The Most Anticipated Movies From Cannes Film Festival 2022

The 75th annual Cannes Film Festival will take place between May 17 and May 28 2022 and will host an array of highly-anticipated films. Cannes Film Festival is revered as one of the most prestigious in the world and has been partly responsible for launching the careers of prestigious filmmakers, such as Quentin Tarantino and Guillermo del Toro after their movies performed well at the festival. Although the jury for this year’s festival has not yet been announced, last year it was led by Spike Lee and other members including Maggie Gyllenhaal and Mélanie Laurant.

Along with awards for the best director, actress, actor, and screenplay, Cannes Film Festival has three separate awards for films. They are the Jury Prize, the Grand Prize, and the most prestigious is the Palme d’Or which is awarded to the best film. Previous winners of the award are Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite, Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Although the 2020 edition of the festival was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic, the 2021 Palme d’Or was awarded to Julia Ducournau’s Titane.

There are 18 films competing for awards at 2022’s Cannes Film Festival. They include movies from new and returning auteurs from every corner of the world, meaning that the festival is arguably a much better celebration of world cinema than the Academy Awards. Despite the majority of the competition being led by films that are not in the English language, this year’s Cannes lineup does include movies that will likely be large hits with Western audiences. One disappointment from this year’s line-up is the absence of a new rumored film from Dune director David Lynch, who claimed that he does not have any projects in development. Regardless of that disappointment, there are many films at Cannes for film lovers to be excited about, and here are all of the most anticipated movies from the Cannes Film Festival 2022.

Z – Michel Hazanavicius

French director Michel Hazanavicius is best known for his 2011 movie The Artist, which swept up several awards at the Academy Awards including Best Picture. The Artist may appear unapproachable at first glance due to the movie being mostly silent and shot in black and white, however, it is heart-warming and more importantly, hilarious. Hazanavicius’ upcoming film Z is another comedy but works in a completely different ballpark from The Artist. Z (also known as Final Cut) is a zombie comedy film that is a remake of Shinichirou Ueda’s Japanese film One Cut of the Dead, which received great acclaim upon release. Due to the accessibility of zombie films, Z may be an opportunity for Hazanavicius to introduce himself to wider audiences and if it’s anywhere near as revered as Ueda’s movie, it is sure to be a hit.

Decision to Leave – Park Chan-wook

Decision to Leave is an upcoming mystery film by South Korean master Park Chan-wook. Chan-wook is best known for the Vengeance Trilogy, which included Oldboy, and his 2016 erotic thriller The Handmaiden – all of which demonstrate his penchant for violence and morally ambivalent characters. Decision to Leave stars Park Hae-il (Memories of Murder) and Lee Jung-hyun (Peninsula) among others, and charts a detective that investigates a murder and falls for the widow, who is also the prime suspect in the crime. If Decision to Leave is anything like Park Chan-wook’s previous movies there will surely be many twists and eccentricities along the way. Decision to Leave has been selected to compete for 2022’s Palme d’Or.

Elvis – Baz Luhrmann

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic will feature Austin Butler (Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) in the titular role, along with a strong supporting cast that includes Tom Hanks, and Kodi Smit-McPhee, and Stranger Things‘ Dacre Montgomery. The trailer for Elvis promises that the film will chart the entire life of the King of Rock ‘n Roll, and director Baz Luhrmann said that he hopes the film will “paint a canvas of American life in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.” Luhrmann has proved his ability to work with huge stars and convincingly depict historical periods with his previous efforts, such as The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge, and Romeo + Juliet. The director’s stylized vision should blend well with Elvis‘ story and Butler’s singing, and the film currently has a release date of June 24, 2022.

Top Gun: Maverick – Joseph Kosinski

After a seemingly eternal wait for the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick will finally release on May 27, 2022, shortly after showing at Cannes. The release of Top Gun: Maverick was delayed several times as a result of COVID-19 complications and Paramount waiting for the summer to ensure the film will make a big splash at the box office. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer will reprise their roles from the original movie and will be joined by newcomers Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly. Top Gun director Tony Scott was originally penned to return before his tragic death by suicide. Since then, Oblivion and Tron: Legacy director Joseph Kosinski stepped into the director’s chair. After years of delays, audiences will be equally relieved and ecstatic to finally see Top Gun: Maverick on the big screen.

