July 2022 Film Preview

The Supreme Court overturning Roe vs. Wade is a brutal reminder that the rights of freedom and bodily autonomy are never truly won and that the fight for basic human rights remains ongoing. We’re feeling rage, despair, heartbreak, and everything in between. Whether you’re looking for entertainment as a means to escape to another world or to see the struggles of this one reflected back to you, July has a whole host of films by and about women — their joys, pain, triumphs, and tragedies — that fit the bill.

At the intersection of women and religion we have Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s “Clara Sola” (July 1) and Anita Rocha da Silveira’s “Medusa” (July 29). The former tells the story of Clara, a woman in her 40s who is under the command of her mother and feeling repressed in her religious household. As her niece comes of age, Clara begins her own journey towards self-discovery. The latter sees Mariana and her friends singing evangelical songs in bubble-gum pink by day and patrolling the streets for sinners by night. When an attack goes wrong, Mariana is left scarred, unemployed, and with a new view of her community.

An adaptation of a classic novel and a recent bestseller will both be released July 15. Based on Delia Owens’ book of the same name, “Where the Crawdads Sing” finds “Normal People’s” Daisy Edgar-Jones at the center of a murder mystery. Theater director Carrie Cracknell is making her film debut with Dakota Johnson-starrer “Persuasion,” a romance based on Jane Austen’s final novel.

Like “Persuasion,” “Both Sides of the Blade” (July 8) tackles a love triangle. Clare Denis’ latest stars Juliette Binoche as a woman torn between her current partner and an ex.

Thrills and chills can be found with Jenna Cato Bass’ “Good Madam” (July 14), a story about a single mom who moves in with her estranged mother, a live-in domestic worker with a mysterious boss, and Charlotte Colbert’s “She Will” (July 15), a portrait of a fading movie star who is granted powers to enact revenge within her dreams.

July’s doc standouts include Sara Dosa’s Sundance hit “Fire of Love” (July 6), the love story of two French volcanologists, and Betsy West and Julie Cohen’s “Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” (July 15), which follows the former congresswoman one decade after an assassination attempt on her life as she struggles with partial paralysis, a language impairment known as aphasia, and a country that values gun rights above her right to life.

A newly restored version of “Alma’s Rainbow” lands in theaters July 29. Written, directed, and produced by Ayoka Chenzira, one of the first African Americans to teach film production in higher education and among the first African American women animators, the Brooklyn-set coming-of-age story follows a teenager, her aunt, and her mother, and explores beauty standards and self-image.

Here are the women-centric, women-directed, and women-written films debuting this month. All descriptions are from press materials unless otherwise noted.

July 1

“Clara Sola” – Directed by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén; Written by Nathalie Álvarez Mesén and Maria Camila Arias (In Theaters)

In a remote village in Costa Rica, 40-year-old Clara (Wendy Chinchilla Araya) endures a repressively religious and withdrawn life under the command of her mother (Flor María Vargas Chavez). Her uncanny affinity for creatures large and small allows Clara to find solace in the natural world around her. Tension builds within the family as Clara’s younger niece (Ana Julia Porras Espinoza) approaches her quinceañera, igniting a adult and mystical awakening in Clara, and a journey to free herself from the conventions that have dominated her life.

“Mr. Malcolm’s List” – Directed by Emma Holly Jones; Written by Suzanne Allain (In Theaters) 

When she fails to meet an item on his list of requirements for a bride, Julia Thistlewaite (Zawe Ashton) is jilted by London’s most eligible bachelor, Mr. Malcolm (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù). Feeling humiliated and determined to exact revenge, she convinces her friend Selina Dalton (Freida Pinto) to play the role of his ideal match. Soon, Mr. Malcolm wonders whether he’s found the perfect woman or the perfect hoax. 

“Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song” (Documentary) – Directed by Dayna Goldfine and Dan Geller (In Theaters) 

The definitive exploration of singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen as seen through the prism of his internationally renowned hymn, “Hallelujah.” This feature-length documentary weaves together three creative strands — the songwriter and his times; the song’s dramatic journey from record label reject to chart-topping hit; and moving testimonies from major recording artists for whom “Hallelujah” has become a personal touchstone. Approved for production by Leonard Cohen just before his 80th birthday in 2014, the film accesses a wealth of never-before-seen archival materials from the Cohen Trust, including Cohen’s personal notebooks, journals, and photographs, performance footage, and extremely rare audio recordings and interviews. Featuring Cohen, Jeff Buckley, John Cale, Brandi Carlile, Eric Church, Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Glen Hansard, Sharon Robinson, Rufus Wainwright, and many others, and inspired by the book “The Holy of the Broken: Leonard Cohen, Jeff Buckley & the Unlikely Ascent of Hallelujah.” 

