An impressive year for movies at large, 2022 did not fail to bring us gems from some of the biggest names in Hollywood, from Spielberg to Cronenberg. However, regardless of how much we love The Fabelmans, one of the realest delights of cinema is watching new voices get their foot in the door - and 2022 certainly did not disappoint in this regard. There were countless 2022 directorial debuts from a diverse and exciting array of newcomers, each of whom continue to push at envelopes and the boundaries of the genres they're working within. Although there were many films that caught our attention, here are the directorial debuts that stood out to us the most in 2022, ranked.
8 Jane Schoenbrun - We're All Going to the World's Fair
Jane Schoenbrun's dark, hypnotic debut may have flown under the public radar this year, but it marks more than a promising start for the subversive horror director. World's Fair follows fourteen-year-old Casey (Anna Cobb) as she becomes fully immersed into an online role-playing game, with no motive other than to observe the psychological changes in herself over time. Doused in neon and with a searing score from Alex G, Schoenbrun's film brings something raw and eclectic to the table by utilizing yesterday's internet trends. Through a compelling mix of found footage, vlogs, Skype calls, and a barrage of other internet-based formats, Schoenbrun is able to explore the depths of adolescent loneliness and alienation in the digital age. Despite how much we fear for her, Casey becomes one of the most intensely relatable characters of the year for Gen-Zers.
7 Chloe Okuno - Watcher
With Watcher, Chloe Okuno is able to turn one of the most generic-sounding of horror plots - a woman believes she is being stalked by the man across the street - into an unshakably visceral, immersive experience. With a fantastic lead performance from Maika Monroe, Watcher brilliantly captures the darkest depths of paranoia and anxiety as they're caught in the mundane world. Okuno's aesthetic choices are what most strikingly stand out and make the film so worthwhile; everything is coated in a haunting, meticulously chosen red color palette, and the careful production design of places like Julia's apartment do nothing but inspire dread within the viewer. Watcher is a powerful, ambient film whose essence can rarely be found elsewhere.
6 Owen Kline - Funny Pages
Zwigoff-inspired and Safdie-produced, Owen Kline's Funny Pages marks him as more than a fair contender with the many big names he takes influence from. Kline's film revolves around an unapologetically nasty eighteen-year-old, Robert, as he pursues a cartooning dream under his fellow unapologetically nasty, antisocial role model, Wallace. Funny Pages is definitely one of the boldest "coming-of-age" movies to emerge in recent memory, with Kline refusing to hold back any punches when it comes to both the film’s audacious writing and vast assortment of predecessors. Despite how truly obnoxious Robert is as a character, Kline is able to successfully strike a chord that resonates with us all - what would you give up if it meant having a chance at doing what you love?
5 Lila Neugebauer - Causeway
Jennifer Lawrence sees a triumphant return to form in Lila Neugebauer's debut Causeway. Neugebauer, an acclaimed director of the stage, uses Lawrence and Brian Tyree Henry to construct a nuanced, powerful portrait of one woman's return home from Afghanistan after having suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her film is gripping with its humanity and ability to revel in the small moments of Lawrence's suffering and catharsis. Causeway might be a very restrained and subtle film, but its emotional potence and penetrating visual style are what prove A24 to be a continually great producer of art films, and Neugebauer a promising talent in the industry.
4 Parker Finn - Smile
Grossing more than $215 million at the worldwide box office, Smile quickly became the horror smash hit that no one saw coming this year. Not only has Finn's film triumphed over fierce competition, from the likes of Alex Garland to Jordan Peele, but it's done so through cleverly employing one of the most memorable and genuinely scary marketing campaigns seen in years. On paper, Finn's film might not seem like anything particularly special, especially compared to the deluge of high-concept horror that we are swarmed with today, but it's the film's perfect, admirably unpretentious execution that makes it really stand out. Smile's cinematography and horrifying imagery that superbly blend the real and unreal are some of the most impressive put to screen in modern horror, and we can only wait in spine-tingling anticipation to see what Finn has in store next.
3 John Patton Ford - Emily the Criminal
Beyond Aubrey Plaza's dauntless performance, there's much to appreciate in this stirring new thriller from John Patton Ford. Emily the Criminal follows Plaza as she quickly becomes lured into a life of crime after participating in a number of credit card scams. Ford's film is equal parts unnerving crime-thriller as well as broader, incisive social commentary about the state of labor in the modern world. There is not a moment that goes by in the film where the stakes don't feel record-high, and where the audience is sure exactly what is going to happen next. Perhaps Ford's most impressive skill is getting us to empathize with - or, at the very least, agree with, in the film's most gripping moments - an unlikable, highly manipulative person. The film's ending is particularly noteworthy with its infinite layers of implication.
2 Jerrod Carmichael - On the Count of Three
With three popular stand-up specials under his belt, Jerrod Carmichael might currently best be known for his comedy - after On The Count of Three, that will hopefully change sometime in the near future. In this emotionally-charged black comedy, Carmichael delicately explores issues of mental health, as well as some of the most timeless quandaries of friendship. Were it directed by another, Carmichael's film could have easily marched into "cancelable" territory. Yet, Carmichael handles the film's serious topics of depression and suicidal ideation with the perfect amounts of grace and sensitivity. The wry wit of On The Count of Three might be what makes it truly shine, giving us wonderful moments of levity within this ultimately heavy picture.
1 Charlotte Wells - Aftersun
Labeled by The Guardian as the best British film of 2022, Charlotte Wells no less than stuns with her feature debut Aftersun. Starring Normal People's Paul Mescal and nine-year-old newcomer Frankie Corcio, the film is a layered study of grief and aging as reminisced on through a vacation to the Turkish coast. Wells's film is a meditative tour-de-force whose legacy will inevitably linger within the years to come. Through moments of patience and friction, buildup and release, Wells effortlessly shows us the real emotional depths of what it means to grow up and to lose someone. The imagery is no less than gorgeous, and what Mescal and Corcio do should barely even be called performance - the film is so intimate that we feel like we're both observing it in real time and watching a memory. Wells is somehow able to evoke both of these things at once, an extremely rare accomplishment.