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.
TL;DR – A deeply personal and emotional film that gets messy in all the best and worst ways.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3.5 out of 5.
Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene
Warning – Contains scenes of abuse.
Disclosure – I was invited to a screening of this film at the Brisbane International Film Festival.
Armageddon Time Review –
I have long said that I am perfectly fine with crying in the cinema during a film. If the movie’s emotions move me, then fantastic. Indeed I even have a list of them. But there is a bit of a difference between a single stoic tear making its way down the side of your face and ugly crying for so bard you need to freshen up in the bathroom afterwards. Today, we are looking at a film that, even with all its flaws, falls in the latter category.
So to set the scene, it is 1980 in Queens, New York City, on the first day of school. Paul Graff (Banks Repeta) is starting in a new school, and just minutes into the day, he is already getting in trouble with the teacher Mr Turkeltaub (Andrew Polk). Not a great start, but he does get to meet his new friend Johnny (Jaylin Webb), who also ires Turkeltaub. Paul is trying to find his place in a world that feels like it is about to get snuffed out at any moment, with only his grandfather Aaron Rabinowitz (Anthony Hopkins) being able to reach him. Much to his parents, Esther’s (Anne Hathaway) and Irving’s (Jaylin Webb) frustration.
TL;DR Movie Reviews and Analysis 