The 50 Best Movies of 2022

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor – January 4, 2023

Here is Metacritic's final list of the 50 best-reviewed movies of 2022, ranked by Metascore. This list only includes films receiving at least 7 reviews from professional critics.

All films released between January 1, 2022 and December 31, 2022 in at least one U.S. theater or directly to streaming or VOD/digital services were eligible for inclusion. Short films and reissues are excluded. Titles are ranked by Metascore (a weighted average of scores from top professional critics) prior to rounding based on scores as of January 1, 2023.

Additional content by Keith Kimbell.

12 of 25 photo by Hulu/Onyx Collective

87 Aftershock

(#12) A straight-to-Hulu documentary from directors Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee, Aftershock looks at the growing maternal health crisis in the United States, especially on the lack of availability of such care in Black communities. In particular, the film focuses on the surviving members of two families that each lost a mother due to complications during childbirth. The result is eye-opening and devastating.

Watch it on Hulu

“Though heartbreaking to watch, if not triggering, Aftershock remains essential viewing as it reveals another, underseen front in the unending battle for equality in the United States.” —R. Colin Tait, The Playlist

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