(Photo by GKids/courtesy Everett Collection)
Welcome to the best-reviewed movies of 2022! Every week, we add the latest Certified Fresh films across all genres and mediums, including superhero (The Batman), animation (Turning Red), comedy (I Want You Back), and horror (Scream).
Movies achieve Certified Fresh status by maintaining a Tomatometer score of at least 75% after a minimum number of reviews: 80 for wide releases, 40 for streaming or limited release movies, and 20 for movies premiering on television. Each movie needs at least five of its reviews to be written by Top Critics, and the only way to lose being Certified Fresh is by dropping below 70%.
Check back every Monday for new entries! (Or explore the best movies of previous years with our guides on 2021, 2020, 2019, and 2018.)
#38
Adjusted Score: 78621%
Critics Consensus: Sundown’s emotionally muted wavelength may be difficult for some viewers to tune into, but it’s enlivened by Tim Roth’s strong central performance.
Synopsis: Neil and Alice Bennett (Tim Roth, Charlotte Gainsbourg) are the core of a wealthy family on vacation in Mexico with… [More]
#37
Adjusted Score: 79947%
Critics Consensus: It can be didactic rather than truly suspenseful, but Master is an impressively well-crafted horror outing with a lot on its mind.
Synopsis: At an elite New England university built on the site of a Salem-era gallows hill, three women strive to find… [More]
#36
Adjusted Score: 82742%
Critics Consensus: Dog’s dramatic breed is far from exotic, but solid narrative bones and well-trained work from co-director/star Channing Tatum make for a fetching viewing experience.
Synopsis: DOG is a buddy comedy that follows the misadventures of two former Army Rangers paired against their will on the… [More]
#35
Adjusted Score: 92600%
Critics Consensus: The fifth Scream finds the franchise working harder than ever to maintain its meta edge — and succeeding surprisingly often.
Synopsis: Twenty-five years after a streak of brutal murders shocked the quiet town of Woodsboro, Calif., a new killer dons the… [More]
#34
Adjusted Score: 80697%
Critics Consensus: Heartfelt yet jumbled, Minamata pays tribute to a remarkable real-life story perhaps better served by the documentary treatment.
Synopsis: Inspired by a true story, Minamata stars Johnny Depp playing celebrated photojournalist Eugene Smith. The film takes place in 1971… [More]
#33
Adjusted Score: 81963%
Critics Consensus: A home invasion thriller with a nifty twist, See for Me is further elevated by Skyler Davenport’s magnetic lead performance.
Synopsis: Sophie, a young blind woman, house-sitting at a secluded mansion, finds herself under invasion by thieves seeking a hidden safe…. [More]
#32
Adjusted Score: 81903%
Critics Consensus: An occasionally uneasy blend of human drama and message movie, Ahed’s Knee forcefully reaffirms that the personal is political.
Synopsis: A celebrated Israeli filmmaker named Y arrives in a remote desert village to present one of his films at a… [More]
#31
Adjusted Score: 81744%
Critics Consensus: An auditory funhouse of intrigue, Ultrasound pushes narrative boundaries to deliver an audacious look at the horrors of gaslighting.
Synopsis: Driving home late at night during a heavy rainstorm, Glen experiences car trouble. Near where his car gets stuck, he… [More]
#30
Adjusted Score: 90685%
Critics Consensus: As gripping as it is upsetting, Fresh makes a provocative meal out of the horror of modern dating.
Synopsis: FRESH follows Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones), who meets the alluring Steve (Sebastian Stan) at a grocery store and — given her… [More]
#29
Adjusted Score: 98543%
Critics Consensus: Uneven yet ultimately hard to resist, Joe Wright’s Cyrano puts a well-acted musical spin on the oft-adapted classic tale.
Synopsis: Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the… [More]
#28
Adjusted Score: 88492%
Critics Consensus: Resting its slowly twisting tale on a magnetic Andrea Riseborough performance, Here Before is a solidly unsettling effort from debuting writer-director Stacey Gregg.
