Matt writes: The best film I have seen thus far in 2022 is Audrey Diwan's Golden Lion-winner, "Happening," starring Anamaria Vartolomei in an extraordinary performance as a young women seeking an abortion in France during the 1960s, when it was illegal. Our critic Tomris Laffly awarded the film four stars, while our contributor Katie Rife interviewed Diwan and Vartolomei. Read their complete conversation here.

Trailers

Avatar: The Way of Water (2022). Directed by James Cameron. Written by James Cameron and Josh Friedman. Starring Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Kate Winslet. Synopsis: Jake Sully lives with his newfound family formed on the planet of Pandora. Once a familiar threat returns to finish what was previously started, Jake must work with Neytiri and the army of the Na'vi race to protect their planet. Debuts in the US on December 16th, 2022.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (2022). Directed by Eric Appel. Written by Eric Appel and 'Weird Al' Yankovic. Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Evan Rachel Wood, Rainn Wilson. Synopsis: Explores every facet of Yankovic's life, from his meteoric rise to fame with early hits like 'Eat It' and 'Like a Surgeon' to his torrid celebrity love affairs and famously depraved lifestyle. US release date is TBA.

Bodies Bodies Bodies (2022). Directed by Halina Reijn. Written by Kristen Roupenian, Sarah DeLappe, Chloe Okuno, Joshua Sharp and Aaron Jackson. Starring Rachel Sennott, Amandla Stenberg, Maria Bakalova. Synopsis: When a group of rich 20-somethings plan a hurricane party at a remote family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong. Debuts in the US on August 5th, 2022.

A Chiara (2022). Written and directed by Jonas Carpignano. Starring Swamy Rotolo, Claudio Rotolo, Grecia Rotolo. Synopsis: Follows the story of 15-year-old Chiara whose close-knit family falls apart after her father abandons them in Calabria. Debuts in the US May 27th, 2022.

Crimes of the Future (2022), red band trailer. Written and directed by David Cronenberg. Starring Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Viggo Mortensen. Synopsis: A deep dive into the not-so-distant future in which humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. This evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, which alters their biological makeup. Debuts in the US on June 2nd, 2022.

Don't Worry Darling (2022). Directed by Olivia Wilde. Written by Katie Silberman, Carey Van Dyke and Shane Van Dyke. Starring Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Olivia Wilde. Synopsis: A 1950s housewife living with her husband in a utopian experimental community begins to worry that his glamorous company may be hiding disturbing secrets. Debuts in the US on September 23rd, 2022.

Decision to Leave (2022). Directed by Park Chan-wook. Written by Park Chan-wook and Seo-kyeong Jeong. Starring Tang Wei, Go Kyung-Pyo, Park Hae-il. Synopsis: A detective investigating a man's death in the mountains meets the dead man's mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing. US release date is TBA.

Miracle (2022). Written and directed by Bogdan George Apetri. Starring Ioana Bugarin, Emanuel Parvu, Cezar Antal. Synopsis: A young nun sneaks out of her monastery to attend an urgent matter but never makes it back and a police detective's investigation into her fate, uncovers clues and revelations that lead not only to the truth but a miracle as well. Debuts in the US on June 3rd, 2022.

Easter Sunday (2022). Directed by Jay Chandrasekhar. Written by Ken Cheng. Starring Jo Koy, Lydia Gaston, Brandon Wardell. Synopsis: Set around a family gathering to celebrate Easter Sunday, the comedy will be based on Jo Koy's life experiences and stand-up comedy. Debuts in the US on August 5th, 2022.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris (2022). Directed by Anthony Fabian. Written by Anthony Fabian, Carroll Cartwright, Keith Thompson and Olivia Hetreed (based on the novel by Paul Gallico). Starring Lesley Manville, Jason Isaacs, Isabelle Huppert. Synopsis: A widowed cleaning lady in 1950s London falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. Debuts in the US on July 15th, 2022.

Emergency (2022). Directed by Carey Williams. Written by K.D. Dávila. Starring RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, Sebastian Chacon. Synopsis: Ready for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation. Debuts in the US on May 20th, 2022.

