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Darlings, Jamtara to Scorsese approved Derry Girls—Best OTT films and shows of 2022

White Lotus’s posh madness to the unforgiving Jamtara, 2022 saw some of the best new seasons of fan-favourite web shows.

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Cinema made a comeback in 2022 with much gusto. From theatres to OTT platforms, fresh releases were lined up one after the other. If one could cut through the noise of regurgitated content, gems like Decision to Leave, Gehraiyaan, Jaya Jaya Jaya Jaya Hey, Malayankunju, Delhi Crime and more were there to hold the standards of storytelling high up.

Looking back at the variety and number of films and shows released this year, it is difficult to come up with the best of 2022 list. Hence ThePrint’s team shared their favourites of this year by sharing why and what stood out for them. 

Darlings (film) – Netflix

Director Jasmeet K. Reen’s debut film Darlings would rank pretty high in best films of 2022 list. While Alia Bhatt and Shefali Shah are phenomenal, it was a career-defining performance for Vijay Varma. Written by Reen and Parveez Sheikh, the film dives into the intricacies of domestic violence in India, served with a dollop of dark comedy. It helps that a female filmmaker anchored this project, with much-needed nuance and sensitivity to showcase the world of Shamshu and Badru.

—Nidhima Taneja


Also read: Decision to Leave won’t let you leave your couch—top performances, impeccable direction


Lady Chatterley’s Lover (film) – Netflix 

Frolicking naked in the rain might be a stuff of fantasy but in the bodies of Connie and Oliver, it breaks the shackles for two souls stifled by their surroundings. Connie’s war-disabled husband has pushed her away with his impotence and lack of affection. Oliver, a gamekeeper from the lower class with his unassuming tenderness, was just the character waiting to turn into Lady Chatterley’s Lover—the 2022 film based on D.H. Lawrence’s novel that you must check out.

—Prashant

Better Call Saul 6 (series) – Netflix

We said goodbye to the last member of the “golden age of television” this year. Returning with its sixth and final season after Covid, Better Call Saul continued to masterfully play around with timelines and visual storytelling to provide rich textures of the convergence between Albuquerque’s legal and criminal world. Although everyone in the cast and crew had their moments to shine, the greatest strengths of the show rested on the starring “role of a lifetime” for Bob Odenkirk, a primarily comedic actor who put in career-best dramatic performances for 13 consecutive episodes this year.

—Raghav Bikhchandani 

Derry Girls (series) – Netflix 

Once you get over the hard-to-discern Irish accent, Derry Girls is a show that will actually get you rolling on the floor laughing. Set against the backdrop of Irish militancy, the show portrays five school students in Derry, or Londonderry—depending on your persuasion. Written and directed by Lisa McGee, the show will tug at your heartstrings. This kind of clever writing and impeccable comic timing is rare. The show even got a nod by the legendary Martin Scorsese. It’s definitely worth your time this holiday season. Make good use of subtitles!

—Shubhangi Misra

Jamtara (series) – Netflix

Netflix’s Jamtara season 1 was a sleeper hit and second season came back even stronger with the older players taking it up a notch and newer ones hitting the ground running. Creator Soumendra Padhi delves much deeper into the psyche, landscape and characters of Jamtara, bringing out often uncomfortable truths. At the end of the day, Jamtara, the show and the place, are both unforgiving, if you do not learn to adapt. Sextortion to lottery, the games are bigger and wilier, and those playing it need to level up at every step of the way.

—Tina Das


Also read: Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc doesn’t save Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery. Blame the plot


Our beloved Summer (series) – Netflix 

My personal marker to distinguish a good K-drama from an outstanding one is how badly I’m left wanting for new episodes. OBS was one of those wholesome shows this year for anyone who is a sucker for romance – more specifically the innocence, purity and the heartbreak of first love. The plot seamlessly drifts back and forth between the past and present of two lovers – who came together while shooting a documentary. It’s a story about personal growth, friendship and atypical family bonds.

—Monami Gogoi

The White Lotus (series) –Disney+Hotstar

The second season of The White Lotus delivered a plot richly infused with imagery, symbolism and the best use of music in an OTT series-yet. With incredibly ominous and absurd music, a fantastic storyline imbued with themes on the politics of desire, and sex, class aspiration, it all amounts to an enriching watch. In its second season, the show has managed to find its vehicles for storytelling in many other ways apart from its script and characters. The costume design, the cuts to the pieces of framed art on the wall, the shots of tumultuous waves hitting the sea, are all perfect vehicles that keep you intrigued and invite you to partake in its upscale posh madness, in a pleasurably suggestive way.

—Shania Mathew

Wednesday (series)–Netflix

The macabre Addams Family has carved a niche in pop culture. And—in what comes as a massive delight for die-hard fans like myself—the eccentric family is back to entertain with Netflix’s Wednesday. Rightly described as a ‘coming-of-age supernatural comedy’, the eight-part series tells the story of Wednesday (Jenna Ortega), forced to attend an elite boarding school for ‘outcasts’ after she almost kills a bully with piranhas. Each episode is a (good) punch to the gut, shot in classic Tim Burton style—from loud colours to vintage vibes—and packed full of mystery.

—Zoya Bhatti

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