Barack Obama continued his annual tradition of posting his favorite movies of the year by selecting 17 standout titles from 2022. “I saw some great movies this year,” the former president posted on social media. “Here are some of my favorites. What did I miss?”
Obama’s list includes top awards contenders such as “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” but it’s also heavy on international movies such as Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave,” Celine Sciamma’s “Petite Maman” and “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” from “Drive My Car” Oscar winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
The full list includes: Steven Spielberg’s “The Fabelmans,” Park Chan-wook’s “Decision to Leave,” Gina Prince-Bythewood’s “The Woman King,” Charlotte Wells’ “Aftersun,” John Patton Ford’s “Emily the Criminal,” Celine Sciamma’s “Petite Maman,” Margaret Brown’s “Descendant,” Audrey Diwane’s “Happening,” Chinonye Chukwu’s “Till,” Daniels’ “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” Fernando León de Aranoa’s “The Good Boss,” Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy,” Asghar Farhadi’s “A Hero,” Panah Panahi’s “Hit the Road,” Todd Field’s “Tar” and Kogonada’s “After Yang.”
Obama overlapped with Variety film critics Owen Gleiberman and Peter Deburge in selecting Todd Field’s “Tar” as one of 2022’s best. The Cate Blanchett-starring drama was number one on Gleiberman’s list.
“If you had to pinpoint the quality that lends Todd Field’s remarkable film its singular and immersive grip, it is probably best evoked by the fact that so many of the people who see ‘Tár’ come away believing that Lydia Tár, the symphony orchestra conductor played by Blanchett, actually exists,” Gleiberman writes. “That’s a signifier of the film’s artistry — that it feels as real as if it were happening to us. Blanchett, in a great performance, makes Lydia a sacred monster shuttling between heaven and hell.”
Check out Obama’s post in the Instagram below.