Every A24 film that's still to come in 2022 (we think)

In theaters: September 30Paul Mescal is going to have a busy fall. Along with two other films, he appears in this drama about the relationship between a mother and her son and how it impacts the remote Irish fishing village where they live. Emily Watson plays the mother, who welcomes back her prodigal son (Mescal) after he’s spent time living abroad. But not long after he returns he’s accused of sexually assaulting her co-worker. Her choice to cover for him with a seemingly inconsequential lie born out of fierce motherly love causes a ripple effect in the seaside village that threatens to tear the community apart.

In theaters: October 14Based on Denis Johnson’s novel of the same name, is a romantic thriller from French director Claire Denis (Beau Travail). Although the book was set during the Nicaraguan revolution in the ’80s, the film updates the setting to modern-day Nicaragua in the midst of the pandemic lockdown. It amounts to the same dilemma, though, for an American journalist (Margaret Qualley) who finds herself stuck there. She turns to an English businessman (Joe Alwyn) for help getting out, and the two fall into the sort of brief but intense love affair you can only have with someone you barely know. The film was a co-winner of the Grand Prix at Cannes, where A24 scooped it up.

In theaters: October 21Oh look, it’s Paul Mescal again. This time he’s a single father taking his 11-year-old daughter Sophie (Francesca Corio) on a holiday in Turkey. That story is woven together with scenes of Sophie as a grown woman (Celia Rowlson-Hall), looking back on the trip years later as she sorts through the complicated puzzle of memories and emotions she didn’t understand at the time. The film focuses on her struggle to reconcile the sweet, slightly awkward dad she knew with the dark, damaged man she would come to realize he was. By all accounts this is a strong debut from first-time filmmaker Charlotte Wells, who wrote and directed. Having Barry Jenkins on board as a producer doesn’t hurt its pedigree either.

Streaming on Apple TV+: November 4Another first-time filmmaker, Lila Neugebaurer, makes her debut with Causeway later this year. Jennifer Lawrence, also a producer on the film, gives an intimate and mesmerizing performance as an Afghanistan vet who returns home after a traumatic brain injury. She halfheartedly tries to adjust to civilian life, but really she’s just biding her time until she can return to the battlefield. That is, until she meets a mechanic played by the equally great Brian Tyree Henry, who connects to her through his own trauma. The quiet, gentle pace of the film, shot with a meticulous eye for tone and detail, and backed by an emotional, ambient score, make this film pure indie cinema at its best.

In theaters: November 18This semi-autobiographical film from writer-director Elegance Bratton follows the story of a young gay Black man (Jeremy Pope) who enlists in the Marines after his homophobic mother (Gabrielle Union) rejects him. Although it’s set during the era of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” (when Bratton himself was in The Corps), and doesn’t shy away from the uglier aspects of military training and bullying, it actually has a positive message about finding a place to belong. Bratton describes it as “a pro-troop film, not a pro-military film.” He also cites Claire Denis’ Beau Trevail (see above) as an inspiration. Now that’s corporate synergy.

In theaters: December 9What can we say about The Whale? If you’ve heard anything about the film, from director Darren Aronofsky, you probably have an opinion already. Brendan Fraser’s name keeps popping up in the Oscar conversation and we dare you not to be moved by his tears when he received at this year’s Venice International Film Festival. But amid the excitement over the actor’s well-deserved comeback there are the thorny issues of the film’s subject matter, problematic representation, and accusations of fatphobia, not just within the film but in the press coverage too. Fraser donned a fat suit to portray Charlie, the film’s 600 pound gay protagonist, who longs to heal his relationship with his estranged daughter (Sadie Sink). This one will be divisive, no doubt, but can we at least agree that we’re all happy to see Fraser get some overdue recognition?