With cinemas starting to resemble their pre-pandemic selves, with theatergoers steadily returning to their popcorn-lined seats, 2022 has turned out to be a stellar year for big-screen film releases. Now, rounding the corner to the final stretch of the year–awards season, people!–it seems like many filmmakers have saved the best for last.
From long-awaited sequels like Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, to drama-swarmed releases like Don’t Worry, Darling (sorry, Miss Flo), this fall is shaping up to be a promising season for new releases. If you’ve already been planning out your Oscars betting bracket for this year or are just diligently adding to your Letterboxd reviews that no one reads–don’t lose steam just yet. Whether you’re a superhero junkie, thriller connoisseur, or just plain enjoy a well-told story, here are some of the most anticipated releases of the fall season.
1. The Woman King
Release Date: September 16
Gina Prince-Bythewood’s latest work is a historical drama about the 17th to 19th-century military regiment known as the Agojie. Defending the West African kingdom of Dahomey, the Aogjie was an all-women unit that emerged due to high male casualty rates. In The Woman King, Viola Davis stars as Nanisca, an Agojie general tasked with preparing a new generation of warriors for an upcoming battle, as colonization encroaches on their community.
2. Blonde
Release Date: September 16
Blonde, the latest of many mainstream biopics to hit theaters this year, has received mixed reviews, which cite Andrew Dominik’s direction and screenplay. However, Ana de Armas’s take on the iconic Marilyn Monroe seems to have wowed critics. Based on Joyce Carol Oates’s novel of the same name, Blonde shows the dark sides of Monroe’s life just outside of the limelight.
3. Don’t Worry Darling
Release Date: September 23
To the shock (and occasional glee!) of those following the hype surrounding Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde’s upcoming blockbuster isn’t playing so well with critics. However, the publicity nightmare swarming the film’s press cycle will likely draw in hoards of theatergoers one opening weekend.
Let’s talk about Don’t Worry Darling‘s actual plot. The film follows housewife Alice (Florence Pugh) as she discovers that the seemingly utopian life she shares with her husband (Harry Styles) might hold deeply sinister secrets. As for the off-screen plot, well… check Twitter.
4. Tár
Release Date: October 7
Little is known about Tár besides brief synopses and what we can deduce from its trailer. However, many critics believe that Cate Blanchett may be on her way to her next Oscar with her performance as Lydia Tár–a fictional German classical composer and conductor, whose power seems to lead her too close to the sun.
5. Till
Release Date: October 14
Chinonye Chukwu’s Till shows how one of the greatest tragedies in American history led Mamie Till-Mobley (played by Daniella Deadwyler), mother of Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall), to become a major activist and educator in the Civil Rights Movement following the lynching of her son in 1955.
The making of the film involved a great emphasis on historical accuracy, with Emmett Till’s cousin, Simeon Wright, serving as a consultant on the project. Plus, Keith Beauchamp–whose 27 years of research on Emmett’s murder led the U.S. Department of Justice to reopen the case–serves as co-producer.
6. Decision to Leave
Release Date: October 14
The latest work of South Korean director Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden) packs in many of his signature staples–with a dark plot, stunning cinematography, and an unconventional romance. Decision to Leave, which recently earned Park Best Director at Cannes, offers a refreshing take on the film noir genre. The romantic thriller follows a detective whose murder investigation in the mountains unexpectedly leads him to fall in love with the victim’s widow.
7. Black Adam
Release Date: October 21
Serving as a spinoff to DC’s 2019 film, Shazam!, Black Adam sees Dwayne Johnson become the titular antihero, along with the introduction of the Justice Society of America. Released from prison after 5,000 years, Black Adam must learn to ditch his villainous ways when the JSA recruits him to fight a common enemy.
8. Weird: The Al Yankovic Story
Release Date: November 4
While Daniel Radcliffe’s induction into the pop culture zeitgeist as Harry Potter could have easily led the actor onto a path of mainstream blockbuster stardom, Radcliffe has instead taken the path less traveled–tackling oddball projects like Swiss Army Man and various theater productions. However, much like his boy who lived origins, Radcliffe’s unconventional filmography has proved to be immortal to flops. His latest project, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, seems to be no exception.
Serving as an origin story to comedian and performer Weird Al Yankovic’s career, Weird takes the opportunity to lampoon the biopic genre with a seriously unserious tone.
9. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Release Date: November 11
Choosing not to recast the late Chadwick Boseman’s lead role as T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever will portray the kingdom of Wakanda in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. Many actors from the original Black Panther cast will reprise their roles, such as Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, and Danai Gurira–along with new arrivals. (Michaela Coel!)
10. The Fabelmans
Release Date: November 11
The film bros will inherit the earth this fall, with a semi-autobiographical film from maestro Steven Spielberg gracing our screens. Loosely based on Spielberg’s upbringing, and written with frequent collaborator Tony Kushner, The Fabelmans sees a young boy turn to his love of films when coping with a shocking revelation of a family secret. Gabriel LaBelle stars as young Sammy Fabelman, with his supporting cast including Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Seth Rogan, and Judd Hirsch.