The Best Movies of 2022 (So Far)

The first six months of 2022 felt like a reawakening for Hollywood. Despite many people believing that the movie-going experience is dead after the COVID slump, the box office seems to be coming back to life. Films like Top Gun: Maverick and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness have collectively brought in billions of dollars since their release.

Some of this year’s most anticipated films already hit theaters in the first half of the year. Top Gun fans waited 36 years for the sequel to arrive, and when it came out in May it flew straight to the No. 1 spot, making it the highest-grossing film of Tom Cruise’s career. Not only was it a commercial success but it also received rave reviews, proving that when done well, reboots and sequels can be just as thrilling and successful as the original. 

Experiencing the reactions that this year’s best films, like Maverick and The Northman, elicited from the audience in person was a treat. As much as streaming has shifted how we consume movies, films are meant to be communal experiences that unite movie lovers, and this recent box office boom looks promising for the film industry’s future. We spent so much time inside movie theaters this year (thankfully!), and each experience was more rewarding than the next. From Everything Everywhere All at Once to The Batman, we’ve rounded up 10 of the best films 2022 has had to offer so far. While there was no shortage of films to choose from, these are the ones you absolutely need to watch if you haven’t already. Check out our picks below, and stay tuned for what the rest of 2022 has in store.