By Alice Clarke, Third Year, History
Awards season may be just around the corner, but a new year means another 12 months of new films to get stuck into. With long awaited blockbusters like James Cameron’s Avatar 2 or the new Top Gun and of course a tonne more Marvel films, I present to you the following list of 10 films that may spike your interest in 2022 if big blockbusters aren’t quite what you’re looking for.
X (Dir. Ti West)
Set in 1979, Ti West’s upcoming horror film follows a team of young filmmakers who hire a rural farmhouse to shoot a porn film. However the production soon takes a turn. The next in A24’s horror back catalogue, X looks packed full of 1970s slasher nostalgia, giving big Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibes.
The Northman (Dir. Robert Eggers)
From the director of 2019’s The Lighthouse, it looks like audiences are in for another intense and pretty grim film from Robert Eggers with The Northman. Alexander Skarsgard stars in the “epic revenge thriller” as a viking prince hellbent on avenging his murdered parents. A pretty jam packed cast already but undoubtedly the most exciting name to pop up in the credits is Iceland's very own Björk!
Nope (Dir. Jordan Peele)
There is not much to say about Jordan Peele’s upcoming film ‘Nope’ simply because it's been kept under very tight wraps. What we do know is that Daniel Kaluuya, Steven Yeun and Keke Palmer star in the new horror film. If his last directorial outing Us (2019) is anything to go by, I think audiences can safely look forward to the film even without knowing the plot!
Don’t Worry Darling (Dir. Olivia Wilde)
In a big departure from her 2019 coming-of-age film Booksmart (2019) Olivia Wilde helms this psychological thriller film set in a utopian community in 1950s California. A pretty big thing to note is that it stars Harry Styles in his first acting role since Dunkirk (2017) as Florence Pugh’s husband who is harbouring a dark secret.
Red Rocket (Dir. Sean Baker)
Red Rocket follows a self centred ex-adult entertainer as he returns to his small hometown in Texas to a mixed reception. The film was released in the US last year and has already received an array of awards much like Sean Baker’s previous forays into the human experience with The Florida Project (2017) and Tangerine (2015), and so his newest film is unlikely to disappoint.
Boiling Point (Dir. Phillip Barantini)
Filmed in one single take, Boiling Point is a fraught and highly strung drama set in the kitchen of a popular London restaurant over 90 minutes of their busiest night. Stephen Graham stars as the head chef, a character based around the director’s own experiences of working in stressful restaurant kitchens. Impressive filming feat aside, anything with Stephen Graham in is gold so this film is sure to be special. Released in cinemas on 7 January, watch Boiling Point as soon as you're sure your nerves can take it!
Bones & All (Dir. Luca Guadagnino)
Timothee Chalamet , Luca Guadagnino and Michael Stuhlbarg are back working together nearly 5 years after the wildly popular Call Me By Your Name (2017) wowed audiences. The new film, based on a novel by Camille DeAngelis, is certainly a very different one with Chalamet and Taylor Russell playing teenage cannibals who embark on a road trip across Ronald Reagan’s rural America.
Decision to Leave (Dir. Park Chan-wook)
Acclaimed director of The Vengeance Trilogy (2002-05) and more recently The Handmaiden (2016), Park Chan-wook’s new film is another thriller. Set in the rural mountains of South-Korea, the film follows a detective who falls in love with the widow of a man who’s murder he is investigating. Known for his big twists, we can only wonder if Park Chan-wook’s latest film will follow suit.
See How They Run (Dir. Tom George)
Could this potentially be the UK’s answer to 2019’s Knives Out? With Saoirse Ronan and Sam Rockwell taking the helm of this mystery escapade, this film boasts a pretty impressive ensemble cast. Set in the glamorous theatres of the 1950s West End, Constable Stalker (Ronan) and Inspector Stoppard (Rockwell) attempt to solve a classic whodunit when members of a theatre production are mysteriously murdered.
Killers of the Flower Moon (Dir. Martin Scorsese)
Martin Scorsese’s latest blockbuster follows the FBI investigation into a series of murders of members of the Osage tribe in 1920s America. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Jesse Plemmons and Robert DeNiro, the film also sees a return for Brendan Fraser in what well-wishers have dubbed the ‘Brennaissance’, which I for one can get behind. The Western looks like it will be a heavy one but will cover some important themes, having been inspired by true events.
Keep an eye on our Facebook writers group for opportunities to review these films as they are released over the year!
Featured Image: UPI Media
What film are you most excited to see in 2022?
