‘Tis the season to find the perfect gift for the Movie lover in your life (or for yourself). Even in the age of streaming releases and purchases, viewers still enjoy owning a physical copy of their favorite films or collecting an expansive digital library.
As the holiday season quickly approaches and a brand-new year of releases is just around the corner, it’s time to stock up on 2022’s movies perfect for every occasion and every viewer. For the streamers in your life, purchase a month of their favorite platform or invest in Google Play or Amazon gift cards to rent/purchase these titles. For hard-copy lovers, head to your nearest retailer to snag a copy for wrapping. These selections have been released from theaters and are available for digital or physical purchase.
‘X’ and ‘Pearl’
For Horror Movie Enthusiasts
For the classic horror movie fan, the Ti West double-feature is the way to go. X and its prequel film Pearl are a love letter to the horror films that came before. X features a group of adult filmmakers in the late 70s who rent a cabin on a rural homestead in Texas for their latest movie, the elderly property owners unaware of their guests’ intentions. Things turn bloody quickly. Pearl features the backstory of the elderly woman, Pearl (Mia Goth), as she chases a new life as a dancer, with madness and catastrophe ensuing.
An excellent example of precise filmmaking, this pair of films doesn’t sacrifice story for gore or jump scares. The descent into madness and masterful performances by Goth in both features are epic for any fan of the unsettling. Stashing X and Pearl underneath the tree is a perfect gift to prepare any horror movie fan for the third film MaXXXine coming in the future.
Buy On Amazon
‘The Woman King’
For Women Empowerment Movie Lovers
One of the most empowering films of the year, The Woman King features Viola Davis, giving it her all as usual. Based on the true events of Dahomey in the 1800s, Davis stars as General Nanisca as she trains a new generation of female warriors to protect the kingdom from a foreign threat. For the fans of the Black Panther movies but prefer without the superhero intricacies, you can’t go wrong with The Woman King.
Earning a well-deserved Golden Globe nomination for her role, Davis is a force to be reckoned with as she portrays a powerful leader of a group of exceptional warriors. The Woman King will inspire viewers of what is possible and how to own their power.
‘The Batman’
For The Superhero Cinephile
Snubbed by the Golden Globes (there’s still hope for the Oscars), The Batman is a show-stopping choice for superhero fans and those with an ear for music. Following Christopher Nolan‘s take on the caped crusader, Matt Reeves and Robert Pattinson delivered a darkly cinematic experience to DC fans. This film succeeds on many levels, but one element that stands tall is the film’s soundtrack.
Composed by Michael Giacchino, the sound behind this film is intoxicating as it is the heartbeat of Pattinson’s brooding Bruce Wayne. Featuring a booming score that commands attention, it’s a must-have for any cinephile and audiophile.
Buy On Amazon
‘DC League of Super-Pets’
For Family Movie Lovers
Whether you need an idea for the younger movie fans or just for the Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson fans in your life, DC League of Super-Pets is a solid choice for this holiday season. Told from the perspective of our favorite superheroes’ pets, Krypto (voiced by Johnson) must form his own team of heroes to save Superman (voiced by John Krasinski) after the entire Justice League is kidnapped.
Like many animated films, there is an element of humor targeted toward adults that may or may not fly past the younger viewer in your home. The perfect animated gift for the family-movie lover, DC League of Super-Pets, has a little something for everyone, from its comedy and star-studded cast to its iconic super characters portrayed in a new light.
Buy On Amazon
‘Beast’
For Those Who Love Thrills
This one is for the creature-feature fans in your life. Beast is this generation’s The Ghost and the Darkness. Centered around a rogue lion stalking a stranded family in the African savannah, Idris Elba leads this thriller with composure and realism often not found in the genre. An average film among critics and audiences, Beast is a multi-genre film with surprisingly stunning CGI.
