Welcome to Sundance week! The festival kicks off Thursday and we've got a series of previews for you. Today we start by taking a look at a few of the features in the US Dramatic, World Dramatic, and NEXT competitions. Check back tomorrow for more previews and follow all of our coverage at our Sundance Hub.
Z for Zachariah
Most of civilization is lost and so two people hook up, you know, for the good of the species. But what happens when a third person shows up? I'm assuming this isn't some romantic comedy about a love triangle, but with a cast that includes the likes of Chris Pine, Margot Robbie and Chiwetel Ejiofor, this film by Craig Zobel may be one of the more provacative speculative fiction films of the fest.- Jason Gorber
US Dramatic
The D Train
Richard Linklater recently said of his School of Rock star, Jack Black, that his favorite people to work with are excellent actors who also happen to be funny. In The D Train, Black is given the opportunity to demonstrate his dramatic talents, without having to depend on his penchant for physical comedy. Black stars as Dan Landsman, a man responsible for heading the committee of his high-school reunion. Given that Dan's life hasn't quite amounted to the glamor of his teenage expectations, the film follows his efforts to trick his former classmates into respecting him. - Zach Gayne
US Dramatic
The Witch
Production Designer Robert Eggers makes his directorial debut with this 1630s-set story of a homesteading family confronted by evil.- Ryland Aldrich
US Dramatic
I Smile Back
Funny girl Sarah Silverman is given the opportunity to flex her dramatic muscles in I Smile Back, a drama based on the acclaimed book by Amy Koppelman, who also penned the film's screenplay. Silverman plays Laney, a suburban wife supposedly living the American dream - dashing, successful husband, beautiful children, etc. But when her seemingly perfect life proves vaguely unfulfilling, Laney must come to terms with her depression and the reckless behavior it spawns. - Zach Gayne
US Dramatic
People, Places, Things
On paper, there's nothing particularly eye-catching about indie vet Jim Strouse's tale of a man who now finds himself a single father. What is its secret weapon, then? That'd be Jemaine Clement, half of two-man novelty band Flight Of The Conchords. Clement's penchant for sad-sack deadpan humor is sure to elevate what may feel like a typical Sundance dramedy into something a little special... a little weird. -Ben Umstead
US Dramatic
The Overnight
After shocking 2014 festival audiences with Creep, co-directed by Mark Duplass, writer/director Patrick Brice returns with the nefariously intriguing drama The Overnight. In it, Alex, Emily, and their son RJ move to Los Angeles from Seattle. Strangers to the city's character, as well as its residents, Alex and Emily luck into befriending a couple at a park and gratefully accept their invitation to come over for dinner. But what begins as a casual pizza night quickly descends into something far less wholesome. What that is, I cannot say, but given Creep's ability to pull out jaw-dropping stops, The Overnight is a must-see. - Zach Gayne
U.S. Dramatic
Homesick
Fest alum Anne Sewitsky (Happy Happy, 2011) returns with Homesick. The film focuses on Charlotte, a dance instructor in Oslo, Norway, who enters into an ever-strange and sexually-charged relationship with Henrik, the half-brother she never knew. Sundance selections should never be a walk in the park, so I'm betting on Sewitsky to deliver a devastating, if human, look at some dark subject matter. - Ben Umstead
World Dramatic
Slow West
Michael Fassbender, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Rory McCann, and Ben Mendelsohn star in this New Zealand-produced story of a 16-year old journeying across the 19th century American West. A24 has already scooped this one up for US distribution. - Ryland Aldrich
World Dramatic
Entertainment
Rick Alverson's last film, The Comedy, about a horrible hipster and his quest to be loved (hated?), turned heads wherever it went. Alverson's latest charts the course of an aging comedian, wallowing through a string of crappy gigs in the deserts of the Southwest. Starring Greg Turkington, John C. Reilyy and Michael Cera, I don't really need more than that title and still above to get my butt in the seat. - Ben Umstead
NEXT
Christmas Again
Charles Poekel's directorial debut tells the story of a heartbroken Christmas tree salesman. It stars Kentucker Audley and made its world premiere at Locarno. - Ryland Aldrich
NEXT
Tangerine
For those who found it, Sean Baker's Starlet was one of those little marvels, with an incredible turn from Dree Hemingway. Tangerine looks to be another intimate, dreamy look at the often unnoticed working classes of Los Angeles, this time with focus on LGBTQ culture. - Ben Umstead
NEXT