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Everything I watched in 2022
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Everything I watched in 2022

And what I liked most

Dec 29, 2022
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Everything I watched in 2022
www.popculturebrain.com

Thanks for reading this year! Rather than doing top 10 lists, here’s every show and movie I put into my eyeballs in 2022 in chronological order. I’ve jotted down some memories about each, starred my favorites, and linked to any reviews I wrote. Pop Culture Brain Daily will be back January 3.

Best of the year = ⭐️
Best of the best of the year = ⭐️⭐️
The most best of the best of the year = ⭐️⭐️⭐️

  1. Don't Look Up — Like it more now than I did then.

  2. The Matrix Resurrections — Pretty forgettable.

  3. Maid — Star-making performance from Margaret Qualley.

  4. The Last Duel — Different perspectives were interesting, Matt Damon was good.

  5. The Tender Bar — Better Ben Affleck performance than Last Duel, but didn’t stick.

  6. Queer Eye s6 — Reliable, feel good.

  7. Spencer — It was fine?

  8. Cobra Kai s4 ⭐️ — Perfect culmination of the entire series up until that point.

  9. Station Eleven ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — There’s Station Eleven and then there’s everything else. Why haven’t you watched it yet?

  10. Nightmare Alley — Atmospheric and piercing, but really 2 movies fused together.

  11. Licorice Pizza ⭐️ — Engrossing, funny, lasting, nostalgia.

  12. Yellowjackets s1 — Chilling and pulpy, but maybe should have been a miniseries?

  13. Pig ⭐️ — Nic Cage is back baby.

  14. Peacemaker s1 ⭐️ — Hilarious, well plotted. Best opening credits of the year. Eagly.

  15. South Side — Funny, low fi with fresh perspective.

  16. Turning Red ⭐️ — Great Pixar.

  17. Righteous Gemstones s2 — Always funny but the not as hooky as the first season.

  18. Drive My Car — Emotional epic.

  19. Euphoria s2 ⭐️ — A miracle of bombastic and cathartic TV making. Nothing like it.

  20. The Afterparty — Had its moments but overall disappointing. With that cast, it should have been funnier.

  21. Life & Beth s1 — Amy Schumer is good at making this type of story.

  22. Severance ⭐️⭐️ — The best new sci-fi series of the year.

  23. Minx s1 — Underrated workplace comedy with lovable characters.

  24. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood — Fun but disjointed Linklater rotoscope.

  25. The Batman — Surprisingly solid, but fleeting.

  26. The Dropout — Compelling Seyfried vehicle that soared when she was the villain.

  27. Abott Elementary s1 — Perfect comfort TV in the tradition of The Office, Parks.

  28. Russian Doll s2 — Messy and ambitious, not nearly as good as season one.

  29. Better Things s5 ⭐️ — Touching, funny end to an under appreciated gem.

  30. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness — Great surprises, entire thing elevated by Raimi and Olsen, but burdened by MCU requirements.

  31. Spring Awakening: Those You’ve Known — Powerful, nostalgic concert doc for fans only.

  32. Our Flag Means Death s1 — Funny adventurer for fans of What We Do in the Shadows.

  33. Pachinko — Epic if slow at times. Second-best opening credits of the year.

  34. I Want You Back — Cute romcom with engaging leads.

  35. Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers — Fun but fleeting meta humor.

  36. Love Death + Robots ⭐️ — Astonishing animation, intriguing stories. The future of filmmaking?

  37. Cheer s2 — Captivating ouroboros narrative, if overly long.

  38. This Is Us s6 ⭐️ — Powerful and emotional end to maybe the last great network drama?

  39. The Bob's Burgers Movie — Like an episode but bigger.

  40. Winning Time s1 — Amazing cast old and new, but one or two episodes too long.

  41. Rothaniel ⭐️ — Revealing and honest special, not much like it.

  42. Somebody Feed Phil s5 ⭐️ — The only food and travel show you need.

  43. Moon Knight — Interesting performance from Oscar Isaac, but not much else.

  44. Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off — Biodoc unafraid to ask some deeper questions.

  45. Inside Outtakes — More Burnham genius.

  46. Killing It pilot — Oof.

  47. Ghosts s1 — Surprising gem of a show that I like more than Abbott Elementary. Sorry.

  48. Atlanta s3 — Fascinating and discomforting diversions. As strong as ever.

  49. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore — Nope.

  50. Hacks s2  ⭐️ — Even better as it expanded its world. Hysterical.

  51. Lightyear — Good Pixar

  52. Barry s3 — A small step down from previous seasons and not as funny, but consistently shocking.

  53. Steve Jobs — How come more people don’t like this movie?

  54. George Carlin's American Dream — Comprehensive analysis of genius, trouble, and personal evolution.

  55. Obi-Wan Kenobi — Some standout moments, but lots of bag fumbling.

  56. Stranger Things s4 ⭐️⭐️ — Enormous scale and power that somehow met its grandiose expectations.

  57. The Bear s1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — A pressure cooker of magic that came out of nowhere.

  58. Hustle — More of this Sandler, please.

  59. Players pilot — Eh.

  60. Thor: Love and Thunder — It was good! Funny, Christian Bale chewing scenery, touching ending.

  61. The Boys s3 — Great in moments, but it’s stuck between superhero satire and superhero cliché.

  62. The Northman — Brutal and mystifying historical epic.

  63. Ms. Marvel s1 — Better in its earlier episodes, but a welcome coming-of-age tale from Marvel.

  64. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds s1 ⭐️ — Star Trek as its meant to be.

  65. Nope ⭐️ — Jordan Peele does it again.

  66. We Own This City — Star Jon Bernthal performance, otherwise journalistic.

  67. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — Nic Cage is OK again. Should have been funnier.

