20 Best Movies Of 2022

Who could've ever expected that Top Gun: Maverick wouldn't just be a fun blockbuster with a laudable emphasis on practical filmmaking but genuinely one of the best films of the year?

It's still tough to believe - along with its astonishing $1.49 billion box office haul - but indeed, this belated sequel categorically leaves its predecessor in the dust, delivering a follow-up that's at once affectionate to what came before while forging ahead in a mighty new direction.

Surely the best example of a legacy sequel in recent years, Maverick puts paid to Tom Cruise's Maverick by giving the character a much-needed fleshing out, while introducing us to a charming, likeable cast of new pilots.

But as unexpectedly well written as it is, the primary appeal here is undeniably the breathtaking high-wire action, so expertly shot and staged by director Joseph Kosinski.

It's clear throughout that so much work went into doing this movie the hard way, and all that effort most certainly paid off. Across generations and demographics, it might well be the most broadly-liked film of the entire year.