In 2022, Lifestyle had a lot to write about. The writers and staff who have contributed to this section have commented on major moments in pop culture, covered local art and music events, and reviewed countless movies, TV shows, and albums. In December, Lifestyle editors asked The News to submit their favorite items of the year. Here are the best answers, as well as recommendations from each Lifestyle editor:
Best movie of 2022: “Everything everywhere at once”
Set in the course of one chaotic day in the life of laundromat owner Evelyn Wang (Michelle Yeoh), “Everything Everywhere and All At Once” is a beautifully crazy and heart-wrenching film that uses surreal science fiction to tell a story about immigration and generations. trauma. Evelyn discovers that there are infinite universes in which choosing to stay in China will ensure her success, and her life in the laundry is unremarkable in contrast. Her disillusioned and nihilistic attitude towards life is passed on to her daughter Joy (Stephanie Hsu), who becomes an evil force called Jobu Tupaki, determined to wreak havoc on all universes. To stop Joba, Evelyn must deal with the hardships she experienced as a result of her immigration. Funny, ridiculous and sobbing, “Everything Everywhere and All At Once” manages to attack the problems facing a huge part of the population while still being wonderfully unpredictable.
Juliana’s Pick: “Bodies Bodies Bodies”
With biting contemporary satire and internet nonsense controversy “Bodies Bodies Bodies” was undoubtedly the movie of the summer. Sophie (Amandla Stenberg) and her friend Bee (Maria Bakalova) arrive at a “hurricane party” at an upstate New York mansion hosted and attended by Sophie’s wealthy friends. During the game Bodies Bodies Bodies, in which players try to escape a “killer” in a dark house, one of the partygoers is found dead – literally. Friends start pointing fingers and more and more unspoken resentments are revealed as their numbers dwindle. “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is a hilarious and riveting mockery of a new generation of self-obsessed, frivolous trust fund babies who use politically correct buzzwords and host their own podcasts. With a hysterically comedic cast and a particularly fantastic performance by relative newcomer Rachel Sennott, “Bodies Bodies Bodies” is well worth a watch.
Cathy’s Pick: “Where the Crawdads Sing”
Adapted from the novel by Delia Owens, “Where the Crawdads Sing” stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya or “Marsh Girl”, the main protagonist of a murder mystery set between the 1950s and 1970s. As an abandoned child, Kya struggles to survive in the swamps of Barkley Cove, North Carolina. As an adult, Kya is on trial for the first-degree murder of Chase Andrews, a man with whom she had an affair. “Where the Crawdads Sing” leaves room for the audience to decide whether or not they agree with the biased town gossip that makes Ky an outcast and capable of murder. Edgar-Jones’ performance effortlessly proves to the audience that Kya is simply misunderstood. Director Olivia Newman brilliantly focuses most of the film on flashbacks of Kyo’s mistreatment as a child and teenager, rather than the actual murder trial, in order to shock viewers with a plot revealed decades later at the end of the film.
Jake’s Pick: “Behind the Sun”
It’s incredibly rare for a director’s debut to meet—let alone surpass—the quality of those created by industry veterans. With “Aftersun,” however, writer-director Charlotte Wells has done just that. The film follows 11-year-old Sophie (Frankie Corio) on holiday with her father Calum (Paul Mescal) in a Turkish resort in the early 2000s. Despite forming bonds with the other vacationers and enjoying the many amenities and activities, Sophie can’t help but notice that her father exhibits a number of troubling traits—traits that as an adult (Celia Rowlson-Howe) she realizes are indicative. depression. With remarkable cinematography by Gregory Oke and meticulous editing by Blair McClendon, “Aftersun” is a tender account of deteriorating mental health and a poignant exploration of the challenge that comes with trying to reconcile childhood naivety with adult knowledge.
Honorable Mentions: “No,” “She Said,” “She Blushes”
Best TV Series of 2022: “Department”
Thanks to the efforts of creator and showrunner Dan Erickson and directors Ben Stiller and Aoife McArdle, “Severance” has firmly left its mark as a deeply disturbing yet riveting sci-fi series. The show follows Mark (Adam Scott), an employee of Lumon Industries who undergoes a medical procedure known as “splitting” to split his consciousness in half, forcing his working self, or innie, to be unaware of who or what he is. works outside the office. With the help of a new employee named Helly (Britt Lower), Mark and his co-workers begin to uncover the truth about their employer. Joining Scott and Lower in the show’s impressive cast are Zach Cherry, John Turturro, Christopher Walken and Patricia Arquette. With an engaging underlying mystery and plenty of twists and turns, “Severance” is a terrifying and chilling streaming offering — albeit with a healthy dose of humor — that you can’t look away from.
Juliana’s Pick: “A League of Their Own”
Amazon Prime’s “A League of Their Own” TV series premiered 30 years after the 1992 sports comedy film of the same name, with a new story and a more diverse cast. In 1943, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed in response to the shortage of male players during the war. Nervous housewife Carson Shaw (Abbi Jacobson) travels from Idaho for an audition and is called to the Rockford Peaches, where she meets glamorous co-star Greta Gill (D’Arcy Carden) and begins her first lesbian relationship. Meanwhile, aspiring black pitcher Max Chapman (Chanté Adams) is rejected at tryouts and spends the rest of the series searching for herself and twice as hard as Peaches in order to play. Featuring a diverse cast of underdogs, “A League of Their Own” is a heartwarming and entertaining series that explores self-discovery, female camaraderie, and giving up everything for a dream.
