Worst2First: My Most Anticipated Films of Winter 2021-2022
Worst2First:
My Most Anticipated Films of Winter 2021-2022
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
**DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
#10
The King's Man
December 22
Matthew Vaughn's "Kingsman" movies have grossed over $800 million dollars worldwide, and made Taron Egerton a bonafide star. Taking the prequel route, Vaughn centers on the creation of the shady organization known as The Kingsman - a secret spy organization bent on saving the world from evil masterminds. "The King's Man" goes back to the start and focuses on Ralph Fiennes' Orlando and his new protege as they race against time to stop a gang of ruthless tyrants led by the famed Grigori Rasputin from destroying the world. This looks to be another great addition to the franchise, filled with the same dark humor, intense action, and stylized camerawork that's been a staple of the series since the start.
#9
Death On the Nile
February 11
Agatha Christie's work has been praised and performed throughout the decades, from television to stage to screen and everywhere in between, and everyone knows the name of the famed detective Hercule Poirot. 2017's "Murder On the Orient Express" was a huge success, and "Death On the Nile" was greenlit almost immediately, but due to the pandemic it sat on the shelf until now. When Kenneth Branagh's Poirot goes on a much-needed vacation aboard the S.S. Karnak, a murder aboard the ship turns him back into the world's foremost detective as he deduces who the murderer is. Boasting an all-star cast including Branagh, Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, and Letitia Wright, "Death On the Nile" looks to be another exciting whodunit feature based off Agatha Christie's timeless works.
#8
The Black Phone
February 4
Scott Derrickson not only delivered the Sorcerer Supreme in "Doctor Strange," but also crafted what scientists labeled "the most terrifying movie ever" with "Sinister." After departing "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" due to creative differences, he returned to his horror roots with "The Black Phone." Set in the 1970s, the movie finds a serial killer (played by Sinister star Ethan Hawke) who kidnaps and kills children recently abducting a new victim named Finney Shaw. Locked in a soundproof basement, Finney notices a black phone on the wall that's not connected to anything, but it goes off, and he is able to communicate with the souls of the killer's previous child victims who attempt to help him escape, while his sister on the outside has psychic visions of Finney's whereabouts. This looks to be a pulse-pounding horror action film that could rival Sinister in the fear scale.
#7
Nightmare Alley
December 17
Guillermo del Toro is an Oscar-winning director who's directed some of the most imaginative films in recent memory, including "The Shape of Water," "Pan's Labyrinth," and "The Orphanage" - and he returns behind the director's chair with his take on the classic 1947 film "Nightmare Alley." Not much is known about the film, and the trailer itself is rather mysterious, but the basic synopsis is that the film centers around an ambitious carney named Stan Carlisle (played by Bradley Cooper) who connects with a conniving psychiatrist (played by Cate Blanchett). Who knows how the film goes from there, but boasting an impressive cast including Cooper, Blanchett, Toni Collette, Willem Dafoe, Richard Jenkins, Rooney Mara and Ron Pearlman - along with some stunning cinematography and set designs - "Nightmare Alley" looks to be right up the alley of movie critics and awards-season hunters alike.
#6
The Matrix Resurrections
December 22
1999's "The Matrix" revolutionized action cinema and provided visuals that weren't seen on the big screen - or any screen - before. The film was a massive success and re-vitalized Keanu Reeves' career, but the two subsequent films resulted in less-than-stellar reviews and box office grosses. Thought long-dead, director Lana Wachowski surprised the world when she revealed that there would be another "Matrix" movie almost twenty years after the first. Keanu Reeves, Carrie Anne Moss and Jada Pinkett Smith return to the franchise and centers around Neo living a seemingly ordinary life before he's approached by Morpheus with a red pill-invitation back to the Matrix. I'm cautiously optimistic that this will go over well, but with the memory of the last two subpar sequels still fresh in my mind, I'm more cautious than optimistic. #5
Uncharted
February 18
Apart from his stint as Spider-Man, Tom Holland really hasn't had a bonafide hit to his name, with films like "Cherry" and "Chaos Walking" becoming box office bombs. Maybe he's already been typecast as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and "Uncharted" will hopefully turn him into a deeper action star - or comparisons to Peter Parker will be numerous. Based on the worldwide best-selling video game franchise, "Uncharted" serves as a prequel focusing on a young Nathan Drake as he joins his mentor Victor "Sully" Sullivan (Mark Wahlberg) in search of the greatest treasure never found, as well as clues to the whereabouts of his missing brother. Films adapted from video games are historically pretty awful, and hopefully Holland's charm and charisma can save "Uncharted" from the same fate.
#4
Morbius
January 28
Continuing their Spider-Man Universe, Sony brings to the big screen the Living Vampire known as Morbius. Jared Leto stars as Michael Morbius, a brilliant scientist who's suffering from a rare blood disease, who goes to great lengths to cure himself - by turning into a vampire. Although he sets out to do the right thing, his thirst for blood leads him down some darker paths, and this film looks like it'll explore the dual nature of the scientist. Leto could possibly pull off the performance, which could hold future ties to "Spider-Man" films with the inclusion of Michael Keaton's Vulture, but again time will tell.
#3
Scream
January 14
Wes Craven was one of horror's most iconic directors, giving birth to the likes of Freddy Krueger and Ghostface before his passing in 2015, after directing the fourth "Scream" film to moderate success. Despite a television series that didn't really take off, the franchise seemed to be long-dead - but the horror genre proves time and time again to never count out a possible money-making franchise. The fifth "Scream" film (the first not directed by Craven, obviously) continues the story of survivors Sidney Prescott, Gale Weathers, and Dewey Riley as they come into contact with another Ghostface killer who stalks and kills teenagers of Woodsboro in order to bring dark secrets to life. Neve Campbell, Courtney Cox and David Arquette reprise their roles twenty-five years after the original in what will be another meta-film about the importance of adhering to horror rules in order to survive.
#2
The Tragedy of Macbeth
January 14
Set to be released in limited theaters on Christmas day and worldwide on Apple+ on January 14, "The Tragedy of Macbeth" features Denzel Washington as Lord Macbeth, who sets out to become the King of Scotland after being convinced of the fact by three witches. Based off William Shakespeare's classic story, the film looks to earn several Academy Award nominations and features Washington and Frances McDormand as Lord and Lady Macbeth, along with Corey Hawkins and Brendan Gleeson in Joel Coen's take on the classic Shakespeare tale.
#1
Spider-Man: No Way Home
December 17
The most anticipated film since "Avengers: Endgame," "Spider-Man: No Way Home" looks to be one of the most ambitious superhero films - or any film - ever. Spanning multiple universes and film franchises, the final film in the Sony/Marvel "Spider-Man" trilogy finds Peter Parker wanting people to forget he's Spider-Man, but after Dr. Strange's spell goes array, finds himself in more danger as villains from different universes converge on his world to wreak worldwide havoc. Speculation has abounded about the possible arrival of fellow Spider-Men Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield and we'll see if that happens, but with Willem Dafoe, Alfred Molina, Jamie Foxx, Thomas Hayden Church and Rhys Ifans reprising their villainous roles from those "Spider-Man" movies, it seems almost a certainty - and "No Way Home" will easily be 2021's biggest box office blockbuster and will really bring the droves back to the cinema.
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