Written by Jacinta Palmer
December 21, 2022
Madman Staff Picks 2022
As 2022 draws to a close, Madman is looking back on a remarkable year of storytelling in all its forms – eye-opening documentaries, gut-busting comedies, heart-stopping dramas and unforgettable big screen experiences.
Everyone knows the best thing about the end of the year is end-of-year lists, so a few of our staffers have picked the Madman films from 2022 that most captured their imaginations.
MOLLY - Digital Designer
I feel like there’s been some amazing documentaries out this year but in general, it’s just been great to get back in the cinema and not take the big screen for granted.
The Quiet Girl
Just beautiful! An unexpectedly healing film, which also made me want to live in rural Ireland.
Watch NowFLEE
Underrated to say the least. Don’t let animation stop you from watching this! The story will probably stay with me forever.
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The Worst Person in the World
Such a refreshing and engaging take on the usual rom-com story arc. The timing of the release (post-lockdown) was also quite apt.
Watch NowJACINTA – Theatrical Marketing Executive
This year, my first at Madman, has been all about getting up close and personal with some of the world’s best films, especially those with a fantastical element.
Petite Maman
I teared up five minutes in and stayed that way for pretty much the entire film. What a perfect expression of the magic we create for ourselves as children, how much of it we forget, and how much we carry with us.
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Fire of Love
In a year of great big-screen experiences, the documentary Fire Of Love stands alone for me. Katia and Maurice Krafft were seemingly the two coolest scientists ever, true oddballs whose love for each other was only rivalled by their love of peering into enormous spewing volcanos. The footage they took is now seared into my brain.
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You Won't Be Alone
I love genre films, I love arthouse films, and I love new Australian voices. What a treat to have all three! Goran Stolevski’s feature debut, about a shape-shifting witch in 19th century Macedonia, is weird and lyrical and unique. And it doesn’t skimp on the body horror!
Watch NowANDREW – New Zealand Marketing Manager
2022 has been great to have a full year of cinema without the interruptions and restrictions of Covid lockdowns. I got to go to the NZ International Film Festival for the first time in three years and just being back experiencing movies as they should be consumed has been rejuvenating.
Mister Organ
Another brilliant documentary from investigative journalist David Farrier (Tickled, Dark Tourist). What starts out as an investigation into outrageous car clamping becomes something much darker with its unnerving case study of sociopathic narcissism. Arguably more disturbing than most horror films. Some classic kiwi characters interviewed as well – Jamie Lockett’s yarns are as kiwi as they come.
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The Velvet Queen
I watched this at the exact time I needed to watch it, the day Russia invaded Ukraine and it felt like the world was going to hell. A beautiful, deeply moving film about two men searching for the elusive snow leopard in the Tibetan highlands. Comes with a stunning soundtrack from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis to boot. Nature is astounding sometimes.
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Navalny
Another fantastic documentary that has more tension than a high stakes Hollywood thriller – detailing the 2020 assassination attempt on the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. THAT scene where they get a full-on confession from his would-be hit man is documentary gold.
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