The Best Cinematography of 2022

20. “Emancipation”

For a significant portion of “Emancipation,” Robert Richardson’s photography is a stark, unforgiving black-and-white that strips the story of Will Smith’s runaway slave and his battle of wits with bounty hunter Ben Foster down to its primal essentials. The monochrome imagery makes it all the more striking when, at key dramatic points, Richardson brings in brief bursts of color to express the spirituality that runs underneath the film’s brutal surface. When the film reaches its final act, an extended sequence of Civil War combat that’s even more violent than what has come before, Richardson loosens his restraint over the palette to introduce the red blood that spills out of the characters and indelibly into the audience’s memories. Yet the most powerful moment in “Emancipation” is also its simplest and quietest, as Richardson recreates the historical still photograph that inspired the movie’s story; by replicating vintage techniques, he makes history come to life before our eyes. —Jim Hemphill

19. “Barbarian”

One of the many striking elements of writer-director Zach Cregger’s horror film “Barbarian” is its sense of place; the decaying Detroit neighborhood in which most of the movie is set creates as much eerie dread as the Bates Motel in “Psycho” or the icy research station in “The Thing.” What makes the specifically American location all the more impressive is the fact that it’s not a location at all but a set, and one that’s not even in the Western Hemisphere — working with a local art department, Cregger and director of photography Zach Kuperstein transformed an empty Bulgarian farm into an entire run-down subdivision. Kuperstein and Cregger worked from meticulously drawn storyboards to build a constantly mounting sense of dread in the visuals, designing multiple looks for the film ranging from a wide-angle, gliding sequence shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio to a creepy climax in which the cinematographer shot an exterior on a soundstage with an ingeniously conceived artifical horizon line. Where Kuperstein’s work really stands out, however, is in the terrifying underground sequences of “Barbarian,” in which he plunges the audience into darkness yet guides our eyes toward exactly what he wants us to see with a carefully orchestrated use of flashlights. —JH

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18. “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio”

Director Guillermo del Toro wanted to be daring with his stop-motion “Pinocchio” by following the puppets with the camera and lighting the way he would the actors in a live-action film. To achieve this, he found the right partner in acclaimed cinematographer Frank Passingham (“Kubo and the Two Strings”), who developed new techniques associated with live-action for lighting stop-motion, which he called “layered lighting.” This consisted of illuminating certain scenes in a hyperreal way for emotional impact, yet still within del Toro’s overall naturalistic style. Also, in keeping with another live-action convention, Passingham made sure that his light sources were visible within the frame. Passingham referenced legendary cinematographer Jack Cardiff, who was a master at shooting in Technicolor with directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger (“Black Narcissus”). The idea was to keep the light moving all the time. For example, during a church scene in flashback, Passingham casts Geppetto’s son, Carlo, in an angelic light as he glances up at a wooden statue of a crucified Christ. Because of the nature of stop-motion, this had to be done in layers, with separate frame exposures for key light, fill light, and moving light (in sync with the motion-control rig). This was then combined while preserving the contrast. As del Toro told IndieWire: “The fact that a craft like that exists in cinematography and has gone unrecognized for decades of work is to me staggering.” —Bill Desowitz

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17. “The Fabelmans”

Oscar winner Janusz Kamiński (“Saving Private Ryan,” “Schindler’s List”) has been Steven Spielberg’s go-to cinematographer for 30 years, but “The Fabelmans” offered a special opportunity to collaborate. Kaminski enjoyed revealing to the viewer the roots of what made Spielberg want to be a director, via his alter ego, Sammy Fabelman (Gabriel LaBelle). Shot on Kodak stock — in 35mm as well as 16mm and Super 8 — “The Fabelmans” became Spielberg’s ultimate expression of film’s analog glory, which Kamiński captured by getting warmer and brighter as the titular family journeys from New Jersey to Phoenix and then grows cooler and darker when they move to Northern California. The biggest treat, though, was shooting Sammy’s engaging amateur movies, progressing to his impressive teenage efforts in Phoenix (including a recreation of Spielberg’s acclaimed World War II actioner, “Escape to Nowhere”). Spielberg not only got to relive his youth — shooting an 8mm camera himself  — but also improve upon the handmade quality of his earliest work. This was the best way to demonstrate Sammy’s prodigious talent as a director. Also, to get usable film, Spielberg and Kamiński shot with both 8mm and 16mm cameras, with footage from the former used as a visual reference to guide the work of degrading footage from the latter to resemble 8mm quality film. —BD

