Continued from last time, here's the other half of my list of most anticipated films of 2022, this time featuring all the indie, arthouse, and foreign films. I want to caution here especially that there's no guarantee that these films will come out in 2022, since most of them don't have release dates and distribution is not a sure thing. Some may score bigger deals later, but for now these are the movies that I'm more worried about slipping off people's radar.
Everything Everywhere All at Once - Even if this were just a glum indie movie starring Michelle Yeoh, I'd be onboard, but because this is the latest film from the fabulous filmmaking duo Daniels, we're going to get so much more. I was moderately entertained by their debut, "Swiss Army Man," but this one looks like they're finally ready to unleash their full cinematic powers on unsuspecting audiences.
The Whale - Darren Aronofsky's latest film involves Brendan Fraser playing a 600 pound gay man trying to reconnect to his daughter, played by Sadie Sink. Samantha Morton and Hong Chau are also in the cast. This is based on a 2013 play, and being adapted by the original playwright, so I think we can safely rule out any "mother!" style antics. Still, this is Darren Aronofsky we're talking about so all bets are off.
Dual - Riley Stearns has had a fantastic track record so far, and I tend to love high concept, "Twilight Zone" -esque indie films. They get away with so much more. And it doesn't hurt that the cast is fabulous - Karen Gillan, Jesse Eisenberg, and Aaron Paul are in the mix, with Gillan playing a woman who has to fight her own clone to the death. How could I not be excited to see a film with a premise like that?
Next Goal Wins - I know that the whole Disney/Fox merger is still being sorted out, but where is this film? Principal photography wrapped back in January of 2020. I know they're swapping out Armie Hammer for Will Anett, how long could that possibly take? And Michael Fassbender hasn't been seen onscreen since 2019. I was kinda hoping this would be a comeback vehicle. Where is this film?
White Noise - Noah Baumbach has quietly become one of my favorite directors recently. His latest will star Adam Driver and Greta Gerwig in a satire about a small town's reaction to an environmental disaster, which touches off the main character's existential crisis. I haven't read the Don DeLillo novel that this is based on, but Baumbach sounds perfect for this kind of material.
Marcel the Shell With Shoes On - Jenny Slate is frequently heard in animated films because of her distinctive voice, so I guess it's not a surprise that she's written an animated character for herself, a little mollusc named Marcel. She and writer/director Dean Fleischer-Camp collaborated on a charming short film about Marcel a few years ago, and now a feature version is being prepped with A24.
Bones & All - Before we get Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka and more "Dune," he'll be starring in the latest Luca Guadagnino film with Taylor Russell. It's a love story featuring teenage cannibals. The YA novel source material has had very mixed reviews, but Guadagnino has demonstrated that he knows what he's doing and I trust he'll be able to deliver something memorably touching and horrific.
Infinity Pool - Speaking of horror, I wasn't the biggest fan of Brandon Cronenberg's last film, "Possessor," but the man has plenty of talent and I am very curious about his next film, about a romantic vacation gone wrong. It's a sci-fi thriller of some kind, starring Alexander Skarsgaard. The nature of the sci-fi and the thrills are yet unknown, but I expect the usual Cronenberg body horror in some capacity.
The Son - Florian Zeller's last film, "The Father," was a wonderful surprise that netted Anthony Hopkins an Oscar. That film was based on Zeller's own play, one of a thematic trilogy. Now he's adapted another, "The Son," starring Hugh Jackman and Laura Dern. Anthony Hopkins will also reportedly be in the film, though this is not a sequel to "The Father," having an entirely different set of characters.
"The Imaginary" - A cryptic trailer was released last year for the latest Studio Ponoc film. I really enjoyed their first feature, "Mary and the Witch's Flower," and I'm glad to see that they're tackling another. This one will be based on a book by A.F. Harrold, about an "imaginary friend," Rudger. It should help to tide me over until Miyazaki finishes "How Do you Live?" - currently looking at a 2023 release date.
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