The single-biggest Netflix Original film ever made, The Gray Man, recently dropped onto the streaming service and while the film has proven quite popular based on streaming numbers, it has unfortunately received less-than-favorable reviews from audiences and critics.
However, this poor reception isn't the case with every Netflix original movie from 2022 - it's quite the opposite in fact. There have already been several films from Netflix this year that have made quite an impact on the audiences if the reviews and ratings on the popular social-film app, Letterboxd, are anything to go by.
These Letterboxd ratings and rankings were accurate to the time of publication.
Cobalt Blue (3/5)
Originally slated to be a 2021 release, the Hindi-language film, Cobalt Blue, was delayed to 2022. An adaptation of the 2013 novel of the same name by Sachin Kundalkar, it tells the tale of the drama within a traditional Marathi family when a brother and sister fall in love with the same man living in their house.
While the film only scored a 44% with audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd users were much more impressed, giving the film an exact average of 3.0, with many users citing how especially beautiful the film's cinematography was.
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations (3/5)
Originally intended for theaters, the South Korean action spy film transitioned over to streaming with Netflix due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (koreantimes.com).
Starring Sol Kyung-gu as the titular "Yaksha" and Squid Game star Park Hae-soo (who notably played one of Squid Game's smartest characters in Cho Sang-woo), Yakshaa: Ruthless Operations became a popular film, receiving positive reviews from both critics and fans, as well becoming the most-streamed film in Asia during the month of April. On Letterboxd, many users praised the film's wonderful mixture of impressive action and effective comedy.
Love Like The Falling Petals (3.1/5)
Directed by prolific director Yoshihiro Fukagawa, Love Like the Falling Petals is a Japanese film based on the 2017 novel of the same name (by Keisuke Uyama). The plot follows a young photographer who becomes inspired to pursue his dreams after falling in love with his hairdresser, though tragedy strikes when the hairdresser is diagnosed with a disease that causes her to rapidly age.
Although critics were not fond of the romance film, Letterboxd users enjoyed it enough to give it a solid 3.1 average, with fans noting that the emotional beats certainly worked for them and left them crying like the characters at several points.
The Adam Project (3.1/5)
While director Shawn Levy's first collaboration with Ryan Reynolds, Free Guy, delighted theaters, their next collaboration together decided to embrace the streaming model, landing on Netflix in February.
Filled with an array of likable characters, The Adam Project tells of the chaotic mission to save the future shared between time-traveling pilot, Adam Reed and his 12-year-old self after he returns to the year 2022. The film was a massive success and put Reynolds' young counterpart, Walker Scobell, on the map (who has now been cast to play Percy Jackson in the upcoming Percy Jackson and the Olympians Disney+ series). Most Letterboxd users agree that a viewer's perception of the film rides entirely on their feelings about Ryan Reynolds, with many fond enough of the actor to rate it into the top 10.
Silverton Siege (3.1/5)
Silverton Siege is a South African film directed by Mandla Dube, which tells the story of three freedom fighters caught up in a bank-hostage situation after a failed-sabotage mission. Based on real events surrounding the siege of Silverton, Pretoria in 1980, the movie was released on April 27, 2022, on Netflix to coincide with Freedom Day in South Africa.
While the movie received less than stellar reviews from critics, with The Guardian stating that it fell "disappointingly short" due to "Dube taking as few risks as possible," not everyone on Letterboxd agreed with their consensus. According to several users, numerous people agreed that they found some redeeming elements in the cinematography, the emotional narrative, and the social commentary.
Love And Leashes (3.2/5)
Based on the Japanese webcomic Moral Sense, Love and Leashes is a romantic comedy film centering on the contractual BDSM relationship between coworkers Jung Ji-hoo and Jung Ji-woo.
The very steamy K-drama received positive reviews, scoring over 80% from both fans and critics on Rotten Tomatoes, with many praising the "relatively sweet and well-meaning workplace romance" and the "titilating, amusing [and] entertaining" script.
This also seemed to be the sentiment shared by those who reviewed it on Letterboxd, with many giving it an average 3.2.
Rescued by Ruby (3.2/5)
Rescued by Ruby stars The Flash actor Grant Gustin, as he portrays a state trooper named Daniel O'Neal, who finally gets his chance to join an elite K-9 unit after befriending the titular Ruby, a shelter dog.
The dog film, based on a true story, was well-liked by audiences for its heartwarming nature and brought attention to the hero dog Ruby. Although some Letterboxd users believed that it was predictable in parts, they too, also agreed that it was a tale full of heart and a movie to remember.
The Sea Beast (3.6/5)
Directed by prolific Disney animation contributor Chris Williams, The Sea Beast released very recently as the eighth-ever Netflix Animation Original feature film. Its story follows the adventure of a legendary sea monster hunter and the little girl who has snuck aboard his ship.
Much like Williams's previous directorial works, including Oscar-winner Big Hero 6, The Sea Beast has received rave reviews with many praising its beautiful animation and lovely story.
Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood (3.6/5)
Legendary director Richard Linklater returned to the animation medium with Apollo 10 1⁄2: A Space Age Childhood, which loosely tells the story of Linklater's own childhood around the time of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
The film about a 10-year-old's fantastical voyage to the moon featured a stacked cast that included Jack Black and Zachary Levi, and became loved by audiences, with many viewers believing it to be one of the best Netflix Original animated movies for its captivating and beautiful portrayal of childhood nostalgia.
Hustle (3.6/5)
Whenever Adam Sandler steps into more dramatic roles, the results seem to almost always be phenomenal. That was no different with Hustle, where Sandler portrays a struggling basketball scout who discovers a player with incredible potential in Spain (played by real-life basketball Juancho Hernangómez in his acting debut) and brings him over to the United States for the impending NBA Draft as last chance at glory and success for the both of them. The film received wide acclaim, especially for Sandler, with his portrayal of Stanley Sugerman now considered one of his best roles.