2022 is shaping up to be a fantastic year for movies. We’re only two-thirds of the way through, and we’ve already seen critical and commercial slam dunks like Top Gun: Maverick; surprise hits like Hustle, The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, RRR, and Everything Everywhere All at Once; and new potential masterpieces from critically beloved filmmakers like Jordan Peele’s Nope, Robert Eggers’ The Northman, Phil Tippett’s Mad God, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, and David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future.
However, the year is far from over, and the autumn crunch is approaching. Major studios tend to save their best and brightest films for the end of the year so that they’re fresh in judges’ minds when the Academy Awards roll around in February or March. This year is no different, and the impending onslaught of Oscar-bait films is quite intimidating. These are the major Academy Award contenders still to come in 2022.
Three Thousand Years of Longing
MGM
Few filmmakers have a body of work as confusingly diverse as George Miller. Primarily known for the post-apocalyptic Mad Max with its screaming madmen quite literally clad in BDSM gear, Miller also directs children’s films like Babe: Pig in the City and Happy Feet. Now, however, Miller is again up to something quite different with his latest film, Three Thousand Years of Longing.
When a complacent scholar (Tilda Swinton) encounters an ancient djinn (Idris Elba), they engage in a profound discussion about what one should do with the three wishes they’re granted. Although the subject matter is unconventional, if anyone can pull it off, it’s George Miller. Three Thousand Years of Longing releases on August 26, 2022, distributed by MGM.
Moonage Daydream
NEON
Earlier this week, a survey by Sky Arts declared David Bowie the #1 most influential British artist of any medium in the past 50 years. Of course, his monumental legacy makes him a natural target for the biopic craze of the last few years. Although it is not a traditional biopic, Moonage Daydream will be the first film ever officially authorized by Bowie’s estate. Reportedly it is a documentary, narrated by Bowie himself, that uses never-before-seen archival footage to take audiences on a journey through his awe-inspiring life and career.
Film critic Robert Daniels of RogerEbert describes the film as “a bombastic, overstimulating, poignant, life-affirming, and risk-taking summation of the artist’s ethos and maturation as a person. In short, Moonage Daydream is the film Bowie would’ve proudly made.” The film is directed by documentary filmmaker Brett Morgen (The Kid Stays in the Picture, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck) and received almost universally positive reviews following its premiere at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Distributed by Neon, Moonage Daydream will release on September 16, 2022.
Blonde
Netflix
One of the more highly anticipated films of the year is Blonde, the Marilyn Monroe biopic from director Andrew Dominik (The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Mindhunter). Ana de Armas stars as the troubled Norma Jeane/Marilyn, and judging from the trailers, she is destined for at least an Oscar nomination. In an interview with Rotten Tomatoes, de Armas said the film “is going to throw people in the way it’s told.”
According to the actress, “It’s not a traditional biopic. It’s not literal. It’s not conventional. It’s not even chronological. It’s more like an experience.” The combination of the subject matter of Marilyn Monroe’s life, the acclaimed source novel by Joyce Carol Oates, Dominik’s direction, and de Armas’ performance all add to the anticipation of the film’s release. At the very least, expect nominations for Best Actress and Adapted Screenplay. Blonde releases on September 28, 2022, on Netflix.
Tár
Universal Pictures
Todd Field has had an interesting career. As a teenager, he was a batboy for the Portland Mavericks and helped invent the bubblegum brand Big League Chew. Later, as an actor, he appeared in films like Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999) and Stranger than Fiction (2000). Then, as a director, he made two films, In the Bedroom (2001) and Little Children (2006), which together received eight Oscar nominations. This year, however, he is releasing his first film in sixteen years: Tár.
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The film depicts the life of Lydia Tar (played by Cate Blanchett), a fictional German composer who becomes the first-ever female conductor of a German classical music orchestra. Its bizarre teaser trailer doesn’t reveal much about the film, but it seems that something is not quite right with Lydia. Tár will release on October 7, 2022, and is co-distributed by Focus Features and Universal Pictures.
Triangle of Sadness
When an internet-famous couple, Carl and Yaya, go on a luxury cruise, an accident strands the super-rich and super-useless occupants on a desert island. This is the plot of Triangle of Sadness, the latest film from the Swedish art film director Ruben Östlund. His two previous films, Force Majeure and The Square, launched Östlund into center stage in the international film world for his masterful skill at social satire. His new film, which marks his English-language debut, won the Palme d’Or at Cannes earlier this year and received an eight-minute standing ovation.
