The end of an era?

At least for now, I'm done writing monthly media wrap-ups here on Within This Hive, a blog I started in high school.

The last post I made was a recap of September. October went by, then November and the year ended without another one.

I touched on this last summer, but this type of post just hasn't been ~sparking joy~ anymore. Changing the format helped a little – and I'm proud of the more analysis-based posts I wrote – but it also mostly felt like added work.

I don’t think I’m done writing on here forever — I love talking about movies too much. But 2023 will not feature monthly recap posts for the first time since 2018. It’s honestly kind-of liberating.

To wrap up this chapter, here are some lists that sum up my 2022 in media. 

Best Movies I Watched in 2022:

Everything Everywhere All at Once

Bodies Bodies Bodies

Barbarian

The Clovehitch Killer

The Bob’s Burgers Movie 

Honorable Mention: The Strangers. I was right to be terrified of the trailer back in 2008.

Worst Movies I Watched in 2022: 

The Amityville Horror (2005)

Death on the Nile (2022)

Cabin Fever

Fractured 

The Turning

I decided "worst" and "most disappointing" needed to be separated. The movies listed above were just genuinely awful, but the movies listed below were bad and I was mad about it.

Most Disappointing Movies I Watched in 2022:

Men (this had potential, but then it was awful)

Don’t Worry Darling (Visuals? Spectacular. Plot? Not so much)

Thor: Love and Thunder (it seems my Marvel days are now fully behind me)

Smile (this was excruciating) 

My Best Friend’s Exorcism (sad the first Grady Hendrix adaptation was a drag)

HM: Old. This is an honorable mention because while it was, in fact, bad, my hopes weren’t high enough for it to be that disappointing?

I also decided "best" and "most entertaining" should be separated because some of the really enjoyable movies I watched last year still needed a moment to shine but weren't quite as spectacular as the ones already listed.

Most Entertaining Movies I Watched in 2022:

The Batman

John Wick series (the first is the strongest)

The Goonies

Top Gun: Maverick

Glass Onion (1,000 more pls)

HM: Scream 5. There was an element of this that I hated, but otherwise…it’s Scream. Of course I had fun.

Best Books I Read in 2022: 

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin

Chasing the Boogeyman - Richard Cizamar

I Kissed Shara Wheeler - Casey McQuiston

The Box in the Woods - Maureen Johnson

Little - Edward Carey

HM: The House Across the Lake - Riley Sager. Honorable because it wasn’t one of the best books I read this year, but it was the most surprising — which was especially nice because his last book was so unsatisfying.

I’m still tweeting about my first watches and keeping track of them here. And you can always find me on Letterboxd!