As I have gotten older, I am not afraid of having a good old-fashioned ugly cry in the cinemas when the time calls for it, and hell, I probably got emotional just writing this list (Spoiler: I did). Sometimes they are tears of grief, sometimes, they are tears of joy, and even still, sometimes, they are tears of anger. 

Emotion is a core part of the cinema experience. If you can’t get us to respond emotionally to your characters and/or the situation, I am sorry you failed to make a great film.

So without further ado, these are the films of 2022 that emotionally wrecked us. Be warned that there will be significant spoilers for the films in question.

The Nominees Are –

After Yang

This is a quiet film, but that quietness is a slow build of emotion that reaches a crescendo at the perfect moment

Andor

Rarely can three words illicit a tug of emotion in my heart but “I can’t swim” does just that.

Armageddon Time

Anthony Hopkins gives a masterclass in capturing your heart and then crushing it.

Belfast

Growing up in a rapidly changing world is the setting you need to tell a story that hits all those emotional notes.

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

You know the story of Pinocchio, well not like this you do. While I am sad that I did not get to see this in cinemas, at least I didn’t need to apologise to anyone witnessing my broken heart.

The Phantom of the Open

A story that shows that big things can come from small places as we champion the underdog in the face of the establishment.

Station Eleven

Loss, trauma, betrayal, but also family and purpose. There are many ways to explore this story, but all of them lead to a place where you are enraptured in this world and its people.  

And the Winner is!!!!! – Station Eleven

Directed by – Hiro Murai, Jeremy Podeswa, Helen Shaver & Lucy Tcherniak
Written by – Patrick Somerville, Shannon Houston, Nick Cuse, Cord Jefferson, Sarah McCarron, Kim Steele, Sarah McCarron & Will Weggel
Created by – Patrick Somerville
Based on – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

It is at this moment in the awards that we have to acknowledge that television exists. For the first time, select tv shows will be appearing on this list where they work, and while After Yang got so incredibly close, I knew from the start of the year what would be the winner here. Watching a show about a pandemic while we are still going through a pandemic might feel like a bit of a tough sell. But in some ways, it was deeply cathartic. It is a story that slowly builds while layering in upon itself, confronting the past while exploring a future. It also knew when to ask critical questions, like asking someone to do an impossible task. Just writing about it here was an emotional journey, being taken back to the start of last year, but that trek of discovery is something I will always cherish.             

   

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

What are your favourite cinematic moments from 2022 ?, let us know what you thought in the comments below, feel free to share this review on any of the social medias and you can follow us Here. Check out all our past reviews and articles Here, and have a happy day. 

Credits – All images used were created by the respective studio and artist of each film