African American Film Critics Association Names ‘The Woman King’ as Best Film of 2022

The Black Film Critics Association has released its list of the best movies of 2022, topped by the king woman.

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s film stars Viola Davis and tells the story of the all-female army of fierce Agojie warriors. The film also stars John Boyega, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim and thuso Mbedu.

Black Panther’s sequel Wakanda Forever was ranked #2; followed by Chinonye Chuku’s Till, on how Mamie Till-Mobley turned her grief over the lynching of her 14-year-old son into activism; and the documentary Sidney Poitier Sidney.

Two films tied for fifth best film of the year: Antoine Fuqua’s Emancipation, starring Will Smith, and the Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion.

The second half of the list is, in order, Inspection, Driveway, Everything Everywhere, Everything at Once, Wendell & Wild, and Devotion.

“This year’s best movies demonstrate that diverse stories, true and fantastic, are not only important to culture, but equally important to the business of movie-making,” said AAFCA President and Co-Founder, Gil Robertson, in a statement. “The noir movies that have an impact on our minds and hearts are also having a considerable impact at the box office. Our flagship film, ‘The Woman King’, bridges the gap between telling heartfelt, important stories and providing an entertaining experience for the moviegoing public. These true stories of black empowerment and achievement, like ‘Emancipation,’ ‘Devotion,’ and ‘Sidney,’ as well as fantastical tales like ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ and ‘Wendell & Wild,’ invite us to experience underrated pieces. of history together with our own imaginations. “AAFCA is proud to honor these masterpieces, along with the rest of AAFCA’s Top 10 Films of 2022, and recognizes their indelible impact on our industry and culture.”

The AAFCA will reveal the winners of its competitive awards, which honor film achievement in 15 categories, on January 16, 2023. There will be an in-person celebration of this year’s winners on March 1 in Los Angeles.