Hello friends! My name is Mandy and I’m the Senior Community Manager for Entertainment on Fandom’s Community Experience Team. I lead a team of fantastic Wiki Reps who you may know and love - Chris, Kylara, Lostris, and Miller (who just joined this year!) - to help provide top Movies, TV, Books, Music, and Lifestyle communities with the best possible experiences and support on our platform.
Reflecting back on 2022, it has overall been a really exciting year here at Fandom. I got to work on so many incredible things that I’m proud of, like our first full calendar year of DEI programming, which has been so well-received thanks to all of you. There were plenty of great campaigns throughout the year, but the Women’s History Month video in particular was a personal highlight for me. Seeing the women of Fandom unite their voices to #BreakTheBias was truly so powerful, and I feel really grateful for getting the opportunity to lead that project. I also had the pleasure of working with an amazing group of admins to launch the LGBTQIA+ Wiki as a safe and educational space for queer folks to discover themselves and find belonging.
Additionally, I got to attend my first ever IRL Connect event. Getting the chance to meet all of you and share some of my story on stage was such a surreal experience that I will treasure forever. As the Community partner for many Product initiatives, I’m happy that we were able to deliver on our announcements at Connect and release some highly-requested features like Interactive Maps, mobile theming (with increased accessibility!), and mobile editing improvements, with more exciting things like Discussions moderation tools and mobile CSS on the horizon.
Oh and I drew a really cool Map for our Halloween project this year, which was so much fun! Where my fellow Myers fans at??
My top entertainment of 2022[]
There were SO MANY amazing releases in 2022, so of course I can't include all of my favorites, but here is my feeble attempt at trying to narrow that list down. Much of my recommendations are (shocker) horror themed, but there’s still some options in here for those who don’t religiously consume scary things as much as I do.
Games[]
I love playing games, but I don't consider myself a massive gamer, due to my extremely picky taste, so you won't find the expected AAA titles like Elden Ring on this list.
This was the best game of 2022, in my opinion. It's an interactive horror game where every choice you make shapes the story. The characters are really compelling, and there's so many different paths you can take to alter their fate.
Technically this game came out in 2020, but it was just released on PC a few months ago, so I gave it a try and instantly fell in love. The levels are the perfect balance of fun yet challenging, especially the music levels, where the gameplay is synced to popular tracks.
This was only a DLC, both in name and content type, but it really gave new life to a 5 year old game. I was waiting in anticipation for this release all through the pandemic, and it definitely delivered. The hand drawn animation is truly top notch, and the new bosses up the ante when it comes to difficulty.
It's the adorably sinister aesthetic for me. You play as a cute possessed lamb who gets to lead and grow your own cult filled with a bunch of even cuter animals, while also killing off the non-believers in a quest to achieve world domination. Doesn't get much better than that.
Movies[]
Barbarian is one of my all time favorite horror films, telling the story of a woman who arrives at her AirBnB only to discover another man is already staying there. If you think you know where this is going, that's when the movie takes all expectations and flips them on its head. Nothing is as you expect it to be, and that's all I will say.
I am a very casual fan when it comes to Marvel properties, but I am absolutely obsessed with Doctor Strange. The first movie was incredible, but the sequel doubled down on everything I love about Strange. Plus the lowkey horror elements and Evil Dead nods thrown in there by Sam Raimi made it a home run for me.
Scream provided a fresh and exciting jumpstart to the older movies, with a slew of new chaotic characters and the return of old iconic ones. It's exactly what you would expect from a great Scream movie - lots of blood, lots of laughs, and plenty of social commentary - and it succeeds even without the involvement of the late and great Wes Craven.
Anything Jordan Peele touches is gold, and this movie is no exception. The stop-motion animation is absolutely stunning; the story and characters are captivating; and the soundtrack is the cherry on top. If you are a fan of movies like Nightmare Before Christmas and Coraline, you will love this movie, guaranteed.
X was the perfect homage to classic 70s slasher films, which gave it a pleasantly nostalgic feel. Mia Goth is truly the shining star here and plays the roles of both Maxine and Pearl so effortlessly. She somehow managed to make me feel insanely uncomfortable in a way I have not felt from horror in a very long time. Major props.
Someone actually recommended this to me at Connect, and it quickly become one of my favorite movies ever. It's impossible to summarize it in any way other than a strange, funny, emotional, thought-provoking, action-packed roller coaster ride that I never wanted to get off. Just watch.
