2022 is coming out swinging as the global pandemic slowly enters the rearview mirrors. On the slate are some much expected blockbuster movies such as DC's Aquaman 2 & Jurassic World Dominion set to close the reboot trilogy. But, also on the horizon are some highly unexpected films slated for 2022 such as Legally Blonde 3 as well as Kung Fury 2. With an intensely interesting line-up of films that have been delayed over the past couple years, here is the definitive list of films set to release in 2022 that you absolutely should not miss.
10. Scream 5
Scream released 25 years ago in 1996, reviving the slasher horror genre while simultaneously satirizing it. As the Scream series continued, it found itself often falling into the tropes it was originally making a mockery of. With the duo Matt Bettinelli-Olpin & Tyler Gillet who very recently released the hit indie horror The Night House set to direct, we hope they bring something fresh to a franchise that somewhat lost its way, and with the recent reboots of the Halloween franchise as well as other slashers, we can't think of a better time for an updated "Rules that one must abide by in order to successfully survive a horror movie"
Scream is currently slated to be released on January 14, 2022.
9. The Souvenir Part II
Joanna Hogg blew critics out of the water, making waves with her autobiographical 2019 drama detailing her young life four decades ago, navigating her way through film school and falling in love with an untrustworthy man. Directing her own past from so far into the future, Hogg has a strong but unadulterated view of her young self, and as an audience we can appreciate how the naive girl grows into the visionary behind the camera. The Souvenir Part II follows our protagonist as she begins to unravel the complications of her recently tragic relationship, discerning fact from fiction while making her graduation film.
The Souvenir Part II is slated for a January 2022 wide release
8. Babylon
Babylon is set to be directed by acclaimed filmmaker Damien Chazelle, who dazzled audiences with his instant-classic directorial debut Whiplash, followed by La La Land and First Man, we can only hope that the director is going for his fourth hit in a row. Set in Hollywood during the brief and abrupt switch from silent cinema to "talkies," Babylon stars Margot Robbie, Brad Pitt, Samara Weaving and Tobey Maguire. The film is currently in post production, no date is announced but we expect to see it around awards season of 2022.
7. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is an absurdist comedy, the ego death of meta films, we see Nicolas Cage set to star as none other than Nic Cage, himself. In a real-to-life imitating flick, we see Cage adopt his bizarre real life persona as a cash-starpped version of himself is forced to attend a billionaire fan's birthday party and act out characters he has played as entertainment, but as events go awry, Cage's characters become true to life. Cage is a wildcard actor in general and his wide range of films give endless opportunity to see the very best and worst of the actor's track record, one can only hope we see some of Mandy's Red. This film sounds simply insane and we cannot wait to update this description as new details release.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent is slated to be released on April 22, 2022.
6. Don't Worry Darling
Don't Worry Darling is directed by Olivia Wilde who blew audiences away with her outrageously funny 2019 comedy Booksmart. This psychological thriller is set to star Florence Pugh of Midsommar and the interesting casting choice of Harry Styles who showed off some of his acting chops in Christopher Nolan's 2017 film Dunkirk. The only plot synopsis current available is: An unhappy housewife in the 1950s discovers a disturbing truth, while her loving husband hides a dark secret. Olivia Wilde has already proven herself in the comedy genre and we're very excited to see her venture into a more sinister narrative.
Don't Worry Darling is scheduled to be released on September 23, 2022.
5. NOPE
Director Jordan Peele made waves in the horror genre with his terrifyingly biting satire debut Get Out and continued to prove himself with the somewhat less favorably received Us. What is exciting about the director is his willingness to swing as hard as he can, knowing full well he may miss, taking shots at unconventional storytelling, sometimes to great effect. The film stars the incredible Steven Yeun of Burning as well as Daniel Kaluuya of Peele's Get Out. The plot of Nope is currently very secretive, only containing the tagline "A new terror from the mind of Academy award-winner Jordan Peele."
Nope is scheduled for a July 22, 2022 release.
4. Kung Fury 2
David Sandberg's low budget insane short film Kung Fury became an instant viral sensation upon its release in 2015. In just 29 short minutes we saw our protagonist "Kung Fury" juggling his job as a 1980's Miami cop as he battled his way through prehistoric creatures with weaponized tech & a minigun wielding Adolf Hitler. The absurd attention deficit mash of a film was an instant hit, cracking audiences up with an uncompromised focus of creativity and fun. Kung Fury 2 will have little connection to the original story, following Kung Fury as he tracks down a mysterious new villain who has emerged from the shadows. The film also stars Arnold Schwarzenegger as "The President" as well as David Hasselhoff reprising his role as the beloved Hoff900.
Kung Fury 2 is currently in a lengthy post production and is expected sometime in late 2022.
3. Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse 2
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse released with a breathtaking comic book art style which fans have been gushing about ever since. Releasing to the highest critical and audience praise of any Marvel property released, Spider-Verse struggled to find a section of filmgoers who disliked it. The universal praise thrust the film into success, sparking an immediate greenlight to begin production on a sequel. At this current point, what continues after the colon in "Spider-Verse 2:" is a mystery, much of the film as a whole is kept under wraps but what we can expect is a trailer around the time of Spring 2022.
Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse 2 is expected to release on October 7, 2022
2. The Batman
Robert Pattinson got his first big break in the widely mocked Twilight series, intense celebrity exposure while a simultaneous blow to his aspirations as a serious actor, one that would take him years to recover from. Pattinson soon blipped back onto many film buff's radar with his stellar performance as Connie Nikas in A24's Good Time (2017), followed by stellar performances in High Life, The King, The Devil All The Time & The Lighthouse, Pattinson has thrust himself back into stardom, now cast as the most recognizable comic book character of all time. Directed by Matt Reeves, The Batman is a grisly adaptation following a young Bruce Wayne uncovering corruption in Gotham City which connects to his own family, all while tracking down a serial killer known as The Riddler.
The Batman is set to release on March 4, 2022.
1. The Northman
In 2015, the folktale horror film The Witch became an instant classic, releasing to massive critic & audience appeal, boasting a darkly moody & grounded take on the genre with rich accents and manners of speaking set to envelop the viewer. Robert Eggers followed up with his arguably more beloved and infinitely less grounded The Lighthouse, a psychologically spiraling fantasy horror starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Eggers has completely solidified his position in the genre, bending and breaking the boundaries in new different ways. Now his next film is our most anticipated of 2022, The Northman stars Anya Taylor-Joy, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Bjork and more. This star studded thriller explores how far a Viking prince will go to seek vengeful justice for his murdered father. Our excitement is impossible to contain.
The Northman is currently in post-production with an expected release date of April 22, 2022.