The Most Underrated Movies Of 2022

In the modern world, there are more options for movies than at any other point in history. It's an exciting byproduct of 21st-century existence, where the internet, digital theatrical film distribution, and other technological advances have opened up new avenues for films from all over the world to be seen by the general public. But this does have the adverse side effect of ensuring that there can be too many options. With so many motion pictures available at your fingertips, not only is something bound to slip past your gaze but something downright great can even get lost in the shuffle. The year 2022 was no different in this regard, with several exquisite features failing to become household names due to there being so much competition for people's eyeballs.

These underrated motion pictures range wildly in terms of genre, filmmaking style, country of origin, and so much more. Whether you want a small-scale crime thriller contained to one location, an expansive epic with a richly human heart, or groundbreaking documentaries, it's all right here. True, these projects didn't score the enormous box office hauls or massive marketing campaigns of titles like "The Batman." But even if you've never heard of them before, that doesn't mean you shouldn't give the most underrated movies of 2022 a watch. Think of them as cinematic surprises just waiting to be discovered.

Updated on January 3, 2023: If you're looking for the greatest under-the-radar movies of 2022, read on for the best of the best.

Vacations are often an impactful event for bonding between family members. That's surely what Calum (Paul Mescal) hoped for when he took his daughter Sophie (Frankie Corio) on a trip to Turkey. However, everything that happens in their time in this country is utterly unpredictable, though in an understated manner. Writer/director Charlotte Wells resists the urge to pack "Aftersun" full of melodrama and explosiveness. There's quiet tension between father and daughter here, as well as similarly subdued instances of emotional connection between the characters. It's all so wonderfully realized, a feature-length testament that an expansive scope is not needed to make cinematic storytelling that keeps your eyes glued to the screen.

In an incredible directorial debut, Wells shows a gift for sneaking in such impressive visual flourishes into a naturalistic landscape, particularly in a recurring visual motif involving a darkened dance floor captured through fragmented pieces of editing. Her ability to draw out such remarkable performances from her two lead actors is also outstanding. Mescal is transfixing as a complicated dad who can draw out both your ire and sympathy within the same scene, while Corio proves equally adept at handling such emotionally complicated material. With these kinds of performances anchoring the entire production, it's no wonder that "Aftersun" emerges as such a remarkable accomplishment, a testament to complicated parent/child dynamics as quiet as it is compelling.

Writer/director Richard Linklater returns to the world of rotoscope filmmaking with "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood." For this production, Linklater splits the story between the real and the fantastical. Part of the runtime is concerned with chronicling the exploits of young Stanley growing up in Houston, Texas, in the 1960s when the Space Race was everywhere. A quasi-autobiographical venture for Linklater, authenticity reverberates off these recollections of the highs and lows of yesteryear. However, "Apollo 10 1/2" also concerns itself with a heightened yarn about Stanley being called in by NASA for a top-secret mission that will involve this kid getting sent to the moon even before Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin.

Fusing these disparate parts of "Apollo 10 1/2" turn out to be quite easy, especially since there's wall-to-wall narration from Jack Black (portraying the off-screen adult version of Stanley) to help bridge the gap between Stanley's home life and his voyage to the stars. Even better, Linklater injects amusingly specific details into Stanley's reminiscing about childhood elements like his uber-paranoid grandmother or how his mom could make one ham dinner last an entire week. All of it's told through nicely realized hand-drawn animated rotoscoping, a welcome return of an artform Linklater used so well on earlier projects like "A Scanner Darkly." With these qualities, it becomes quite easy to recommend "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood" as a trip worth taking.

Horror movies often focus on incredibly unnerving characters, like masked killers slaughtering the innocent or grotesque monsters with bloodthirsty tendencies. The horror/comedy "Bodies Bodies Bodies" focuses on an especially repulsive and terrifying strain of society: rich people. Wealthy youngster Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her working-class girlfriend Bee (Maria Bakalova) meet up with Sophie's extraordinarily well-off pals, like Alice (Rachel Sennott) and David (Pete Davidson), for a night of debauchery in a mansion when a hurricane hits. Now trapped inside without any power, the group proceeds to play a murder mystery game called "Bodies Bodies Bodies." When somebody turns up dead, though, the stakes go from being petty and trivial to petty and consequential as these self-obsessed 20-somethings struggle to figure out who the hidden killer is. 