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16. “Wildcat”

Nature cinematography is tricky for all sorts of reasons, and there’s a sheer logistical wonder to what directors Trevor Frost and Melissa Lesh are able to achieve in “Wildcat.” They were very much embedded in the Peruvian Amazon with conservationist Samantha Zwicker and British veteran Harry Turner as the two cared for young ocelot cubs rescued from poachers. Their cinematography (and Turner’s, who also carries a camera throughout much of the film), especially their night cinematography, led to some of the most exciting and intimate images of the natural world in years, an up-close and necessary counterpoint to the sheer scale of “Planet Earth.” But there’s also an incredible intimacy that the camera is able to build with Turner, where we see not just how much of a lifeline caring for a young wild ocelot is but how much of a frayed lifeline it is. Frost and Lesh are able to construct an incredibly thoughtful portrait of fragility and strength, and how cyclical both are, in nature and in us. —Sarah Shachat

15. “Halloween Ends”

The original “Halloween” was a landmark film in terms of low-budget cinematography, with director John Carpenter and director of photography Dean Cundey establishing a template that other suspense filmmakers would apply to their work for the next 40-plus years. In “Halloween Ends,” cinematographer Michael Simmonds absorbs Cundey’s lessons in manipulating point of view through lighting to generate unease but goes far beyond imitation. Simmonds finds horror not only in the figure of Michael Myers but in the entire decaying town of Haddonfield, where every shadow conceals a different potential source of malevolence. When Simmonds and director David Gordon Green do repeat shots from the original “Halloween” — as when a murder by new killer Corey Cunningham echoes that of Bob in the first film — it’s no mere homage, but a commentary on the infectious nature of the evil that is spreading throughout Haddonfield, and by extension, American culture at large. Simmonds’ chiaroscuro lighting throughout the film provides the perfect visual corollary to Corey’s troubled psyche, but his vivid use of saturated colors keeps the audience from sinking into the killer’s malaise. —JH

14. “Top Gun: Maverick”

With Tom Cruise’s amazing aerial work in the jet fighters of “Top Gun: Maverick,” the actor added another daredevil achievement to his list of movie stunts. But this time he had a secret weapon spearheaded by Oscar-winning cinematographer Claudio Miranda (“Life of Pi”): the innovative Sony Rialto Camera Extension System, which fit six 6k Venice cameras inside the cockpits. With the cameras separated from their sensor blocks, the camera crew were able to reach a new level of photographic realism and IMAX-level spectacle in their bomber mission movie. Inside the cockpits, the Rialto provided four cameras looking back at the actor from different angles and two looking forward.They did two runs a day — one in the morning and one in the afternoon — and were limited to 90 minutes in the air. Miranda had to figure out which were the best runs to keep them backlit as much as possible. Because of the tight fit, though, the cinematographer kept to spherical lenses. Then everything was revved up for the impossible bombing mission — a low-level attack on a uranium-refinement facility through a canyon defended by SAMS. —BD

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13. “Avatar: The Way of Water”

There is a question of what is actually cinematography in a film with so much digital and virtual creation, except that’s maybe the wrong way of looking at it. The number one filmmaking problem when aspects of the frame are not present live on set — and often finished months after production — is that there will not be consistency in the lighting design. Nothing takes us out of a story world like flawed lighting — our minds know how light falls, bounces, refracts, and instantly calls bullshit. In “The Way of Water,” cinematographer Russell Carpenter masterfully collaborates with all departments through the challenges of the camera literally flying through water, fire, sky, and the magic of Pandora in one of the most immersive and visceral world-building experiences committed to the the big screen. Beyond the elemental and virtual challenges, he does so under the microscope and demands of high frame cinematography, which acts like a microscope denying cameramen many of their normal tricks. What’s more though is how Carpenter and Cameron take a big step forward, especially in action and nighttime photography, playing into HFR strengths (and away from the weaknesses) of kinetic movement and peering into darkness. —Chris O’Falt

