The summer blockbuster season is almost over. But don’t worry, as plenty of great films are premiering this year. In fact, I had a tough time narrowing down the top fifteen films for the last four months of the year. My honorable mentions, The Silent Twins, Barbarian, and the Pinocchio movies from Disney and Guillermo Del Toro, just missed my “most anticipated” list. Even if I added them, a dozen other snubs could be identified. Let’s just say that I will be swamped with promising films for the next few months.
15. Smile
September 30th
I will always be a sucker for horror films. A promise of a modicum of terror will always pique my interest in a film. The trailer for Smile seems derivative of past properties such as The Ring and It Follows, where the protagonist has a limited amount of time to respond to some curse before their fate is sealed. However, the smiles of the movie’s victims, as if exposed to The Joker’s laughing gas, are creepy enough to add Smile to the list.
14. Avatar: The Way of Water
December
Some of you are likely shocked that Avatar: The Way of Water is this low on my most anticipated movies list. I can hear you screaming into your phone as you scroll:
It’s a James Cameron film! Are you insane?
And I get it. James Cameron is a master of filmmaking. Whether it’s Titanic or The Terminator, Cameron delivers with spectacle and makes boatloads of money while doing so. But hear me out, Avatar hasn’t aged well since leaving the big screen. That’s ok, as the movie was a love letter to the cinema as much as anything else.
But when the spectacle is stripped away, the film is vapid. Couple that with what may be the most boring teaser trailer of the year, and I just can’t get excited about this film. Avatar: The Way of Water makes this list out of respect for Cameron, but 20th Century Studios needs to better promote this film, and soon.
13. Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.
September 2nd
Living in America’s Bible Belt, I grew up in the Black Church. That experience allows me to easily relate to a satire highlighting a mega-church’s inner workings and scandals.
Regina Hall, tremendously underrated for her comedy chops, plays the lead. Her co-lead, Sterling K. Brown, appears to be having the time of his life playing the tarnished preacher.
I want to laugh at all the inside jokes and see where director Ebo takes the material. For my super-saved saints out there, I know that “holiness is still right,” but don’t take yourselves too seriously. Everyone should laugh at themselves and Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. promises to give you that opportunity.
12. The Woman King
September 16th
The Woman King was initially in my top five. Viola Davis, one of the best actors of the past two decades, looks completely badass as the leader of the Agojie, the all-female royal guard of the Dahomey Kingdom. Inspired by actual events, the film depicts the story behind the fighting force that inspired the Dora Milaje of Black Panther fame. It is also clear that this is Davis’ best chance for statues come award season.
However, the Dahomey Kingdom’s participation in the transatlantic slave trade sparked early criticism for the film. There are questions if the film will attempt to address the Dahomey tribe’s complicated history or if it will be ignored. Either way, The Woman King already finds itself in a precarious dilemma with moviegoers.
11. Bros
September 30th
Billy Eichner has been one of our favorite internet and TV personalities this decade. His hit web series Billy on the Street is a YouTube darling, and the dark comedy Difficult People was a breakout success. Written by Eichner, this romantic comedy focuses on dating and developing relationships within the homosexual community. The film should work, especially with comedy director Nicholas Stroller at the helm.
If Bros succeeds critically and at the box office, it could help normalize non-hetero relationships in future films. Usually, romantic comedies wouldn’t make any of my “most anticipated movies” lists, but the possible impact of this film cannot be ignored.
10. Blonde
September 23rd
I am a sucker for biopics. Films that tell the story of history’s most compelling characters generally make for a fantastic watch. Marilyn Monroe is inarguably one of last century’s most captivating figures, and filmmakers have tried to tell her story through movies and documentaries over a dozen times. Blonde(2022) is just Hollywood’s most recent attempt at immortalizing Monroe.
Cuban actor Ana De Armas is an intriguing choice to play Marilyn Monroe. Trolls upset by Armas’ ethnicity will have plenty to say as the film nears release. However, De Armas looks fabulous in the trailer and gives a believable Monroe accent. Also, Brad Pitt has produced some incredible films this century and has a long working relationship with director Andrew Dominik, all good signs.
9. Devotion
November 23rd
After Top Gun: Maverick’s success, I’m sure I’m not the only one begging for more American Navy fighter-pilot combat. Devotion promises to quench audiences’ thirst for military action.
This time, we travel back to the 1950s Korean War. The stakes are quite different, as Jonathan Majors plays an exceptional African American fighter pilot who is integrating a first-class division of the navy. Glen Powell suits up as Majors’ wingman and ally during the film.
Although we don’t know how the story plays out, we can expect a tale of Majors overcoming racist ideas, and the age-old Hollywood trope of interracial, male friendship. Suffice it to say, don’t expect anything particularly groundbreaking from Devotion. However, even formulaic movies can be compelling if the characters move you and the story excites you. With talented Majors in the lead, I presume Devotion will do just that.
8. Strange Worlds
November 23rd
It may be an unpopular opinion, but we had a lackluster summer for animated movies. It hasn’t been all bad, as The Sea Beast was exceptional, and DC League of Super-Pets was surprisingly fun, but most of this summer was underwhelming.
Strange Worlds may be the answer to the animated movie lull we are experiencing. The animation looks breathtaking, and the fish-out-of-water storyline usually holds up. Maybe this fall’s Strange Worlds will be just the movie we need to rebound the animated genre.
