Let’s cap this year’s movies off in style….

As has become tradition, counting down the best flicks of a year has become something of a pretty fun habit for us at TZP. We pull up what we’ve watched, reviewed, and enjoyed and try to see which of those flicks is the crème’ de la crème(we also argue about it a lot). Either way, we hope you love each of our picks and watch them if you haven’t already. And of course you can leave a comment on which movies you would have wanted to see on this list as well.

Honorable Mentions:

Marry Me (Review)

In the last decade or so, the classic romance movie kind of died. In supposedly chasing more “realistic” romance flicks, Hollywood kind of left us with predictable, divorcee or situationship-based cookie cutter flicks left with quirky characters. These were fine for a time but now, we’re basically sick of them. Turns out all we needed was for an old school romance star to come back into play and revive the late 90’s early 2000s type of romance. And that star is Jenifer Lopez with this romance Romp. Marry Me is old-school, but in the best ways possible. It’s fun, it’s simple, it’s also predictable but Owen Wilson’s presence and Lopez’s performance sell the story well enough. And yes, it’s the kind of romance that’s pure fantasy, but that’s exactly why it works.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story

Look, this movie is best summed up by the first word in it’s title, it’s weird. But goodness is it hilarious. Daniel Radcliffe stars in this very fictional biography of arguably the most chill person in the music industry: Al Yankovic, aka the person known for basically making parodies a thing. Except instead of following the mostly mundane real life story of Al (minus the really cool parodies), they turn this into an over-the top, drug fueled, “gritty” version of his story where Al gets into a feud with Michael Jackson because Michael copied him and somehow ends up fighting drug cartels. Sounds nuts? It is. But that’s basically because it’s essentially a parody of someone’s life, and once you view it that way, it’s hard to not laugh at every minute of this movie, because you could tell it’s creators were doing the same.

Ambulance (Review)

Look, we know Michael Bay is a meme now but if there has ever been a movie that should remind you why this guy was once the hottest commodity in Hollywood, it’s this one. Ambulance is an adrenaline fueled story about brotherhood buried under all the gunfights, car chases and mental breakdowns from Jake Gyllenhaal’s main character. It’s frantic in the best possible way and will not lest u rest for a moment in the same way it never lets it’s characters rest either. Watch it!

The Top Ten

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish

This year has a lot of films that could fit under the term “we didn’t expect to love this so much”. But this one might be the biggest surprise. Not because it’s completely out of this world and a surprise no one expected , but because Puss in Boots: The last wish might be one of the more predictable entries on this list. A sequel to a recognizable enough franchise that a studio took a bet on to make some money by year-end. And yet this is by far one of the deepest, most hilarious and exhilarating movies of the year. Does it reinvent the wheel? Nope, but Antonio Banderas and crew spin that wheel so mush it makes this movie do doughnuts around tons of flicks this year. The films animation style and comedy lift it beyond it’s peers, but it’s story of heroism, age, and maintaining some kind of image as a means to seem invulnerable (while being truly lonely) is the kind that makes the adults think while the kids glare at the pretty colors and awesome fight scenes. Also that villain? I want that guy back man. I saw movies with monsters, aliens , and all other sorts of creeps this year, and yet nothing gave me chills like this movie’s rendition on the Big Bad Wolf. This might be an end to the Puss in Boots Franchise, or the Shrek Franchise as a whole, but I sure hope not because this movie gave the franchise new life.

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

On the surface, Wakanda Forever had a million jobs to do. It had to honor the untimely passing of Chadwick Boseman as well as his character T’Challa. It had to keep one of the most profitable single hero MCU franchises alive. It also had to continue the overall narrative of the MCU with the upcoming Phase 5 and 6 AND it had to do all that in a year where honestly, Marvel movies haven’t been on their A-game. But When you really take a moment and scrutinize it, only the first two of those goals really matter. From the moment it begins Wakanda Forever is a story about learning to say goodbye and moving forward even when you feel you can’t, and facing the rest of life while dealing with that. Unfortunately for the Wakandans facing the rest of your life often means facing attacks from western powers, new kingdoms and outright supervillains because everyone wants a piece of Wakanda and it’s Vibranium. It’s a story that mixes deep political drama, personal grief, hard hitting action and some of the best acting we’ve seen in the MCU. Literally every central character in this film has a powerful and satisfying arc of their own, and we can’t help but get excited for whatever comes next in this corner of the MCU

Bullet Train (Review)

Every other movie on this list could probably be called complex on some level. Or at least deeper than it needs to be. Bullet Train isn’t really that movie. I mean it is…but it isn’t. This flick from Deadpool 2 director David Leitch has Bradd Pitt as a retired ,bumbling agent with extreme bad luck who has to steal a suitcase from a train. Simple enough right? Except that train is full of rival mercenaries, crazy Yakuza drama, death traps and the funniest Channing Tatum cameo in years. Bullet train is simply a crazy ride of a movie, and hilarious in almost every scene. It does actually have a deeper message and lesson to learn too, but you might miss it in between all the laughter and action. So if you want something that’s an easy watch and tons of fun, this is it.

RRR

You know how people always say Indian movies are crazy? Well what if we told you all those movies are considered “normal” by Indian standards while this one is actually considered crazy? Seriously RRR feels like it’s writers and director set down and decided “let’s take Indian history and turn it into the craziest Superhero story yet!”. And they kind of did. Imagine the Chimurenga had Mbuya Nehanda being Dr Strange while the second Chumurenga days all our war heroes were basically Captain America. That’s RRR, and then some. It’s an awesome story that actually educates about India’s history while also being brilliantly over the top and a great story about friendship as well. In what’s not always a predictable list, it’s probably the most unorthodox movie here. But it’s a great experience that’s worth watching if you can keep an open mind.

