2022 Most Anticipated

A new year is upon us, and thus a slew of new movies, which means it's time to take a look at what the new year has in store for us. There's a lot in 2022 to look forward to with many of my favorite directors having new films to share.

10. JURASSIC WORLD: DOMINION

Okay, the track record for movies in this franchise goes one masterpiece and a lot of mediocrity that followed. I have no reason to expect this movie will be good, but I'm sure it will be entertaining. All I care about is seeing some good DINO ACTION and you can't get that anywhere else but here.

9. ROSALINE

This movie has been in development hell for a little over a decade now. After I fell in love with (500) Days of Summer, I always kept a close eye on what the writing team of Michael Weber & Scott Neustadter were working on. Rosaline, a retelling of the classic Romeo & Juliet story, this time told from the perspective of Romeo's ex was in development quickly after (500) Days but never seemed to take off. Many actresses had been attached to star over the years, but finally, it's happening with the always reliable Kaitlyn Dever in the titular role.

8. BLACK PHONE

I'm really excited to see Scott Derrickson's return to horror and his reunion with Ethan Hawke. Their previous collaboration, Sinister was one of the scariest horror movies of the last decade, so naturally, I can't wait to see what Black Phone has in store. The trailer was incredibly creepy and it looks really promising.

7. NOPE

Jordan Peele's third outing directing horror is sure to be another can't miss cinematic experience. Nothing is known about the plot so far, all we have to go off of is a very cryptic teaser poster and a solid cast. Here Peele once again reteams with Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out) as well as adding Steven Yeun (Minari) and Keke Palmer (Scream Queens).

6. MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 7

For the last few years (ever since Christopher McQuarrie began taking the helm), Mission Impossible has been one of the most reliable franchises around. Fallout was an insanely perfect action film and I can't wait to see how Cruise and McQuarrie try to top it. Tom Cruise's dedication to this role and the franchise, as well as the incredible stunts he's willing to do for it, are truly incredible.

5. SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE PART ONE

Spider-man: Into the Spider-verse was one of the nicest surprises of 2018, so I'm really excited to see a follow-up. I opted to forgo watching the trailer, though I heard a lot of very positive reactions. I'm loving the confidence to boldly declare this film a part one and I hope it delivers. With Phil Lord and Christopher Miller involved with anything, I expect greatness.

4. THE NORTHMAN

Robert Eggers (The Witch, The Lighthouse) is back, this time with an incredibly stacked cast including Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Nicole Kidman, and Ethan Hawke. The trailer for this looks absolutely fantastic (though maybe gave a little too much away). The Witch was one of my favorite horror movies ever, while The Lighthouse was so ambitious I found myself admiring it more than really connecting with it. The Northman looks like it brings the strengths of Eggers's first two films and meets somewhere in the middle. I'm also really excited to see him reteam with Anya-Taylor Joy. She's become a bonafide star since The Witch, and I'm excited to see her work with the director who discovered her once again.

3. BABYLON

As I said, so many of my favorite directors seem to have movies coming out this year and Damien Chazelle is yet another. It's pretty incredible to have two masterpieces under his belt already with Whiplash and La La Land, so essentially anything Damien Chazelle is working on is high on my radar. Though I was a bit underwhelmed with First Man, his follow-up Babylon has a pretty insane cast it's hard not to have really high hopes. With Brad Pitt, Tobey Maguire, Margot Robbie, Katherine Waterston, Olivia Wilde, and Samara Weaving, Babylon has got a lot working in its favor...even if I have no idea what it's about.

2. THE BATMAN

Does the world need another gritty Batman film? Maybe not since Christopher Nolan's trilogy is so perfect...but since The Dark Knight Rises is turning ten this year, there's really no time like the present to get back in the batmobile and go for another round! But what really has me excited this time is having Matt Reeves behind the wheel who is a more than worthy successor. His Planet of the Apes films were some of the best blockbusters of the past decade and I will absolutely not bet against him. The latest trailers for this look incredibly strong and this film looks like it could be every bit as great as the movies Nolan created.

1. DISAPPOINTMENT BLVD.

Of all the talented directors who have new films in 2022, the one whose movie I'm most looking forward to seeing would have to be Ari Aster. Hereditary has to be one of the strongest most assured debuts of a director I've ever seen, and Midsommer was an incredibly strong follow-up which made me only more impressed with his talents. Disappointment Blvd is described as a comedy, drama, horror film, and coming from his mind I can only imagine what that might entail. Here Aster has tapped Joaquin Phoenix to star and I can't imagine a more perfect pairing. Though there's no firm release date, I eagerly await its premiere.

Honestly, that's just scratching the surface because there are so many more exciting movies coming our way. So long live cinema and have a happy new year!