With a spate of new comic book movies, indie darlings, and Tom Cruise soaring to box office heights once again, 2022 has been a pretty stellar year for film-goers with something for everyone on the silver screen. In recent months, the taste of cinema has been soured by the closure of several independent picture houses up and down the country, including the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, my beloved local. As we approach awards season with new releases from the likes of Steven Spielberg, Damien Chazelle, and Darren Aronofsky just around the corner, I pick out my favourites from this years’ selection…

In a time in which many thought the medium of cinema was doomed, never to return, there has been a very good crop of films for audiences to enjoy. James Bond finally returned to the big screen after many delays to huge box office success and critical acclaim…from some. As well as that, Denis Villeneuve’s satisfyingly slow-burning Dune franchise took off, and we’ve closed the year out with big nostalgic releases with The Matrix Resurrections and Spider-Man: No Way Home. We’re now fast approaching awards season at the turn of the year, and I pick out my personal crème de la crème of 2021’s releases…

Last year, Glasgow Film Festival was one of the few in the UK largely unaffected by the pandemic, sneaking in weeks before the first lockdown. However, their 2021 edition will be 100% virtual due to the current restrictions in place. Despite the challenges, the lineup is as exciting and eclectic as ever, boasting 62 films in total from around the world and boasting a Country Focus strand on South Korean cinema. The opening picture will be Lee Isaac Chung’s highly anticipated autobiographical drama Minari and the event will close with Suzanne Lindon’s coming-of-age debut feature Spring Blossom. I have handpicked some films that I won’t want to miss…

It’s been a year like no other as we face a global pandemic and cinemas have been forced to close their doors up and down the country. However, despite the incredible challenges, the standard of film has been remarkably high. With a shortage of big screens and most of the major blockbusters delayed for the foreseeable, we’ve seen more pictures head straight to on-demand, onto streaming services, or in Steve McQueen’s case, right onto terrestrial television in the form of a mini-series. My favourites of the year are as follows: