10 Anticipated Films of 2022
Written by Andreas Babiolakis
2021 is done.
We’ve kind of been through this song-and-dance for a little while because of the pandemic, but one year is down and another is here. I was maybe a little more optimistic last year when I anticipated that we would be playing a colossal game of catchup with all of the great films coming our way. I was a little wrong, but also pleasantly surprised by a number of exemplary works that did get released. Some of my anticipated films wound up being a couple of these standout works, so at least there is that. I won’t be bringing up any films that have been mentioned before on previous lists of a similar nature, so, yes, I am extremely excited for The Northman, which I brought up on last year’s writeup.
Before continuing, like last year, I will briefly remark that this is the three-year anniversary of Films Fatale even existing (technically it was on the first of January, but this is the most recent article since that date). I want to thank every reader on behalf of the entire Films Fatale team: a small but growing troupe of cinephiles just like yourself. We have many major plans coming your way in 2022, so here is to a better year.
Without much more blathering on, here are ten of my most anticipated films of 2022, in alphabetical order.
A Hero
I can’t say no to any Asghar Farhadi film because the director is a genius of his craft. A Hero has been making its festival rounds and has already garnered some strong praise, and so it is no surprise that it will be one of the releases that will happen earlier in the year. Nonetheless, I am still extremely excited to see another anxious drama from the Iranian great, particularly this story that promises backstabbing and deception.
Blonde
I’ve wanted Andrew Dominik to succeed ever since The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford; I’ve learned that I don’t always love what he makes, but I respect his creativity. Blonde is a Marilyn Monroe biopic starring Ana de Armas, so that already promises something a little more conventional, but I have faith that Dominik can deliver something fresh and at least different, especially with such a typical topic. It could be the kind of take that Monroe’s legacy deserves: a keen eye and the inspiration she deserves.
Don’t Worry Darling
I really liked Booksmart when it came out, and I still think quite highly of it, especially for a high school silly comedy; it showcased Olivia Wilde’s eye as a director, particularly in how well shot and imaginative this film — of which could have easily been a juvenile waste of time — wound up (I still am bowled over by the long shot at the start of the third act). I’d like to see how creative she gets with her upcoming thriller Don’t Worry Darling, especially since she’s working with some notable names like Gemma Chan and Florence Pugh, as well as her partner Harry Styles (who shined in Dunkirk, and I frankly have wanted to see him do more ever since).
Everything Everywhere All at Once
One of A24’s upcoming works is the Michelle Yeoh starring Everything Everywhere All at Once, and it looks bonkers. The concept of parallel dimensions is quite current, particularly in the Marvel series (more on that soon), but it will be interesting to see an arthouse angle on the subject, especially when concerning the concepts of life, society, immigration, and other things we only experience once and in individual ways. Luckily, we have to only wait until March to find out how this is going to look.
Hot Spot
Agnieszka Smoczyńska has held quite an identity within the arthouse circuits, but things can change after her upcoming film Hot Spot drops. Having been in production since 2020, Hot Spot unfurls the discoveries of the goings-on after a murder takes place at a refugee camp. Considering that Polish cinema has been on the map the last few years (especially with the run of films released by Paweł Pawlikowski), this could be Smoczyńska’s time to break through and shine (maybe even in the International section at the Academy Awards).
The Killer
I mean, it’s a new David Fincher film. And it’s a crime film. And it stars Michael Fassbender and Tilda Swinton. What more do you need? Not much is known about The Killer, but it sounds damn good just based on these fundamentals alone, and we know that Fincher has a hot streak when it comes to releasing harrowing films of this nature. Expect something cold, vicious, and exciting.
Nope
Jordan Peele is back with his latest psychological horror Nope. After he teased the poster for his latest feature (which stars Steven Yeun, Keke Palmer, and former collaborator Daniel Kaluuya), the hype train began. Do we know much about it? Nope (pun intended). We can only gather that it will be a social commentary with Twilight Zone twists and disturbing garnishes. As long as he has as much of his singular signature storytelling strewn here (like Get Out and Us), I can only assume that Nope will be another slam dunk of a film. We await this latest release, and dread what nightmares will come with it.
She Said
In the heart of the awards season in 2022 is the release of She Said: Maria Schrader’s film about the developing stories and allegations surrounding Harvey Weinstein back in 2017 (has it already been five years? Really??). Now that the dust has settled and a hideous side of Hollywood has been proven, it will be interesting to see how these revelations came to be, especially if handled well. I’m also interested in the duo leads of Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan (starring as journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor), which is already a sign of great things to come.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One)
I am not a Marvel obsessive, but I have never been as excited for an upcoming film of theirs as I am here (and, yes, I know the Spider-Verse series isn’t Marvel Marvel, and I don’t care). I loved Into the Spider-Verse when it first came out, and I felt like it deserved its Academy Award (I still do). It’s gorgeously animated in a way I still haven’t gotten over, and its premise of multi-verses has clearly left a massive impact (ahem). We know now that Across the Spider-Verse will have multiple parts, but that doesn’t matter. I will let this series take me wherever it needs to go, because it has already proven its brilliance.
The Zone of Interest
I hate that we have to wait so long for each Jonathan Glazer project, but this usually spells out his formula: quality over quantity. Sexy Beast and Birth are fascinating. Under the Skin is legitimately one of the best films of the 2010’s. His next feature is based on the novel of the same name by Martin Amis; The Zone of Interest is a Holocaust drama surrounding a Nazi officer’s conflicted heart, and I’m curious as to where Glazer is willing to take this tale. I have viewed him as a bridge between arthouse and the masses, and I’m hoping that The Zone of Interest is no different; we can have another winner on our hands, here.
Andreas Babiolakis has a Masters degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, as well as a Bachelors degree in Cinema Studies from York University. His favourite times of year are the Criterion Collection flash sales and the annual Toronto International Film Festival.