The 20 Best Movies of 2022 So Far
Which films have impressed critics the most during the first half of the year? Above, we rank the best-reviewed movies first released in North American theaters (or debuting directly on digital/VOD/streaming outlets) between January 1, 2022 and June 30, 2022. Films are ranked by Metascore and must have at least 7 reviews from professional critics to be eligible.
Additional content by Keith Kimbell.
Originally debuting in the Un Certain Regard section at 2021's Cannes Film Festival—where it won that competition's Jury Prize—Austrian director Sebastian Meise's second narrative feature also cracked the International Feature Film Oscar later in the year before finally reaching American audiences this spring via MUBI. The two-hander takes place at various points in post-WWII Germany where Hans (Franz Rogowski) is repeatedly imprisoned (including, during the war, in a concentration camp) for being a homosexual under that country's infamous Paragraph 175 law. But while in prison he forms an unlikely relationship with his cellmate (Georg Friedrich), who has been convicted of murder.
“Great Freedom asks a lot of its viewer and offers no rousing Hollywood ending. It’s not a film you see on a whim, but lovers of truthful, humanistic cinema should take note. This one is the real deal, surely to be given a chance. Or two.” —Zhuo-Ning Su, The Film Stage
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