Director Baltasar Kormákur layers in a solid dosage of edge-of-your-seat action alongside a well-crafted journey of forgiveness and healing. Beast is the perfect film for the adrenaline-seeking moviegoer in your friend group.
Stream on Prime Video
‘Elvis’
For The Biopic Fanatic
The gift for the biopic fanatic, Elvis Presley admirer, or lover of lavish and over-the-top filmmaking, Elvis is the movie to pick up this season. A break-out performance for Austin Butler as the iconic music legend, this movie takes audiences inside the rollercoaster rise to fame that was Elvis’s career. Currently in the top five of Rotten Tomatoes’ awards season leaderboard, Elvis is definitely a time commitment for the viewer you gift this to with a runtime of over two and a half hours.
This biopic is the perfect generational gift for an older family member or the music lover in the household. Bringing this decade the story of Elvis Presley, director Baz Luhrmann masterfully crafted a respectful ode to the legacy of music’s most influential voices.
Stream on Prime Video
‘Marry Me’
For The Rom-Com Lover
The light-hearted choice for this year’s movie gift-giving guide, Marry Me features two pop-culture favorites and is sure to satisfy that style cinephile in your life. Moments before her globally-broadcasted wedding, music superstar Kat (Jennifer Lopez) learns of his infidelity and instead chooses to marry a fan from the crowd, a school teacher named Charlie (Owen Wilson).
Lopez and Wilson bring a substantial record of memorable rom-coms, adding Marry Me to their catalog. While it’s not the greatest (or most original) love story ever told, its super-powered leads charm their way into viewers’ hearts with their perfect onscreen chemistry. For the rom-com addict, you picked for Secret Santa this year, Marry Me is sure to please.
Stream on Prime Video
‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’
For The A24 Movie Lover
Targeting a particular audience, but also every audience all at once, this Michelle Yeoh-led action, comedy, sci-fi, adventure movie covers all the bases you need to satisfy a cinephile this holiday season. Evelyn Wang (Yeoh) is just trying to get her taxes done when she’s entangled in a whirlwind adventure to save the world by discovering and interacting with the different universes and lives she could have led.
A serious contender this award season, Everything All at Once takes audiences through a menagerie of experiences as a viewer as Evelyn experiences them as a character. A mind-tripping film, this pick is the obvious option for an A24 obsessed or even just the “What did I just watch?” questioner.
Buy On Amazon
‘Top-Gun: Maverick’
For The Action Addict
Capturing the hearts of the nostalgics, the franchise lovers, the action addicts, the remake skeptics, and the Tom Cruise kingdom, Top-Gun: Maverick is the obvious choice for this year’s releases. Thirty years after his memorable academy days, Maverick (Cruise) continues to step over the boundary line, except this time, it’s to lead the newest TOP GUN recruit class, all the while confronting the trappings of his past.
Exceeding all the expectations, so the nay-sayers, this sequel is a silver lining in the age of remakes and unnecessary sequels/prequels. Cruise’s performance is second-to-none alongside Miles Teller. For the ’80s fan in your friend group, be sure to send this one their way.
Stream on Prime Video
‘Nope’
For The Sci-Fi Fan
There’s no forgetting the science-fiction fan in your orbit! The third installment in Jordan Peele‘s feature film resume, Nope, is the perfect gift to wrap for sci-fi (or horror) cinephiles. Following the death of their father, siblings OJ (Daniel Kaluuya) and Emerald (Keke Palmer) witness an out-of-this-world entity plaguing their horse ranch. The second of Peele’s films to be snubbed by the Golden Globes, Nope is a must-see example of incredible multi-genre storytelling.
This movie is also the perfect fit for a fanatic who loves digging deeper to find hidden meanings and Easter Eggs throughout a film. Nope has them all, alongside a plethora of interviews with the cast and crew to guide the way. For music lovers, Peele’s latest is also a great choice. If your recipient is new to Peele’s feature work, why not make it a triple feature and add in Get Out and Us?
Stream on Prime Video