Director Halina Reijn keeps the atmosphere of "Bodies Bodies Bodies" delicately and subtly balanced on being tense but also rife with dark comedy. The cinematography (often executed with only an iPhone flashlight as a source of light) is similarly thoughtful. Much more pronounced is the bevy of oversized performances scattered throughout the cast, with Sennott being the standout in a turn that's world's away from her work in "Shiva Baby" yet masterful in quality. A scathing condemnation of the most privileged and self-absorbed members of society, "Bodies Bodies Bodies" is a tonally complicated piece of cinema that slays.

Adapted from the 1994 novel of the same name by Karen Cushman, writer/director Lena Dunham's "Catherine Called Birdy" tells the yarn of a 14-year-old known as Birdy (Bella Ramsey) who lives in a castle with her cash-strapped family in the 13th century. Birdy is spunky, contemptuous of authority, and an incredibly enjoyable protagonist to follow throughout the whole movie. This is partially because of how well Dunham's screenplay manages to make Birdy feel like she has a modern spirit without turning this whole project into a postmodern parody of itself. You still feel like Birdy exists in this period-era setting, even while some of her observations of gender norms in this historical backdrop make you giggle. Threading that fine needle ensures that viewers can get properly invested in the dramatic elements of "Catherine Called Birdy," including a moving finale hinging on Birdy's father, Lord Rollo (Andrew Scott).

The strong screenplay is brought to life by a superb cast, with Ramsey excelling as Birdy while supporting players like Isis Hainsworth and Lesley Sharp leave a sizeable impression in their work. Meanwhile, sharply realized aspects of the production like Carter Burwell's score and the radiant costume design further immerse you in this medieval setting. There's real polish found throughout "Catherine Called Birdy," an exceedingly charming film bound to be a future nostalgic favorite for this generation of teenagers.

"Costa Brava, Lebanon" concerns a pair of kids just getting to know the wider world and a mom and dad who are all too aware of the brutalities that exist in that wider world. This is the story of Soraya (Nadine Labaki) and Walid (Saleh Bakri), who've constructed a home in the mountains for their kids, teenager Tala (Nadia Charbel) and youngster Rim (Ceana Restom and Geana Restom). This domicile is a great distance away from Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon that's always filled with turmoil. But the outside world comes knocking on their door when construction on a landfill begins right next to their home. From here, writer/director Mounia Akl (who penned the screenplay with Clara Roquet) chronicles how the various members of the family respond to this intrusion on their existence, with some wanting to return to mainstream society while others stand more resolute than ever in favor of isolation.

Among the many gifts Akl delivers in "Costa Brava, Lebanon" is in making the main family seem like a real family. Whether it's the arguments they share or the impromptu dancing they all engage in together, they feel so ripped from reality that it becomes impossible not to get invested in their plight. The subtly detailed camerawork, which includes several great uses of depth of field to suggest the interior relationships between family members, accentuates the deeply human spirit of "Costa Brava, Lebanon" that's impossible to resist.

Under any other circumstances, dubbing any title that's even tangentially connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as "underrated" would be laughable. But "Director by Night" is not an ordinary production with ties to that mega-franchise. This documentary, directed by Oscar-winner Anthony Giacchino, is a dive into the making of the Marvel Studios TV special "Werewolf by Night," but it's far from just a promotional tool for the project. Instead, this is a very personal look into Michael Giacchino's process of making his directorial debut on "Werewolf by Night," the intimate details of pulling off this kind of production, and the Marvel filmmaker's longstanding love for directing crazy genre fare.

Anthony Giacchino gels all these disparate pieces together quite nicely, and as a result, viewers get to appreciate the unsung heroes who make these Marvel Studios projects work, such as the craft services person. But it's in the segments dedicated to Michael Giacchino's personal life that "Director by Night" really soars emotionally. This longtime composer helmed unabashedly goofy fantasy and action shorts as a kid and teenager, and by getting a glimpse at them within "Director by Night," one can see the artistic passions that would fuel Michael as an adult. Not only that, but the lasting bonds he formed with his other cast members are, much like "Director by Night" as a whole, how the practice of filmmaking can bring people together.

The horrors of school shootings — a terrifying event that's become a tragic part of everyday reality for American youths — are so overwhelming that it can be difficult to imagine how to even tackle this topic in the context of a movie. In contrast to the tone-deaf stab at relevancy in the "Shooting Star" episode of "Glee," "The Fallout" tackles the psychology of a teenager living in the wake of a school shooting with depth and specificity. That teenager would be Vada Cavell, whose trauma extends far beyond just the school shooting event itself. Just trying to go back to high school becomes an enormous trial, and her outlets for controlling her anxiety aren't always as healthy as they could be.

The remarkable thing about writer/director Megan Park's work on "The Fallout" is the sheer variety she lends each of the high schoolers depicted in this story. There's never one way to cope with trauma, and the same can be said for surviving a school shooting. Vada and her friends register as real human beings thanks to "The Fallout" taking the time to outline the specific varied ways they're each moving forward in their lives after unspeakable horrors. Meanwhile, the lead performance from Jenna Ortega is remarkable, especially in her subtly detailed depiction of Vada shutting out those around her. "The Fallout" is far from an easy watch, but it's an unflinching and emotionally astute piece of filmmaking.

In only her second feature-length directorial effort, director Audrey Diwan delivers an extraordinary piece of cinema in the form of "Happening." This production tells the story of Anne (Anamaria Vartolomei), a young woman living in France in 1963. Her hefty ambitions for the future get upended when she learns she's pregnant. All Anne wants to do is get an abortion and move on with her future, but abortions are outlawed in France in this era. Now Anne has to sneak around, speaking in secrecy and using subtle glances to reveal her true feelings while keeping her crisis from everyone around her. It's an intense storyline that Diwan brings to life with subtle but impactful power.

Among the film's many strengths is Vartolomei's performance in the lead role. Handed a part largely eschewing overt dialogue, Vartolomei works wonders in conveying Anne's thought process via quieter means. Diwan's direction is also remarkable, with several tiny visual details — including the use of a more constrictive aspect ratio — that are tremendously effective in suggesting how confined Anne feels in her day-to-day life. All of those touches in her filmmaking add up to create a movie you can't shake off once it's over. "Happening" isn't just a sign of Diwan's powers as a director, it's also an exceptional ode to human beings endure in the face of inhumane laws.

As director Panah Panahi's "Hit the Road" begins, it appears that there's nothing out of the ordinary here. We're going to just be watching a married couple and their two sons go on a road trip that will take them across Iran. Just a traditional family road trip, probably full of exciting roadside sights, traffic, and bickering. Slowly but surely, though, Panahi peels back the layers on this family and their excursion to reveal deeper darker truths. This is anything but a normal road trip, and it quickly becomes apparent that we're watching an exercise in quiet tragedy masquerading as familial normalcy.

The film's power as a piece of cinema is especially apparent in how each of the lead characters gets a unique and distinctive point of view. The intentionally cramped confines of the narrative allow us time to get to know everyone in this family while the restrained camerawork offers subtle glimpses into their interior worlds. Panahi's strengths as a filmmaker are further reinforced by how well he can incorporate bursts of dark humor into "Hit the Road" without undercutting its ominous tone. Above all else, Pantea Panahiha's performance as the unnamed mother of this family may be the ultimate reason to see "Hit the Road," especially her work in the film's final devastating sequence. Performances like that, just like movies as good as "Hit the Road," are far from commonplace.

All parents want their kids to have a better life than they had and, especially, to avoid the troubles they had to navigate growing up. Amina is no different, as she does everything she can to make sure her teenage daughter, Maria, has everything she needs for a successful life. However, things gets thrown out of orbit when Maria suddenly gets pregnant. This is the event that shifts the plot into high gear, as Amina and Maria now search for a way to secure an abortion, a procedure forbidden by the society they occupy. The urgency of this scenario gives "Lingui, the Sacred Bonds" a compelling sense of narrative propulsion, even while the film adheres to a quiet naturalistic style of pacing reminiscent of the works of Chantal Akerman or Yasujiro Ozu.

Director Mahamat-Saleh Haroun avoids the melodramatic pitfalls that can plague other movies dealing with the topic of abortion. Instead, his focus remains on more interesting storytelling material like how Amina and Maria cling to their autonomy and desires in the face of societally ingrained oppression. In the vein of other great modern films like "Never Rarely Sometimes Always," "Lingui, the Sacred Bonds" is technically a film about abortion that's also so much more than that. In this case, "Sacred Bonds" is primarily a movie centered on the complexities of mother/daughter relationships, as well as highlighting the hoops people have to jump through to have control over their bodies.

One of the first scenes in "Neptune Frost" depicts people chanting and banging on drums in the grim domain of a mine where a worker has just perished. These performers are an aberration in this environment, but that's the point. Within this sequence, "Neptune Frost" has established that music can appear anywhere. The same is true for things like the spirit of rebellion, empathy towards other human beings, and one's true identity. No matter how much oppressive societies try to stifle or even wipe out these forces, they will endure. Hinging on this concept, "Neptune Frost" reveals itself to be a stirring battle cry in cinematic form.

