I didn’t make very many New Years resolutions for 2022 because A) I don’t have a great track record when it comes to follow-through and B) we are still technically in 2020, but an unofficial resolution of mine for this year is to watch 100 movies. I probably accomplished this at some point as a teenager, but for the last few years I’ve hovered around 70, which is frankly not very many for claiming to be a person who “enjoys film” or whatever. Below, I have compiled my ten most-anticipated films of 2022. I promise to check back in December and let you know if I actually watched any of them.
A note before we begin the proceedings: there are a couple of notable selections I’ve left off this list because I feel like I don’t have enough information and/or fear they won’t actually be released in 2022. For example, there are new films coming from Yorgos Lanthimos and Alex Garland, two of my most favorite fucked up white boys making movies, but we don’t have release dates for them yet and both have a history of delayed distribution, so… I’m leaving them off. I also didn’t include any international selections because god only knows when I’ll get a chance to see those! Anyway. On with the list.
10. Persuasion
I’d like to introduce you to a running theme in this list: Dakota Johnson. There are few movies that are as truly awful as any in the 50 Shades franchise, but Dakota has managed to pull herself out of the muck with surprising speed and agility and is making a lot of interesting choices in her career. More on this later.
ANYWAY, one of my favorite films of the last few years was Autumn de Wilde’s Emma, one of very few Austen adaptations with a woman director at the helm, so it’s pretty cool to get another this year and I’m excited to see director Carrie Cracknell’s take on the classic (which I haven’t actually read yet, but consider it another resolution). Also, Henry Golding is hot, so.
9. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
via Lionsgate
This movie features Nic Cage playing Nic Cage and it is probably going to be terrible. I can’t wait.
8. Everything Everywhere All At Once
This is the new film from directing duo Daniels (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert), who you may remember from the bizarre film Swiss Army Man or, more importantly, the music video for “Turn Down for What.” This film stars Michelle Yeoh as a woman who discovers the existence of parallel universes, and the only reason this wild-looking sci-fi romp is not higher on my list is that I actually hated Swiss Army Man. But hey, everyone deserves a second chance, and this looks like too much fun to resist putting it on my list.
7. Scream
This year I rewatched the entire Scream series (for an episode of this very podcast, if you must know), and my love for this franchise persists despite my general aversion to sequels. It’s going to be interesting to see what Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett (directors of 2019’s Ready or Not) do with the series, as this will be the first Scream film without Wes Craven. It’s hard to imagine that anyone could fill Craven’s shoes, but with the core cast attached, I’m hopeful, even if Bettinelli-Olpin and Gillett were responsible for the questionable decision to leave the ‘5’ out of the film name when SCREVM is sitting right there.
6. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part I)
You were probably wondering when Oscar Isaac was going to show up on this list, right? Well here he is! This sequel to the fantastic 2018 film (I know, I just said I hate sequels) is on my list not only because Oscar Isaac is voicing one of the main characters, but also because I adored Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, and I’m very stoked to see what’s in store for Miles Morales et al.
5. The Northman
via Focus Features
With his debut The VVitch, Robert Eggers immediately became a filmmaker I knew I’d follow forever, even if no film he makes will ever live up to the brilliance of the first. Did I love The Lighthouse? I did not. But I’m still deeply stoked for The Northman, another historical film from Eggers, this time set in Iceland during the 10th century and starring a lot of my favorite blonde people who look a little bit scary, and also Björk. The film is being described as an “epic,” which should be interesting coming from Eggers who’s previous works have been quite small in scale on a story level. Needless to say, this is going to be interesting.
4. Disappointment Blvd.
It is known that we here at BSG are big admirers of the work of Ari Aster, so you had to know that Disappointment Boulevard would make the list. Aster has described the film, which stars Joaquin Phoenix, as a “nightmare comedy,” which I can only assume means it’s going to be the most fucked up thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
3. Don't Worry Darling
This is Olivia Wilde’s follow-up to her wonderful debut film Booksmart, and she’s made the intriguing choice to pivot completely from her modern teen comedy to a pscyhological thriller about a married couple set in the 1950s. I love this choice for her. You know what else I love for her? That she cast Harry Styles in her movie anod then started dating him. Get it, Olivia.
Additionally, the film stars Florence Pugh as the wife of the duo, and as she’s one of the best actresses working right now, I can only imagine how much she’s going to kill it.
2. Am I Ok?
Somehow, the first time I heard about this movie was today, in doing research for this very list. Remember when I promised the return of Dakota Johnson? We’re back, baby.
This is a film co-directed by wife and wife duo Tig Notaro and Stephanie Alynne, and it stars Johnson and Sonoya Mizuno as lifelong best friends who’s paths diverge when one of them announces she’s moving from L.A. to London and the other reveals a “deeply buried and long-held secret,” which is definitely that she’s a lesbian. Dakota Johnson! Is playing a lesbian! This is not a drill! Did this immediately shoot to the top of my list because Dakota Johnson, notable possible bisexual, is playing a lesbian? Frankly, yes.
Also, though, I love a good film about female friendship and I love Tig Notaro, so this seems like a win/win/win for me.
1. Nope
The only thing we know about Jordan Peele’s new movie is that it stars Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun, and Keke Palmer. This is an objectively great cast, which is probably what puts it at number one for me, but even if we had no cast announcement, Nope would still make my list. Both Get Out and Us were close to the top of my faves of their respective years, and I’m pretty confident that whatever this ends up being, it’s going to be fun.
That's all! See you in 2023!