2022 is not over yet, there are still a lot of films coming out soon. Whether they have already come out, are a long awaited sequel or Oscar contender here are 10 films you should watch out for.

“The Woman King”

Viola Davis stars as general Nanisca who trains an all-female army to fight an enemy. The Woman King is directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (“Beyond the Lights”, “Love & Basketball”) and is out in theaters as of Sept 16. 

From the previews, this film looks like a feminist action movie with a gritty tone to it. The tribe that Viola Davis leads is called The Agojie who fight to protect their kingdom from the Europeans.

“Don’t Worry Darling”

Alice (Florence Pugh) and Jack (Harry Styles) live happily in California in the 1950s. However the company Jack works for is hiding dark secrets. “Don’t Worry Darling” is directed by Olivia Wilde (“Booksmart”) and will be released in theaters on Sept 23. 

I imagine this if “Midsommar” was a thriller. They both focus on Florence Pugh in a beautiful and seemingly peaceful community, only to realize that everything is way darker than it seems. The trailers give enough information to entice the viewer without giving too much away.

“Amsterdam”

Three friends (Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington) become murder suspects. Also featuring an ensemble cast ranging from Mike Myers and Robert De Niro to Taylor Swift and Anya Taylor-Joy. Amsterdam is directed by David O. Russell (“Silver Linings Playbook,” “American Hustle”) and will be in theaters on Oct 7. 

I am anticipating seeing “Amsterdam” mainly because of the large ensemble cast and many of the performances here look like Oscar contenders; specifically from Christian Bale, Margot Robbie and John David Washington.

“Halloween Ends”

Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) faces Michael Myers in a final showdown once and for all. “Halloween Ends” is directed by David Gordon Green (“Halloween” (2018) “Halloween Kills”) and will be in theaters on Oct 14. 

It is crazy to believe that former WKU student John Carpenter made “Halloween” 44 years ago and it started a franchise that is coming to a close. After the release of “Halloween”, many slasher films were released such as “Friday the 13th”, “A Nightmare on Elm Street”, “Scream” etc.

“Till”

Based on the heartbreaking true story of the lynching of Emmett Till (Jalyn Hall) and the justice his mother (Danielle Deadwyler) pursued. “Till” is Directed by Chinonye Chukwu (“‘Clemency’”) and will be in theaters on Oct 14. 

Emmett Till was a 14 year old who went to Mississippi to visit his cousins. However, after being accused of offending a white woman in her store, he was abducted and lynched. Till’s mother hosted an open casket funeral to show the world what his killers did to her son. 

Till’s killers were tried and found not guilty. Till’s murder started the next phase of the civil rights movement. The Emmett Till antilynching Act was passed on March 29, 2022 by President Joe Biden which makes lynching a federal hate crime. This is an important story of American racism and injustice that should be seen.

“Black Adam”

5,000 years after his imprisonment, Black Adam (Dwayne Johnson) is out to do heroic stuff… or is he? Black Adam is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (“The Shallows, Jungle Cruise”) and will be in theaters on Oct 21. 

Black Adam is a DC antihero and this film will explore his backstory. The trailers looked very promising, so let’s hope that this film lives up to the hype.

“The Fabelmans”

A semi-autobiographical take on the childhood of Steven Spielberg himself. Starring Gabriel LaBelle, Michelle Williams, Paul Dano and Seth Rogen. The Fabelmans is directed by Steven Spielberg (“Jaws”, “Schindler’s List”, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Ready Player One”) and will be released in theaters on Nov 11.

Steven Spielberg is one of the greatest directors of all time and seeing how this is based on his childhood, it is going to be one very interesting story to tell. Spielberg was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. 

From the trailer, it looks like it is going to be something very special and personal. I am also curious to see Seth Rogen in a more serious role given that he is primarily known for doing comedies.

“She Said”

Jody Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) are two investigative journalists for The New York Times who uncover the sexual abuse allegations against Harvey Weinstein. She Said is directed by Maria Schrader (“I’m Your Man”) and will be in theaters on Nov 18.

Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey uncovered decades of sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. Weinstein was a major film producer and he and his brother, Bob, founded The Weinstein Company in 2005 after leaving Miramax. 

Shortly after the allegations in October 2017, Weinstein was fired from his own company and expelled from the Oscars. The Weinstein Company was shut down in July 2018. In February 2020, Weinstein was convicted and sentenced to 23 years in prison. 

The allegations sparked the #MeToo movement and sexual abuse allegations against several powerful men also took place. Anyone interested in journalism or social activism in general should go see this story about how two journalists started a powerful movement.

“Avatar: The Way of Water”

Set more than a decade after the events of the first “Avatar”, Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) start a family and the challenges they face. Avatar: The Way of Water is directed by James Cameron (“Avatar”, “Titanic”) and will be in theaters (finally!) on Dec 16. 

When “Avatar” came out, cinema was forever changed. It popularized 3D and it went on to become the highest grossing film of all time and it still holds that record today. It also went on to get nominated for nine Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director, winning three Oscars. 

The long awaited film took so long to produce because the technology needed had not been invented to shoot underwater sequences (which has never been done before). There are also three sequels currently being developed. 

When the first trailer came out, it looked like the 13 year wait was going to be worth it.

“Babylon” 

Set in 1920s Hollywood, during the rise of talkies. Starring Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, and Samara Weaving. “Babylon” is directed by Damien Chazelle (“Whiplash”, “La La Land”, “First Man”) and will be in theaters on Dec 25. 

The entire trailer was full of wild energy and if this is what the trailer gave us, I can only imagine what the rest of the movie will be like. Talkies are films with dialogue, they are the films we watch today. The first talkie film was “The Jazz Singer” in 1927. Since then numerous film studios transitioned into talkie films.

Linden Lansberry: Commentary writer Linden Lansberry can be reached at [email protected].