Jonathan Bercovici

It’s a big week for cinephiles and movie lovers in the Philadelphia area. From the 19th to the 30th the 31st Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (PFF) is in town.

Every October for the past 30 years, the Philadelphia Film Society (PFS) hosts their annual film festival, which hosts more than 25,000 attendees every year. Over the course of its 31-year run, the Philadelphia Film Festival has become a renowned, world-class film festival by screening films and hosting exclusive events with actors, directors, and industry guests, as well as VIP receptions and parties.

According to the PFS’ website, “By presenting and designing programs with a variety of partners, PFS is able to create opportunities that reduce barriers to interacting with film attracting new audiences to PFS and the film community at large.” That means: more screenings, broader representation and less money out of patrons’ pockets.

This year, the PFF is showing over 140 different films from over 40 different countries. Dealing with the process of selecting what films to present at the festival, the festival advisory board claims “artistic team[s] scour the world’s most prestigious film festivals – from Sundance to Berlin, Cannes to Toronto – for the year’s most highly anticipated, critically acclaimed, and thought-provoking films.”

With so many films and so much cultural representation, it can be hard to decide what to see. Here are a few brief synopses on some of the festival’s hottest films.

1. The Whale – A 2022 American psychological drama film directed by Darren Aronofsky (Black Swan, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Mother!). The film stars Brendan Fraser in his “comeback” role as 600 pound man named Charlie who is trying to reconnect with his 17 year old daughter. At Cannes International Film festival, the film received a seven minute standing ovation, with particular praise given for Fraser’s performance. Aronofsky is known for his disturbing yet technically astute thrillers that border on the line between mainstream and arthouse cinema. Surely not to be missed.

2. Decision To Leave – A 2022 South Korean neo-noir romantic mystery film, produced, co-written and directed by Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, The Handmaiden, Stoker). Chan-wook is a very famous director in his native country of South Korea, but also known among film buffs in other countries. At Cannes International Film festival 2022, Chan-wook won best director for Decision to Leave and the film itself competed for the prestigious Palme d’Or prize. All that is known about the film so far is that a detective falls in love with a mysterious widow after she becomes the prime suspect in his latest murder investigation. Fans of Chan-wook who are familiar with his work know that this type of mystery is where the director thrives, building up tension and dread until finally coming to an intense climax.

3. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – A 2022 American murder mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson (Knives Out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Looper). The growth of the film festival is evidenced by the premiering of this highly anticipated sequel to Knives Out. Starring Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe and a massive ensemble cast, the film centers around Tech billionaire Miles Bron, who invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) is on the case. Whether you are a fan of the original, or just want to go see something fun that is actually premiering in Philadelphia, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery has been confirmed to be a stand-alone sequel to the original.

4. Lastly, we have White Noise – A 2022 British apocalyptic black-comedy film written and directed by the highly acclaimed director Noah Baumbach (Marriage Story, Frances Ha, The Squid and the Whale). This 2022 Baumbach picture is based on the novel of the same name from 1985 by Don DeLillo. The film’s premise is that Jack Gladney, professor of Hitler studies at the College-on-the-Hill, husband to Babette and father to four children/stepchildren, is torn asunder by “the Airborne Toxic Event.”

The film stars Adam Driver as Jack and Greta Gerwig as Babette. Fans of Baumbach will be delighted to know that this is another film that is actually getting the premiere treatment here in Philadelphia. As one of the most critically and commercially successful directors of the past few years, this is a huge deal for PFF.

These are just four of the 140+ films that are going to be playing for the duration of the festival, which is conveniently located just 12 miles from the Abington campus.