Matt writes: In this final Ebert Club newsletter of 2022, we are pleased to present our RogerEbert.com writers’ composite list for the Top Ten Films of 2022, led by Martin McDonagh’s latest masterwork, “The Banshees of Inisherin,” starring Colin Farrell in a career-best performance (the film also won the Best Picture prize from the Chicago Film Critics Association). Also be sure to check out each of our writers’ individual top ten lists at this link, including my own, which is headed by Audrey Diwan’s profoundly timely drama, “Happening.” We look forward to seeing all of you in 2023, and until then, happy holidays!
Trailers
Barbie (2023). Directed by Greta Gerwig. Written by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach. Starring Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Kingsley Ben-Adir. Synopsis: Barbie lives in Barbie Land and then a story happens. Debuts in the US on July 21st, 2023.
Showing Up (2023). Directed by Kelly Reichardt. Written by Kelly Reichardt and Jonathan Raymond. Starring Michelle Williams, Hong Chau, André 3000. Synopsis: A sculptor preparing to open a new show must balance her creative life with the daily dramas of family and friends, in Kelly Reichardt‘s vibrant and captivatingly funny portrait of art and craft. US release date is TBA.
A Good Person (2023). Written and directed by Zach Braff. Starring Florence Pugh, Morgan Freeman, Molly Shannon. Synopsis: Follows Allison, whose life falls apart following her involvement in a fatal accident. Debuts in the US on March 23rd, 2023.
Infinity Pool (2023). Written and directed by Brandon Cronenberg. Starring Mia Goth, Alexander Skarsgård, Cleopatra Coleman. Synopsis: James and Em Foster are enjoying an all-inclusive beach vacation in the fictional island of La Tolqa, when a fatal accident exposes the resort’s perverse subculture of hedonistic tourism, reckless violence and surreal horrors. Debuts in the US on January 27th, 2023.
L’Immensità (2023). Directed by Emanuele Crialese. Written by Emanuele Crialese, Francesca Manieri and Vittorio Moroni. Starring Penélope Cruz, Vincenzo Amato, Luana Giuliani. Synopsis: The story of love between Clara and her children, set in Rome in the ’70s. US release date is TBA.
Alcarràs (2023). Directed by Carla Simón. Written by Carla Simón and Arnau Vilaró. Starring Josep Abad, Jordi Pujol Dolcet, Anna Otin. Synopsis: The life of a family of peach farmers in a small village in Catalonia changes when the owner of their large estate dies and his lifetime heir decides to sell the land, suddenly threatening their livelihood. US release date is TBA.
She is Love (2023). Written and directed by Jamie Adams. Starring Haley Bennett, Sam Riley, Marisa Abela. Synopsis: Coming face-to-face after being estranged for over a decade, divorced couple, Idris and Patricia, opt to revisit the past and traverse that treacherous path together, emerging open to new beginnings. Debuts in the US on February 3rd, 2023.
Alice, Darling (2023). Directed by Mary Nighy. Written by Alanna Francis and Mark Van de Ven. Starring Anna Kendrick, Wunmi Mosaku, Kaniehtiio Horn. Synopsis: A young woman trapped in an abusive relationship becomes the unwitting participant in an intervention staged by her two closest friends. Debuts in the US on January 20th, 2023.
The Seven Faces of Jane (2023). Directed by Julian Acosta, Xan Cassavetes, Gia Coppola, Ryan Heffington, Boma Iluma, Gillian Jacobs, Ken Jeong and Alex Takacs. Written by Julian Acosta, Xan Cassavetes, Ben Del Vecchio, Ryan Heffington, Tran Ho, Boma Iluma, Nick Iwataki, Gillian Jacobs, Antonio Macia, Alex Takacs and Kaydee Volpi. Starring Gillian Jacobs, Joel McHale, Breeda Wool. Synopsis: Its protagonist is Jane, who finds herself tumbling through a gauntlet of surreal, beautiful and heartbreaking adventures. After dropping off her daughter at a summer camp for the first time, and encouraging her reticent child to engage in new experiences, Jane finds herself heeding her own advice. Debuts in the US on January 13th, 2023.
