Last week, we asked our staff to identify their favorite films from the last year. While this was easy for some, it was understandably very difficult for others. With audiences returning to movie theaters in larger numbers over the last twelve months, the movie-going experience appears to be making a comeback. This is extremely important because a crowd largely affects the way we engage with a motion picture – especially action-adventures, thrillers, and comedies. Titles for this list were contributed by team members that thought they were hilarious with a crowd, where the humor landed flat for others at home.

On the flip slide, films that team members streamed at home with their families provided a more emotional connection when experienced in a smaller, more personal space. More than any other year, 2022 has showed us that there is adequate space for excellent streaming and theatrical films to co-exist in the lives of everyday movie lovers. Some stories we want to immerse ourselves in at a movie theater and others we can still manage to fully escape into on our televisions, tablets, and other mobile devices.

Taking all of this into consideration, Imbibe Cinema is proud to present our team’s top six favorite films released in 2022…

#6 | The Adam Project

After accidentally crash-landing in 2022, time-traveling fighter pilot Adam Reed teams up with his 12-year-old self for a mission to save the future. Ryan Reynolds leads the cast with Walker Scobell, Zoe Saldaña, Jennifer Garner, Mark Ruffalo, and Catherine Keener.

The Adam Project was released on Netflix on February 28, 2022. Directed by Shawn Levy, this story is wonderfully imaginative and told from the heart. Ten months later, we find ourselves still thinking about this one, which is why it has earned the number 6 spot on our list.

#5 | Nope

A man and his sister discover something sinister in the skies above their California horse ranch, while the owner of a nearby theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon. Keke Palmer and Daniel Kaluuya lead the cast of director Jordan Peele’s science-fiction thriller with incredible visuals from cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema.

Nope was released in theaters (and IMAX) on July 22, 2022 by Universal Pictures. Peele is a remarkable filmmaker and an even more impressive storyteller. Each of his films connects with us on a deeper level than we expect and haunting us long after the end titles finish, luring us back for another viewing.

#4 | Glass Onion

World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends. Daniel Craig returns as Blanc in this whodunit from filmmaker Rian Johnson collaborating with an incredible ensemble of talent, including Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, and Edward Norton.

As we imagine Johnson would appreciate (and how the title is presented on screen), we’re calling this film Glass Onion as it should be. The film was released in theaters on November 23, 2022 for one week and then on Netflix on December 23, 2022. With Glass Onion, Johnson proved that there is so much more to explore with this anthology of mysteries surrounding Benoit Blanc. The film is undeniably well-written and its cast of characters left us wanting more.

#3 | RRR

A fearless warrior on a perilous mission comes face to face with a steely cop serving British forces in this saga set in pre-independent India. N. T. Rama Rao Jr. and Ram Charan star in S. S. Rajamouli’s larger than life, wildly entertaining epic that integrates real history into its story along with big action, endearing characters, and a high intensity dance-off.

RRR was released in theaters (and IMAX) on March 24, 2022. Rajamouli takes you on a captivating ride so mesmerizing that you are completely unaware of its 182 minute runtime. The film’s stunning visuals and fascinating characters have earned this film the number 3 spot on our list.

#2 | Everything Everywhere All At Once

When an inter-dimensional rupture unravels reality, an unlikely hero must channel her newfound powers to fight bizarre and bewildering dangers from the multiverse as the fate of the world hangs in the balance. Michelle Yeoh leads Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert’s action-adventure comedy, featuring Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Jamie Lee Curtis, and James Hong.

Everything Everywhere All at Once was released in theaters (and IMAX) on March 25, 2022 by A24. The film is one of the most imaginative and absurdly fantastic films of the year. Kwan and Scheinert, collectively known as Daniels, have constructed an adventure that is expertly chaotic and captures you in unexpected ways.

#1 | Top Gun: Maverick

After more than 30 years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. Training a detachment of graduates for a special assignment, Maverick must confront the ghosts of his past and his deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who choose to fly it.

Tom Cruise returns in the leading role after three decades with the dedication that only Cruise can bring to a film. Joseph Kosinski directs with David Ellison, Jerry Bruckheimer, Christopher McQuarrie, and Cruise producing this powerful love letter to aviation. The ensemble cast features Miles Teller, Monica Barbaro, Glen Powell, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, and Val Kilmer.

Top Gun: Maverick was released in theaters (and IMAX) on May 27, 2022 by Paramount Pictures. Several team members entered the theater skeptical of the film, however, all emerged with the desire to experience it again. Cruise’s determination to get the actors and audience into the cockpit of real F-18’s pays off big time with an experience that effectively enthralls you. Several of us have seen it more than once, and we all could and would see it again. Thus, Top Gun: Maverick has justly earned itself the top spot on our favorite films of 2022.

2022 Honorable Mentions