Directors Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman tell the tale of Neptune (Elvis Ngabo and Cheryl Isheja) joining a hacking initiative with visual audacity, particularly when it comes to costume and production design. What other movie features a key supporting character walking around in an outfit made entirely out of keys on a keyboard? Such elements reflect how this film focuses on a collection of human beings who can finally be themselves away from oppressive systemic forces. Insightful dialogue like Neptune, in reference to their gender, remarking "what blossomed as understanding was planted in years of confusion" further reinforces the movie's touching exploration of finally having the space to find yourself. There's a beating, captivating heart to "Neptune Frost" informing its ceaseless creativity and unwavering rebellion against fascism. Even the most jaded viewers won't be able to resist something this idiosyncratic and stirring.

In the grand tradition of "Rope" or "Buried," "The Outfit" largely takes place in one location. In this case, that singular backdrop tells a story belonging to cutter Leonard Burling. He prides himself on making the finest clothes possible for his customers, as well as how he stays out of the way of the mobsters who use his place to hold money and letters. One late night, this shop becomes a hotbed of activity when gangster Richie Boyle is killed inside. Thus begins a night of increasingly dangerous activity that sees this seemingly mild-mannered expert in fashion using all his wits to stay alive. Writer/director Graham Moore does fine work utilizing this simple premise and a minimal amount of environments to create a crime thriller that, well, thrills.

Part of the charm here is Moore's willingness to have dark fun with his material, especially with enjoyably bombastic storytelling turns. Meanwhile, the R-rating allows for bursts of bloody mayhem or dialogue laden with coarse language to land with a proper amount of impact rather than getting sanded down to fit into the confines of a PG-13 rating. Plus, if you're going to be stuck with an actor in one location for lengthy periods of time, Mark Rylance is one of the better options out there. His lengthy experience in stage performances, where he had to keep viewers engaged with minimal resources, is put to great use in the spry yet contained crime thriller "The Outfit."

After the critically acclaimed LGBTQ+ period drama "Portrait of a Lady on Fire," director Celine Sciamma returns with "Petite Maman." The film tells the tale of Nelly (Joséphine Sanz), an 8-year-old who's helping to clean up the house of her recently deceased grandmother when she stumbles onto an 8-year-old version of her mom, Marion (Gabrielle Sanz). "Petite Maman" is a yarn told with a gentle hand and quietly powerful emotions. Sciamma gets a lot of pathos out of effective uses of silence, such as Nelly laying eyes on a younger version of her grandmother. You don't need lots of dialogue or a boisterous score to convey how impactful this meeting is for Nelly — the silence and the subtle details in Joséphine Sanz's performance say it all.

Much like Sciamma's other movies — including "Fire," as well as earlier works like "Girlhood" or "Water Lilies" — "Petite Maman" primarily focuses on incidental moments of connection between characters, throwaway interactions that will gradually become cherished memories. Scenes of Nelly and Marion acting out a detective play, for instance, are both adorable and so endearing — ditto them trying to cook something in a kitchen. Sciamma recognizes that these are the events that bond people, that we hold close to our hearts. It's that accurate insight into human beings that make her works like "Petite Maman" such emotionally rich experiences.

Sometimes, all it takes to make a movie a must-see event is one unforgettable sequence. For "Resurrection," that scene comes midway through its runtime and sees Margaret (Rebecca Hall) staying late at work shortly after abusive ex-lover David (Tim Roth) has re-entered her life. An assistant pokes her head into Margaret's office and asks her a mundane question that eventually leads to Margaret recounting the horrors she experienced at the hands of David. This lengthy anecdote is captured by director Andrew Semans in a single unbroken take, and as Hall slowly peels back the armor Margaret has put up around her, it's a marvel to watch unfold, especially in terms of how Hall gradually ratchets up Margaret's overt demonstrations of vulnerability.

One is so captivated by this sequence that you're bound to forget there haven't been any cuts to other characters or different camera angles — your focus is just on the deeply compelling performance of Rebecca Hall. "Resurrection" deserves applause just for that outstanding sequence alone, but there's plenty more that this movie offers beyond this monologue. Most notably, the ever-increasing absurdity of the film, culminating in a hotel room climax that's bound to either repel or captivate viewers, is tremendously well-played while Semans consistently keeps viewers on their toes regarding what's real and what isn't. Needless to say, "Resurrection" is well worth a watch for fans of brutally dark psychological thrillers, even if it's just for that remarkable one-take sequence.

