Summer 2022 Movie Preview: 50 Must-See Films To Watch - Page 2 of 5

“Downton Abbey: A New Era”
A follow-up to the 2019 feature film in which the Crawley family and Downton staff received a royal visit from the King and Queen of Great Britain, ‘A New Era’ sees the Duchess come into possession of a villa in the south of France. Original cast members Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and Elizabeth McGovern will be joined by Dominic West, Laura Haddock, Hugh Dancy, and Nathalie Baye
Release Date: May 20, 2022, via Universal Pictures.

“Top Gun: Maverick”
Having been postponed to “allow production to work out the complex flight sequences” and then being delayed further by the pandemic, the highly anticipated “Top Gun: Maverick” finally premiered at CinemaCon on April 28, 2022. Tom Cruise and Val Kilmer reprise their roles from the 1986 film and are joined by Miles Teller, Jennifer Connelly, Jon Hamm, Glen Powell, Lewis Pullman, and Ed Harris. 
Release Date: May 27, 2022, via Paramount Pictures.

“The Tsugua Diaries”
Portuguese filmmaker Miguel Gomes is part playful mischievous trickster, part poetic surrealist, and he is joined by French filmmaker Maureen Fazendeiro for “The Tsugua Diaries” to make a pandemic set meta movie about filmmaking during a pandemic. But this is no “The Bubble,” it’s told backwards, and equally hypnotic, insightful and funny (read our review).
Release Date: Begins in NY limited release on May 27 and then expands from there, via KimStim Films.

“The Bob’s Burgers Movie” 
We don’t know what path “The Bob’s Burgers Movie” will take, but we do know that it will be an “animated, big-screen, musical comedy-mystery-adventure.” All the Belchers will be in the film, as well as many popular recurring characters including Mr. Front, Hugo, Felix, and Sergeant Bosco. 
Release Date: May 27, 2022, via 20th Century Studios and Fox Animation Studios.

Also in May: Hong Sang-soo‘s “In Front of Your Face” (May 6), Gaspar Noé‘s “Lux Æterna” (May 6), Michelangelo Frammartino‘s “Il Buco” (May 13), Eskil Vogt‘s “Innocents” ( May 13) Amazon‘s Sundance coming of age film, “Emergency” (May 20), Hulu‘s “The Valet” (May 20), Jonas Carpignano‘s “A Chiara” (May 27), the Soundcloud rapper doc “Look At Me: XXXTENTACION” (May 26) Read our 15 Films In May feature for more details on these films.

“Crime Of The Future”
As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations, aka it’s a new David Cronenberg body horror film. After 8 long years away from movies, Cronenberg returns with a dystopic, futuristic view of his favorite topic with stars like Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart as well as Scott Speedman and Don McKellar. A premiere in Cannes in competition is yet another extra great sign.
Release Date: June 3, via Neon Films.

“Watcher”
Already beloved in the horror world for her fan-favorite segment in “V/H/S/ 94” called “Storm Drain,” Chloe Okuno’s debut feature, “Watcher” is a chilling look at alienation, paranoia, and stalkers. The film stars Maika Monroe (“It Follows”), Burn Gorman (“Crimson Peak”), and Karl Glusman (“Love”) and centers on an American couple who moves to Romania, and how the wife who doesn’t speak the language (Monroe), is deeply isolated, estranged and susceptible to creepers (read our review).
Release Date: June 3, 2022, via IFC Films.

“Eiffel”
“Eiffel” centers on legendary engineer Gustave Effel (Romain Duris) while he is finishing the collaboration on the Statue of Liberty and being pressured by the French government to design something phenomenal for the Paris World Fair. Directed by Martin Bourboulon Eiffel, the film is a hybrid of documentary, drama, and romance. Alongside Duris, the film stars Emma Mackey, Pierre Deladonchamp, and Alexandre Steiger.
Release Date: June 3, 2022, via Blue Fox Entertainment.

“Benediction”
Starring Jack Lowden and Peter Capaldi as the younger and older versions of Siegfried Sassoon, “Benediction” premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is now being released nationwide. Siegfried Sassoon was a poet who gained popularity for his poems inspired by his experiences in the first world war but struggled with the secret of his homosexuality. The film is written and directed by Terence Davies and stars Calam Lynch, Kate Phillips, Tom Blyth, and Julian Sands alongside Lowden and Capaldi (read our review).
Release Date: June 3, 2022, via Roadside Attractions.

“Fire Island”
Inspired by “Pride and Prejudice,” “Fire Island” is a modern-day rom-com about two best friends who have set out to have an epic summer full of debauchery with the help of their friends and cheap wine. Screenwriter Joel Kim Booster stated that the film was originally supposed to premiere on the short-lived streaming platform Quibi as a series, but when Quibi shut down, Fox Searchlight saved the series and expanded it to a film. 
Release Date: June 3, 2022, via Hulu.

“Jurassic World Dominion” 
Dinosaurs now live, and hunt, among humans all over the world. In this final installment of the new “Jurassic World” trilogy, we will see two generations come together as Chris Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard team up with experts Jeff Goldblum and Laura Dern to see who will remain at the top of the food chain. Other returning cast members are Daniella Pineda, Justice Smith, Isabella Sermon, B. D. Wong, and Sam Neill.
Release Date: June 10, 2022, via Universal Pictures.