12. “All Quiet on the Western Front”

Edward Berger’s acclaimed “All Quiet on the Western Front” brings to mind a very different experience from Sam Mendes’ Oscar-winning “1917.” The sheer scope of the unrelenting artillery attacks and massive carnage in Germany’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar paint The Great War like an immersive horror film. Thanks to the brilliant work of cinematographer James Friend (“Willow” and “Star Wars: The Acolyte”), we’re right beside Paul (Felix Kammerer) in the harrowing days leading to the Armistice of Compiègne. The key was shooting large format with an array of cameras for different purposes. The Alexa 65 was the primary camera on the battlefield following the action; the Alexa Mini LF snaked its way through the long and narrow trenches; the Sony Venice captured nighttime shots with flares; and the RED was the kamikaze camera for FX explosions that were comp’d into the background in post.The film opens with a bravura attack, as the Alexa Mini LF moves through the muddy trench on a Steadicam; then the Technocrane lifts up and over, and the hectic German advance is now captured by the Alexa 65, with random bodies falling all around as a result of the French assault. Later, when Paul runs for his life, the Alexa 65 follows his fall into a mud crater, which symbolizes his lowest point and the total futility of the German cause. What’s noteworthy about Friend’s work is the seamless transition from one large format camera to another. —BD

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11. “Everything Everywhere All at Once”

“Everything Everywhere All at Once” is, necessarily, a lot. It needs to convey everything from the mind-numbing boredom of an IRS office building to the aching elegance of the ultimate romantic universe (which, naturally, lives inside the cinema of Wong Kar Wai), and cinematographer Larkin Seiple is up for all of it. But Seiple handles an even tougher, more invisible job than the visual range of universes that the film asks Michelle Yeoh to jump through. He and Daniels need to visually make the transition moments clear not just physically but emotionally — what it means for Evelyn Wang to take on the version of herself that knows kung-fu. It’s here that Seiple’s framing choices and speed-ramping work right alongside Yeoh to convey Evelyn’s thought process and remarkable empathy, even in the middle of intricately choreographed fight sequences. And the fight sequences are great, too, kinetic and involving and pleasingly rhythmic. Seiple’s camera in “Everything Everywhere All at Once” treats all the film’s absurd flourishes with an emotional seriousness and often a sly beauty, even when the film is leaning into the most ridiculous bits of action-comedy. —SS

10. “The Wonder”

There’s a theatrical quality to “The Wonder” that is deliberate, given the way the film opens and closes by drawing the viewer’s attention to the artifice of the endeavor. This makes it all the more impressive that cinematographer Ari Wegner crafts such an immersive world for the film and avoids any sepia-tinged or flame-drenched cliches about 19th-century Ireland. The colors Wegner draws out of the landscape and houses makes the viewer feel how cold and empty space there is, and how the wind must bite with Catholic guilt. The meat (or perhaps the cabbage) of the film, though, is in the relationship between the nurse (Florence Pugh) who comes to observe a young girl (Kíla Lord Cassidy) who may or may not be sustaining herself solely on manna from heaven; and it’s here that Wegner is able, through composition and the balance she crafts between the two leads, to give the film a very positive theatrical charge. There’s a sense of how aware everyone is that they are being watched, and they find hidden wells of love for each other anyway. —SS

9. “EO”

From its very first frame, “EO” announces that it isn’t going to offer the most straightforward perspective on the tale of its titular Polish circus donkey, but it is going to offer a captivating, deeply experiential one. There’s a level of alienation and disjointedness in the cinematography that makes the bipeds in this movie baffling and erratic, but makes the world of the film that much more beautiful. In his play with movement and color, with shadows and geometry, cinematographer Michal Dymek finds a visual language to articulate the fear and feeling of a character that has to move through the world without the ability to speak any dialogue. Some of that language comes out of consideration of small details, the kind of moments of stillness combining the man-made and the natural that wouldn’t be out of place in a Miyazaki movie; but some of it is through absolutely bonkers compositions that transform the world of the film into a bewildering kaleidoscope of textures and colors. “EO” is truly lets us see our world in a different and unforgettable way, one that is equally brutal and beautiful. —SS