TV series[]
The amount of shows I watch is seriously unhealthy, but here are just a handful I'd love to share with you all:
By far my favorite show this year. As a big Lord of the Rings fan, I went into it with some hesitation, but it blew every expectation out of the water. The scenery, the costumes, the characters, the diversity, the twists - it was all just too incredible. I cried multiple times.
This is hands down the dumbest show I have ever seen, written in the most clever and brilliant way. I don't want to give any details, because I think it's so much better when you go in blind. But if you like mystery shows, this one will take you on a wild ride.
The Mole is a Netflix reboot of a 2000s reality show of the same name, where players compete to win money, while trying to uncover the saboteur who lives among them. The mole isn't revealed to the audience until the end, so you get to play along with the contestants, and it'll certainly have you guessing at every turn.
This limited series was unlike anything I had ever seen before. It follows the crazy lives of two identical twins and the aftermath of one of them disappearing. You think you know the direction the show is going in, but then the twists and turns just keep coming.
Only Murders is the perfect blend of comedy and mystery, with a stellar cast to back it up. Although the killer can be predictable if you pay close attention to the clues, the journey to get there is always guaranteed to be a hilariously messy time with plenty of uncovered secrets.
I am first and foremost an Ewan McGregor stan, so I was incredibly excited for the return of such a beloved actor and character. I won't spoil anything, but the series beautifully captures a greater depth of the heroes we already know and love, and even manages to build tension when the outcomes are already known.
(The Final Episodes)
This show has made me laugh so hard through some difficult times, so it was bittersweet to finally say goodbye. The ending was the perfect sendoff of two iconic characters who embodied the importance of love and friendship. I highly recommend this series to anyone who hasn't watched.
Ru gave us 2 new US seasons this year - Season 14 and All Stars 7 - both of which are some of my favorite seasons of all time. Stan Willow Pill and Kornbread. That is all. Shoutout to my girlies over on the Drag Race Wiki for keeping everything running silky (ganache) smooth over there.
Releases I'm looking forward to in 2023[]
Since I loved Scream 2022 so much, I'm really hype for the next installment in the franchise. This time it'll take place in New York City, which is extra fun for me because it hits so close to home.
I've been obsessed with TLM since I was a kid, and it fills my heart with so much joy to see Ariel being re-imagined as a Black princess, which is so important for representation. Plus Lin-Manuel Miranda is contributing to the soundtrack and he literally does not miss.
There’s a large majority of people who vehemently believe the Saw franchise should’ve stopped after the first 3 movies, and then there’s me. I will continue to be excited about every new release, especially with Tobin Bell making his return as Jigsaw for this film.
Created by the filmmaker behind SAW, M3GAN is an AI doll ready to stir up some drama, chaos, and maybe even murder. She’s a gay icon and no one can tell me otherwise.
Honorable mentions (it's hard to even consider them that) include: The Mandalorian Season 3, Evil Dead Rise, You Season 4, Barbie, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie, mostly out of sheer curiosity.
What I look forward to doing for the community in 2023[]
With Fandom Stars at the NYC Party
I’ve always said that my ultimate goal as a CM is to give back and bring joy to a global community that truly gave me a place of belonging and happiness. I am so immensely passionate about the people, communities, and content on our platform, and I look forward to continuing my journey of supporting you all in 2023!
I have a lot of big plans coming up, and I want to at least leave a liitttle bit of mystery around what those are, but I’m really excited to start up some new entertainment programming (especially giving some shine to under-served topics that aren’t traditionally viewed as being part of “nerd culture” - like music, horror, books, and reality TV). And with that comes more opportunities to highlight the amazing people who make Fandom as great as it is - ALL OF YOU! Our DEI initiatives will also be in full force next year, so get ready! I’m looking forward to sharing those with you all and seeing how you get your own communities involved.
I want to say thank you to everyone who has participated, listened, and learned from all of our various initiatives this year. Your hard work and dedication to this platform really does inspire us all. Everything that we do is for you and because of you, and I can’t wait to continue growing together and uplifting each other as a community next year.
I hope you all live your best lives over the holidays, and cheers to the wonderful things the new year will bring!
Click here to follow the Fandom staff blog.
Click here to sign up for the From the Desk of Community email newsletter.
Join our Official Discord server for registered editors!