As we are nearing the end of 2022- a year that was filled with an immense amount of monumental pop culture occurences that we will most likely still be talking about for years ahead, we take time to reflect and reminisce and look back at everything that made our fan hearts race that tad bit faster. So after very careful deliberation and deep discussions, the team at Portsmouth Comic Con presents you with this recap of the moments from film, TV and everything geeky, that have stuck with us the most and made the biggest impact on our lives this past year.
Film
It is impossible to mention every single amazing movie that came out in 2022, as there were truly so many. However, we can try our best to summarise the ones that really stuck with us in an attempt to give them the recognition and praise they deserve. Let’s start with the MCU of course: Wakanda Forever was incredible and the powerful acting performances are something that will forever be engraved in our minds, as well as the importance of heritage and family that the movie emphasised so well. Speaking of acting performances, while Multiverse of Madness may not have ticked all the boxes in terms of story, Wanda’s character alone is enough reason for us to mention this film which presented us with one of the most complex character arcs in the MCU Phase 4. And on the topic of multiverses, another honorable mention is Everything Everywhere All at Once, which was so incredible and so heartfelt that it felt like we were taken by a storm of emotions when watching that movie (that’s the best way to know that a movie really had an effect on you). We also had other genres that gave us a lot of incredible titles, specifically horror: we had Nope, that really gripped us with the amazing cinematography and unique storyline, as well as the memorable Smile, The Black Phone, The Barbarian, which all gave us a good scare and kept us on the edge of our seats. And last but not least, the team really enjoyed other superb projects like The Batman, Encanto, Turning Red, Black Adam, Lightyear and the audience favourite Top Gun: Maverick. Evidently, it was also really good to see that this past year was quite monumental in terms of representation, with most of the previously mentioned films doing their part in making the film scene that bit more diverse.
TV
2022 was also a really strong year for TV shows, so let’s try to do our best to summarise the ones that really played on our heartstrings and gripped us. Starting with arguably one of the most influential shows of this past year- Stranger Things, it had us and the rest of the world in a chokehold. The nostalgic elements, the action, the drama, the superhero elements, everything was just absolutely astonishing, and Running Up That Hill will forever play in our heads when thinking about this show. Marvel also gave us many important and memorable moments with MoonKnight and Ms Marvel, which have made history for the MCU and we will look back at for many years ahead. Netflix also presented us with yet another record-breaking title: Wednesday, which the Portsmouth Comic Con team really enjoyed and immediately added to their favourite’s list. 2022 was also a big year for representation on the small screen, with titles like Heartstopper, Young Royals S2, Our Flag Means Death and The Sandman not only becoming our instant favourites, but also making us realise how important and beautiful it is to see good representation in media. It was overall a very impressive year for streaming services and the team really got to appreciate some astonishing productions: Disney Plus gave us Andor and The Dropout, Prime Video gave us The Boys S3, NowTV and HBO gave us House of the Dragon and The White Lotus S2, and Netflix also gave us Alice in Borderland S2, The Midnight Club and Inventing Anna. And to finish off, we must mention the regeneration of the Doctor into the long-awated return of the fan-favourite David Tennant, as well as the Ncuti Gatwa announcement, which has made us extremely excited for Doctor Who in 2023!
