AwardsWatch - From ‘The Batman’ to ‘Women Talking’ to ‘Nope,’ the 10 most anticipated films of 2022

With 2021, we left a year that brought us back to the movies and excited us for the future of cinema. Whether it was on the singing and dancing to the long list of toe tapping musicals, being awed by big budget spectacles like Dune or Spider-Man: No Way Home, or moved by many of the films in the awards race, it felt good to return to escape at the movie theater again. But as one year wraps up, another one begins, and looks to be stacked with tons of new features from talented filmmakers.

When looking at the titles releasing this year, here are some of the honorable mentions of that just missed of this top ten, in no particular order. You have David Fincher’s The Killer, Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Bradley Cooper’s Maestro, Claire Denis’ Fire, Robert Eggers’s The Northman, David Lowery’s Peter Pan and Wendy, Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things. Then there is Michael B. Jordan’s Creed 3, Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale, David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future, Maria Schrader’s She Said, Todd Field’s TAR, Noah Baumbach’s White Noise, Ari Aster’s Disappointment Blvd., Kelly Reichardt’s Showing Up. Also scheduled to release in 2022 are George Miller’s Three Thousand Years of Longing, Kogonada’s After Yang, Alex Garland’s Men, Kasi Lemmons’ I Wanna Dance with Somebody, and Damien Chazelle’s Babylon.

On paper, this might be one of the most stacked years in recent memory, with previous Oscar winners, auteur storytellers, long awaited follow-ups, and promising debuts. This is also just a taste of what is to come considering all the unknown talent we will discover throughout the year, as well as giant tentpole films from Marvel and Disney that could also delight of cinematic appetites. But after looking over the release schedule, and much internal debate, there were still ten movies that stood above all the aforementioned projects that should be considered the most anticipated films of 2022.

10. Women Talking (TBD, United Artists Releasing)

Spread over the last fifteen plus years, actress turned director Sarah Polley has made some of the most personal films of any director working today. From features like Away from Her and Take This Waltz, to the powerful documentary Stories We Tell, you know when she makes something that it is going to be special. She returns to a narrative setting with Women Talking, based on the Miriam Toews novel of the same name, in which a group of women in a religious colony struggle to keep their faith as the men of their community are abusing them. With an all-star cast that includes Jessie Buckley, Claire Foy, Ben Whishaw, Rooney Mara, and Frances McDormand (who is also producing the film alongside Plan B), look for this to be the next big step in Polley’s career as well as a major awards contender come this time next year.

9. The Batman (March 4, Warner Bros)

It is no secret that the character and world of Batman have become a tiresome affair for many. Between the Christopher Nolan trilogy to Zach Snyder’s interpretation to a Lego movie to and Todd Phillip’s Joker, the case can be made to hang up the cowl for a while. But, if it wasn’t for two important men attached to this project, this movie wouldn’t register on this list, and they are director Matt Reeves and actor Robert Pattinson. Reeves, fresh off of finishing the new Planet of the Apes trilogy, has earned a reputation as being one of the best commercial directors working today, with the trust he can deliver on making these familiar properties like Apes seem relevant and entertaining. Then you throw in Pattinson, who is one of the best actors working today, who is always challenging himself with every role he takes, with this being his most high profile role in his career since his time in the Twilight series. With tons of villains and harsh action, if this movie is half way as good as the trailers suggest, we are in for one hell of a ride.

8. The Fabelmans (November 23, Universal Pictures)

Over the last couple of years, we have seen a trend of directors taking a look back at their childhoods and how the events of their adolescence set a course for who they are today, and who influenced them. Movies like Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast immediately come to mind, and in 2022, we can add Steven Spielberg’s The Fabelmans to this new sub-genre. Little details are known about the film other than he is writing the film with Lincoln and West Side Story screenwriter Tony Kushner, and that the cast is made up of Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogan, Judd Hirsch, and a stable of young, unknown talent. After regaining some of his magic in 2021 with West Side Story, Spielberg seems to have his passion and purpose of making impactful storytelling again, with this one hitting close to home for the legendary director. If he can stick the landing on this one, we should all prepare ourselves for waterworks and get the box of tissues ready.

7. The Son (TBD, Sony Pictures Classics)

2020 was a really hard year for the world and cinema. But there was one breakout talent from that year that stood out above all else and landed critical claim, making of the best debuts in recent memory and landing Sir Anthony Hopkins his second Oscar win, and that man is Florian Zeller. What he created with The Father was one of the most realistic depictions of dementia we’ve ever seen on screen, thus making of one the best films of 2020. He returns with another of his acclaimed stage adaptations with The Son, which follows a couple whose life is turned upside down when his ex-wife and son show up on their doorstep. With Hugh Jackman, Vanessa Kirby, Laura Dern, and Anthony Hopkins headlining the cast, expect another gripping stage to screen family drama from Zeller, whose sharp writing and calculated direction is something not to be missed.

