ASTRAL presents our ultimate Top 55 films & TV series of 2022.
"Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision, and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds." - Martin Scorsese
Let's be honest, who doesn't love film and TV? We look back on our favourite releases of 2022. The decision was hard, but here's our official yearly round-up.
This is a list of films and series strictly released either in cinemas or streaming in 2022 (UK), excluding any films which had festival premieres or overseas cinema releases in 2022.
55. Explorer: The Last Tepui
An elite climbing team goes on a mission to deliver biologist Bruce Means to the top of a Guyanese tepui, known as the island in the clouds, to search for an undiscovered animal species. (IMDb)
54. Edge Of The Unknown
Inside the minds of elite adventurers as they share stories of confronting fear, loss, and Mother Nature at her harshest. (IMDb)
53. The Stranger
Mark, an undercover cop, forms an intense, intimate relationship with Henry, a murder suspect, in an attempt to earn his trust and get a confession, risking both of their lives in the process. (IMDb)
52. Nitram
Events leading up to the 1996 Port Arthur massacre on Tasmania in an attempt to understand why and how the atrocity occurred. (IMDb)
51. Cyberpunk: Edgerunners (Limited Series)
A street kid tries to survive in a technology and body modification-obsessed city of the future. With everything to lose, he chooses to stay alive by becoming an edgerunner: a mercenary outlaw, also known as a cyberpunk. (IMDb)
50. Luck
The story of Sam Greenfield, the unluckiest person in the world. Suddenly finding herself in the never-before-seen Land of Luck, she must unite with the magical creatures there to turn her luck around. (IMDb)
49. Rick & Morty (Season 6)
Rick, an alcoholic sociopath and scientist, lives with his daughter Beth's family. Apart from building gadgets, he takes his morally right but dimwit grandson Morty on absurd intergalactic adventures. (IMDb)
48. The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent
Unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, actor Nick Cage accepts a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan's birthday party. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when a CIA operative recruits Cage for an unusual mission. Taking on the role of a lifetime, he soon finds himself channeling his most iconic and beloved characters to save himself and his loved ones. (IMDb)
47. Everything Everywhere All At Once
When an interdimensional 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. (IMDb)
46. All My Friends Hate Me
Pete is cautiously excited about reuniting with his college crew for a birthday weekend. But, one by one, his friends slowly turn against him. (IMDb)
45. Dahmer (Limited Series)
The story of one of the most notorious serial killers in the United States, largely told from the points of view of his victims. (IMDb)
44. The Fallout
Starring Jenna Ortega as Vada Cavell, a high school student who navigates significant emotional trauma following a school shooting (IMDb)
43. Armageddon Time
A coming-of-age story about the strength of family and the generational pursuit of the American dream. (IMDb)
42. Our Universe (Limited Series)
The story of the universe over billions of years and its inextricable link to life on Earth. (IMDb)
41. Prey
A skilled Comanche warrior protects her tribe from a highly evolved alien predator that hunts humans for sport, fighting against wilderness, dangerous colonisers and this mysterious creature to keep her people safe. (IMDb)
40. Petite Maman
Nelly, an eight-year-old girl, has just lost her beloved grandmother and is helping her parents clean out her mother's childhood home. One day, her mum abruptly leaves, and Nelly meets a girl her age as she's building a tree house in the woods. (IMDb)
39. What We Do In The Shadows (Season 4)
Three vampires, Nandor, Colin Robinson and Nadja, struggle to keep up with the duties and responsibilities of everyday life as they reside in an apartment in New York. (IMDb)
38. On The Count Of Three
Two best friends, Val and Kevin, spend the last day of their lives together. (IMDb)
37. Blackbird (Limited Series)
As Jimmy Keene begins a 10-year prison sentence, he gets an incredible offer: if he can elicit a confession from suspected killer Larry Hall, he will be freed; completing this mission becomes the challenge of a lifetime. (IMDb)
36. House Of Dragon (Season One)
Set nearly 200 years before the events of "Game of Thrones," telling the story of the Targaryen civil war with King Viserys I Targaryen's children battling for control of the Iron Throne. (IMDb)
35. The Worst Person In The World
A young woman battles indecisiveness as she traverses the troubled waters of her love life and struggles to find her career path. (IMDb)
34. Brian and Charles
Brian is a lonely inventor in rural Wales who spends his days building quirky, unconventional contraptions that seldom work. Undeterred by his lack of success, he soon attempts his biggest project yet. Using a washing machine and various spare parts, he invents Charles, an artificial intelligence robot that learns English from a dictionary and has an obsession with cabbages. (IMDb)
33. Empire Of Light
The duty manager of a seaside cinema, who is struggling with her mental health, forms a relationship with a new employee on the south coast of England in the 1980s. (IMDb)
32. Top Gun: Maverick
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. (IMDb)
31. The Offer (Limited Series)
Oscar-winning producer Albert S Ruddy chronicles his experiences and struggles while making his cinematic masterpiece, 'The Godfather'. (IMDb)
30. The Real Charlie Chaplin
Combining unheard audio recordings, dramatic reconstructions and personal archives, filmmakers Peter Middleton and James Spinney trace Charlie Chaplin's meteoric rise from the slums of Victorian London to the heights of Hollywood superstardom. (IMDb)
29. Light & Magic (Limited Series)
Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Lawrence Kasdan takes viewers on an adventure behind the curtains of Industrial Light & Magic, the special visual effects, animation, and virtual production division of Lucasfilm. (IMDb)
28. Taming The Garden
Filmmaker Salomé Jashi's documentary follows massive and ancient trees being transported -- at great expense and inconvenience -- from the coast of the Republic of Georgia to the private garden of a wealthy and politically powerful man. (IMDb)
