Cannes 2022: upcoming movies that are a must watch

Schenelle Dsouza

The biggest film festival of the year, Cannes is the perfect opportunity to appreciate cinema that goes beyond public entertainment. It is an opportunity to appreciate the art and creativity that goes into filmmaking while awarding the best. The most prized possession, the Palme d’Or award, is one to look out for. It is handed at the end of the festival to the jurors’ choice for the best film.

Like every year, this year too sees a whole lot of movies across all genres, each a masterpiece in its own right. Picking out a select few, here’s a list of eight movies to watch out for!

Armageddon Time

While the film’s title might lead you to think about sci-fi dramas like Ad Astra or The Lost City of Z, Armageddon Time is a family drama film. Directed by James Gray, the movie has a star-studded cast with Anne Hathaway, Anthony Hopkins and Jeremy Strong in lead roles. A semi-autobiography, the movie tells the story of a family living in Queens, tracing conversations about strong familial bonds, the general pursuit of the American Dream, and life in general in 1980s New York.

Release date: May 19

Broker

Director Hirokazu Kore-eda, best known for winning the Palme d’Or award in 2018 for Shoplifters, returns to Cannes with another powerful tearjerker. Broker concerns itself with South Korea’s infamous business called “baby boxes,” where parents anonymously drop their (unwanted) infants to be cared for by others. Starring acclaimed actor Song Kang-Ho from Parasite, the movie traces the story of those working with the so-called baby boxes.

Release date: June 8

Crimes of the Future

Amidst the expansive horror genre, gore is by far one of the eeriest spectres to watch. A fine example of gory horror films is Director David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future, which gives us a hypothetical peek into the future of human evolution. The movie follows the story of Viggo Mortensen’s character Saul Tenser, a performance artist who demonstrates the metamorphosis of his organs through his performances. All the while, a mysterious group uses Saul’s notoriety to showcase what the future of human evolution might look like. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux and Scott Speedman. Those with a light stomach might want to watch what they eat before sitting for this one.

Release date: May 25

Decision to Leave

South Korean director Park Chan-wook is a murder-mystery genius. Making a comeback after his last directorial The Handmaiden in 2016, Chan-wook brings back the mystery with Decision to Leave. Adding to the suspense of the story is a remote mountainscape, where a detective (Park Hae-il) looks for answers about a dead man only to run into his mysterious wife (Tang Wei), who becomes his prime suspect. Mystery buffs can expect it all — haunting scores, tensions and plenty of unexpected twists and turns.

Release date: May 23

Elvis

Directed by Baz Luhrmann of The Great Gatsby, Elvis is the grand biopic of the king of rock and roll. Upcoming stars Austing Butler and Olivia DeJonge play the lead roles of Elvis and Priscilla Presley, and the movie is told from Presley’s manager Colonel Tom Parker’s (played by Tom Hanks) viewpoint. It takes you on a ride through the glitz and glamour of the 70s reigned by Elvis Presley.

Release date: June 24

Men

Alex Garland combines horror, science fiction and gore, all in one. His latest creation, ‘Men’ is equal parts creepy and scary. The movie stars Oscar nominee Jessie Buckley playing the role of a widow who travels to the countryside to recover from the death of her husband. Soon enough she finds herself being stalked by the men in the village who seem to share a resemblance with one another.

Release Date: May 20

Showing Up

Showing Up is the fourth collaboration between director Kelly Reichardt and actress Michelle Williams. The movie can be seen as a quiet masterpiece that trails sculptor Lizzie’s journey as an artist. As she prepares for what is to be a career-changing exhibition for her, Lizzie continues to struggle to find a balance between her creative life and daily dramas, whilst waiting for inspiration to strike. In addition to Williams, the movie also features André 3000, Hong Chau, Judd Hirsch and Amanda Plummer.

Release date: May 27

Stars at Noon

Based on the book with the same name, Stars at Noon is Claire Denis’ comeback to Cannes after her 1988 debut Chocolat. The romantic thriller stars Joe Alwyn and Margaret Qualley in lead roles. Taking place in 1980s Nicaragua, the story follows a young American journalist Trish and a mysterious English businessman Daniel. The two meet and fall in love, but are forced to escape the country during the peak of the revolution in Nicaragua.

Release date: May 25

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