Woman King (Review)

What could have easily been a Black Panther clone or just another cash-in on the “Africa is popular now” trend that Hollywood is on , Woman King is instead a well ,crafted, thrilling action flick with that at least in concept, tells a compelling story about a group of amazing female warriors who allowed their kingdom to find a freedom of its own in a world that seemingly didn’t allow it at all. Now does this film have a lot of controversy attached to it including a very false interpretation of the Dahome tribe? Yes. Should that interpretation be questioned and even brought to justice? Also yes. However this would hardly be the first movie in Hollywood panned for how it twists history. And the issue of cultural interpretations is one that needs to be revamped in the whole entertainment industry. And on that note, we still think the story that was formed for Woman King is one worth watching , and the fact that we recommend it even with the attached controversy should be a statement to its quality not otherwise.

Glass Onion : A Knives Out Mystery

Who would of thought 2019’s sleeper hit Knives Out would have been worth a sequel? Okay, let’s rephrase that, who would have thought that sequel would not only be adequate, but borderline mind-blowing. The original Knives out was a great murder mystery with themes of classism and social justice sprinkled across it. Glass Onion takes those themes, great casting, amazing characters and a good murder mystery and dials it to 11. It focuses more on Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc, but also brings amazing co-leads in Janelle Monae and Edward Norton. Now it’s a murder mystery , so we probably shouldn’t give any more details but here’s the short version: you’ll love this movie. You will, trust us. Now go stream it already.

The Top Four.

Now every other movie we mentioned here deserves to be in the top 10, but we thing these next four movies are easily a pick for best movie of the year. We put them in no specific order, and you guys can rank them however you wish , but these four are our opinion of this year’s very best.

The Batman (Review)

In one decade we’ve had three live action Batman actors. This should be a crime. And yet each of them and their respective Batman franchises scratches an itch about the Dark Knight we didn’t know we needed scratched. The Batman gives us the part that proves why Batman is a great detective, by putting him in what’s first and foremost a Detective story and crime drama. This film is about Batman but it’s also as much about Catwoman, Jim Gordon, The Penguin, even Falcone’. It makes this world of the Dark Knight darker than any before it yet instantly recognizable and intriguing. it’s not only worth the time, it’s worth being recorded in history for it’s gripping narrative and characters, its take on The Riddler, and a Batman that arguably best emphasizes how messed up this character is. It’s easily the best superhero movie of the year, and the first one you should have on your list.

Top Gun: Maverick (Review)

Here it is, the ultimate underdog story of 2022 that’s also become a metaphor for Tom Cruise and the classic film industry as a whole : “One day we’ll get replaced, but today’s not that day. And till that day comes, we’ll entertain the shit out of you”. Okay maybe not in those exact words, but seriously Top Gun: Maverick is a testament to Cruise, Director Joe Krasinski, the crew, cast, practical effects, the US NAVY , fighter jets , ‘Murica and a whole lot more thing. No one thought this movie would be as big at is, but on top of that, no one thought it would be as good as it is. Maverick repeats the best beats of the first movie, teamwork and camaraderie at the forefront, but then combines that with a story about age catching up with you, finding worth in a world that’s mostly moved on, living with your mistakes as a parent, and leaving the little u have onto the next generation. You technically have to watch the first one to appreciate everything about it, but even if you don’t you’ll have an amazing time watching a movie that will thrill you as much as it will give you some heart-wrenching moments. It’s literally what it should be, a roller-coaster with heart. And who would hate watching that.

Everything, Everywhere all at once

So, we did say that these top four movies aren’t exactly in any order. But, to be honest, if I personally had a front runner for the best movie of this year, this one might be it. The easy description of Everything Everywhere all at once is it’s everything Doctor Strange and The Multiverse of Madness should have been, taking the saw concept and doing far more with it. But, that’s too much of an understatement, because this movie is SO. MUCH. MORE. Everything everywhere all at once takes an honestly out of this world concept and tells one of the most grounded and humane stories told in a movie this year. It takes a simple thought we’ve all had:” What if I had a different life”, and stretches that thought out in the most insane ways to give a verdict that’s not really as important as the journey this film take you through. Michelle Yeoh brings a performance that thrusts her back into the spotlight in a way she truly deserves and while we don’t necessarily need this film to have a sequel, we hope to see more work from it’s writers, directors and Yeoh very, very soon.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. (Review)

We said this in our review before but the fact that this movie even exists is crazy all on it’s own. After all it’s a fictional tale about a real life actor that kind of details his real life struggles while blowing them up into a tale that’s as crazy as it is relatable. The unbearable weight of massive talent is a story about family, camaraderie, never giving up and the people who find value in you even when you probably see nothing in yourself. It’s also an ode to cinema, being a movie fanatic, and yes, Nicholas Cage. But it’s so awesome of a story that even if you didn’t care about the actor much before watching this, you’ll likely be curious to catch up with some of his movies after this . And it’s just one of the most unique movies I’ve seen in forever. So go try it already.

And that’s our list. As always there’s tons of other movies that were worth watching, and at least some worth a mention (shout out to Hustle and The Northman), but these movies did the most for us. Hopefully you guys to indulge in at least some of them. Here’s to hoping next year is even better.

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