“Rubikon” – Directed by Magdalena Lauritsch; Written by Magdalena Lauritsch and Jessica Lind (In Theaters and Available on VOD)

Following a catastrophe on Earth, the planet is covered in a toxic fog. The crew in the space station must decide whether to risk their lives to get home and search for survivors or stay safe in the station’s “algae symbiosis system.”

“The Princess” (Available on Hulu) 

An action-packed fight to the death set in a fairy tale world, “The Princess” stars Joey King as a strong-willed princess who refuses to wed the cruel sociopath to whom she is betrothed, and is kidnapped and locked in a remote tower of her father’s castle. With her scorned, vindictive suitor intent on taking her father’s throne, the princess must protect her family and save the kingdom.

“Rocketry: The Nambi Effect” – Written by Sukhmani Sadana and Madhavan (In Theaters)

Tracing the life of Nambi Narayanan (Madhavan), renowned for developing the Vikas Engine — one of the most efficient liquid fuel engines in the world today, that continues to be a workhorse at the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in almost every launch, with the unique distinction of never having failed. The former ISRO scientist and aerospace engineer was inevitably embroiled in a spy scandal. The biographical drama will unveil the truth behind the mystery as it unravels in an interview.

July 6

“Fire of Love” (Documentary) – Directed by Sara Dosa (In Theaters)

Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things: each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists’ spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts’ spectacular archive. “Fire of Love” tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love.

“Girl in the Picture” (Documentary) – Directed by Skye Borgman (Available on Netflix) 

In this documentary, a woman found dying by a road leaves behind a son, a man claiming to be her husband – and a mystery that unfolds like a nightmare.

“Hello, Goodbye, and Everything in Between” – Written by Amy Reed and Ben York Jones (Available on Netflix) 

Clare (Talia Ryder) and Aidan (Jordan Fisher) make a pact to break up before college – no regrets, no broken hearts. But will one epic goodbye date offer them a last chance at love?

July 7

“On the 3rd Day” (Available on Shudder)

Cecilia (Mariana Anghileri) and her son, Martín (Octavio Belmonte), have a car accident. On the third day after the crash, Cecilia wanders by herself on a lonely route and there is no clue of her son. On her quest she finds coincidences with her case and other police files, which seem to be acts of a brutal hunting. The circle goes round and Cecilia will end up facing a religious man who is responsible for this slaughter. For her, he is a lunatic. For him, Cecilia is the enemy.

July 8

“Both Sides of the Blade” – Directed by Claire Denis; Written by Claire Denis and Christine Angot (In Theaters)

“Both Sides of the Blade” tells the tale of a passionate love triangle. Jean (Vincent London) and Sara (Juliette Binoche) have been living together for 10 years. When they first met, Sara was living with François (Grégoire Colin), Jean’s best friend and an admirer from back when he played pro rugby. Jean and Sara love each other. One day, Sara sees François in the street. He does not notice her, but she is overcome by the sensation that her life could suddenly change. François gets back in touch with Jean. For the first time in years. He suggests they start working together again. From here on, things spiral out of control.

“Thor: Love and Thunder” – Written by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson and Taika Waititi (In Theaters)

The film finds Thor (Chris Hemsworth) on a journey unlike anything he’s ever faced: a quest for inner peace. But his retirement is interrupted by a galactic killer known as Gorr the God Butcher (Christian Bale), who seeks the extinction of the gods. To combat the threat, Thor enlists the help of King Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson), Korg (Taika Waititi), and ex-girlfriend Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who — to Thor’s surprise — inexplicably wields his magical hammer, Mjolnir, as the Mighty Thor. Together, they embark upon a harrowing cosmic adventure to uncover the mystery of the God Butcher’s vengeance and stop him before it’s too late. 

