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Cannes Film Festival 2022: 11 films we can't wait to watch

From Baz Luhrmann's epic Elvis biopic to David Cronenberg's creepy body horror flick

cannes 2022 films
Eve Crosbie
TV & Film Writer
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There's no event in the calendar for cinema fans more exciting and glamorous than the Cannes Film Festival - and this year's festival is well underway!

MORE: Where do the stars stay in Cannes? 4 most glamorous hotels on the French Riviera

All the films premiering at the festival are set to arrive in cinemas (and some on streaming sites) in the coming months for every film fanatic to check out for themselves. But which are worth watching? Going by the reviews from our friends at the festival, here are our top picks of the ones not to be missed...

WATCH: Top Gun: Maverick star Tom Cruise arrives at Cannes Film Festival ahead of special tribute

Elvis

cannes elvis

What's it about? Baz Luhrmann's Elvis chronicles the life and career of the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, from his early days as a child to becoming a pop star and movie star, as well as his complex relationship with his manager Colonel Tom Parker.

Who's in it? Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Dacre Montgomery, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

When can I see it? Elvis will be released in cinemas in the UK and US on 24 June 2022.

Men

cannes men

What's it about? In the aftermath of a personal tragedy, a young woman retreats alone to the beautiful English countryside, hoping to find a place to heal. However, someone or something from the surrounding woods appears to be stalking her. What begins as simmering dread soon becomes a fully formed nightmare, inhabited by her darkest memories and fears.

Who's in it? Jessie Buckley, Paapa Essiedu and about multiple Rory Kinnears.

When can I see it? Men is in theaters in the US now; it will be released in cinemas in the UK on 1 June 2022.

The Stars at Noon

cannes noon

What's it about? The Stars at Noon is adapted from a 1986 novel by American writer Denis Johnson and follows a journalist as she plays witness to Nicaragua's 1984 revolution and falls for a mysterious Englishman.

Who's in it? Maid actress Margaret Qualley and Conversation with Friends star Joe Alwyn lead the cast, with John C. Reilly and Benny Safdie in supporting roles.

When can I see it? The Stars at Noon does not have a release date yet.

Crimes of the Future

cannes crimes of the future

What's it about? Horror maestro David Cronenberg's latest feature Crimes of the Future sees humans adapt to a synthetic environment with new transformations and mutations. A celebrity performance artist publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances, which catches the eye of an investigator from the National Organ Registry.

Who’s in it? Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart.

When can I see it? Crimes of the Future will be released in US theaters on 3 June 2022; no UK release date has been set yet.

Armageddon Time

cannes armegeddon

What's it about? Armageddon Time is a coming-of-age story about growing up in Queens, New York in the 1980s that explores friendship and loyalty while America is poised to elect Ronald Reagan as President.

Who's in it? Anthony Hopkins, Jeremy Strong, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

When can I see it? There is no official release date for Armageddon Time yet.

Top Gun: Maverick

cannes topgun

What's it about? After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy's top aviators, Pete Mitchell is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him.

Who's in it? Tom Cruise (of course), Miles Teller, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Connelly, Val Kilmer, Manny Jacinto and Bashir Salahuddin.

When can I see it? Top Gun: Maverick is available to watch in cinemas in the UK and US now

MORE: Top Gun Maverick Review: It will take your breath away

Showing Up

cannes showing

What's it about? An artist on the verge of a career-changing exhibition navigates family, friends and colleagues in the lead-up to her show and finds that the chaos of life becomes the inspiration for more great art.

Who's in it? Michelle Williams leads the cast, joined by Hong Chau, Maryann Plunkett, John Magaro and André 3000.

When can I see it? A release date for Showing Up has not been announced.

Aftersun

cannes aftersun

What's it about? Taking place in two timelines, a young woman called Sophie reflects on a holiday she took with her father twenty years earlier. Memories real and imagined mix together as she tries to reconcile the father she knew with the man she didn't.

Who's in it? Normal People's breakout star Paul Mescal and newcomer Frankie Corio.

When can I see it? No release date has been set yet, but Aftersun is set to be released by MUBI in the UK and A24 in the US.

Three Thousand Years of Longing

cannes 3000

What's it about? George Miller's first film since Mad Max: Fury Road is billed as an 'epic fantasy romance' and follows a lonely scholar on a trip to Istanbul who comes across a Djinn who offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom.

Who's in it? Idris Elba and Tilda Swinton, supported by newcomers Pia Thunderbolt and Berk Ozturk.

When can I see it? Three Thousand Years of Longing will land in UK cinemas on 30 September 2022 and in US theaters on 31 August 2022.

Decision to Leave

cannes decision to leave

What's it about? Director Park Chan-wook's follow up to 2016's The Handmaiden sees a detective, investigating a man's death in the mountains, who meets the dead man's mysterious wife in the course of his dogged sleuthing.

Who's in it? Tang Wei, Park Hae-il, Go Kyung-Pyo, Lee Jung-Hyun and Yong-woo Park.

When can I see it? A release date for Decision to Leave has not been announced, but it's expected to hit theaters in fall.

MORE: 15 of the most anticipated book-to-screen adaptations coming out in 2022

Close

cannes close

What's it about? Two thirteen-year-old boys have their close friendship suddenly thrown into disarray as the prospect of adolescence looms.

Who’s in it? Émilie Dequenne, Léa Drucker, Kevin Janssens and child stars Eden Dambrine and Gustav de Waele.

When can I see it? There is no official release date for Close yet.

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