2022 MAY MOVIE RANKINGS

This monthly ranking comes with an announcement: I will no longer be striving to reach 1,000 reviews. A while back, I made a post discussing the end of this review site, and in doing so I stated that I would try to reach a milestone number of film analyses. However, doing this became too time-consuming. I had to watch roughly 18 movies a month, which restricted my free time and ultimately made movie watching… not so enjoyable anymore. So, I have given up accomplishing this in pursuit of reviewing film for enjoyment. Seems like the right thing to do, no?

Reviews might come in smaller supply from here on out, but nevertheless, there will always be some film to talk about within the given month. May sure had a lot of them; let’s see how everything stacked up.

#9- “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”
74%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Solid visual effects, great production design, cool action sequences, and not cameo-heavy (a more centralized story).
Cons: Strange’s character development is lacking (there is nothing to him), the story doesn’t grapple me, and there are some dark, unsettling moments that I did not care for.

#8- “America’s Sweethearts”
76%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fun look on the inner-workings of Hollywood, witty idea, strong performances, has some funny moments, and Christopher Walken is in it (always a plus).
Cons: The romantic element is highly predictable.

#7- “Along Came Polly”
78%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Funny, quotable, strong lead chemistry, fun story, and witty performances.
Cons: Some narrative arcs could’ve been given more to/strengthened.

#6- “Last Night in Soho”
79%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Beautiful cinematography, solid acting (McKenzie and Taylor-Joy were incredible), fantastic setting/music, and a different story turn from Edgar Wright.
Cons: The execution of the story could’ve been better, especially when it came to the final act of the film.

#5- “Funny Farm”
81%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Entertaining, typical Chevy Chase charm, pretty funny, and a light watch.
Cons: The story takes a lot of turns that seems more haphazard than intentional (especially with how things play out toward the end).

#4- “The Ghost and Mr. Chicken”
82%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Don Knotts is amazing (even if he is playing a lighter version of Barney Fife), the story is entertaining, and it’s an all-around fun family film.
Cons: Knotts’ flashlight was quite an annoyance (yep, that’s a con).

#3- “Game Night” (2018)
86%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Fun concept, entertaining performances (Jesse Plemons is the best), comedic moments, and a nice, new comedy that actually tries for some of its jokes.
Cons: Some of the characters weren’t as interesting as others (since this was an investigative storyline with different groups of characters).

#2- “They Came Together”
87%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Downright hilarious (one of the funniest films I have seen in a while), has a lot of top-notch comedy performers, and a highly entertaining joy-ride.
Cons: I could’ve done without the sex scenes, and after a long run of stupid jokes, the story can lose steam.

#1- “The Northman”
93%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Brilliant cinematography, killer performances, fantastic revenge tale, awesome setting, and holds some chilling/jaw-dropping moments.
Cons: The story is reminiscent of others (like “Lion King”).

#1- “The Karate Kid” (1984)
93%= Juicy Popcorn
Pros: Pure 1980s film, makes you want to get into karate, heartwarming story between Daniel and Miyagi, entertaining, and a solid movie all-around.
Cons: The pacing can waver.

So we have another tie, with “The Northman” and “The Karate Kid” taking home the gold. They will compete against “The Princess Bride,” “Luca,” “The Batman” (2022), “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” and the rest of the monthly winners to decide who will be the next Movie of the Year.