“Murina” – Directed by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanović; Written by Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic and Frank Graziano (In Theaters)

On a remote island along Croatia’s Adriatic coast, 17-year-old Julija (Gracija Filipovic) spends her days diving for eel with her domineering father Ante (Leon Lucev) and watching other teens party on a nearby yacht. Julija bristles at Ante’s heavy handed cruelty and resents her mother Nela’s (Danica Curcic) passivity. She longs for independence but is unsure how to achieve it, until the arrival of the rich and mysterious Javier (Cliff Curtis) seems to offer a way out. Javier is considering buying Ante’s land to build a resort, which would allow the family to escape their island isolation for the city. Once Ante’s employer and Nela’s lover, Javier flirts shamelessly with Nela and Julija, setting off a subtle battle of hypermasculine one-upmanship that pushes Ante to humiliate and control Julija even more. Flattered by Javier’s praise and stories of traveling the world, Julija sees him as the solution to all her problems. But does his affection portend freedom, or something more sinister?

“Fair Play” (Documentary) – Directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom

“Fair Play” makes the invisible care work historically held by women visible, inspiring a more balanced future for all. In the film, inspired by Eve Rodsky’s New York Times best-selling book of the same name, Rodsky takes us on her journey to change the unfair work dynamic in her own home and in society at large. By following three families on their own journeys to find balance at home, we see how even the smallest fights around dirty dishes are actually linked to systemic issues affecting millions of families across the globe.

July 13

“My Name Is Sara” (In Theaters)

“My Name Is Sara” tells the true life-story of 13-year-old Sara Góralniak, whose family was killed by Nazis in September of 1942. After a grueling escape to the Ukrainian countryside, Sara (Zuzanna Surowy) finds refuge in a small village, passing as a Christian, where she is taken in by a farmer and his young wife. She soon discovers the dark secrets of her employers’ marriage, compounding the greatest secret she must strive to protect: her true identity.

July 14

“Good Madam” – Directed by Jenna Cato Bass; Written by Jenna Cato Bass, Babalwa Baartman, and Chumisa Cosa (Available on Shudder)

July 15

“Where the Crawdads Sing” – Directed by Olivia Newman; Written by Lucy Alibar (In Theaters)

From the best-selling novel comes a captivating mystery. “Where the Crawdads Sing” tells the story of Kya (Daisy Edgar-Jones), an abandoned girl who raised herself to adulthood in the dangerous marshlands of North Carolina. For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” haunted Barkley Cove, isolating the sharp and resilient Kya from her community. Drawn to two young men from town, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world; but when one of them is found dead, she is immediately cast by the community as the main suspect. As the case unfolds, the verdict as to what actually happened becomes increasingly unclear, threatening to reveal the many secrets that lay within the marsh.

“Queen of Glory” – Written and Directed by Nana Mensah (In Theaters)

Brainy scientist Sarah Obeng (Nana Mensah), a doctoral student at Columbia University, is weeks away from following her very married boyfriend to Ohio when her mother dies suddenly. Her inheritance? A small, but beloved, Christian bookstore in the Pelham Parkway section of the Bronx where she was raised in the tight-knit Ghanian immigrant community. Tasked with planning a culturally respectful funeral befitting the family matriarch, Sarah must juggle the expectations of her loving yet demanding family while navigating the reappearance of her estranged father all while grappling with what to do with the bookstore. Aided by an only-in-New York ensemble of Eastern European neighbors, feisty African aunties, and a no-nonsense ex-con co-worker, Sarah faces her new responsibilities while figuring out how to remain true to herself.

“Persuasion” – Directed by Carrie Cracknell; Written by Alice Victoria Winslow and Ron Bass (Available on Netflix)

Living with her snobby family on the brink of bankruptcy, Anne Elliot (Dakota Johnson) is a non-conforming woman with modern sensibilities. When Frederick Wentworth (Cosmo Jarvis) — the dashing one she let get away — crashes back into her life, Anne must choose between putting the past behind her or listening to her heart when it comes to second chances. Adapted from the Jane Austen novel.

“Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down” (Documentary) – Directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen (In Theaters)

Looking at the former congresswoman’s courage and perseverance in the aftermath of the 2011 assassination attempt that left her partially paralyzed and with a language impairment, aphasia.

“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” – Written by Carroll Cartwright, Olivia Hetreed, Anthony Fabian, and Keith Thompson (In Theaters)

“Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris” tells the story of a widowed cleaning lady (Lesley Manville) in 1950s London who falls madly in love with a couture Dior dress, and decides that she must have one of her own. After she works, starves, and gambles to raise the funds to pursue her dream, she embarks on an adventure to Paris which will change not only her own outlook, but the very future of the House of Dior.

