When I was a teenager, watching a movie required a DVD player and renting some media from the video store. If you had more internet knowledge and you didn’t mind breaking some laws, you would download some titles and subtitles and watch them on your computer. I used to get a student ID so I could go to the movies and pay half the price as it was always pretty expensive on the big screen. But with streaming, cinema has moved into the living room. It became possible to watch releases and premieres on TV. Productions from abroad, not just Hollywood productions, were encroaching on our homes, and entire families could watch multiple films for the price of a single ticket (or even less) a month. In other words, streaming has made cinema accessible and democratic, and that’s very important. It’s a cultural revolution. In this list, we list the audience’s favorite films that entered the Netflix catalog in 2022. As you can see, many of them are not Hollywood. Highlights for “A Caminho do Verão” by Sofia Alvarez; Beast of the Sea by Chris Williams; and “Hidden Agent” by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. The titles available on Netflix are organized by release year and do not follow any classification criteria.
Parallel Mothers, Pedro Almodóvar
Disclosure / Sony Pictures Entertainment
After professional photographer Janis meets Arturo, a forensic archaeologist, in an essay for a magazine, they return to work together to dig a mass grave in a village. The two soon begin a passionate affair, although Arturo is married. Janis becomes pregnant. In the delivery room, she meets Ana, a troubled teenager whose pregnancy is just as random. Their friendship continues beyond the walls of the hospital and becomes intimate. Everything changes when Janis learns that their daughters were switched in the maternity ward.
Apollo 10 and a half: Space Age Adventure, Richard Linklater
Disclosure / Netflix
In the days leading up to the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission, Stan, a 10.5yearold fourthgrade student living in suburban Houston, is recruited by two government agents while he’s playing in the playground. He is asked to be a protoastronaut. The film is loosely inspired by director Richard Linklater’s childhood and imagination in the summer of 1969 while living near NASA and his memories of man’s first landing on the moon.
Shoot up, Jeremiah Zagar
Scott Yamano / Netflix
Stanley Beren, a scout for a basketball team in crisis, discovers an extraordinary player, Bo Cruz, playing in a park on the outskirts of Madrid. Seeing a talent in the boy he hasn’t found in a long time, Stanley gets new hope and decides to bring the phenomenon to the United States without his team’s approval. Now the duo has only one chance left to compete for a spot in the NBA.
Ruby Rescue, Katt Shea
Ricardo Hubbs / Netflix
Daniel O’Neil adopts Ruby, a dog, and saves her from being put to sleep. He is a hyperactive, dyslexic soldier who dreams of being accepted into Rhode Island K9, an elite police academy. Ruby, who is also hyperactive and in need of exercise, eventually inspires him to stick to his goal. The duo face setbacks on their journey, but with the help of family members and community members who support and root their success, they overcome their challenges together.
RRR Rise Roar Revolt, SS Rajamouli
Disclosure / Netflix
Set in 1920s Delhi, Ramaraju and Bheem become close friends, unaware of each other’s truth or the intent behind their actions for or against the British Kingdom. Where Ramaraju is a wild, hotblooded young cop, Bheem is innocent and calm. Ramaraju works for the British but has been subjected to many humiliations because of the color of his skin. On the other hand, Bheem is from Gond tribe and came to Delhi to rescue Malli kidnapped by the British. Their friendship could change when the truth comes out.
The Hidden Agent, Anthony Russo and Joe Russo
Stanislav Honzik / Netflix
The hidden agent is CIA agent Courtland Gentry, codenamed Sierra Seis. He was bailed out of federal prison and recruited by Donald Fitzroy. In the past, Gentry was a skilled “Death Dealer,” but now he’s the target. Lloyd Hansen, a former CIA colleague, begins a worldwide pursuit to destroy him. Gentry will need help and Agent Dani is ready to defend him.
The beast of the sea, Chris Williams
Disclosure / Netflix
In the days when terrifying beasts roamed the seas and monster hunters were true heroes, Jacob Holland was the most famous of them all. Now the famous adventurer meets Maisie Brumble, a young woman hiding on his ship. She becomes a loyal and unexpected ally on an adventurous journey through unexplored places.
The Bombardment, Ole Bornedal
Lasse Frank / SF Studios
The film narrates the bombing of the French School in Copenhagen on March 21, 1945. The Royal Air Forces launched an attack on the Gestapo headquarters in Denmark at Shell House. The operation became known as Carthage. The attack was tragic, however, when one of the bombs fell near the French School, following bombers were led to believe that the facility was the target. A total of 104 people were killed, including 86 children. The film tells the story from the perspective of the school children and nuns, as well as the resistance fighters trapped in Shell House.
Munich: On the verge of war, Christian Schwochow
Frederic Batier / Netflix
In 1938, during the Munich Conference, European leaders try to stop Adolf Hitler from invading Czechoslovakia and starting another global conflict. British official Hugh Legat and German diplomat Paul von Hartmann travel to Munich to attend the meeting. They are soon tasked with another mission, aimed at revealing to world leaders, including Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, a confidential document proving Hitler’s plans to expand German territory. The hope is that Chamberlain will not go through with the plan to hand over the Sudetenland to the German head of state.
The House, Paloma Baeza and Emma De Swaef
Disclosure / Netflix
An anthology of films revolving around a house and the supernatural events taking place there that torment the owners who live there. The first takes place in the 19th century when a family moves to the property in search of a new life. Unfortunately, what they find is a oneway ticket to a cave of madness. The second takes place in the present. A real estate agent repairs the house to modern standards in order to sell it. The third takes us to the future, after a series of flood events that devastated the world, the house stands on a deserted urban island. A lady tries to repair the house and restore it to its former glory while demanding that the tenants pay rent.
The Black Eyes of Marilyn, Simone Godano
Disclosure / Netflix
Clara and Diego meet at a rehabilitation clinic for people with problems. The challenge that awaits them is relational: they have to run a bar within the institution and avoid conflicts with the rest of the group. Not only do Clara and Diego not know how to deal with the friction between them, they also lack the necessary skills to run a business.
The Adam Project, Shawn Levy
Doane Gregory / Netflix
Adam Reed is a 13yearold boy who lost his father a year ago. One day he finds an injured pilot hiding in the garage of his house. This mysterious man is Adam himself, many years his senior, who has traveled back in time to complete a secret mission. Together they must embark on an adventure into the past to save their father. However, there is a problem: the two Adams don’t get along at all.
Towards Summer, Sofia Alvarez
Emily V Aragones / Netflix
Auden West is a model student and daughter of academics. She graduated from high school and wants to spend a carefree summer in Colby before going to college. Despite her mother’s objections, she wants to spend time with her absent father, who is always locked in his office at work. He has another child from his remarriage and lives in Colby. Once there, Auden doesn’t get along with his stepmother’s teenage employees and feels like an outcast. When she meets the shy, curlyhaired Eli, the two approach and start pulling each other out of their shells.
Life is life, Dani de la Torre
Atresmedia Cine / Netflix
In the summer of 1985, Rodri left Catalonia, as he did every year, to visit his parents’ town and meet his old friends. Everything will be different this year. Real problems begin to creep into their lives and threaten their friendship. The five teenagers plan to elope on Midsummer Eve in search of a magical flower that can grant wishes. An adventure full of action, emotions and hope will mature them and stay in their memories forever.
Metal Lords, Peter Sollett
Scott Patrick Green / Netflix
Hunter and Kevin are two high school teenagers who want to start a heavy metal band. They are looking for a bassist but they only find Emily, who plays the cello and has serious emotional disorders. The group signs up for the Battle of Bands, but they must reconcile their musical differences to win.