Synopsis: When a new family moves in next door, their young daughter, Megan, quickly captivates Laura, stirring up painful memories of… [More]
#27
Adjusted Score: 92532%
Critics Consensus: With a stellar cast playing well-rounded characters, I Want You Back is the rare rom-com that delivers its romance as capably as its comedy.
Synopsis: Peter (Charlie Day) and Emma (Jenny Slate) are total strangers, but when they meet, one thing instantly bonds them: they… [More]
#26
Adjusted Score: 112082%
Critics Consensus: A grim, gritty, and gripping super-noir, The Batman ranks among the Dark Knight’s bleakest — and most thrillingly ambitious — live-action outings.
Synopsis: Batman ventures into Gotham City’s underworld when a sadistic killer leaves behind a trail of cryptic clues. As the evidence… [More]
#25
Adjusted Score: 88606%
Critics Consensus: Refreshingly unique and ultimately enchanting, What Do We See When We Look at the Sky is an ode to love that finds magic in the mundane.
Synopsis: In the Georgian riverside town of Kutaisi, summertime romance and World Cup fever are in the air. After a pair… [More]
#24
Adjusted Score: 91402%
Critics Consensus: Strawberry Mansion’s sci-fi premise provides cover for a film whose dream logic and surreal visuals are underscored by quietly poignant themes.
Synopsis: In 2035, our dreams are no longer our own-they’re infused with product placement and auditors assess unpaid taxes on our… [More]
#23
Adjusted Score: 98328%
Critics Consensus: Although its reach occasionally exceeds its grasp, After Yang yields rich rewards for those willing to settle into its low-key wavelength.
Synopsis: When his young daughter’s beloved companion — an android named Yang — malfunctions, Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way… [More]
#22
Adjusted Score: 91097%
Critics Consensus: Although it may strike some as too artsy for its own good, You Won’t Be Alone puts a thoughtfully fresh spin on familiar horror tropes.
Synopsis: Set in an isolated mountain village in 19th century Macedonia, YOU WON’T BE ALONE follows a young girl who is… [More]
#21
Adjusted Score: 91582%
Critics Consensus: A stark and emotionally resonant look at the life of a farm animal, Cow simply yet insistently asks the viewer to reconsider their relationship with their food.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Andrea Arnold chronicles several years in the life of a dairy cow in England…. [More]
Starring:
#20
Adjusted Score: 96149%
Critics Consensus: A housebound thriller with a 21st century spin, KIMI finds director Steven Soderbergh in crowd-pleasing form — thanks in no small part to an outstanding performance from Zoë Kravitz.
Synopsis: An agoraphobic tech worker discovers recorded evidence of a violent crime but is met with resistance when she tries to… [More]
#19
Adjusted Score: 96788%
Critics Consensus: The Outfit isn’t flashy, but a solid story and Mark Rylance’s tightly tailored performance make this a comfortable fit for fans of old-school thrillers.
Synopsis: From the Academy Award-winning writer of The Imitation Game (Graham Moore) comes The Outfit, a gripping and masterful thriller in… [More]
#18
Adjusted Score: 95656%
Critics Consensus: An eerily relevant debut from writer-director Iuli Gerbase, The Pink Cloud reaches into the emotional fault lines of pandemic life and comes away with striking observations about human behavior.
Synopsis: A mysterious and deadly pink cloud appears across the globe, forcing everyone to stay home. Strangers at the outset, Giovana… [More]
#17
Adjusted Score: 95982%
Critics Consensus: A serious-minded drama that’s also a propulsive thriller, Catch the Fair One anchors its powerful performances in real-life horror.
Synopsis: A Native American boxer embarks on the fight of her life when she goes in search of her missing sister…. [More]
#16
Adjusted Score: 95931%
Critics Consensus: Compartment No. 6 can get a little stuffy within its narrative confines, but this well-acted, subtly told love story rewards the viewer’s patience.
Synopsis: A young Finnish woman escapes an enigmatic love affair in Moscow by boarding a train to the arctic port of… [More]
#15
Adjusted Score: 97602%
Critics Consensus: Equal parts entertaining and informative, Lucy and Desi takes a palpably affectionate look at the lives and legacies of its groundbreaking subjects.
