Top 10 Most Diverse Films of 2022
Graded on Gender, Race, LGBTQ, Disability, and more
Written by Li Lai
Other Top 10 Most Diverse Films: 2023 / 2022 / 2020 / 2019 / 2018 / 2017
2022 has just about wrapped, so we’re taking a moment to celebrate the year’s most inclusive films. For folks new to our publication, a quick rundown: We score movies based on metrics for gender parity and racial diversity, taking into account the representation of LGBTQ, adults over 60, disabilities, religions, and body diversity. (See our full methodology here.)
Our top picks are by no means exhaustive, and if we had all the bandwidth in the world, this list would look a bit different. We didn’t review some great films like Nope, Turning Red, and Fire Island, but they champion fresh voices and we applaud them all the same.
Now, without further ado, here are Mediaversity’s Top 10 Most Diverse Films of the year!
10. Triangle of Sadness
Breakout Filipina star Dolly de Leon steals the show in Triangle of Sadness, Ruben Östlund’s Palme d’Or-winning takedown of the ultra-rich.
Mediaversity Grade: B
Triangle of Sadness is currently rentable on streaming platforms.
9. After Yang
Korean American director Kogonada follows up his indie darling, Columbus (2017), with another aesthetic confection that examines identity through sci-fi metaphor.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
After Yang is currently available on Paramount+ and Showtime, and rentable on streaming platforms.
8. The Eternal Daughter
Women over 60 seldom get complex roles to play, but Tilda Swinton continues to do just that. Paired up with British director Joanna Hogg, The Eternal Daughter examines grief through a complicated mother-daughter relationship.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
The Eternal Daughter is currently rentable on streaming platforms.
7. Easter Sunday
Actor-comedian Jo Koy’s Easter Sunday, directed by Tamil American Jay Chandrasekhar, raucously celebrates Filipino American culture in this family dramedy.
Mediaversity Grade: B+
Easter Sunday is currently rentable on streaming platforms.
6. Prey
The fifth entry to the Predator series, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey boasts a predominantly Native cast, including lead hero Amber Midthunder, who is a member of the Fort Peck Sioux tribe. Prey also breaks ground as the first ever film to get a full Comanche language dub.
Mediaversity Grade: A-
Prey is currently available on Hulu.
5. Wildhood
Another standout Indigenous story is Wildhood, directed by Bretten Hannam who is Two-Spirit and L’nu. The coming-of-age tale follows a Mi’kmaw teen as he comes to terms with his Indigenous and sexual identities.
Mediaversity Grade: A
Wildhood is currently available on Hulu.
4. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Marvel’s 2018 hit, Black Panther, finds a formidable sequel in Wakanda Forever. Ryan Coogler’s latest blockbuster showcases Mesoamerican characters played by Latino and Indigenous actors, including Tenoch Huerta Mejía, a Mexican actor and activist who uses his platform to call out colorism in media.
Mediaversity Grade: A-
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is currently in theaters.
3. Decision to Leave
Park Chan-wook, known for audacious films like Oldboy (2003) and The Handmaiden (2016), picked up the “Best Director” award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival for Decision to Leave. The twisty crime thriller upends the femme fatale trope with Tang Wei’s multilayered performance of a Chinese Korean immigrant under suspicion for murder.
Mediaversity Grade: A
Decision to Leave is currently available on Mubi and rentable on streaming platforms.
2. The Woman King
Period films about war have a huge presence in Hollywood cinema, but how many are set in Africa and center Black women? In this vein, Gina Prince-Bythewood delivers The Woman King, featuring star power from Viola Davis as the powerful, yet vulnerable, General Nanisca.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
The Woman King is currently rentable on streaming platforms.
1. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Everything Everywhere All At Once by Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert crashed into cinemas this March and immediately defied expectations. The absurdist, genre-bending action drama stars 60-year-old Michelle Yeoh in a media landscape where the last two years saw literally no women of color over age 45 in a single leading role. Immigrant themes, queer characters, and a rebuttal of toxic masculinity through Ke Huy Quan’s character all go a long way into making this film an inclusive rockstar.
Mediaversity Grade: A+
Everything Everywhere All At Once is currently available on Hulu, Showtime, and rentable on streaming platforms.
Mediaversity Reviews grades TV & films on gender, race, LGBTQ, disability, and more. Follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, and Facebook to join the conversation!