Cathy’s Pick: “I’ve Never Been”
Mindy Kaling’s Never Have I Ever returned to Netflix this August to showcase the character development of the (admittedly) lovable Devi Vishwakumar. Devi (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) is a high school student who goes through an unbroken cycle of making (undoubtedly) terrible decisions in her relationships, usually justifying her actions with teenage angst and the death of her father. Although many viewers may criticize — or love — Devi for her mistakes, clearly learns from her past and evolves into someone more mature — well, as mature as a high school teenager can be. The third season is a whirlwind of Devi’s seemingly upward journey in love, lust and self-confidence. Through satire and comedy, Kaling finds a way to make season three engaging, hilarious and fun for all viewers.
Jake’s Pick: “Barry”
In the final season of Alec Berg and Bill Hader’s “Barry,” a dark comedy series that moves closer to becoming an outright drama with each passing episode, hitman-turned-actor Barry Berkman (Hader) returns to contract killings. events of the show’s second season. In addition, he faces strained relationships with his girlfriend Sally Reed (Sarah Goldberg), former acting teacher Gene Cousineau (Harry Winkler) and former handler Monroe Fuches (Stephen Root). Despite the considerable star power in front of the camera, it’s the efforts of those behind it that elevate this season to new heights. Hader’s direction of the Emmy-nominated episode “710N” is particularly strong, presenting a thrilling freeway chase that is played out with a skill rarely seen on television. Through clever scripts, impeccable on-screen performances and stunning craftsmanship, “Barry” successfully balances and mixes genres in an absolutely remarkable way.
Honorable Mentions: “Exam”, “White Lotus”, “Atlanta”
Best Album of 2022: Midnight by Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift said, “I’ll meet you at midnight,” and her fans listened. Within 24 hours of the release of Swift’s 10th studio album, fans crowned Swift as Spotify’s most streamed album of the day, with 184.6 million currents. Swift also became the first artist in history to occupy the first 10 places in the Billboard Hot 100 song chart. Breaking countless previously assumed things is impossible records, Swift explores themes of love, independence and struggles between the lines of the lyrical masterpiece that is Midnights. The Nashville artist has proven that she deserves to be at the forefront of the music industry as she incorporates a variety of styles into her latest discography, ensuring that Midnights has something for everyone to adore.
Juliana’s Pick: De Todas Las Flores by Natalie Lafourcade
Natalia Lafourcade releases De Todas Las Flores seven years after her last full album of original songs, and the record is filled with all the longing and nostalgia that her previous work embodies. Mexican folk singer described album as an “extremely personal musical diary”, and in each song her hauntingly beautiful vocals guide listeners through grief, death and rebirth. The titular flowers Lafourcade sings about can represent love, sadness, or spring, giving the entire album a bittersweet ambiguity that speaks to her nuances as an artist. As with his past music, Lafourcade draws inspiration from influential Latin genres such as son jarocho, bossa nova and boleros, and each masterful song is steeped in history. The 38-year-old singer won 14 Latin Grammy Awards and continues to produce intimate, beautiful original music, and De Todas Las Flores is a testament to her talent and artistic vulnerability.
Cathy’s Pick: Ivory by Omar Apollo
Indiana’s beloved Omar Apollo will rise to the challenge again and again when it comes to making fun and fresh music. Apollo’s release of Ivory in April combined rock, R&B and alternative music genres to create timeless songs that caught the attention of former President Barack Obama – the hit single “Tamagotchi” landed on Obama’s annual “Favorite music of 2022” list. Having only been in the music industry for four years, Apollo has certainly made a name for himself and won the title of ‘Best New Artist’ appointment at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. It’s certain that an artist who started his career living on his friends’ couch will no longer need a couchsurfer. Instead, Apollo will be crowd surfing (highly unlikely) as he plays as the opening act for SZA’s SOS tour in 2023.
Jake’s Pick: The Preacher’s Daughter by Ethel Cain
In 2022 Ethel Cain they applauded to Drake’s claim that Megan Thee Stallion lied about being shot by Tory Lanez, found her endlessly catchy single “American Teenager” on former President Barack Obama’s annual list of favorite music, among other things, and most importantly, released her debut studio album to critical acclaim. This latest effort is particularly notable given that the Preacher’s Daughter concept album features a shocking central story centered on a teenage girl who is murdered by a cannibal after fleeing her conservative hometown. Despite – or perhaps because of – its provocative subject matter, the album is fully immersive throughout its 75 minutes. Further contributing to this is Cain’s lyricism, which deals with lofty themes related to organized religion and family trauma, as her haunting verses are hard to shake off as the album closes. Although his subject matter may seem intimidating, those willing to wade through Cain’s sophisticated, if often ossifying album, will be greeted with a truly unique listening experience.
Honorable Mentions: SOS by SZA, Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy, Being Funny in a Foreign Language by The 1975