Because the film is in English, it has a chance to compete in several major categories at the Academy Awards, whose rules for international films have never been clear. The movie’s international cast consists of Harris Dickinson, Charlbi Dean, Dolly de Leon, Zlatko Burić, Henrik Dorsin, Vicki Berlin, and Woody Harrelson. Triangle of Sadness hits U.S. shores on October 7, 2022, and is distributed by Neon.
The Banshees of Inisherin
Searchlight Pictures
Martin McDonagh is one of the most interesting and unique English-language directors working today. Originally a playwright, his films are known for their sharp dialogue, brilliant character studies, and dark humor. His previous films include In Bruges, Seven Psychopaths, and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Although details are scarce, McDonagh’s latest film, The Banshees of Inisherin, appears to be focusing even more on character and even less on plot.
The film depicts the conflict between two friends when Colm (played by Brendan Gleeson from Braveheart, the Harry Potter series) tells Pádraic (played by Colin Farrell from The Batman, True Detective) that he no longer wants anything to do with him. The Banshees of Inisherin will be distributed by Searchlight Pictures and releases on October 21, 2022.
Amsterdam
20th Century Studios
Amsterdam is the first film in seven years from director David O. Russell, best known for Three Kings, Silver Linings Playbook, and American Hustle. Set in the 1930s, three old friends who met during WWI now find themselves embroiled in a murder investigation. The film is notable for its impressively star-studded cast, which includes Christian Bale, Margot Robbie, and John David Washington as the three friends, in addition to Chris Rock, Anya Taylor-Joy, Zoe Saldaña, Taylor Swift, Rami Malek, and Robert De Niro.
Although David O. Russell is a controversial figure who has been accused of abusing actors on set and sexually assaulting his own niece, his upcoming film is still almost guaranteed several Oscar nominations. Amsterdam releases on November 4, 2022, distributed by 20th Century Studios.
The Fabelmans
Perhaps no living filmmaker is more well-known than Steven Spielberg, and any movie he directs is bound to show up at the Academy Awards. This year Spielberg’s new joint is The Fabelmans, a coming-of-age film that is speculated to be semi-autobiographical. The film follows young Sammy Fabelman as he grows up in post-World War II Arizona, uncovers his family’s dark past, and learns the power of cinema.
A typical Spielbergian ensemble cast stars, including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogen, and Gabriel LaBelle, in addition to a soundtrack by the legendary John Williams. The Fabelmans will be unveiled on November 11, 2022, and is distributed by Universal Pictures.
She Said
She Said depicts one of the biggest Hollywood stories in decades: the work of New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey to expose the years of sexual abuse perpetrated by Harvey Weinstein. Helmed by German actress and director Maria Schrader (Unorthodox), She Said stars Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, Drive) and Zoe Kazan (Meek’s Cutoff, The F Word).
Because of the film’s powerful story and social resonance, you can expect it to show up at the Oscars. She Said is distributed by Universal Pictures and releases on November 18, 2022.
Babylon
Paramount
There’s nothing Hollywood loves more than a movie about itself. For this reason, expect the Academy to heap praise on Babylon, an upcoming period film about the transition from silent films to sound. Margot Robbie (Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey, Suicide Squad) stars as Clara Bow, the legendary silent film star and sex symbol whose 1927 film It is the origin of the term “The It Girl.” Li Jun Li (Quantico) plays silent film star Anna May Wong, the first Chinese American actress to receive national recognition.
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Other major roles include Brad Pitt (Bullet Train, Fight Club), Diego Calva (Unstoppable), Samara Weaving (The Babysitter), as well as minor roles by Tobey Maguire (Spider-Man) as silent film comedian Charlie Chaplin and Jean Smart (Hacks) as novelist and screenwriter Elinor Glyn. In addition to the fascinating subject matter and cameos from Hollywood legends, the film is directed by the ever-reliable Damien Chazelle (Whiplash, La La Land, First Man). Distributed by Paramount Pictures, Babylon raises curtains on December 25, 2022.
Bardo
Auteur director Alejandro Iñárritu is known for Amores Perros, Birdman, and The Revenant, and his films have won a total of nine Oscars to date. With all the weight his name carries, Iñárritu’s latest, Bardo (or False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths), is bound to make a splash at next year’s ceremony. Details about the film are scarce, but it is reportedly an epic comedy about a Mexican journalist. Bardo is expected to premiere on Netflix later this year but does not yet have a solid release date.