Il Buco (2022). Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino. Written by Michelangelo Frammartino and Giovanna Giuliani. Starring Claudia Candusso, Paolo Cossi, Mila Costi. Synopsis: The extraordinary adventure of the young members of the Piedmont Speleological Group who, having already explored all the caves of Northern Italy, changed course in August 1961 and went South to explore other caves unknown to man. US release date is TBA.

Eiffel (2022). Directed by Martin Bourboulon. Written by Caroline Bongrand, Thomas Bidegain, Natalie Carter, Martin Bourboulon and Martin Brossollet. Starring Romain Duris, Emma Mackey, Pierre Deladonchamps. Synopsis: The government is asking Eiffel to design something spectacular for the 1889 Paris World Fair, but Eiffel simply wants to design the subway. Suddenly, everything changes when Eiffel crosses paths with a mysterious woman from Arun's past. US release date is TBA.

George Carlin's American Dream (2022). Directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio. Synopsis: Interviews with George Carlin's family and friends, material from his stand-up specials and footage from his personal archive. Debuts on HBO Max on May 20th, 2022.

The Valet (2022). Directed by Richard Wong. Written by Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg (based on the original screenplay by Francis Veber). Starring Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield. Synopsis: A movie star enlists a parking valet at a Beverly Hills restaurant to pose as her lover to cover for her relationship with a married man. Debuts on Hulu on May 20th, 2022.

On the Count of Three (2022), red band trailer. Directed by Jerrod Carmichael. Written by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch. Starring Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish. Synopsis: A darkly comic feature about two best friends, Val and Kevin, on the last day of their lives. Debuts in the US on May 13th, 2022.

The Black Phone (2022). Directed by Scott Derrickson. Written by Scott Derrickson and C. Robert Cargill (based on the short story by Joe Hill). Starring Ethan Hawke, Jeremy Davies, James Ransone. Synopsis: After being abducted by a child killer and locked in a soundproof basement, a 13-year-old boy starts receiving calls on a disconnected phone from the killer's previous victims. Debuts in the US on June 24th, 2022.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (2022). Directed by Deborah Chow. Written by Joby Harold, Stuart Beattie, Hossein Amini, Hannah Friedman and Andrew Stanton (based on characters created by George Lucas). Starring Ewan McGregor, Hayden Christensen, Joel Edgerton. Synopsis: Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi watches over young Luke Skywalker and evades the Empire's elite Jedi hunters during his exile on the desert planet Tatooine. Debuts on Disney+ on May 27th, 2022.

Chicago Critics Film Festival 2022

Matt writes: Our Managing Editor Brian Tallerico provides an enticing preview of his 2022 Chicago Critics Film Festival, which runs from Friday, May 13th, through Thursday, May 19th, at the Music Box Theatre. One of the many selections worth seeking out is Jamie Dack's brilliant debut feature, "Palm Trees and Power Lines," based on her short film of the same name, which can be viewed above.

Thora Birch on Her Directorial Debut

Matt writes: I recently had the honor of interviewing the marvelous actress Thora Birch ("American Beauty," "Ghost World") about her upcoming directorial debut, Lifetime's "The Gabby Petito Story," based on the real-life tragedy documented in Peacock's "The Murder of Gabby Petito: Truth, Lies and Social Media." You can read our conversation here.

Free Movies

Dr. Kildare's Strange Case (1940). Directed by Harold S. Bucquet. Written by Harry Ruskin and Willis Goldbeck. Starring Lew Ayres, Lionel Barrymore, Laraine Day. Synopsis: Young Dr. Kildare tries to help an unlucky brain surgeon and his seemingly insane patient.

Watch "Dr. Kildare's Strange Case"

The Monster of Piedras Blancas (1959). Directed by Irvin Berwick. Written by H. Haile Chace. Starring Les Tremayne, Forrest Lewis, John Harmon. Synopsis: The monster, which looks like a snarling "Creature from the Black Lagoon," invades a sleepy seaside town.

Watch "The Monster of Piedras Blancas"

A Real American Hero (1978). Directed by Lou Antonio. Written by Samuel A. Peeples. Starring Brian Dennehy, Forrest Tucker, Brian Kerwin. Synopsis: Tennessee Sheriff Buford Pusser attempts to stop a moonshiner whose bad liquor has blinded several teens.