Many things can change in a year, but one thing hasn’t: Dudes still rock. Last year, we examined a canon of cinema’s most rad bromances throughout the ages, identifying some of the best critical depictions of male friendship to ever hit the silver screen. So like any good Hollywood project, we’re back for a sequel—only this time, we’re looking at the best Dudes Rock movies of 2022.
A refresher on the concept and its qualifiers: “dudes rock” started as a semi-ironic way of embracing harmless male behavior and friendship. This year’s entries, however, are notable in the ways they address or subvert the traditional ethos. The nine titles below offer bold new ideas or fresh new elements to the genre, so grab a cold one and settle in with your favorite bro to celebrate the best of dudes rocking.
Top Gun: Maverick
Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick, 2022. Everett Collection / Courtesy of Paramount
While Top Gun: Maverick may skew closer to dadcore, it’s still a critical entry in the Dudes Rock canon. The flight-school portions of the film strike a balance between sincere camaderie and deep competition, pushing the machismo into the stratosphere. But Tom Cruise’s exploration of Navy Captain Pete “Maverick” Mitchell’s male friendships—whether with the terminally ill Iceman (Val Kilmer), Hondo (Bashir Salahuddin), or Rooster (Miles Teller)—define the personal and emotional stakes of the film. The “will they or won’t they” of Maverick comes from Rooster and Maverick’s fractured relationship, as Maverick attempts to be a father figure to Rooster and atone for his guilt over robbing Rooster of knowing his real dad. An airborne movie this entertaining doesn’t need to worry too much about staying grounded, but that rich relationship keeps Maverick rooted in reality.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Collin Farrell and Barry Keoghan in The Banshees of Inisherin, 2022. Everett Collection / Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
William Goodman
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