just for Marvel or established IP showings. I’m not here to denigrate those pics, but to offer a more complex palette. Go see something that you might not select automatically, go see a movie made by someone who doesn’t live in your country, go see something that might make you feel uncomfortable. I say this also as a directive to myself, because it’s easy for all of us to make entertainment decisions based off what we enjoy and not what might challenge us.
Final note: I didn’t include a list of books here because most of the time I don’t read new stuff and this year I’ve been reading a bunch for grad school. That said, I have very much enjoyed Jon Meacham’s new biography of Abraham Lincoln and it is easily my favorite read for the year. Also my film list is short because, while I felt a little more comfortable going back to the movies and even renewed my membership to the great Circle Cinema, I simply spent way more time with television this year.
If you’re here, thanks for reading. I hope to do more of it in the next year!
Television
Fleishman is in Trouble (Hulu) - I simultaneously didn’t want to watch this show while also knowing it was up my alley. I kept hearing critics I respect talk about it, I watched the trailers, but I was honestly a little tired of television at that point in December. That said, leave it for the end of the year for one of my favorites to arrive. Simply put, it’s about forty-somethings in New York who are navigating divorce, dating, raising children, and finding personal fulfillment all at the same time. It’s not for everyone, but it was definitely for me.
The Dropout (Hulu) - Whether or not you tracked the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, this was a fantastic piece about our current fascination with technology, American myth-making, and hero-worship. Amanda Seyfried’s performance alone is worth the watch.
Severance (AppleTV+) - I’ve written about Severance before but I’m happy to see that this series connected with so many over the year. This puzzle-box show is more satisfying than most of it’s predecessors and already feels like it has more direction, featuring one of the best season finales I have ever watched. Ben Stiller flexed pretty hard with season one and I can’t wait to see what is coming up next.
Slow Horses (AppleTV+) - Seasons 1 and 2 (which wrapped up this week) debuted in 2022 and if you like British spy craft (though run amok) than this is for you. I’ll watch just about anything with Gary Oldman and he gets so many moments to shine here.
Barry, Season 3 (HBO Max) - Bill Hader (making Tulsa proud) never disappoints with Barry. It has all the comedic timing of a Coen brothers movie mixed with a more Scorsesian sense of consequence. It’s violent, hilarious, and moving and more than anything it is consistently great.
We Own This City (HBO Max) - If you were a fan of The Wire, then WOTC is essentially watching an up-to-date season five. This show is severely undervalued and Jon Bernthal is insanely good as corrupt cop (and a very real person) Wayne Jenkins.
The Bear (Hulu) - I’ve never worked in a restaurant, but this show does its damned best to make you feel the anxiety and terror of what that experience is like. There is so much conflict and tension in this show that it’s almost unbearable (pun intended), but like any great food experience the tastes are wonderful, complex, and satisfying. While it sounds like the show might be hard to watch, it’s also a community of people you want to be around and that eases the whole process. Easily one of the year’s best.
Reservation Dogs, Season 2 (FX on Hulu) - The real Tulsa King is Sterlin Harjo. It has been so fun to watch his rise from local filmmaker to a big time showrunner, taking so many elements he learned while being an indie director and implementing them into a coming of age series. Season 2 was exceptional, especially Episode 9. There is so much creativity forming in and coming out of Oklahoma, it’s so cool to witness.
White Lotus, Season 2 (HBO Max) - I can’t say much more than what has already been said about this show, but it’s probably the most fun watch of the year. It’s beautiful, sexy, shocking, and hilarious. Creator Mike White is also an avid film fan, so many of the scenes in White Lotus borrow from some of the best filmmakers in the history of cinema but are uniquely placed in this modern setting.
Station Eleven (HBO Max) - Though technically this series began in 2021, it wrapped up in mid-January and therefore counts! Y’all, this was my favorite for the year. This show affected me more emotionally than anything I watched in 2022, it respected all of the characters, allowed so much room for nuance and complexity, it was gracious, and ended so beautifully. Dan Romer’s gripping music composition for the show also added to what I loved about it and made sequences in the show even more powerful and enriching.
Honorable Mentions: Andor (Disney+), Somebody Somewhere (HBO Max), Pachinko (AppleTV+), What We Do in the Shadows, Season 4 (FX on Hulu), Industry (HBO Max), Atlanta, Season 4 (FX on Hulu), Winning Time (HBO Max), Hacks (HBO Max), Under the Banner of Heaven (Hulu)
Films
The Banshees of Inisherin - I can’t recall a movie that was at once this funny and sad all at the same time. Every performance is rich and every scene is integral to the overall narrative. While centered around a devolving friendship, it manages to focus it’s attention on the question of what makes a life meaningful. It will also make you want to visit your local pub afterward. My personal favorite from 2022.
Nope - There’s an Indian restaurant in Tulsa, Desi Wok, with a dish called the Bombay Combo and it’s huge, which means there are a lot of leftovers throughout the week. The great thing about the dish is that the more it marinates in the fridge, the better it is each sitting. That’s how Nope felt to me. Each time I have revisited the film, the more I have enjoyed it.
Everything Everywhere All At Once - I won’t try to explain the concept of this film, I’ll merely state that the hype is well earned. It kind of feels like a Charlie Kaufman movie with a little more heart and accessibility. It’s wonderful.
The Fabelmans - We’re living in a weird time when one of the best filmmakers who has every lived releases a movie and it’s treated like some sort of little arthouse project. Though it’s probably about twenty minutes too long, I loved so much of The Fabelmans. It’s a love letter to cinema, but it’s a director trying to re-contextualize his upbringing and his relationship with his parents. It’s a revisitation to discover reconciliation. It’s a reminder not just what art can do for audiences, but what it can do for creators as well.
Prey - I love a good Predator movie and this didn’t disappoint. It’s not mind-blowing in any real way but it’s just plain fun to watch. They could make ten more period-piece Predators and I would watch every single one of them. Amber Midthunder is also a star to watch for years to come (she was also great in Reservation Dogs).
Podcasts
Films To Be Buried With - If you want to hear a friendlier Roy Kent interview people about their favorite movies, this is the podcast for you. It also became my favorite podcast discovery for the year.
ReThinking with Adam Grant - I’m a big Adam Grant fan and he’s started another podcast interviewing experts in psychology, business, sociology, and other fields. It’s a consistently good listen and you’ll always come away learning something new.
Smartless - I love the dry wit of Jason Bateman and Will Arnett mixed with the earnestness of Sean Hayes. Sometimes my mileage varies depending on the week, but if you need something in the background that you don’t have to focus too much on, this hits the spot.
What stuck with you this year? Happy New Year, everyone!