It’s hard to believe it but 2022 has whizzed to an end! And what a year it has been for the world of cinema.

Theatres have finally fully reopened after two years in perpetual lockdown and the public has re-embraced its moviegoing habits.

Film studios have been in full swing as well, with many films reaching the big screen rather than being limited to online streaming platforms.

As such, there were many great films this year and FMT has listed the best five that are likely to be classics down the road.

Of course, this list is entirely subjective, so feel free to make your own. Which movie did you fall in love with the most this year?

1. Everything Everywhere All at Once

If you want to talk about a film that isn’t part of an established franchise and has a completely original story, “Everything Everywhere All at Once” fits the bill perfectly.

It certainly helps that at its forefront is Malaysian darling, actress Michelle Yeoh, who puts in a strong and emotional performance in her role as Evelyn Wang.

On the surface, the film by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert tells the story of a woman who ends up having to save the world by travelling through different universes.

However, the film is far deeper and touches on ever-relevant themes of intergenerational trauma and familial conflict.

In addition to exhilarating action scenes, there are genuinely emotional moments that may melt the coldest of hearts, the best one courtesy of actor Ke Huy Quan.

2.  Prey

While it sadly never made it to the big screen, this film was still highly successful on Hulu and was critically praised.

For those unawares, “Prey” is actually part of the “Predator” film universe, the same one which saw a muddy Arnold Schwarzenegger grappling with a savage Predator alien.

This time around, instead of the 1980s, the action takes place in 18th century North America, where a native American Comanche tribe ends up in the sights of a Predator on the hunt.

The thought of native Americans clashing against an alien hunter is a creative one and the film plays to this strength well.

It’s also commendable for its use of native American actors, with one version of the film actually being dubbed entirely in the Comanche language!

Inclusivity and cultural respect aside, the film doesn’t hold back on the gore and when the Predator hunts, he leaves quite the body trail behind.

3. Top Gun: Maverick

Regardless of one’s personal opinions on Tom Cruise and his…wacky beliefs, there’s no denying that the man can act.

He is part of the reason why “Top Gun: Maverick” was as good as it was, with a simple story managing to captivate audiences all the same.

Set decades after the first film, high-flying Pete Mitchell is back on the field, albeit as an instructor for a group of young pilots.

With a high-stakes mission at hand, he has to prepare them for what’s to come, even as he grapples with a personal matter.

Strong performances are everywhere in this film, with a heart-rending appearance from Val Kilmer, whose throat cancer doesn’t prevent him from giving his all.

4. The Batman

Who would have thought that the guy who played a sparkly vampire would turn out to be a pretty darn good Batman?

Well, jokes about bats aside, Robert Pattinson has shown that he is a talented actor and the mantle of the Caped Crusader is in safe hands.

In a standalone film separate from the floundering DC Extended Universe, The Batman gives audiences a look at the superhero in his early years.

Despite everyone knowing the origin story of the Batman, Matt Reeves tells the story in a refreshing way which doesn’t retread the well-worn path.

Also working to the film’s benefit are its villains, with Paul Dano’s terrifying Riddler and Colin Farrell’s unrecognisable Penguin putting on great performances.

5.  Nope

Jordan Peele has a knack for creating unsettling movies with dark twists, with “Get Out” and “Us” being just two examples.

“Nope” is his latest creation and it certainly ticks the right boxes when it comes to being a horror flick.

While the film appears on the surface to be about a pair of siblings being terrorised by aliens, the film is much deeper than that.

Of course, there’s the twist about what the alien really is, but there’s also the underlying theme of spectacle and how it drives people to do unthinkable things.