What I've Been Watching: December 2022
What I've Been Watching: December 2022
Recently watched, links, and more
Another month and I have some recommendations for the movies and TV I have enjoyed.
In November, I’ve been doing a lot of catch-up on the movies of 2022. Every year there seem to be more movies to watch as the year closes. Of course, that makes sense considering all the new streaming movies and theatrical releases. From Apple, Amazon, and Netflix, to traditional studios like Warner Bros and Paramount, there has been a ton of new movies. The critic group I’m a part of, BOFCA (Boston Online Film Critics Association) submits our favorites in the middle of December, so there’s still time to catch up with gems I might’ve missed. Some of the favorites that I’ve watched in November include Aftersun, Bones and All, All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, and Decision to Leave.
Aftersun
For my in-depth review this month I wanted to talk a bit more about Aftersun. It’s the first feature film from the director Charlotte Wells and she has called Aftersun, “emotionally autobiographical.” In an interview with The Atlantic, Wells said that “That phrase truly haunts me, it came up as a way to avoid ever answering this question” about how personal the film is. And the movie is undoubtedly personal.
Aftersun is about the relationship between a father (Normal People’s Paul Mescal) and his daughter (newcomer Frankie Corio). They are taking a vacation at a resort in Turkey, and on the surface, the movie is exploring the coming-of-age of 11-year-old Sophie. What changes how the audience should perceive the movie is that Aftersun is more about Sophie as an adult, now the age her father was when they went on that vacation, reminiscing about that time together. While we are certainly watching Sophia grow as an individual, there’s also the consideration of what’s going on with her father, Calum. What didn’t Sophie understand about her father’s struggles?
There are a lot of moments in Aftersun that might come across as monotonous, but within the framework of Sophie reflecting on those precious moments of her life, those slight moments ring loudly. And then there’s the finale. I won’t spoil it, but in the last fifteen minutes, everything that you’ve witnessed previously takes on a new light. It’s a spectacular closing that helps make Aftersun one of 2022’s best.
Aftersun has completed a limited run in theaters from A24 and will be available to buy digitally on December 20th.
What I’ve Been Watching on TV:
There have been too many movies to watch so I haven’t watched a ton of TV this month. One I did manage to watch for review was the new Disney+ series, Willow. It’s not as big a production as House of the Dragon or The Rings of Power, but it’s an enjoyable fantasy series nevertheless. If you’d like to read more about it, you can read my review on Paste.
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New Releases
Warner Bros. has released new 4K editions of their Christmas classics National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, Elf, A Christmas Story, and Polar Express. I’m certain your family has a favorite out of the bunch and they all offer improvements on their previous releases.
Another new release is Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction on 4K. Coming out on December 6th, this is easily one of my favorite Tarantino movies and one I’m sure many of you will want to upgrade this holiday season.
Links
When the calendar turns to December, media outlets begin posting their best-of lists. One of those outlets, Sight and Sound magazine, has posted its best-of-all-time list. This one is significant because its ranking is derived from journalists all over the world and only gets updated every decade. Previous #1’s included selections like Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane and Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, but there’s a new number-one selection this year. Click here if you’d like to see the full list.
Earlier this year, my co-host John Gilpatrick and I, listed what we would’ve picked for our ten best films for the It’s the Pictures podcast. You can click here to listen to the podcast or you can see my selections below.
of has recently posted his selections for the Sight & Sound list. You won't want to miss this. is currently in the middle of a series on the video game Chrono Trigger in his newsletter. Chrono Trigger is the classic SNES RPG and one of my personal favorite games as well so I've been really interested in this series. of shared his latest selections for streaming movies this December. If you're looking for new movies to watch, this is a great place to start. of has made a playlist of Christine McVie songs since the musician passed away this week. Fleetwood Mac is easily one of my favorite bands and this is a fantastic way to listen to McVie's contributions.
Vulture’s Nicholas Quah reviewed the new game Pentiment. If you haven’t read or seen anything about this new game, it has to be seen to be believed.
The New York Film Critics Circle posted its selections for best in film for 2022. Variety’s Clayton Davis has a write-up about the results.
In a list I contributed to, Paste Magazine selected the 25 Best TV shows of 2022. You might be surprised what took home first place.