Some movies only offer excess spectacle but no heart, others merely schmaltz but no scope. "RRR," an epic blockbuster hailing from director S. S. Rajamouli, wisely decides to deliver both of these ingredients at once. This story concerns two men, Komaram Bheem and Alluri Sitarama Raju, in Delhi in 1920, when the city was occupied by colonial forces. The duo sparks up a deeply passionate friendship without realizing the other's true identity. Bheem is on a mission to rescue a young girl who was kidnapped from his village while Raju is a cop who demonstrates deep loyalty to brutally cruel figures like Governor Scott Buxton.

To say any more about the plot would be to spoil the fun of "RRR," which delivers one riotously over-the-top action scene after another. Any pretense towards being "grounded" has been tossed to the wind in favor of delightfully maximalist chaos. At the same time, there's a genuineness to how Rajamouli depicts the friendship between Bheem and Raju that makes it impossible not to get wrapped up in their bond. Depictions of this duo and other principal characters standing strong and fighting back against cruel colonial forces also stirs the soul. There's a beating heart to "RRR" that lends deep humanity to a movie that also features a man throwing a motorcycle at evildoers. Toss in a bevy of remarkably catchy tunes like "Naatu Naatu," and "RRR" becomes a cinematic delight one can't miss.

American filmmaker Leo Köpernick (Adrien Brody) is dead. That's how the murder mystery "See How They Run" begins, with Köpernick biting the dust and Inspector Stoppard (Sam Rockwell) and plucky chatterbox Constable Stalker (Saoirse Ronan) being tasked with bringing the murderer to justice. Köpernick had no shortage of enemies, especially when it came to people involved in the hit play "The Mousetrap." Parsing out the various clues and potential leads over this case won't be easy for Stoppard and Stalker, but it does provide quite enjoyable entertainment for moviegoers. A feature from director Tom George, "See How They Run" may not be the next "Knives Out," but it still provides everything you'd want from a murder mystery.

Beyond just delivering the expected hallmarks of this subgenre, "See How They Run's" unique highlights include an exceptionally hysterical performance from Ronan. Playing an excitable but well-meaning enforcer of the law, Ronan gets the best lines and most humorous moments. The decadent production design is also a constant treat while the third act manages to keep you on the edge of your seat regarding the welfare of everyone involved in this story. Leo Köpernick may be dead, but "See How They Run" is very much alive with a vibrant take on the murder mystery genre.

"The Stranger" begins with a sense of unease emanating from how little the audience knows about any of the main players on-screen. We're thrust directly into the life of Henry Peter Teague (Sean Harris), a solitary and soft-spoken man looking for work, who eventually hooks up with a criminal by the name of Mark Frame (Joel Edgerton). There's already something clearly awry with Teague as "The Stranger" begins, but that aura of dread becomes palpable once it's revealed that Teague is suspected of murdering a child years earlier. Frame is not just another master crook but an undercover police officer trying to develop a close enough rapport with Teague to snag a confession out of him.

The tense atmosphere of "The Stranger" is impressively maintained throughout the whole movie through a limited cast of characters and number of locations. Restraint is the friend of writer/director Thomas M. Wright, and it's an ally that serves his story incredibly well. It's much more frightening to have Teague kept detached from the viewer, with neither Frame nor the audience ever being fully certain of what he's capable of. The quiet chills that "The Stranger" sends up your spine won't be easy to forget and neither are the lead performances from Edgerton and Harris. They're delivering remarkable work that encapsulates the quiet but powerful nature of "The Stranger" as a motion picture.

The way racism is ingrained into the fabric of America and its institutions is such an overwhelming part of reality that it can be difficult to know how to even approach it. The documentary "Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America," hailing from directors Emily and Sarah Kunstler, provides an expansive look at the past and present of racism's impact on the U.S. This is told through the words of ACLU deputy legal director Jeffery Robinson, with the film split between watching him give a talk about the history of America's racism to a packed crowd and segments depicting Robinson talking to various everyday American citizens about this urgently relevant topic.

"Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America" is a heavy watch, as it should be. The filmmakers and Robinson thankfully don't distill the horrors of bigotry to just flat readings of statistics. There's a passionate fervor in Robinson's public speaking skills as he dives into the nuances of how racism has informed key parts of America's foundation. Meanwhile, his interviews — like one with a woman who led a protest to tear down a pro-Confederacy statue — remind viewers of the human costs of systemic racism being normalized. The overwhelming reality of intolerance in America is superbly reflected within the lens of "Who We are: A Chronicle of Racism in America."