Best Wide Release Movies 2022
Unsurprisingly, most of the top 10 in the Best Movies overall category, from Top Gun: Maverick to The Batman and Banshees and all the everythings and everywheres in-between, show up here. Then there’s high-caliber action epics like The Woman King and The Northman, as well as a thriller with something to say in Emily the Criminal. And shout-out to director Ti West, who gets two movies on this list overall: X and Pearl.
The order reflects Tomatometer scores (as of December 31, 2022) after adjustment from our ranking formula, which compensates for variation in the number of reviews when comparing movies or TV shows.
#1
Adjusted Score: 122391%
Critics Consensus: Top Gun: Maverick pulls off a feat even trickier than a 4G inverted dive, delivering a long-belated sequel that surpasses its predecessor in wildly entertaining style.
Synopsis: After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is...
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#2
Adjusted Score: 115256%
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All at Once lives up to its title with an expertly calibrated assault on the senses.
Synopsis: Directed by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, the film is a hilarious and big-hearted sci-fi action...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 116246%
Critics Consensus: Featuring some of Martin McDonagh's finest work and a pair of outstanding lead performances, The Banshees of Inisherin is a finely crafted feel-bad treat.
Synopsis: Set on a remote island off the west coast of Ireland, THE BANSHEES OF INISHERIN follows lifelong friends Pádraic and...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 114089%
Critics Consensus: A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, The Batman ranks among the Dark Knight's bleakest -- and most thrillingly ambitious -- live-action outings.
Synopsis: Batman ventures into Gotham City's underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence...
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#5
Adjusted Score: 107384%
Critics Consensus: Poignant, profound, and utterly heartwarming, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On is animated entertainment with real heart.
Synopsis: Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint,...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 106140%
Critics Consensus: Till reframes an historically horrific murder within a mother's grief, brought heartwrenchingly to life by Danielle Deadwyler's tremendous performance.
Synopsis: Till is a profoundly emotional and cinematic film about the true story of Mamie Till Mobley's relentless pursuit of justice...
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#7
Adjusted Score: 108734%
Critics Consensus: All hail Viola Davis! The Woman King rules.
Synopsis: The Woman King is the remarkable story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 111050%
Critics Consensus: A bloody revenge epic and breathtaking visual marvel, The Northman finds filmmaker Robert Eggers expanding his scope without sacrificing any of his signature style.
Synopsis: The Northman is an epic revenge thriller, that explores how far a Viking prince will go to seek justice for...
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#9
Adjusted Score: 105987%
Critics Consensus: A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, X marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots.
Synopsis: In 1979, a group of young filmmakers set out to make an adult film in rural Texas, but when their...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 104829%
Critics Consensus: A taut thriller that contains a wealth of social commentary, Emily the Criminal is stolen by Aubrey Plaza's terrific work in the title role.
Synopsis: Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal...
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#11
Adjusted Score: 103221%
Critics Consensus: Led by a luminous Lesley Manville, Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris is a good old-fashioned story charmingly told.
Synopsis: In partnership with the House of Dior, MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady...
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#12
Adjusted Score: 110227%
Critics Consensus: Led by the soaring melody of Cate Blanchett's note-perfect performance, Tár riffs brilliantly on the discordant side of fame-fueled power.
Synopsis: From writer-producer-director Todd Field comes TÁR, starring Cate Blanchett as Lydia Tár, the groundbreaking conductor of a major German Orchestra....
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#13
Adjusted Score: 100941%
Critics Consensus: A remarkable story brought to life with dazzling animation, Belle finds writer-director Mamoru Hosoda setting a brilliant new benchmark.
Synopsis: Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a...
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#14
Adjusted Score: 108989%
Critics Consensus: Admirable for its originality and ambition even when its reach exceeds its grasp, Nope adds Spielbergian spectacle to Jordan Peele's growing arsenal.
Synopsis: A man and his sister discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of...
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#15
Adjusted Score: 103886%
Critics Consensus: Smart, darkly humorous, and above all scary, Barbarian offers a chilling and consistently unpredictable thrill ride for horror fans.
Synopsis: Traveling to Detroit for a job interview, a young woman books a rental home. But when she arrives late at...
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#16
Adjusted Score: 105025%
Critics Consensus: Arriving more than a decade after the previous installment, the smart, sweet, and funny Puss in Boots: The Last Wish proves some franchises only get better with age.
Synopsis: This fall, everyone's favorite leche-loving, swashbuckling, fear-defying feline returns. For the first time in more than a decade, DreamWorks Animation...
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#17
Adjusted Score: 104088%
Critics Consensus: Smart, funny, and wildly creative, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent presents Nicolas Cage in peak gonzo form -- and he's matched by Pedro Pascal's scene-stealing performance.
Synopsis: Nicolas Cage stars as... Nick Cage in the action-comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial...
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#18
Adjusted Score: 101092%
Critics Consensus: Bros marks a step forward in rom-com representation -- and just as importantly, it's a whole bunch of fun to watch.
Synopsis: Universal Pictures proudly presents the first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling...
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#19
Adjusted Score: 103772%
Critics Consensus: Pearl finds Ti West squeezing fresh gore out of the world he created with X -- and once again benefiting from a brilliant Mia Goth performance.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Ti West returns with another chapter from the twisted world of X, in this astonishing follow-up to the year's...
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#20
Adjusted Score: 95388%
Critics Consensus: Blending beautifully animated action with fresh character development, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero is everything fans of the franchise will be looking for.
Synopsis: The Red Ribbon Army was once destroyed by Son Goku. Individuals, who carry on its spirit, have created the ultimate...
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