We deliberately did not make a ranking, but simply offer you a series of individual tips from the editors. Here you will find the films that we think you should have seen in 2022 so far. In addition to the recommendations from the editors, you will also find a text by our student intern Johann at the end. He’s been looking over our shoulder a little for the past two weeks, so we asked him to name and describe his favorite film of 2022 so far.
» “The Batman” at Amazon*
“The Batman’ is much more dark crime drama, media critique and Batman deconstruction than a ‘true’ superhero film, but that’s what makes Matt Reeves’ film feel so fresh and different from the Dark Knight’s previous adventures. While Reeves is sawing the Batman myth with one hand, he also conjures up outstanding superhero moments on the screen with the other – above all the sensational Batmobile chase. (Julius Vietzen)
» “Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes” on Amazon*
For well over 100 years, cinema has enchanted us with fascinating, stirring, amusing or deeply sad stories. You could almost think that you had slowly seen everything. It’s all the more exciting to see when a film manages to create an unprecedented experience – just such a film is Beyond The Infinite Two Minutes. Particularly noteworthy: It doesn’t need big stars or a budget in the millions, just a wonderfully crazy and extremely well thought-out story. The result? Nothing less than one of the best time travel movies of all time! (Daniel Fabian)
» “The Card Counter” on Amazon*
With “The Card Counter”, New Hollywood legend Paul Schrader proves once again that he is still one of the most exciting filmmakers of all time. Schrader’s look at a battered, guilt-ridden soul looking for redemption is ambivalent, demanding, precisely written and acted adult cinema. What’s impressive about “The Card Counter” is how it gives its audience a disturbing punch in the gut, only to unleash bittersweet poetry that is genuinely moving and heartfelt. (Pascal Rice)
» “Everything Everywhere All At Once” on Amazon*
“Everywhere Everything All At Once” is not only the best multiverse movie of the year (sorry, Doctor Strange), but also in general my most beautiful cinema experience so far in 2022. I was most enthusiastic about how a deeply touching story is hidden under the superficial chaos of martial arts action spectacle, bizarre humor and multiverse madness, which addresses existential questions of the humanity by the root (or rather: by the bagel). “EEAAO” is as absurd as life, only a thousand times more entertaining – and just the scene in which two stones (!) talk and philosophize about the meaninglessness of human existence is my cinema moment of the year so far! (Benjamin Hecht)
» “The Innocents” at Amazon*
The plot of the Norwegian art-house fantasy drama “The Innocents” can be summed up as “X-Men on the playground”, but it still raises completely wrong expectations: Director Eskil Vogt, with his telekinetically and telepathically gifted primary school protagonists, delivers a painfully intense masterpiece that his audience punched the pit of the stomach more than once. Even at the Fantasy Filmfest, where viewers are used to quite a bit, some have therefore fled prematurely. Mercilessly evil and mercilessly good! (Christoph Petersen)
» “Nightmare Alley” on Disney+*
Guillermo del Toro’s remake of William Lindsay Gresham’s classic The Charlatan is a sinister film with retro charm. Bradley Cooper shines in his role as a charismatic fairground entertainer who breaks out of the world of circus attractions and “freak shows” to become a glossy charlatan in the social Elite to lead behind the light. “Nightmare Alley” is a self-fulfilling prophecy that, in the intoxication of success, power and drugs, has an all too grim end in store for the protagonist. Absolute recommendation not only for all fans of Tod Browning’s horror film “Freaks”. (Stefan Geisler)
» “RRR” on Netflix
With “RRR’ SS Rajamouli (‘Baahubali’ franchise) brings us a grandiose, exuberant, captivating and emotional spectacle. The story of two freedom fighters who first become best friends, then enemies, only to realize they are fighting for the same cause is told with incredibly engaging pathos. Everything is exaggerated, everything is powerful and yet the events never seem completely aloof. Rajamouli’s staging is outstanding. If he lets CGI beasts crash into real muscles in the first few minutes, that has a powerful effect that is all too often missing in Hollywood action cinema. (Bjorn Becher)
» “Twenty One Pilots Cinema Experience” has so far only been shown exclusively in cinemas
Not only because I’m a big fan of the Twenty One Pilots, the best film I’ve seen so far in 2022 is the “Twenty One Pilots Cinema Experience”. It wasn’t just an unforgettable cinema experience singing along to the songs of my favorite band with lots of other TOP fans and suddenly hearing those songs in the cinema that you grew up with.
The “Twenty One Pilots Cinema Experience” gave me an incredibly funny and emotional evening, because the pilots didn’t just perform the songs, they put on a real show that was something very special, something I didn’t experience in this form either in the cinema or at concerts have experienced. The Pilots have been telling a consistent story with their music for seven years anyway. With the “Twenty One Pilots Cinemax Experience” they not only continue this, but also send us fans on a breathtaking journey that combines old and new songs. (student intern Johann)
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