8. “The Batman”

Matt Reeves and cinematographer Greig Fraser’s Gotham is not some slick, high contrast noir that wins accolades for its stylistic look. Instead, it’s a rain-soaked, bleak world, with pools (sometimes unmotivated) of light encompassed by an overwhelming sense of darkness that pervades all — our eyes always just barely able to peer into some dark alley or behind some scrap heap. Fraser’s camera perfectly embodies Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson’s take on a younger Batman. Compulsive and far-from-invulnerable, Fraser and his team designed rigs that brings a not-quite-in-control sense of danger that captures a Lucius Fox-less Batman, who doesn’t quite yet have a grasp on his resources at his disposal, but is fueled by 120-percent of the rage inside. —CO

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7. “Elvis”

Every cinematic element of “Elvis” goes so hard that it sweats, and none more than Mandy Walker’s camera. The cinematography in Baz Luhrmann films kinda always has wings and more energy than even it knows what to do with, but the camera is a perfect mirror of Austin Butler’s Elvis Presley here. The camera moves and swings and swirls in order to work the image into the same ecstasy of performance that Elvis does, and once he’s worked himself up, Walker somehow finds another, even more powerful gear. The film is experimentally true to the feelings that Presley was able to inspire and that made him such a phenomenon. It’s also visually quite accurate to the iconic images of the King, and for as carefully choreographed as the more bonkers bits of the film are, its evolving look is equally faithful to the times, as Walker worked with Panavision to create custom lenses that would emulate what we all know Presley looked like. The true beauty of the film, though, is all the ways that Luhrmann and Walker are able to show us what he might’ve felt like on stage, and why he’d chase that impossible feeling throughout his life. —SS

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6. “Decision to Leave”

There’s probably not a more gorgeous looking film out there this year than “Decision To Leave,” and it kind of feels like it has to be in order for Park Chan-wook’s twisted murder mystery and exploration of romance to work. Cinematographer Kim Ji-yong’s work always has a sharp compositional precision that bleeds psychological information like the image’s been stabbed. But the visual world of “Decision To Leave,” impossibly, feels even tighter, with color and reflective surfaces and tiny bursts of light becoming huge emotional signals of feeling that is both surging and yet never fully expressed. Kim and Park have an uncanny skill to build out seemingly boring visual spaces, like an office or an interrogation room or the outside of a temple, and somehow suck the viewer into their atmosphere. Some of Kim’s framing and lighting choices in the film are thrillingly bold, leaving everything besides the two protagonists in the darkness outside of a headlamp or almost losing Detective Hae-jun (Park Hae-il) in the push of a high tide, but they’re never wild. They’re always exactly right.  

5. “All That Breathes”

It took director Shaunak Sen a year of filming Nadeem and Saud — two brothers who had dedicated their lives to rescuing the black kite birds of New Delhi — to discover the visual language of his film, the way the contemplative camera would mirror the brothers’ outlook and capture the simultaneity of life between not only the kite birds and humans, but all the animals of the city’s toxic ecosystem. Yet knowing how the documentary should be shot was simply the blueprint. To execute it, Sen turned to one of the most fascinating cinematographers working today: German DoP Ben Bernhard, whose work with director Viktor Kossakovsky in filming the ocean (“Aquarela”) and animals (“Gunda”) has helped create and expand a new a grammar for nonfiction film, and the results of his collaboration with Sen in India are some of the most striking, poetic, and thought provoking images of 2022. —CO

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4. “Blonde”

