Every January, Hollywood trades in stilettos for snow boots, and green juice for hot cocoa, and heads to Park City, Utah. Every festival has its own cachet. Cannes is glitzy and glamorous (and a little sexist), Venice is the matriarch (and even more sexist), Telluride is cozy, and TIFF is jovial, eh. But the Sundance Film Festival, founded in 1978, is the cool sibling who definitely knew about that band before they got big.
It’s become the largest independent film festival in the United States, with a reputation for showcasing the kind of auteur-driven projects that become next year’s awards contenders. Hannah and Her Sisters, Moonstruck, Cinema Paradiso, Boys Don’t Cry, Hustle and Flow, Little Miss Sunshine, Precious, Call Me By Your Name — all Oscar-winners that premiered at Sundance. In other words, you likely owe your current love affair with Timothée Chalamet and his curls to that snowy week in 2017.
In recent years, the festival has made a commitment to diversifying its lineup. 2019 boasts more women directors and directors of colour than ever before — and what’s more, they’re getting buzz. This year, four of the most talked-about movies to come out of the festival centre around Asian-American women. As Mindy Kaling, who wrote, produces and stars in this year’s Sundance darling, Late Night, tweeted this week: “Asian female excellence all around us y’all. At @sundancefest and coming to the rest of us soon!”
From a documentary about Dr. Ruth Westheimer to a coming-of-age tale inspired by Shia LaBeouf’s childhood, click through for the movies you’ll want to remember as we start a whole new year in film.
This Is Personal
Director: Amy Berg
What it’s about: This comprehensive documentary traces the events leading up to the Women’s March on Washington DC in January 2017. It’s a story we already kind of know — many of us lived through it, after all. But Berg takes things a step further, weaving in profiles of co-founder and president Tamika Mallory, and activist Erika Andiola, shedding light on the controversy regarding the movement’s rumoured anti-Semitism that has cleaved supporters in recent months.
Buzz: The film has been praised for its complex depiction of the hurdles faced by the movement as it tries to navigate intersectional politics and competing feminist ideologies. Still, it’s a messy subject, and as Indiewire ’s Kate Erbland points out, one that feels “both vital and instantly dated.” Expect reactions to be as split as the movement itself.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Late Night
Director: Nisha Ganatra
Who’s in it: Mindy Kaling, Emma Thompson, John Lithgow, Hugh Dancy
What it’s about: A late-night talk show host (Thompson) on the verge of losing it all decides to hire a woman writer of colour (Kaling) in the hopes that it’ll make her seem more hip. Kaling, who wrote the film, used her own experience as the only female writer of colour on NBC’s The Office as inspiration.
Buzz: With 50:50 gender parity behind the camera, the film’s being compared to The Devil Wears Prada with a more modern, practical twist. Amazon Studios purchased U.S. distribution rights for $13 million (£10 million), the biggest deal to come out of the festival in years.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Velvet Buzzsaw
Director: Dan Gilroy
Who’s in it: Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalia Dyer, Toni Collette, John Malkovich, Rene Russo
What it’s about: In 2014, Nightcrawler took us deep into the dark underbelly of the news. Velvet Buzzsaw is a reunion of sorts, as Gilroy brings back Gyllenhaal and Russo for another tale of immoral scumbags — this time at the heart of the art world. When an as-yet-undiscovered artist dies, a group of art dealers swoop in for the prize, only to realise that every act has consequences — sometimes deadly.
Buzz: Netflix will release the film on February 1, but the film premiered on Sunday night, to mixed reviews. The overall consensus: If you like weird, creepy movies about bad but stylish people, you’ll probably love Velvet Buzzsaw. I’m in!
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Ask Dr. Ruth
Director: Ryan White
What it’s about: 90-year-old Dr. Ruth Westheimer has had a storied life, to put it mildly. Born in Germany, she survived the Holocaust thanks to a kindertransport that took her to an orphanage in Switzerland. Upon learning of her family’s death at Auschwitz, 17-year-old Ruth emigrated to then-Palestine, where she was trained as a scout and sniper, and was injured during Israel’s War for Independence in 1948. And as if that weren’t enough, she would go on to utterly change the way Americans talk and think about sex. This documentary traces her fascinating journey as the world’s most famous sex therapist.
Buzz: After seeing Ask Dr. Ruth, Hollywood Reporter TV critic Daniel Feinberg called her “the Ruth Bader Ginsburg of sex,” and that’s all I need to know. Hulu picked up the distribution rights in advance of the festival, so you can look forward to streaming it some time this year.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
The Farewell
Director: Lulu Wang
Who’s in it: Awkwafina
What it’s about: Based on Wang’s own experience, which she described at length on a moving episode of “This American Life,” The Farewell stars Awkwafina as a young woman whose Chinese family is trying to conceal a stage-four lung cancer diagnosis from a beloved grandmother.