Spinning Gold (2023). Written and directed by Timothy Scott Bogart. Starring Michelle Monaghan, Peyton List, Jason Isaacs. Synopsis: A biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records. Debuts in the US on April 21st, 2023.
65 (2023). Written and directed by Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. Starring Adam Driver, Ariana Greenblatt, Chloe Coleman. Synopsis: An astronaut crash lands on a mysterious planet only to discover he’s not alone. Debuts in the US on March 10th, 2023.
The Drop (2023). Directed by Sarah Adina Smith. Written by Sarah Adina Smith and Joshua Leonard. Starring Anna Konkle, Jillian Bell, Jennifer Lafleur. Synopsis: In this cringe comedy, a married couple face a marriage test when one of them drops a baby during a tropical island wedding. Debuts on Hulu on January 13th, 2023.
The Price We Pay (2023). Directed by Ryûhei Kitamura. Written by Christopher Jolley. Starring Emile Hirsch, Stephen Dorff, Gigi Zumbado. Synopsis: After a pawn shop robbery goes askew, two criminals take refuge at a remote farmhouse to try to let the heat die down, but find something much more menacing. Debuts in the US on January 13th, 2023.
Life Upside Down (2023). Written and directed by Cecilia Miniucchi. Starring Bob Odenkirk, Radha Mitchell, Danny Huston. Synopsis: Three couples who know one another are stuck at home during the beginning of lockdown. Jonathan, Clarissa and Paul will see their lives turned upside-down, forced to look at each other and ultimately at themselves. Debuts in the US on January 27th, 2023.
Women Talking (2022). Directed by Sarah Polley. Written by Sarah Polley and Miriam Toews. Starring Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley. Synopsis: Do nothing. Stay and fight. Or leave. In 2010, the women of an isolated religious community grapple with reconciling a brutal reality with their faith. Now playing in select theaters.
The Whale (2022). Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Written by Samuel D. Hunter. Starring Brendan Fraser, Sadie Sink, Hong Chau. Synopsis: A reclusive English teacher attempts to reconnect with his estranged teenage daughter. Debuts in the US on December 21st, 2022.
Scream VI (2023). Directed by Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett. Written by James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick (based on characters created by Kevin Williamson). Starring Jenna Ortega, Liana Liberato, Courteney Cox. Synopsis: In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City. Debuts in the US on March 10th, 2023.
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023). Directed by Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers and Justin K. Thompson. Written by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller and Dave Callaham (based on characters created by Stan Lee). Starring Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Oscar Isaac. Synopsis: Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered. Debuts in the US on June 2nd, 2023.
Angelo Badalamenti (1937-2022)
Matt writes: I had the privilege of penning our site’s tribute to Angelo Badalamenti, the legendary composer of film and television whose credits include “Blue Velvet,” “Twin Peaks” and “Mulholland Dr.” He passed away on December 11th at age 85. An excerpt from his glorious score for David Lynch’s 1999 masterpiece, “The Straight Story” (currently streaming on Disney+), is embedded above.
Ebertfest 2023 Passes Now on Sale
Matt writes: Passes for next year’s installment of Ebertfest, which is slated to run from Wednesday, April 19th, through Saturday, April 22nd, 2023, at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, College of Media, are now on sale. You can find all the information here and we look forward to seeing you there!
Free Movies
The Scarlett Letter (1934). Directed by Robert G. Vignola. Written by Leonard Fields and David Silverstein (based on the novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne). Starring Colleen Moore, Hardie Albright, Henry B. Walthall. Synopsis: In the seventeenth century, in Massachusetts, a young woman is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her dress for bearing a child out of wedlock.
Watch “The Scarlet Letter“
Boy! What a Girl! (1947). Directed by Arthur H. Leonard. Written by Vincent Valentini. Starring Tim Moore, Elwood Smith, Duke Williams. Synopsis: A couple of theatrical producers try to get backing for their musical show.
Watch “Boy! What a Girl!”
A Christmas Wish (1950). Directed by Irving Pichel. Written by László Vadnay. Starring Jimmy Durante, Terry Moore, Tom Drake. Synopsis: A little squirrel with lots of charm accidentally helps two poor, down-but-NOT-out families overcome their obstacles.