Synopsis: From director Amy Poehler, Lucy and Desi explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific… [More]
#14
Adjusted Score: 94876%
Critics Consensus: A sweet swan song for director Roger Michell, The Duke offers a well-acted and engaging dramatization of an entertainingly improbable true story.
Synopsis: In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National… [More]
#13
Adjusted Score: 96111%
Critics Consensus: Ali & Ava’s tender, naturalistic love story adds another powerful chapter to writer-director Clio Barnard’s filmography.
Synopsis: Both lonely for different reasons, ALI and AVA meet through their shared affection for SOFIA (6), the child of ALI’s… [More]
#12
Adjusted Score: 96098%
Critics Consensus: Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of teen trauma to grapple with the experience of grief.
Synopsis: Bolstered by new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances, high schooler Vada (Jenna Ortega) begins to reinvent herself, while… [More]
#11
Adjusted Score: 100127%
Critics Consensus: A remarkable story brought to life with dazzling animation, Belle finds writer-director Mamoru Hosoda setting a brilliant new benchmark.
Synopsis: Suzu is a shy, everyday high school student living in a rural village. For years, she has only been a… [More]
#10
Adjusted Score: 96681%
Critics Consensus: The Long Walk may require patience from some viewers, but they’ll be rewarded with a thoughtful and alluringly atmospheric ghost story.
Synopsis: An old man walks the dusty roads between his isolated farm and the nearby rural village in the company of… [More]
#9
Adjusted Score: 99053%
Critics Consensus: A fresh spin on the classic slasher formula, X marks the spot where Ti West gets resoundingly back to his horror roots.
Synopsis: A group of actors sets out to make an adult film in rural Texas under the noses of their reclusive… [More]
#8
Adjusted Score: 108476%
Critics Consensus: Heartwarming, humorous, beautifully animated, and culturally expansive, Turning Red extends Pixar’s long list of family-friendly triumphs.
Synopsis: In “Turning Red”, Mei Lee is a confident, dorky thirteen-year-old torn between staying her mother’s dutiful daughter and the chaos… [More]
#7
Adjusted Score: 98323%
Critics Consensus: Lingui, the Sacred Bonds uses one family’s fraught story to offer a forceful rejoinder to the oppressive norms of patriarchal culture.
Synopsis: On the outskirts of N’Djamena in Chad, Amina lives alone with her only 15-year-old daughter Maria. Her already fragile world… [More]
#6
Adjusted Score: 98634%
Critics Consensus: Hellbender stirs a boiling cauldron of adolescent angst, serving up a coming-of-age story with dark horror overtones.
Synopsis: A teen and her mother live simply in a home in the woods, spending their time making metal music. A… [More]
#5
Adjusted Score: 98406%
Critics Consensus: Come from Away sifts through the wreckage of tragedy to find hope — and the healing power of human connection.
Synopsis: “Come From Away” is the filmed version of the award-winning Broadway musical which tells the story of 7,000 people stranded… [More]
#4
Adjusted Score: 98641%
Critics Consensus: With intelligence and sensitivity, Great Freedom draws on past injustices to present a beautifully crafted tribute to the persistence of the human spirit.
Synopsis: In Germany after WWII, the liberation by the Allies did not mean freedom for everyone. Hans (Franz Rogowski) has been… [More]
#3
Adjusted Score: 98938%
Critics Consensus: Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America offers a stirring and persuasive reckoning with a subject that’s as fundamental as it is highly charged.
Synopsis: Interweaving lecture, personal anecdotes, interviews, and shocking revelations, in WHO WE ARE: A Chronicle of Racism in America, criminal defense/civil… [More]
#2
Adjusted Score: 100285%
Critics Consensus: Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché pays worthy tribute to its trailblazing subject with a documentary that honors her life as engagingly as it chronicles her career.
Synopsis: Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the… [More]
#1
Adjusted Score: 102003%
Critics Consensus: Writing with Fire pays stirring tribute to the power of journalism — and presents a chilling glimpse of the forces aligned against it.
Synopsis: In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men emerges India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. Chief reporter Meera and… [More]
Starring: