20 Best Movies Of 2022

Matt Reeves' The Batman did the smartest thing possible - it didn't try to imitate Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Saga, but rather offer up its own distinct, richly crafted interpretation of both the Caped Crusader and Gotham.

Reeves' bladder-testing three-hour epic largely earns its expanded canvas with a deeply moody, beautifully filmed, and tenaciously acted superhero film for the ages.

Robert Pattinson unsurprisingly proved the haters wrong with a weirdo Bruce Wayne quite unlike any we've seen before, while the splendid supporting cast does firm justice to roles like Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Jim Gordon, Alfred, and even Carmine Falcone.

Given Batman's disappointing treatment on the big screen in recent years, what a relieving breath of fresh air this was: a Real Movie that wasn't hopelessly tethering itself to a wider cinematic universe.