For all of the controversial choices director Andrew Dominik made in his Marilyn Monroe biopic, one unconventional choice that received well-deserved universal acclaim was hiring up-and-coming cinematographer Chayse Irvin. The visually oriented director, who had worked with established legends Roger Deakins and Greig Fraser on his last two scripted projects, smartly chose the DP best-known for his groundbreaking image-making with Kahlil Joseph on music video projects like “Lemonade.” Irvin demonstrates incredible chops in handling the recreation of iconic pop culture moments in “Blonde,” but it was the way these striking, sculpted reproductions juxtaposed with the raw, more freeform moments that unfold like hallucinations, that gives the film its visual juice. As IndieWire’s Jim Hemphill aptly wrote, Irvin created, “an eerie sense of cinematic déjà vu, and the accuracy of the recreations intersects with the film’s more nightmarish expressionism to yield truly unique effects.” —CO

Click here to read more from IndieWire’s interview with Irvin

3. “Bardo”

Alejandro González Iñárritu’s collaborations with cinematographer Emmanuel “Chivo” Lubezki are correctly revered among cinematography buffs, but when Lubezki was booked on another project, the director was forced to look for a new partner. In working with Darius Khondji for the first time, Iñárritu discovered another creative soulmate, and the result of their partnership is one of the most fascinating riffs on directorial autobiography since “8 1/2.” Although Iñárritu has been quick to point out that the main character in “Bardo” is not him, he has admitted that the film grows out of his memories, emotions, and subconscious — and it was Khondji’s job to translate these feelings into concrete technical terms. By shooting large format with extreme wide-angle lenses, Khondji sucks the viewer into the main character’s headspace and provides a wealth of contextual detail; the way that Mexico’s past intersects with and weighs on the protagonist’s present is felt in every deep-focus frame, making “Bardo” a film of both epic sweep and profound intimacy. — JH

2. “Babylon”

Damien Chazelle’s pop epic of Hollywood excess is as bold as movies get, and in his regular collaborator Linus Sandgren, Chazelle found the boldest possible cinematographer. Adopting a “more is more” philosophy, Sandgren reaches for extremes with as much audacity and passion as Margot Robbie’s crazed silent movie star — in every scene he ratchets the style up to 11, blasting his characters with light in the exteriors and drenching them in horrifying darkness for sequences like an all-time great set piece late in the film featuring a truly disturbing Tobey Maguire. The presentation of that Maguire character speaks to one of Sandgren’s great achievements here, which is his charting of the characters’ fortunes through light — when the charming but doomed denizens of “Babylon” are riding high, the soft light envelops them like babies, providing a glow so inviting it makes the film feel like it was shot in 3D. When things start to go wrong though, so does the light, growing harsher and more unforgiving until it ceases to exist altogether in the film’s later scenes. Shooting on film, Sandgren pays tribute to Hollywood’s glamorous history and shatters it, just before he and Chazelle put it all back together again in a glorious climax. —JH

1. “Nope”

With “Nope,” Jordan Peele made his version of a big budget UFO blockbuster from the Black perspective — in IMAX, no less. It’s basically a cautionary horror film about our addiction to spectacle, while delivering all of the cinematic goods we expect from the type of alluring object it’s warning us about. It’s no surprise that Peele chose Hoyte van Hoytema as his cinematographer; van Hoytema is the master of large format and shooting on film, thanks to his innovative collaboration with Christopher Nolan (“Interstellar,” “Dunkirk,” “Tenet,” and the upcoming “Oppenheimer”). Naturally, van Hoytema was in an experimental mood with “Nope.” He shot with large format IMAX cameras for the immersive action along with Panavision System 65 cameras for the rest (with Kodak supplying 65mm film for both). He took the bulky camera on his shoulder and on helicopters to achieve a unique sense of grandeur and mounting terror. Each attack was patterned after a different genre: sci-fi, horror, disaster film, and Western. However, van Hoytema’s greatest innovation was devising a technique for shooting large format day-for-night for more realistic nighttime vision for long distance. This consisted of shooting each sequence on an Arri Alexa 65 customized to shoot infrared pointing vertically in perfect alignment with a Panavision System 65 camera, which was on a horizontal axis. The footage was then blended in perfect synchronization. “The way Jordan needed to see the nights, called for unconventional solutions,” van Hoytema told IndieWire. —BD

Click here to read the rest of IndieWire’s interview with van Hoytema