Best Movies of 2022: Great Movie Moments and Scenes
Continuing my look back at the best movies of 2022, I am now going to look at some of my favorite movie moments and movie scenes from the movies of 2022. Whether it was a masterclass scene of acting, a great line-reading, or a moment of pure entertainment, these were all scenes and moments from 2022 movies that I loved. There were a ton of movie moments that I loved in 2022, but this group of movie moments and scenes are some that I could rewatch by themselves. Here are some of my favorite movie moments and scenes of the year (with video clips!).
“Under Pressure” – Aftersun
It took a bit for Charlotte Welles’s stunning debut Aftersun to click for me, but towards the end of the film, I was completely floored and crushed. The moment that hit me hardest was set to Queen and David Bowie’s “Under Pressure”, where we find Calum (Paul Mescal) and his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) dancing together on the last night of their holiday together. This is intercut with a dream sequence we’ve seen throughout the film of an adult Sophie (Celia Rowlson-Hall) seeing her father on a strobe-lit dance floor, struggling to get close to him, only for her to finally get close and push him away. This is a powerful moment of a woman remembering the last time she and her father were close and shared a happy embrace. Not many scenes in 2022 crushed me as hard as this one did.
Ambulance Operation – Ambulance
Michael Bay’s Ambulance was one of the great cinematic experiences I had in 2022. A non-stop, high-octane thrill ride that had my adrenaline pumping and my heart racing for over two hours. Full of explosions, bullets, fire, and all while an ambulance is being chased around Los Angeles. During this two-hour chase sequence, there is a moment where EMT Cam (Eiza Gonzalez) and bank robber Will (Yaya Abdul-Mateen) must perform surgery on an injured cop to stop him from bleeding. During the surgery, the cop’s spleen ruptures and Cam must use a hair clip to stop the bleeding. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Is it insane? 100%. Was it one of the wildest sequences I saw on screen in 2022? Definitely.
Car Chase – The Batman
The car chase in Matt Reeves’s The Batman is the action centerpiece of his crime-fighting noir and one of the best action scenes of 2022. It’s a relatively simple set-up, as we find Oswald “Penguin” Cobblepot (Colin Ferrell) getting money from a drug deal. Batman (Robert Pattinson) sees this as an opportunity to capture Penguin to get information from him, and off they go on a rip-roaring, intense chase sequence on the highway of Gotham. Michael Giacchino’s bombastic score dominates the scene, while we also get our first look at what the new Batmobile can do. It is shot and edited to perfection and a top-tier Batman chase scene.
“Silence of the Lambs” – Jackass Forever
Jackass Forever was one of the best comedies of 2022 and there were several skits and moments that I loved in the film, from “The Cup Test 2.0” to when Preston pooped his pants before a skit even began. But the hardest I laughed was during the skit “The Silence of the Lambs”, where Johnny Knoxville would bring in two members of the cast into a room, have them think he’s doing a stunt with a rattlesnake, but then cut the lights and make their lives a living hell. Watching the cast members in night vision attempt to navigate in a pitch-black room while Knoxville torments them will bring you to tears. It is one of the best and funniest skits from any Jackass movie.
“These are tortillas.” – The Menu
Hong Chau had a great 2022 with her performances in The Menu and The Whale. I personally preferred her performance in Mark Mylod’s twistedly funny dark comedy and her line reading of “These are tortillas.” after a group of rude finance bros ask her, “What are these?” referring to financial records printed to the tortillas that they are about to eat. Chau’s hilarious delivery is the line reading of the year.
Long Monologues – Pearl and Resurrection
The performances by Rebecca Hall in Resurrection and Mia Goth in Pearl are two of the best of the year and both performances are highlighted by long, single-take monologue sequences. In Resurrection, Hall’s Margaret tells the story about her life growing up and how she was a victim of grooming and the loss of her child. Goth’s Pearl spills her heart and soul about everything from her husband, her insecurities, her miscarriage, and her alienation on her farm. Both moments are haunting and gripping. Hall’s delivery is that of a professional, strong woman who tries to remain strong while reliving and talking about her traumatic past. Goth is a whirlwind of emotion, portraying a woman so overcome with pent-up emotion that venting it out gives her a sense of relief, sadness, happiness, and anger. Both performances are haunting, emotionally stirring, and masterfully acted.
[Video of Mia Goth in Pearl (A24). Sorry for the video quality.]
“Naatu Naatu” – RRR
The entire movie of RRR could have landed on this list because there are so many “wow” moments in the film. From characters fighting tigers to incredible action sequences, a separate list of the best moments in S.S. Rajamouli’s Bollywood epic. But the best moment in the film, and maybe the best cinematic moment of 2022, came from the film’s centerpiece musical number, “Naatu Naatu”. This is a glorious, joyous, catchy musical number that features some magnificent choreography and editing. The audience in my screening of RRR gave the film several rapturous ovations during the film, but “Naatu Naatu” had the theater clapping and cheering in a way I’ve never seen in a theater before.
Practice Run – Top Gun: Maverick
Besides being the best sequel of 2022 and one of the best and most important movies of the year, Top Gun: Maverick is a movie about how Tom Cruise is the man, and no scene represented that more than when Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Cruise) completes a practice run of the mission the Navy is about to send their pilots on. None of the young recruits had been able to complete the seemingly impossible mission in time, putting the mission and their lives in jeopardy. But Maverick showed them that it was possible and that despite his age and how long he has been a Navy pilot, he is still the best, much like how in Top Gun: Maverick, Cruise proved that he is still the biggest and best movie star we have in Hollywood today.
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