Brandon’s 2022 Pop Culture Year in Review
Movies
My list of movies I enjoyed in 2022 is pretty large. I will say three films really stand out for me.
Clerks III was a surprise. After years of disappointing films, Kevin Smith seemed to find the mojo that brought him success in the first place and channeled into a film that was funny and incredibly touching.
Ambulance was technically released in 2021 but I just saw it in 2022. Like Kevin Smith, Michael Bay has made movies that were shadows of his best work from the 90s. So when Ambulance was announced, I had no interest in watching another shaky CGI mess. Surprisingly, the film was solid. It’s action packed, has great cinematography and was a joy to watch.
Scream has become my favorite horror franchise over the years so I was excited to see Radio Silence’s take on the series. They delivered releasing a brutal and excellent film while keeping the heart and tone of Scream alive.
Television
Andor was a huge surprise. It was the Star Wars show I was least excited for and ended up being the best piece of Star Wars media I’ve ever seen. It’s hard to even share how much I enjoyed this show. It was everything Star Wars I’ve been looking for.
Star Trek also had an amazing season of television with the debut of Strange New Worlds. I am not much of a fan of The Original Series so having another show in that time along with legacy characters made me groan. Luckily, Anson Mount took charge as my second favorite Trek Captain and the single episode adventure format felt refreshing after years of long form storytelling.
And Better Call Saul finished up as one of the best overall series of television I’ve ever seen. Enough said.
Books
Thanks to the excellent Amazon series, I began reading and enjoying Lee Child’s Jack Reacher series. I also discovered CJ Box’s equally fantastic Joe Pickett series.
Comics
I didn’t read as many comics this year as usual, but I did really enjoy Kevin Smiths Quick Stops which are self contained stories taking place in the View Askewverse.
I also found some enjoyment reading the Radiant Black series.
Video Games
Two games really stood out this year for me, despite spending most of time replaying Red Dead Redemption 2. Call of Duty managed to release its best game in years. I do wish they’d stop with the stupid costumes and golden guns but the gameplay is on point and I’m still enjoying it.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shredders Revenge was also a surprise. A classic 2D beat ‘em up, this game managed to capture the spirit of the old TMNT games while updating the visuals, controls, and sound.
Honorable Mention goes to Lego Star Wars which reinvented the series and made a beautiful game for my wife and I to enjoy.