27. Against The Ice
Exploring Greenland's vast landscape for a lost map, two men must fight to survive. Based on the true story of Denmark's 1909 polar expedition. (IMDb)
26. The Last Days Of Ptolemy Grey (Limited Series)
Ptolemy Grey, 91, is on the brink of sinking into dementia, but he experiences a seismic shift when given the opportunity to briefly regain his memories, and he uses this fleeting lucidity to solve his nephew's death and come to terms with his past. (IMDb)
25. Happening
In 1963, student Anne has a bright future ahead of her, but her dreams of finishing her studies is shattered when she becomes pregnant. As her final exams approach, Anne decides to take matters into her own hands. (IMDb)
24. Apollo 10 1/2
A man narrates stories of his life as a 10-year-old boy in 1969 Houston, weaving tales of nostalgia with a fantastical account of a journey to the moon. (IMDb)
23. Entergalactic
Ambitious artist Jabari attempts to balance success and love after he moves into his dream Manhattan apartment and falls for his next-door neighbour. (IMDb)
22. Fire Of Love
A woman's life takes an unexpected turn when she comes into the limelight thanks to a photographer. However, he expects something in return for his efforts. (IMDb)
21. Wildcat
Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, a former soldier develops a bond with a baby ocelot in the jungles of Peru. (IMDb)
20. Ozark (Season 4)
Marty Byrde, a financial planner, relocates his family from Chicago to a summer resort community in the Ozarks. With wife Wendy and their two kids, Marty is on the move after a money-laundering scheme goes wrong, forcing him to pay off a substantial debt to a Mexican drug lord in order to keep his family safe. (IMDb)
19. Utama
An elderly Quechua couple live a tranquil life in the arid Bolivian highlands. While Virginio takes their small herd of llamas out to graze, Sisa keeps house and walks for miles with other local women to fetch precious water. When an uncommonly long drought threatens everything they know, they must decide whether to stay and maintain their traditional way of life or admit defeat and move in with family members in the city. (IMDb)
18. Stranger Things (Season 4)
In 1980s Indiana, a group of young friends witness supernatural forces and secret government exploits. As they search for answers, the children unravel a series of extraordinary mysteries. (IMDb)
17. Barry (Season 3)
Barry, who kills to earn a living, discovers the joy of acting while he is looking for his target. Surprisingly, he loves it so much that he is ready to leave his old life behind. (IMDb)
16. Atlanta (Season 4)
Earn works as a manager for his cousin Alfred, an upcoming rapper, and they try to make a name for themselves in the music industry. Earn struggles with providing for his child and lover. (IMDb)
15. Little America (Season 2)
"Little America" is an anthology series that observes the funny, romantic, heartfelt, inspiring, and surprising stories of immigrants in America. (IMDb)
14. Compartment No.6
A Finnish student and an uncouth miner slowly forge a hesitant connection when they throw together in cramped train quarters on a journey across Russia. (IMDb)
13. All That Breathes
As legions of birds fall from New Delhi's skies and the city smoulders with social unrest, two brothers race to save one of the casualties: a majestic black kite, a bird of prey essential to their city's ecosystem. (IMDb)
12. Navalny
Detailing the 2020 assassination attempt of Russian opposition leader and former presidential candidate Alexei Navalny, in which he was poisoned with a military-grade nerve agent.
11. All Quiet On The Western Front
War breaks out in Germany in 1914. Paul Bäumer and his classmates quickly enlist in the army to serve their fatherland. No sooner are they drafted than the first images from the battlefield show them the reality of war. (IMDb)
10. Barbarian
A young woman discovers the rental home she booked is already occupied by a stranger. Against her better judgment, she decides to spend the night but soon discovers there's a lot more to fear than just an unexpected house guest. (IMDb)
9. Moonage Daydream
Featuring never-before-seen footage and performances, filmmaker Brett Morgen explores David Bowie's creative, spiritual and musical journey. (IMDb)
8. Running With The Devil: The Wild World Of John McAfee
Revealing footage and interviews uncover new layers of fugitive tech pioneer John McAfee's wild years on the run. (IMDb)
7. Red Rocket
Mikey Saber -- charismatic con man and washed-up porn star -- plots his return to the big time from small-town Texas in this story of an American hustler and a hometown that barely tolerates him. (IMDb)
6. The Banshees Of Inisherin
On a remote island off the coast of Ireland, Pádraic is devastated when his buddy Colm suddenly puts an end to their lifelong friendship. With help from his sister and a troubled young islander, Pádraic sets out to repair the damaged relationship by any means necessary. However, as Colm's resolve only strengthens, he soon delivers an ultimatum that leads to shocking consequences. (IMDb)
5. Nightmare Valley
In 1940s New York, down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle endears himself to a clairvoyant and her mentalist husband at a traveling carnival. Using newly acquired knowledge, Carlisle crafts a golden ticket to success by swindling the elite and wealthy. Hoping for a big score, he soon hatches a scheme to con a dangerous tycoon with help from a mysterious psychologist who might be his most formidable opponent yet. (IMDb)
4. The Quiet Girl
A nine-year-old girl from a dysfunctional family goes to live with distant relatives for the summer. Living with a middle-aged farm couple, she discovers a new way of living. (IMDb)
3. 1883 (Limited Series)
Following the Dutton family as they flee poverty in Texas and embark on a journey through the Great Plains to seek a better future in Montana. (IMDb)
2. White Lotus (Season 2)
The exploits of various guests and employees of a tropical resort over the span of a week. (IMDb)
1. Triangle Of Sadness
Carl and Yaya, a couple of influencers, are invited to a luxury cruise ship alongside a group of out of touch wealthy people. The situation takes an unexpected turn when a brutal storm hits the ship. (IMDb)
- ASTRAL MAGAZINE