We are already over halfway through 2022, but there are a number of promising films yet to be released.
Below, you can find 10 that I have my eye on.

10. Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio

Logline: During the rise of fascism in Mussolini’s Italy, a wooden boy brought magically to life struggles to live up to his father’s expectations.

Release date: December (On Netflix)

Director: Guillermo del Toro

Previous Work: Nightmare Alley (2021), The Shape of Water (2017), Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

Cast: Ewan McGregor, Care Blanchett, Finn Wolfhard, Christopher Waltz

Trailer: 

Personal Thoughts: This is an interesting one. While I am generally not one for films based on children’s literature, this particular film from del Toro may be an exception. Judging from the trailer and del Toro’s previous work, we should expect a slightly darker take on a classic story. *Disclaimer* there is also a live-action Pinocchio being released in 2022 as well (for some reason) – totally different films.

9. The Stars at Noon

No Official Poster Released

Logline: In 1984’s Nicaragua, a headstrong American journalist and a mysterious English businessman strike up a romance as they soon become embroiled in a dangerous labyrinth of lies and conspiracies and are forced to try and escape the country.

Release date: December 1, 2022 (In Theatres)

Director: Claire Denis

Previous Work: High Life (2018), Trouble Every Day (2001), Beau Travail (1999)

Cast: Margaret Qualley, Joe Alwyn, Danny Ramierez, Benny Safdie, John. C Reilly

Trailer: Not Available

Personal Thoughts: This film has been described by many as a “romance thriller”. It should be able to entertain mainstream audiences, but knowing Claire Denis’ previous work, we should also expect the “romance” elements to extend beyond your classic rom-com format. The initial reviews from Cannes are fairly lacklustre, but I’m expecting that there will still be enough here to make it worth a viewing.

8. Three Thousand Years of Longing

Logline: A lonely and bitter British woman discovers an ancient bottle while on a trip to Istanbul and unleashes a djinn who offers her three wishes. Filled with apathy, she is unable to come up with one until his stories spark in her a desire to be loved.

Release date: August 31, 2022 (In Theatres)

Director: George Miller

Previous Work: Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Happy Feet (2006), Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983), Mad Max (1979)

Cast: Tilda Swinton, Idris Elba

Trailer:

Personal Thoughts: Admittedly, I can’t say that I am entirely sold based on the trailer, but you can sign me up for anything with the ethereal essence of Tilda Swinton. It’s bound to be a weird one, but with George Miller’s most recent Mad Max: Fury Road, being such a success, I’m willing to give it a shot.

7. The Pale Blue Eye

No Official Poster Released

Logline: A seasoned detective investigates a series of murders at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point in 1830. He is assisted in his investigation by an intelligent and eager young cadet named Edgar Allan Poe, who will go on to become one of America’s most influential authors and the originator of the detective genre.

Release date: Late 2022 (On Netflix)

Director: Scott Cooper

Previous Work: Antlers (2021), Black Mass (2015)

Cast: Christian Bale, Harry Melling, Gillian Anderson

Trailer: Not Available

Personal Thoughts: Those involved in the production of this film have been extremely tight-lipped, but we do know that Netflix has acquired its rights for a significant $55 million price tag. It is based on a 2006 novel of the same name, with which I am unfortunately unfamiliar. Still, I am buying into this film for two main reasons. One is the inevitable powerhouse performance that will come from Christian Bale. Second is the opportunity being granted to filmmaker in Scott Cooper to see what he can put on screen with a more substantial budget.

6. The Menu

Logline: A young couple travels to a coastal island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared a lavish menu, with some shocking surprises.

Release date: November 18, 2022 (In Theatres)

Director: Mark Mylod

Previous Work: What’s Your Number? (2011)

Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicholas Hoult

Trailer: 

Personal Thoughts: Mark Mylod is much more known for his work in television, including directing episodes of Shameless, Game of Thrones, and Succession. This will be his first foray into a major feature film, and it looks to be a doozy. The trailer does a wonderful job of creating some intrigue for the viewer, without giving us a summary of the plot. I’m looking forward to figuring out what this is all about, and seeing what Mylod can do on the big screen.