Buzz: The film has been one of the most talked about of the festival, prompting A24 to purchase the worldwide rights (excluding China) for £5 million. In August, Awkwafina told Refinery29 that she was nervous about transitioning to drama. The universe kind of rained it on down,” she said. “I went to China — I hadn’t been there since I was 19 — and I just remember thinking: ‘I want my grandma to see this movie,’ and it’s the same thought I had with Crazy Rich Asians. I’ve done mostly comedy — I had never cried as an actress. I literally didn’t think I was capable of crying.” Looks like the risk has paid off.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
The Souvenir
Director: Joanna Hogg
Who’s in it: Tilda Swinton, Honor Swinton-Byrne and Tom Burke
What it’s about: When a young film student begins a fraught, heated love affair with a shady but charming man (Burke) despite her mother’s (Swinton) better advice, it threatens to destroy everything she’s worked towards. Bonus: The movie brings together real mother-daughter duo Swinton and Swinton-Byrne!
Buzz: A24 bought the film back in December, and announced a sequel (with Robert Pattinson in talks to join the cast) in advance of its Sundance premiere. This is one you’ll want to remember.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Director: Joe Berlinger
Who’s in it: Zac Efron, Lily Collins
What it’s about: The film tracks serial killer Ted Bundy’s (Efron) relationship with his wife, Liz Kloepfer (Collins), from his initial seduction of the single mom to their eventual marriage, and the earth-shattering revelation that he is behind the grisly, disturbing murders on the news.
Buzz: Given our current Bundy fever, what with Netflix’s documentary on the notorious serial killer combined with the hype from the newly-released Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile trailer, it’s not surprising that the movie has been polarising. Though Efron’s performance has garnered praise, some have taken issue with what they say is a glamorising portrayal of Bundy that comes at the expense of his victims.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Honey Boy
Director: Alma Har'el
Who’s in it: Lucas Hedges, FKA Twigs, Shia LaBeouf, Noah Jupe, Maika Monroe, Natasha Lyonne, Martin Starr, Byron Bowers, Laura San Giacomo, and Clifton Collins Jr.
What it’s about: Written by Shia LaBeouf, Honey Boy is a cathartic fictionalised memoir film about his past as a precocious child actor, as well as his troubled and violent relationship with his addict father.
Buzz: Commonly known as the movie where Shia LaBeouf plays his dad, Honey Boy was one of this year’s most anticipated films. And according to early reviews, it doesn’t disappoint. Noah Jupe, who plays young Shia, has been singled out as a breakout star to watch, while many are calling this a career game-changer for LaBeouf.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Knock Down The House
Director: Rachel Lears
Who’s in it: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Amy Vilela and Paula Jean Swearengin
What it’s about: Before Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was @AOC and a powerhouse force challenging the status quo in the House of Representatives, she was a young candidate with a whisper of a chance. Knock Down the House gives takes us into the midterms race from the perspective of four women running for office — including Cortez. It’s astoundingly current, and though none of the other contenders made it to the House, all offer a glimpse of what the future of politics in America can be, if we only show up.
Buzz: Cortez’s quicksilver rise as one of the Democratic Party’s biggest stars created big expectations for this documentary, which seems to have delivered. An appearance by the congresswoman from New York via Skype at one of the film’s Sundance screenings was met with cheers, and its commercial success seems like a sure bet if it finds a distributor ready to market it.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
Director: Joe Talbot
Who’s in it: Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Danny Glover, Tichina Arnold, Rob Morgan, Mike Epps, Finn Wittrock and Thora Birch.
What it’s about: Talbot’s debut feature stars real-life best friend and collaborator Jimmie Fails as a man singularly intent on moving back into his childhood San Francisco home, now in a rapidly-gentrifying neighbourhood.
Buzz: A24 partnered with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment on the film, which has been hailed as one of the highlights of the festival so far.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Ms. Purple
Director: Justin Chon
Who’s in it: Tiffany Chu
What it’s about: Kasi (Chu) spends her days taking care of her dying father in a tiny apartment in Los Angeles’ Koreatown. In debt, and with brother Carey refusing to chip in, she moonlights as a paid hostess in one of L.A.’s private karaoke rooms.
Buzz: Chon’s sophomore feature is one of a handful of films honing in on Asian-American women at the festival this year, and Chu’s performance is getting rave reviews.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Native Son
Director: Rashid Johnson
Who’s in it: Ashton Sanders, Margaret Qualley, Nick Robinson, KiKi Layne, Bill Camp and Sanaa Lathan.
