The past two years have had us witness a massive variety of content on our screens. The quality of certain movies has been so low that people have actively boycotted them for various reasons. On the other hand, there have also been films that have proven to be much more decent. This year, in particular, has come out with movies that have created very polarise and divisive stances among the audience. The cringe, the mediocre as well as the excellence have all been seen in the year.
Bollywood blockbusters are being released left, right, and center as the film industry recovers from the unforeseen halt caused by the Covid-19 outbreak. While we obsess over some films, many others are just cringe-worthy with brilliant marketing. Some movies have fantastic stories but others have even greater memes. Either way, these movies have created a lot of buzz on the internet.
Here is a progressive list of some of the movies released in 2022 which go from being cringe-induced to pretty decent in their qualities.
- Heropanti 2
Even Tiger Shroff’s gravity-defying action and dancing skills can’t save Heropanti 2. A follow-up to Shroff’s debut movie from 2014, the plot revolves around the evil deeds of Laila, a self-styled magician, antagonist, and one of the least believable characters, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Laila had teamed up with the legendary cybercriminal hacker Babloo (Shroff) at some time to develop a video game that would allow them to con people by accessing their data and draining their bank accounts.
Following a conscience attack, Babloo ends the deception, assumes a new name, and escapes to another country. He is soon recognized, sought out by Laila’s thugs, and resolves… Screw it, let’s come back as RJ, a revived hero who will make everything right and vanquish Laila. There is only one problem- in the midst of everything, he chooses to start dating Inaaya (Tara Sutaria), Laila’s sister. What even?
- Dobaaraa
Anurag Kashyap’s Dobaaraa deserves praise because sci-fi hasn’t been a major focus in Indian cinema up until now. The movie is an authorized version of Oriol Paulo’s Spanish-language Mirage (2018) and stars Taapsee Pannu. The film dabbles in time travel, tying the lives of 12-year-old Anay, the witness to a murder who was run over in 1996, and a nurse named Antara (Pannu), who settled into the same residence with her spouse (Rahul Bhatt) as well as her only child, Avanti, 25 years after the incident had occurred.
The two speak via television and make decisions that change the path of parallel universes (and timeline!) thanks to a freakish electric storm, that is the two characters’ common denominator. The plot is intriguing but the presentation is murky, allowing the spectator to understand that ‘time isn’t linear’.
- Liger
He’s a tea vendor with a dream (fueled by his fiery mother) of becoming one of the world’s best MMA fighters. Who is he? Li-ger (mix of lion and tiger). Tanya (Ananya Panday), is not only the sister of Liger’s arch-rival Sanju (Vijay Deverakonda, another MMA fighter) but also someone who is vilified as a greedy temptress whose sole purpose in life is to lead Liger astray into temptation, finds Liger (Vijay Deverakonda) despite the fact that he cannot afford ‘distractions’.
Puri Jagannadh’s film isn’t a sports drama, a love narrative, or anything else, it is all over the place. Because of the cliché of a poor lad with a single aim, meeting a rich, spoiled girl and having his life turned upside down (but with his aspirations realized), it also failed to succeed as a masala movie.
- Ek Villain Returns
Choosing a reasonably good movie and making a sequel that will tarnish its reputation needs guts. Ek Villain 2 does it with a ridiculous plot and nasty people. You wouldn’t like or dislike anyone and would generally remain apathetic throughout. Basically, a well-known singer is kidnapped by a selfish man who is unable to accept rejection in his romantic relationships.
The singer’s lover, a rich spoiled brat, tries to exact revenge for her ‘alleged’ demise after learning the news. Apart from the ambiguous performances, strange plot twists, and extreme objectification of the female characters, this is practically it.
- Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2
Even though Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 did well at the box office, it only partially lives up to the legend of its predecessor because of Tabu’s presence. On the surface, the movie seems to follow the trip of two strangers when the guy decides, for no apparent reason, to assist the girl he just met in traveling to her haunted birthplace, where she is said to have died.
After devoting a significant portion of the novel to these two individuals, we find that the narrative isn’t about them at all. Regarding Tabu, the frightening sections of the picture feel like a parody of its predecessor and she ends up being the only star.
- Laal Singh Chaddha
Laal Singh Chaddha is a sincere attempt to remake the 1994 Oscar-winning film, Forrest Gump. The film depicts Laal, a slow-witted man who navigates the most violent periods of Indian history while forming a relationship with his childhood sweetheart, Rupa.
It is a touching movie with a strong emphasis on the theme of love and peace, despite the box office financial disaster. Aamir Khan has given better performances, although the film is still a bit slow.
- Brahmastra
You must have seen enough memes by this point to understand the plot of the film. Shiva is a remarkable man who doesn’t get burnt by fire. It was only after he had fallen for the female love interest, Isha, that he discovered the fact that he has special abilities, including the ability to manipulate fire and ties to a covert supernatural organization.
Brahmastra has some mind-blowing visual effects that make it worth seeing in theatres. It’s a major letdown, though, because the dialogue is awkwardly written and the plot is absurd.
- Rocketry: The Nambi Effect
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect is a historical drama film based on the real-life story of ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan, who was wrongfully implicated in the ISRO spying case and eventually vindicated.
While R. Madhavan portrays Nambi in the movie, it also marks his first attempt at directing. The actor performed admirably, pulling out the best dramatic events from the scientist’s life and skillfully incorporating them into the movie.
- Darlings
Darlings, a dark comedy that premiered on Netflix, tells the tale of an unhealthy marriage. Badrunissa, a domestic violence victim, goes to whatever length to change her abusive alcoholic husband. She turns to vengeance with the aid of her mother, Shamshu, after realizing she has no other choice.
Darlings, with a fantastic ensemble and a wonderful script, satirizes domestic violence in all of its forms. The movie is unquestionably a must-see.
Conclusion
This was the ranking of some of the many movies released this year, 2022. Bollywood movies were released one after the other these past two years and seeing the scrutiny that it is being subjected to by the viewers, creators may have to do better at their jobs.