“She Will” – Directed by Charlotte Colbert; Written by Charlotte Colbert and Kitty Percy (In Theaters and Available on VOD)

The film explores the story of Veronica Ghent (Alice Krige), who, after a double mastectomy, goes to a healing retreat in rural Scotland with her young nurse Desi (Kota Eberhardt). She discovers that the process of such surgery opens up questions about her very existence, leading her to start to question and confront past traumas. The two develop an unlikely bond as mysterious forces give Veronica the power to enact revenge within her dreams.

“Earwig” – Directed by Lucile Hadžihalilović; Written by Lucile Hadžihalilović and Geoff Cox (In Theaters)

Somewhere in Europe, mid-20th century. Albert (Paul Hilton) is employed to look after Mia (Romane Hemelaers), a girl with teeth of ice. Mia never leaves their apartment, where the shutters are always closed. The telephone rings regularly and the Master enquires after Mia’s wellbeing — until the day Albert is instructed that he must prepare the child to leave.

“Don’t Make Me Go” – Directed by Hannah Marks; Written by Vera Herbert (Available on Prime Video)

When single father Max (John Cho) discovers he has a terminal disease, he decides to try and cram all the years of love and support he will miss with his teenage daughter, Wally (Mia Isaac), into the time he has left with her. With the promise of long-awaited driving lessons, he convinces Wally to accompany him on a road trip from California to New Orleans for his 20th college reunion, where he secretly hopes to reunite her with her mother, who left them long ago.

“Costa Brava, Lebanon” – Directed by Mounia Akl; Written by Mounia Akl and Clara Roquet (In Theaters)

In “Costa Brava, Lebanon,” the free-spirited Badri family escape the toxic pollution and social unrest of Beirut by seeking refuge in a utopic mountain home they’ve devoted years to building for themselves. Unexpectedly, the government begins construction on a garbage landfill right outside their fence, bringing the trash and corruption of a whole country to their doorstep. As the landfill rises, so do family tensions, and the Badris are left with a choice: stay off the grid and stay true to their ideals, or leave their idyllic home and face the reality they fled.

“Living Wine” (Documentary) – Directed by Lori Miller (In Theaters and Virtual Cinemas)

“Living Wine” follows the journeys of an entrepreneurial group of Northern California winemakers willing to buck the conventional system and work with the grapes, soil, and conditions that vary from year to year to create truly unique and natural wines that capture the taste from where they were grown. Equal parts farmer, winemaker, and artist, they stay true to their ideals of creating exceptional wines made through innovative, sustainable, and regenerative farming and without chemical additives. Eschewing the industrial agricultural practices of the corporate wine industry – our winemakers are healing the very environment they are surviving, i.e., a changing climate marked by rising temperatures, shorter growing seasons, and more frequent and virulent wildfires.

July 22

“Alone Together” – Written and Directed by Katie Holmes (In Theaters; Available on VOD July 29)

Going upstate for a supposedly temporary romantic getaway to escape the pandemic in New York City, food critic June’s (Katie Holmes) plans go wrong from the start when she arrives at her accommodation only to find that it’s been double booked by recently single Charlie (Jim Sturgess). When her boyfriend (Derek Luke) decides to stay in the city to take care of his parents, June has to settle in for the long haul as she starts to understand that the initial two weeks of the pandemic might just drag on a bit. As the spring unfolds around them, Charlie and June make the most of the sudden break in their routines and develop an unexpected intimacy.

“How to Please a Woman” – Written and Directed by Renée Webster (In Theaters; Available on VOD July 29)

​​Gina (Sally Phillips) is taken by surprise when for her 50th birthday a male adult worker, a gift sent by her girlfriends, offers to do anything she wants. She asks him to do for her what no one else will – she has him clean her house. Only later does Gina realize he is from a removals business she was involved with liquidating. Amused and delighted, her friends wish for a sexy cleaner themselves, sparking a new career for Gina who decides to employ the entire male removals team as house cleaners. 

“Anything’s Possible” – Written by Ximena García Le​​cuona (Available on Prime Video)

“Anything’s Possible” is a delightfully modern Gen Z coming-of-age story that follows Kelsa (Eva Reign), a confident high school girl who is trans, as she navigates through senior year. When her classmate Khal (Abubakr Ali) gets a crush on her, he musters up the courage to ask her out, despite the drama he knows it could cause. What transpires is a romance that showcases the joy, tenderness, and pain of young love.

