20 Best Movies Of 2022

A shoo-in for the most adorable film of the year, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is an ingenious fusion of live-action imagery and stop-motion animation, centered around the titular anthropomorphic shell (voiced by Jenny Slate) and his bond with the filmmaker (actual director Dean Fleischer Camp) who moves into his house.

In our deeply cynical times, something as sweet-natured and downright cute as Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is a massive breath of fresh air.

At the same time, though, it's hardly a naive or superficial piece of work: initially hidden depths are quickly brought to the surface as Camp's film meditates on anxiety, uncertainty, and mortality.

Technically sublime in execution and boasting a full-hearted narrative to match, this is seriously impressive work that's absolutely unlike anything else you'll see this year.