7. The Menu
November 18th
I have always wanted to attend a Michelin star restaurant. I badger my wife about making reservations during family vacations, only to learn that superstar chefs often have waitlists of at least a month. I settle by trying my best as a home cook to make exquisite dishes from time to time. Sometimes I have some success, but often the results are abysmal.
So, chefs have my absolute respect. However, I think most can see the pretentiousness of some of these culinary artists that take themselves way too seriously. The Menu takes well-deserved shots at an industry that most will never experience or appreciate.
Anya Taylor-Joy is one of my top ten actresses working (a list for another day), and Ralph Fiennes is always incredible. The underrated Nicholas Hoult and a bevy of other A-Listers separate this horror from the others.
6. Amsterdam
October 7th
2022 must be the year of ensemble casts. Not only does Amsterdam have Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington as leads, but a slew of other recognizable talent is set to make an appearance in the film.
Typically, actors of this caliber are drawn to movie ensembles because of a well-written script, with enticing nuggets for actors to sink their teeth into. With academy award nominated writer and director David O. Russell at the helm, one can assume that Amsterdam is no different from the others.
With a 1930 setting, Amsterdam’s biggest mystery is not the murder but how a Black Man, White Woman, and White Man develop an organic and earnest relationship, especially with the rampant racism and sexism in the military at that time.
5. The Banshees of Inisherin
October 21st
Martin McDonagh is one of my favorite directors and writers of quirky action and comedy films. He is excellent at building relationships and chemistry between characters, regardless of whatever absurd circumstance they find themselves in. I fell in love with McDonagh’s work after I saw In Bruges for the first time. So, imagine my elation when I learned that he would reunite the Irish duo of Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for The Banshees of Inisherin.
The movie’s premise is quite juvenile, with Gleeson’s character deciding to end his lifelong friendship with Farrell’s character for ostensibly no reason. It seems more like a scenario you would mediate between 3rd graders than for the premise of a feature-length film. Still, the trailer is absolutely charming. You take the silly feud seriously, as you are already rooting for the two to make amends.
Nestled in the horror-fueled month of October, The Banshees of Inisherin will be a refreshing palette cleanser served by one of the unique movie makers today.
4. Don’t Worry Darling
September 23rd
Actress Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut with 2019’s Booksmart. Directing a film that becomes one of the most celebrated comedies of the 2010s is not a bad start. Her follow-up film, Don’t Worry Darling, trades in the comedy for mystery, thrills, and a smidge of horror.
The trailer for the film is unnerving in a way incomparable to most movie trailers that lie outside of traditional horror. I want to know the secrets of this twisted, misogynistic cult and what they are doing to these women that make them hurt themselves.
Florence Pugh is putting on a clinic with her acting, and Chris Pine epitomizes everything you think a smarmy but charming cult leader would be. The x-factor is the inexperienced Harry Styles, but even he seems to be invoking something special in his performance. Wilde’s sophomore film may be more impressive than her initial masterwork.
3. Till
October 14th
When I first saw the trailer for Till, it absolutely wrecked me. Although I did not initially recognize what I was seeing, I quickly realized it was the story of Emmett Till. My stomach twisted into a knot, and I felt my eyes begin to mist.
Let me be clear. Although Till is my third most anticipated film this Fall, I have no desire to see it. Reliving Black trauma of this magnitude is emotionally exhausting. Like 12 Years a Slave, I imagine Till will haunt me for months after watching. Sure, we will get the inspiring story of Emmett’s mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, as it is as much her story as his. And yet, the pain and anger of witnessing what happens to an innocent Black child aren’t going to go away.
Yet, I believe that these movies are important. The stories that lift the veil on our country’s ugly history force us to wrestle with the idea that America is not the exemplar of decency that some would have you believe. Emmett Till is younger than my grandmother. I can’t escape the truth that it could have been her. I am compelled to watch this film; I believe everyone should be.
2. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
December
How much did I love Knives Out? Netflix has yet to release an official trailer, release date, or plot summary. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is still number two on my most anticipated films list. Enough said.
1. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
November 11th
At this point, I’ve gushed about the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever trailer ad nauseum. The trailer makes you cry and pump your fist at the same time. Also, almost everyone that made Black Panther one of the most decorated comic book films of all time will be back for this sequel. I have zero concerns about the leaked troubles that took place on the film’s set. The pandemic affected almost all film projects in this way. Nothing indicates that Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will be anything less than genre-altering, just like the original.
I love reading the theories about who the new Black Panther will be. Suri makes the most sense from a comic book standpoint, but Marvel isn’t afraid to zag if it is what’s best for the cinematic universe. Lupita N’yongo’s Nakia would put another Oscar-winning actor front and center in the MCU. The introduction of the multiverse gives Marvel a way to bring back Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger for the role. Some even suggest M’Baku is next in line (I’m sorry, guys; there is no way Winston Duke is in those small tights seen in that trailer).
My money is on Okoye (Danai Gurira). She was already featured as a part of some sort of intergalactic council during the end credits of Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and is inarguably Wakanda’s most skilled warrior. So why not? Give the mantle to Okoye, Marvel! I guess I’ll see if my theory is true on November 11th.
Thanks for this great review!