What it’s about: Writer Suzan-Lori Parks moves the action from Richard Wright’s barrier-breaking 1940 novel to modern-day for the film, which follows the story of 20-year-old Bigger Thomas (Sanders), an African-American man living on the south side of Chicago.
Buzz: Two Barry Jenkins alums are getting newfound attention for their performances: Sanders, best remembered for playing teen Chiron in Moonlight, and KiKi Layne, who lit up the screen as Tish in this year’s If Beale Street Could Talk.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Wounds
Director: Babak Anvari
Who's in it: Armie Hammer, Dakota Johnson, Zazie Beetz
What it's about: Based on the novella The Visible Filth by Nathan Ballingrud, the film follows New Orleans bartender Will (Hammer) as he slowly succumbs to gruesome supernatural phenomena after picking up a customer's phone.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
The Report
Director: Scott Z. Burns
Who’s in it: Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Morrison
What it’s about: The film takes a deep dive into Senate staffer’s Daniel Jones (Driver) investigation into the CIA’s controversial Detention and Interrogation Program, which included water-boarding and sensory deprivation among tactics used on suspected terrorist detainees, and the ensuing fight to make his findings public.
Buzz: Amazon Studios just bought the worldwide rights for a cool $14 million, while Vince Marcini at Uproxxcalled The Report “the Spotlight of the CIA torture program,” noting that it openly criticises Oscar-nominated film Zero Dark Thirty. Combine that with Annette Bening’s apparently stellar turn as Senator Dianne Feinstein, and you have a compelling portrait of the Bush era. Vice who?
The Nightingale
Director: Jennifer Kent
Who’s in it: Aisling Franciosi, Sam Claflin, Ewan Leslie, Damon Herriman, Baykali Ganambarr
What it’s about: Kent’s follow-up to 2014’s modern horror classic The Babadook is a period piece set in 1825 Australia. Clare (Franciosi) is a young Irish convict-woman hell-bent on revenge against a British officer (Claflin). To find him, she enlists the help of Billy (Ganambarr) an Aboriginal tracker with a violent past of his own.
Buzz: The film made headlines when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival back in September — Kent was heckled at a screening by an Italian film critic who shouted sexist insults at her. The only woman director in competition this year, Kent went on to win the coveted Special Jury Prize. IFC plans to release The Nightingale in summer 2019.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Hala
Director: Minhal Baig
Who’s in it: Geraldine Viswanathan, Jack Kilmer, Gabriel Luna, Purbi Joshi, Azad Khan, Anna Chlumsky
What it’s about: Viswanathan, the breakout star of 2018’s Blockers, plays a Muslim teen trying to reconcile her strict upbringing and overbearing parents with her love of skateboarding and a blond boy named Jesse (Kilmer). Dual identities, sexuality and family collide in this fresh coming of age tale.
Buzz: Mindy Kaling is a big fan, and tweeted out her praise for Baig on Saturday, as is Jada Pinkett-Smith who produced the film after seeing the short film the feature is based on, and noting the similarities with her own upbringing. Apple bought the worldwide rights to the film for an undisclosed sum on Monday.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Leaving Neverland
Director: Dan Reed
What it’s about: The four-hour documentary goes into gruesome, triggering details about the allegations of abuse against singer Michael Jackson by Wade Robson and James Safechuck. Screenings at the festival reportedly had counsellors on call, so sexually explicit was the material involved.
Buzz: The HBO doc will reportedly air this spring, but its world premiere at Sundance was marked by vicious backlash by fans and Jackson’s estate, which released a statement denying the claims portrayed in the film. Critics left screenings in various states of unease. "Feel sick to my stomach after watching Part 1 of #LeavingNeverland doc," Us Weekly 's Mara Reinstein wrote on Twitter. "Michael Jackson witnesses/sex abuse victims coming off very credible. It’s so sexually explicit that counsellors are in the lobby."
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
Paradise Hills
Director: Alice Waddington
Who’s in it: Eiza Gonzalez, Emma Roberts, Milla Jovovich, Awkwafina, Danielle Macdonald
What it’s about: In this dystopian reality, society is divided into strict categories, with little room for mobility. Roberts plays Uma, whose family is part of a ruling class called the “Uppers,” and by the looks of things they wear very fancy, extravagant costumes. When she rebels against an arranged marriage, she’s sent to an island resort-cum-rehabilitation-facility where she meets fellow Uppers Amarna (Gonzalez) and Chloe (Macdonald), and Yu (Awkwafina) a “Lower” clawing her way up the social ladder.
Buzz: Vulturecalled it this year’s “most bonkers” Sundance movie. Other reviews have been mixed, but this premise sounds deliciously weird enough to work. If nothing else, it sounds like a wild ride.
Photo: Courtesy of Sundance Institute.Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?
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