  68. 101 Places to Party Before You Die s1 ⭐️ — The other food and travel show you need in your life.

  69. The Rehearsal s1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I can’t believe this is happening.

  70. I Love That For You s1 — Vanessa Bayer delivery machine.

  71. Marcel the Shell With Shoes On — Beautiful, quirky hybrid with a lot of heart.

  72. Bullet Train — Fun romp with cool twists.

  73. Prey ⭐️⭐️ — Genius concept, brazenly executed. More reboots like this please.

  74. The Old Man pilot — I have no memory of this.

  75. Paper Girls pilot — I watched it.

  76. Arcane episodes 1/2 — Didn’t get to the reason I should care fast enough.

  77. I Am Groot shorts — Fun and cute distractions.

  78. Starstruck — Funny romcom series with distinct voice.

  79. Grand Crew eps 1/2 — Pretty middling sitcom.

  80. Somebody Somewhere eps 1/2 — Didn’t really grab me.

  81. Emily the Criminal — Aubrey Plaza is a force.

  82. For All Mankind s3 ⭐️ — One of the most underrated dramas on TV right now.

  83. A League of Their Own eps 1/2 — Should have been a faster-paced half-hour series.

  84. Light and Magic — Geeky and comprehensive behind-the-scenes of special effects.

  85. Top Gun: Maverick — There’s a reason it’s a massive hit.

  86. Only Murders in the Building s2 — Enjoyable but I don’t get all the hype.

  87. Slow Horses s1 ⭐️ — Tightly plotted and often hilarious spy drama.

  88. Better Call Saul s6 ⭐️ — A note perfect end of an era.

  89. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law s1 — Funny and wonderfully meta. Tatiana Maslany.  

  90. The Rings of Power ⭐️ — Gorgeous extension of the franchise complete with its beating heart. Better than some of the movies.

  91. House of the Dragon s1 — Game of Thrones as throat-grabbing as ever.

  92. The Resort — Incredible finale and twist that takes too long to get there.

  93. What We Do in the Shadows s4 — Consistently funny.

  94. This Fool pilot — Wait, did I watch this?

  95. Acapulco pilot — Or this?

  96. Cobra Kai s5 — They’re losing the thread on what makes the show good.

  97. Harley Quinn s3 — Brave, experimental, and funny in the best fucking ways.

  98. Pen15 s2 pt 2 — Unflinching examination of growing up.

  99. Andor s1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ — To quote another Star Wars show, this is the way… all big IP should be handled.

  100. Mo s1 — Charming and unique. A great hang.

  101. Meet Cute — Cuoco elevates a clever twist on the time-loop format.

  102. Reservation Dogs s2 ⭐️ — Deep wells of humanity and humor.

  103. Werewolf by Night ⭐️⭐️ — Easily the best Marvel thing of the year.

  104. Confess, Fletch — Hamm and a game cast communicate fun.

  105. Midnight Club ep 1 — Moody without substance.  

  106. Ramy s3 — Similar to Barry, it’s compelling but not as funny as it once was.

  107. Somebody Feed Phil s6 ⭐️ — Life is good when you’re on the road with Phil.

  108. Uncoupled s1 — Comforting and comical NPH romcom.

  109. Tales of the Jedi s1 — For deep Star Wars fans only.

  110. Bros ⭐️ — Hilarious and thoughtful comedy that deserves a second look.

  111. The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel s4 ⭐️ — As funny and witty as ever.

  112. Derry Girls ⭐️ — Lovely and hilarious with superbly drawn characters.

  113. Barbarian — Bold and surprising, but didn’t blow me away.

  114. Everything Everywhere All At Once ⭐️⭐️ — The most original and audacious thing of the year.

  115. The Patient ⭐️ — Haunting inversion of the serial killer drama.

  116. Weird — Great jokes, Radcliffe committed, but needed to be edited down slightly.

  117. Reboot s1 — Fun sitcom, great cast, but I’m not sure I’ll return for a 2nd season.

  118. Big Mouth s6 eps 1-3 — Spinning its wheels.

  119. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — Powerful but convoluted.

  120. High School ep 1 — Grounded but a bit cold.

  121. Big Night — Watch this movie.

  122. Wendell and Wild — Great ideas, visual style, and voice work, but rough script.

  123. Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities — Standout episodes are harrowing and thrilling.

  124. Miracle Workers s3 — Always nice to have Radcliffe and Buscemi for a bit.

  125. RRR ⭐️ — The kitchen sink and then some.

  126. Spirited — Cheery with great music.

  127. 1899 — Ominous puzzle box worth riding out.

  128. Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special — Cheery with great music.

  129. Sr. ⭐️ — Emotional bio doc about life and death.

  130. Wednesday ep 1 — I don’t get it. This belongs on the CW.

  131. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio — Original and dark, but not fully committed to its oddities.

  132. Tár ⭐️ — Complex, discomforting, deep character piece with the best performance of the year.

  133. Lego Masters s3 — Get your brick on.

  134. The Great s2 — Strong performances, humor, and verve.

  135. The Fabelmans ⭐️⭐️ — Outstanding and emotional late Spielberg.

  136. Kindred — A rare miss from FX. It lacked levity to offset its darkness. Also, maybe it should have been a miniseries?

  137. Industry s2 — Captivating and depressing in the best ways.

  138. The English — Stunning cinematography and Emily Blunt performance, but at times inaccessible.

  139. As We See It — Endearing Jason Katims comedy that didn’t deserve to be canceled.

  140. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery ⭐️⭐️ — A blast and a half.

  141. Fleishman Is in Trouble ⭐️⭐️ — Knock-you-back coming-of-middle age drama with a page-turning mystery wrapper.

  142. Avatar: The Way of Water — Beautiful but frustratingly ends on an ellipsis instead of a period. (a la Dune.)

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