MovieCrow Annual Rankings - Best Tamil Movies of 2022

Freed from the clutches of the pandemic after 2 years, Tamil cinema was back to brimming with content and blockbusters hits in 2022. The rush after the lull was quite eventful and here is a ranking of the top 10, from the best this bygone year.

1. Vikram: A whistle worthy actioner that had enough highs right through. It was great to see Kamal being relatively laidback and having fun. Fahadh was very good. In a year in which the films starring the usual larger than life stars Ajith and Vijay not exactly setting the screens on fire, it is fascinating that a veteran (and possibly a reluctant mass hero) gave what the masses wanted.

2. Gargi: With Sai Pallavi as the lead, this one had terrific performances all around. Whether it stereotypes (maybe unintentionally) a certain section is definitely debatable, but this is a must watch for the subject it handles and the craft that is on display. A hard-hitting film that disturbs you and leaves you pondering!

3. Love Today: A pleasant surprise and a film that is several notches above Pradeep's debut Comali. Tackling a very relevant subject and packing it with fun moments throughout, the surpise was how well the emotional parts were handled. A non star film that pulled in crowds like a star film!

4. Thiruchitrambalam: When actors become stars, we often start to miss out on the sweet little films that made them the stars. Thiruchitrambalam was that sweet little film featuring a star. The adjective ‘little’ is only in reference to the scale or magnitude of the film. But with respect to the kind of emotions that it invokes on the audience, this was one of the biggest films of 2022. Dhanush and Nithya Menen were terrific. So were Bharathi Raja and Prakash Raj. Mithran Jawahar had shown glimpses of promise in his earlier films. But they were also mostly remakes. But here, he makes us sit up and take not.

5. Ponniyin Selvan: Part One (PS1): How effective it was as a drama in getting us involved with the motives of the pivotal characters is a question mark. But given the limitations in condensing a large volume of written material, this one did a neat job in meeting the minimal requisites of big screen entertainment. Most importantly it does enough to have us interested for the sequel.

6. Kadaisi Vivasayi: Manikandan continues to showcase his brilliance that is devoid of any embellishments. This film successfully pulls you into it and leaves you with a meditative feel throughout its run time. A film that definitely deserved more acknowledgemen from the masses!

7. Nenjuku Needhi: A competent remake that ensures that it remains true to the original essence. Exposing the dark side of our society, this is a pertinent film made with all the right intentions.

8. Taanakkaran: A bold film that questions the system that is in place to nurture cops. The film remains tense for the most part and we remain invested with the characters and fear for their plight. Few rough edges aside, this was a compelling watch.

9. Vendhu Thanindhathu Kaadu (VTK): GVM (Gautham Vasudev Menon) moved away from his territory and made something to probably prove a point. And yes, he succeeds. With a terrific and subtle performance from his leading man, VTK doesn't do anything new, but what it does, it does with aplomb. The lead to the sequel kind of dilutes the impact but that aside, this is one of the better films of 2022.

10. Mahaan: This one had Vikram in fine form and it was a delight to see him sink into a character without the gimmickry of prosthetics. The film has few issues but also has enough going for it. Karthik Subbaraj seems to enjoy discussing ideals and philosophies in his gangster films. This one did it a lot better than Jagame Thandhiram.