2022 has been a solid year for film releases and there are still a lot of great films sure to end the year with a bang, such as Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. This year has also seen a great number of directorial debuts, showcasing new great filmmakers and their first major efforts.
With 2022 being the first year of the decade where theaters are open all year round, it was a great time to get back to the movies, but many filmmakers saw their first films debut on streaming platforms. It can be argued that many of these movies deserved theatrical releases, but a handful of 2022's directorial debuts still found their way to the top.
On The Count Of Three - Jerrod Carmichael
Jerrod Carmichael has become a mainstay in pop culture over the last few years, having a handful of hit comedy specials, creating The Carmichael Show, and narrating the Grammy award-winning album Igor by Tyler, the Creator. This past year saw him debut his first major directorial effort, On The Count Of Three starring himself and Christopher Abbott.
While technically released in 2021 at the Sundance Film Festival, it saw its streaming debut on Hulu in May 2022. The film follows two best friends as they reach a turning point in their lives, wanting to spend their last moments with each other by tying up loose ends before completing their pact. On The Count Of Three deals with heavy themes, but Carmichael balances the humor and emotional beats extremely well.
Turning Red - Domee Shi
Turning Red was the third straight Pixar film to debut on Disney+ in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but many fans felt that the film was deserving of a theatrical release. Director Domee Shi's previous work with Pixar landed her an Oscar, as she won Best Animated Short for Bao at the 91st Academy Awards. With Turning Red as her feature-length debut, she delivered a heartfelt original story.
Turning Red follows Mei Lee, a teenager who transforms into a red panda whenever she feels emotionally vulnerable. The film tackles the coming-of-age aspect in a way that viewers can relate to, while also adding cultural elements that give the Pixar library more diversity. Along with being set in the early 2000s, the nostalgia itch was satisfied with plenty of references to the time period.
Fresh - Mimi Cave
The last few years have seen a small renaissance for rom-coms, which makes perfect sense considering how dating has evolved with the prevalence of technology and dating apps. Mimi Cave's feature-length debut, Fresh, sets itself up as commentary on the modern dating scene but quickly shifts the tone into something unexpected.
The viewing experience for Fresh is arguably at its best if the viewer goes into the film knowing as little as possible. Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan lead the way, as the film is aided by a great soundtrack and solid camera work. Fresh pulls elements from a handful of genres but knows what it wants to be, grounded by a great cast of characters.
The Bad Guys - Pierre Perifel
Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse and Lupin III. Animator Pierre Perifel directed the film and in his first directorial effort, gives audiences a clever heist movie.
Based on the children's books of the same name, The Bad Guys is one of DreamWorks Animation's most recent additions and arguably one of its best. The voice cast does an amazing job of embodying each character and the development they receive throughout the film is earned.
The Bob's Burgers Movie - Loren Bouchard & Bernard Derriman
Bob's Burgers has established itself as one of the best and longest-running animated sitcoms of all time and 2022 saw the series receive a theatrically released film. The film was directed by series creator Loren Bouchard and series director Bernard Derriman so the characters were handled with great care in their first big screen appearance.
The film is something that fans of the series will definitely enjoy, but it provides plenty of background for viewers who are meeting the Belcher family for the first time. The Bob's Burgers Movie is full of catchy songs and musical numbers, along with an intriguing mystery, The Bob's Burgers Movie captures a full range of emotions, just as the series has done for the last decade.
Honor Society - Oran Zegman
As the Paramount+ library continues to expand, it has also brought in streaming exclusive films. This includes Oran Zegman's Honor Society, starring Angourie Rice and Gaten Matarazzo. The film may have flown a bit under the radar, but it's a funny coming-of-age story about the lengths a person will go to ensure their post-high school success.
The film positions itself as a puzzle of sorts, as viewers witness the pieces fall into place of Honor Rose's plan to get accepted into Harvard as she uses her classmates along the way. Though the plot is fairly simple, the story has great pacing, which sets itself up for a surprising finish that viewers may not expect on the first watch.
Vengeance - B.J. Novak
B.J. Novak is most known for his role as Ryan Howard on Vengeance, where he also served as writer and lead actor.
Vengeance is a mystery-comedy full of recognizable faces, paired with solid writing that utilizes a suspenseful eestern atmosphere. Following a podcaster who travels to Texas to investigate the death of a former hookup, Novak's Ben Manalowitz has to now navigate the woman's family believing they were in a relationship.
Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul. - Adamma Ebo
The practice of advertising films in a way that doesn't tell much about the movie but shows enough to get an audience interested is something that has been a prevalent practice over the last few years. Honk For Jesus is a film that is d as a full-blown comedy but upon viewing, is a comedy-drama that satirizes and parodies a real-life religious scandal.
In Adamma Ebo's directorial debut, she incorporates themes of greed, cognitive dissonance, hypocrisy, and more, partially told in mockumentary format. The film may resonate more with certain audiences than others, but it's worth checking out solely based on the great performances of Regina Hall and Sterling K. Brown.
Smile - Parker Finn
The horror genre has had a big year in 2022, with best marketing campaigns for a horror movie in recent memory, hiding actors with creepy smiles in the background of major televised events as social media s pointed them out.
The film prioritizes solid filmmaking just as much as it does jump scares, while Sosie Bacon puts in an exceptional performance as the protagonist, Dr. Rose Carter. Critics and fans alike have lauded the film as one of the best horrors of the year, praising how the psychological thriller elements were paired with the tackling of mental health issues.
Werewolf By Night - Michael Giacchino
As the first Marvel Studios Special Presentation on Disney+, the hype for Werewolf By Night was through the roof. It serves as Michael Giacchino's directorial debut, also adding to his extensive discography of film scores as he penned the music behind Jack Russell's MCU debut.
Giacchino proved to be more than a capable filmmaker, as his tribute to the classic monster movies was something fresh in the recent slate of MCU releases. Being filmed in black and white allowed the project to push the boundaries of violence in the MCU and given its monster-studded cast of characters, Werewolf By Night is a great watch.