“The Nan Movie” – Written by Catherine Tate and Brett Goldstein (In Theaters)

Catherine Tate’s iconic character Joannie Taylor AKA Nan hits the big screen as she goes on a wild road trip from London to Ireland with her long-suffering grandson Jamie (Mathew Horne) to make amends with her estranged and dying sister Nell (Katherine Parkinson). Through a series of flashbacks, we see the young sisters fall in love with the same handsome GI during World War 2 and how the consequences of this love triangle shaped Nan into the cantankerous old b*****d she is today. Militant vegan arsonists, Australian rugby teams, all-night raves, and crazed cops on motorbikes all make for a proper day out.

July 29

“Medusa” – Written and Directed by Anita Rocha da Silveira (In Theaters)

Mariana (Mari Oliveira) and her friends broadcast their spiritual devotion through pastel pinks and catchy evangelical songs about purity and perfection, but underneath it all, they harbor a deep rage. By day they hide behind their manicured facade, and by night they form a masked, vigilante girl gang, prowling the streets in search of sinners who have deviated from the rightful path. After an attack goes wrong, leaving Mariana scarred and unemployed, her view of community, religion, and her peers begins to shift. Nightmares of repressed desires and haunting visions of alluring temptation become undeniable and the urge to scream and release her paralyzing inner demons is more powerful than ever before. A neon-tinged genre-bender that gives provocative form to the overwhelming feminine fury coursing through modern life, “Medusa” dares us not to look away.

“Sharp Stick” – Written and Directed by Lena Dunham (In Theaters; Available on VOD August 16)

Sarah Jo (Kristine Froseth) is a sensitive and naive 26-year-old living on the fringes of Hollywood with her disillusioned mother (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and influencer sister (Taylour Paige). Working as a caregiver and just longing to be seen, she begins an exploratory affair with her older, married employer (Jon Bernthal), and is thrust into a startling education on sexuality, loss, and power.

“Not Okay” – Written and Directed by Quinn Shephard (Available on Hulu)

Danni Sanders (Zoey Deutch), an aimless aspiring writer with no friends, no romantic prospects, and — worst of all — no followers, fakes an Instagram-friendly trip to Paris in the hopes of boosting her social media clout. When a terrifying incident strikes the City of Lights, Danni unwittingly falls into a lie bigger than she ever imagined. She “returns” a hero, even striking up an unlikely friendship with Rowan (Mia Isaac), a school-shooting survivor dedicated to societal change, and scooping up the man of her dreams, Colin (Dylan O’Brien). As an influencer and advocate, Danni finally has the life and audience she always wanted. But it’s only a matter of time before the facade cracks, and she learns the hard way that the Internet loves a takedown.

“Alma’s Rainbow” (4K Restoration) – Written and Directed by Ayoka Chenzira (In Theaters)

An essential film in the ‘90s Black cinema canon, “Alma’s Rainbow” was written, directed, and produced by award-winning, internationally acclaimed film and video artist Ayoka Chenzira, one of the first African Americans to teach film production in higher education and among the first African American women animators. A coming-of-age comedy-drama about three African American women living in Brooklyn, “Alma’s Rainbow” explores the life of teenager Rainbow Gold (Victoria Gabrielle Platt) as she enters womanhood and navigates standards of beauty, self-image, and the rights women have over their bodies. Rainbow attends a strict parochial school, studies dance, and lives with her strait-laced mother, Alma (Kim Weston-Moran), who runs a hair salon in the parlor of their home and disapproves of her daughter’s newfound interest in boys. When Alma’s free-spirited sister Ruby (Mizan Kirby) returns from Paris after a 10-year absence, the sisters clash over what constitutes the “proper” direction for Rainbow’s life. “Alma’s Rainbow” highlights a multi-layered Black women’s world where the characters live, love, and wrestle with what it means to exert and exercise their agency.

“A Love Song” (In Theaters)

Faye (Dale Dickey) is a lone traveler biding her time fishing, birding, and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito (Wes Studi), a figure from her past who is navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West. Like the country music that has traditionally channeled the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves and others, “A Love Song” weaves a lyrical and ultimately joyful refrain out of the transformative act of being alone —and reminds us that love can nourish and mystify at any age.

“Purple Hearts” – Directed by Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum; Written by Liz W. Garcia and Kyle Jarrow (Available on Netflix)

In spite of their many differences, struggling singer-songwriter Cassie (Sofia Carson) and Luke (Nicholas Galitzine), a marine with a troubled past, agree to marriage solely for the military benefits. When tragedy strikes, the line between what’s real and what’s pretend begins to blur in this romantic drama.