6. Knives Out 2 (TBD, Netflix)

For Daniel Craig, 2021 saw his long, celebrated run as James Bond come to an end. But as one franchise door closes, another opens with Knives Out 2, the sequel to the Oscar nominated murder mystery from director Rian Johnson. Craig and Johnson loved working together so much on the first film, they lined up a deal with Netflix for future installments in the detective adventures of Benoit Blanc. Gone are the cast of the original, in step Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, The Matrix Resurrections breakout star Jessica Henwick, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, and Ethan Hawke. Expectations will be through the roof for this one, but confidence should be high should be high as Johnson and company haven’t let us down yet, and there is no evidence to suggest this won’t be another wonderful time with the world’s best detective.

5. Don’t Worry Darling (September 23, Warner Bros)

Pre–pandemic, there was no bigger surprise than walking out of the SXSW premiere of Olivia Wilde’s directorial debut Booksmart. Not only was it one of the funniest films of the 2010s, but established the long time actress as someone to reckon with from behind the camera. With her follow-up, she steps away from comedy to make a crime thriller set in the 1950s about a housewife who thinks the people in her community are hiding secrets about something very sinister going on. Wilde, working with the same screenwriting team as Booksmart, steps in front of the camera with Florence Pugh, Chris Pine, Harry Styles, KiKi Layne, Gemma Chan, and Nick Kroll filling out the ensemble. A teaser dropped a couple of months back, wetting audience’s appetites till its September release.

4. Mission Impossible 7 (September 30, Paramount Pictures)

Tom Cruise is going to have a big year in 2022. Not only will the long awaited, delayed Top Gun: Maverick finally be released in cinemas this summer, but Cruise is set to give us another installment in the best franchise ongoing franchise Hollywood has to offer in Mission Impossible 7. Filmed back to back with Part 8, which will come out in 2023, this has the makings of being the biggest, boldest entry yet in the series, which is saying a lot given the franchise’s history alongside Cruise’s knack for finding new ways to put himself in harm’s way to dazzle the fans. Writer-Director Christopher McQuarrie returns alongside fellow spies Rebecca Ferguson, Simon Pegg, and Ving Rames, as well as Vanessa Kirby, Hayley Atwell, Shea Whigham, Mark Gatiss, Pom Klementieff, and Cary Elwes rounding out the supporting cast.

3. The Killers of the Flower Moon (TBD, Paramount Pictures/Apple Original Films)

Let’s see if you have heard this one before, director Martin Scorsese is making a movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. Okay, but what about a movie with Robert De Niro? Yes. Well, how about one with both. Yes, for the first time, the greatest living director on the planet is making a movie with his two most frequent actors but they aren’t the leads, that honor goes to character actor Jesse Plemons. In The Killers of the Flower Moon, Plemons leads an F.B.I investigation of murdered members of the Osage tribe back in the 1920s. Co-starring with Plemons, DiCaprio and De Niro is Lily Gladstone, Pat Healy, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. Based on a best-selling novel and adapted by screenwriter Eric Roth, Scorsese looks to make a newer, darker crime tale that will be the biggest budget film of his career and spark conversation like only he could do.

2. Decision to Leave (TBD, CJ Entertainment)

Over the last couple of years, film fans have fallen in love with the films of director Bong Joon Ho, especially after Parasite’s commercial, critical, and Oscar success. But before all of that, director Park Chan-Wook delivered one of the best films of the last decade with The Handmaiden, a wild, sexual romantic thriller that cemented him as a true master of cinema, following his impressive work with Oldboy, Lady Vengeance and Stoker. After spending the last couple of years working on television projects, he is finally returning to the big screen with a detective story with a devilish, romantic twist. Anytime Park Chan-Wook makes a movie, it is a must-see event.

1. Nope (July 22, Universal Pictures)

In a world where directors aren’t able to create their own paths anymore, where you make your debut then attach yourself to a superhero project the moment after the Sundance premier, in comes Jordan Peele to not only break the mold, but dominant cinemas. He’s rebuilt the horror genre with just two films, thus making him the ultimate draw for whatever he comes up with next. With his third directorial effort, Nope, we know nothing about the plot of this film whatsoever, only a poster, with a mysterious cloud hanging over a city. Known for his collection of incredible talent for his projects, actors Keke Palmer, Oscar nominee Steven Yeun, and recent Oscar winner and Get Out star Daniel Kaluuya are set to star in another original nightmare from Peele’s genius mind. If Nope can land with industry and audiences like Get Out and Us did, we might have to consider Peele as not just the best director of his generation, but rank him up with Hitchcock, Craven, and Carpenter as the legend of the horror genre.

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Ryan McQuade

Ryan McQuade is the AwardsWatch Executive Editor and a film-obsessed writer in San Antonio, Texas. Raised on musicals, westerns, and James Bond, his taste in cinema is extremely versatile. He’s extremely fond of independent releases and director’s passion projects. Engrossed with all things Oscars, he hosts the AwardsWatch Podcast. He also is co-host of the Director Watch podcast. When he’s not watching movies, he’s rooting on all his favorite sports teams, including his beloved Texas Longhorns. You can follow him on Twitter at @ryanmcquade77.