5. Smile

Logline: After witnessing a bizarre, traumatic incident involving a patient, Dr. Rose Cotter starts experiencing frightening occurrences that she can’t explain. As an overwhelming terror begins taking over her life, Rose must confront her troubling past in order to survive and escape her horrifying new reality.

Release date: September 30, 2022 (In Limited Theatres)

Director: Parker Finn

Previous Work: This is his debut feature film

Cast: Sosie Bacon, Jessie T. Usher, Kal Penn

Trailer: 

Personal Thoughts: This is a high-risk, high-reward pick. Parker Finn, by almost all accounts, is an unknown filmmaker who has been given a large platform by Paramount to create this feature film. I first stumbled upon Smile from a 15-second teaser trailer played during the previews of a film a few months again. I’m not sure if I have ever been so captivated by such a short teaser. The full-length trailer is also of the best that I have seen recently, so I have high hopes that we may be finding a powerful new director.

4. White Noise

No Official Poster Released

Logline: Jack Gladney, professor of Hitler studies at The-College-on-the-Hill, husband to Babette, and father to four children/stepchildren, is torn asunder by a chemical spill from a rail car that releases an “Airborne Toxic Event”, forcing Jack to confront his biggest fear – his own mortality.

Release date: Late 2022 (On Netflix)

Director: Noah Baumbach

Previous Work: Marriage Story (2019), Frances Ha (2012), Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

Cast: Adam Driver, Gretta Gerwig

Trailer: Not Available

Personal Thoughts: Noah Baumbach is a master at drawing us into the inner soul of his characters. Coming off a beautiful film in Marriage Story, Baumbach is hoping to replicate that success. This time, however, he is stepping into adapted screenplay territory for the first time. All of his first 11 films were original screenplays, so it will be interesting to see the approach he takes in adapting the 1985 novel of the same name. The film has been described as a “black comedy horror film”, which is different from much of Bambauch’s previous work as well. Beyond Baumbach, we have a leading cast of Adam Driver and Gretta Gerwig, so we appear to be in good hands.

3. Don’t Worry Darling

Logline:  A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets.

Release date: September 23, 2022 (In Theatres)

Director: Olivia Wilde

Previous Work: Booksmart

Cast: Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, Chris Pine

Trailer: 

Personal Thoughts: Out of all the films on this list, this one has been getting the most “hype”. It might be the Harry Styles effect, but I’m hopeful that at least part of it comes from an appreciation for Olivia Wilde. Her first feature film, Booksmart was smart (no pun intended), funny, and most of all, deeply humanizing. While Don’t Worry Darling appears to exist on the opposite side of the genre spectrum, it appears to be built in a fascinating sci-fi world, and I’m sure that Wilde will bring a take that leads us to ask questions about our lives in our own non-fiction world.

2. Women Talking

No Official Poster Released

Logline: A group of women in an isolated religious colony struggle to reconcile their faith with a string of sexual assaults committed by the colony’s men.

Release date: December 2, 2022 (In Theatres)

Director: Sarah Polley

Previous Work: Take this Waltz (2011)

Cast: Frances McDormand, Ben Whishaw, Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley

Trailer: Not Available

Personal Thoughts: After decades upon decades of men talking in cinema, it’s probably time for Women Talking. Based on the 2018 novel of the same name by Miriam Toews (let’s prop up our Canadian authors), this film is rooted in Toew’s experiences growing up on a Mennonite colony in Manitoba. She described the novel as a “reaction through fiction”. Taking on the task of adapting such a personal novel comes with significant weight. As of right now, our understanding of Sarah Polley’s direction is still limited, with really only a couple of films to draw from. That being said, whenever your cast is being led by Frances McDormand, you can be confident in knowing that you will be getting the most from your star.

1. The Whale

Logline: A reclusive English teacher suffering from severe obesity attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter for one last chance at redemption

Release date: Late 2022

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Previous Work: Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, Mother!

Cast: Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Samantha Morton

Trailer: Not Available

Personal Thoughts: Darren Aronofsky makes weird films. Like, really weird. This might say more about me than anything, but I had to finish off this list with his new project, even though we know very little about it as of right now. A master of the psychological thriller, Aronofsky is sure to bring something unique to the table with this one. The logline does not give us a tremendous amount to go off of, but as with most A24 films of late, I have set my expectations high for this one.