Armageddon Time – James Gray

Ad Astra director James Gray will debut his latest film Armageddon Time at Cannes 2022, where it shall also compete for the Palme d’Or. Although little is known of the plot of Armageddon Time, it is said to be a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of 1980s America. Originally Robert DeNiro, Oscar Isaac, and Cate Blanchett were supposed to star in the film, but they have since left the project. Nonetheless, the movie still boasts an impressive roster that includes Anne Hathaway, Jeremy Strong, and Anthony Hopkins.

Three Thousand Years of Longing – George Miller

George Miller has never been afraid to work within different genres. The Happy Feet director’s most recent film is the action masterpiece Mad Max: Fury Road, demonstrating Miller’s ability to shine regardless of his audience or subject matter. This makes his upcoming film Three Thousand Years of Longing especially exciting. The film has been described as a romantic fantasy that is epic in scope and stars Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton in the lead roles. Three Thousand Years of Longing will tell the story of a scholar who encounters a Djinn (a supernatural being in Islamic mythology that is often anglicized as a demon or genie), who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

Crimes of the Future – David Cronenberg

Crimes of the Future is a body-horror movie directed by the Baron of Blood, David Cronenberg, a pioneer of the body-horror genre. Although Cronenberg first rose to prominence with his body-horror efforts The Fly and Shivers, he has since explored other genres with films such as Eastern Promises, A History of Violence, and Crash (which won the Special Jury Prize at Cannes Film Festival in 1996). Cronenberg has reunited with actor Viggo Mortensen for the film, which also stars Kristen Stewart and Léa Seydoux. Previously, Cronenberg made a movie called Crimes of the Future in 1970, however, the film was generally reviewed negatively and his latest outing is said to not be a remake of his 1970 effort. Regardless, it will be exciting to see Cronenberg back operating in the horror genre that made him a household name.

The Stars At Noon – Claire Denis

The Stars at Noon is Claire Denis’ second movie of 2022 after Both Sides of the Blade debuted at the Berlin International Film Festival in February and earned Denis the Silver Bear for Best Director. The Stars at Noon will star Margaret Qualley and be Denis’ second English language film after 2018’s High Life, starring Robert Pattinson. Like High Life, The Stars at Noon will be distributed by indie powerhouse A24. The movie is an adaptation of Denis Johnson’s novel of the same name and will chart the romance between a mysterious English businessman and an American journalist as they attempt to escape Nicaragua during the Nicaraguan Revolution. Denis has established herself as one of the world’s leading directors and The Stars at Noon should prove her abilities once more.

Broker – Hirokazu Kore-eda

Hirokazu Kore-eda is best known for his touching 2018 drama Shoplifters which won the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival that year. Kore-eda’s success at the festival does not end there, he also won the Jury Prize in 2013 for Like Father, Like Son. His previous accomplishments at Cannes mean that his latest film Broker is one of the frontrunners for this year’s Palme d’Or. Although Hirokazu Kore-eda is a Japanese filmmaker, Broker is a South Korean film and will be his second film in a row to not be in his native language, after he directed the French film The Truth in 2019. Most often compared to Japanese master Yasukirō Ozu, Kore-eda’s latest film will tell another story that examines the intricacies of personal and family relationships.

Showing Up – Kelly Reichardt

Showing Up will be Kelly Reichardt’s first film to compete for the Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival. Showing Up will be Reichardt’s fourth collaboration with actress Michelle Williams, and will also star Hong Chau and André 3000. Whilst the minimalist indie filmmaker has never directed a film that has made much of a dent at the box office, Reichardt’s filmography has always been appreciated by critics and festival bodies.

Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind – Ethan Coen

The upcoming documentary Jerry Lee Lewis: Trouble in Mind will be Ethan Coen’s first solo directorial outing, after his brother Joel Coen also released his first solo effort The Tragedy of Macbeth last year. Together, the Coen Brothers have become two of the most influential directors of the last thirty years with movies like Fargo, No Country For Old Men, and The Big Lebowski. The documentary is based on the American singer-songwriter Jerry Lee Lewis, who has been hailed as a pioneer of rock n roll and rockabilly music. Although Ethan Coen was reportedly taking a break from cinema to focus on theatre, the upcoming documentary is a pleasant surprise that will showcase his talents in a new medium. The film will not be competing for any awards, however, as it is scheduled to be a “special screening” at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.