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As the year begins, we look forward to the thought-provoking and groundbreaking cinematic takes on cultural moments, icons, and social movements—some of which have already premiered as part of the documentary competitions at Sundance Film Festival. While most films shown at Sundance don’t yet have a distributor let alone a release date, there are a handful of documentaries that screened at the festival and are already guaranteed to hit theaters and streamers later this year. Below, see our most anticipated documentaries of 2022—from Sundance hits like Amy Poehler’s Lucy and Desi to Lifetime’s Janet.
Nothing Compares
Music documentaries were big at Sundance this year, with more than one portrait of a musical artist making headlines. One of those which received positive reviews is Kathryn Ferguson’s Nothing Compares, a deep dive into the intriguing and enigmatic life of Irish musician Sinead O’Connor. However, the song referenced in the title of the film was stopped by the estate of Prince (the recording artist behind the original version of “Nothing Compares 2 U”) so the documentary does lack what is perhaps O’Connor’s best-known track. But the artist’s fired up politics still remain front and center.
Janet
It’s hard to believe that a documentary has never before been made about Janet Jackson, the pop star who, starting in the 1980s, laid the groundwork for musicians that followed her decades later. Although she’s historically a private artist, all that will change with a two-part film event beginning January 28 on Lifetime. Artists like Britney Spears and Ariana Grande can be counted as her successors, and icons like Samuel L. Jackson and Mariah Carey make appearances in the documentary.
Meet Me in the Bathroom
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace put together a 2000s indie rock time capsule based on Lizzy Goodman’s book of the same name, which was an oral history including the voices of the musicians behind bands such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and LCD Soundsystem, chronicling 2001-2011 in New York City. The documentary focuses on 1999-2004, with a heavy lens on Karen O, lead singer of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The film landed generally positive reviews at Sundance, but there’s no distribution date just yet.
Lucy and Desi
If you didn’t care for Aaron Sorkin’s fictionalized take on the drama between I Love Lucy stars Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, then Amy Poehler’s documentary, which screened at Sundance and will hit Amazon Prime on March 4, might be for you.
Calendar Girls
A “coming of age” story doesn’t have to start at adolescence. Take the sixtysomething ladies who star in Calendar Girls, for example. Maria Loohufvud and Love Martinsen chronicled the lives of older women who compete on a dance team in South Florida and star in this revealing portrait.
The Janes
The underground abortion group, the Jane Collective, is the subject of Tia Lessin and Emma Pildes’s documentary, The Janes. Although their radical community care work lasted from 1969 to 1973, this documentary about the Jane Collective feels just as relevant today.
TikTok, Boom
Following three popular personalities on the social media platform, TikTok, Boom attempts to understand the algorithmic, geopolitical, and commercial experiences of content creators in the digital age.
The Princess
No matter how much you think you know about the late Princess Diana, you still will never know enough. The Princess is proof that we’re still not over our Diana fever.
We Need to Talk About Cosby
W. Kamau Bell investigates the rise and fall of the actor who used his status as “America’s Dad” to sexually abuse and rape approximately 60 women over the course of many years in this four-part docuseries airing on Showtime beginning January 30.
jeen-yuhs
The three-part documentary about the inimitable Kanye West, which premiered at Sundance and will be available to stream on Netflix on February 16, uses archival footage of the Old Kanye, following his rise to the top of the hip-hop charts and American culture at large.
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