There is a chill in the air and a whole year's worth of new indie films getting geared up for launch. That must mean it is Sundance time! We'll have plenty of reviews to point out all the best of the fest in the coming weeks. Ahead of that, here are some quick takes on a few of the films that have caught our eye.
Krazy House
This English language debut from Dutch wild men Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil (New Kids…) promises to drop you inside a 90s sitcom where a family must deal with the Russian criminals amongst them. It stars Nick Frost, Alicia Silverstone, Jan Bijvoet, Gaite Jansen, Walt Klink, and Kevin Connolly.
Midnight
Love Me
Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun headline this star-crossed quasi-sci-fi love story directed by Sam and Andy Zuchero.
US Dramatic Comp
Skywalkers: A Love Story
The fact that this new doc about skyscraper scaling lovers from Favela Rising and The Two Escobars director Jeff Zimbalist comes with a warning that the film, “may cause discomfort for those sensitive to exposure at heights,” points to this one being pretty thrilling.
US Docu Comp
Sasquatch Sunset
The Zellner Bros. (Kid-Thing, Kumiko the Treasure Hunter, Damsel) return to Sundance with this story of a year in the life of a singular Sasquatch family. Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christophe Zajac-Denek, and Nathan Zellner star.
Premieres
Handling the Undead
Norwegian actress Renate Reinsve top lines a feature for the first time since her tour de force role in The Worst Person in the World (reteaming with Anders Danielsen Lie) in Thea Hvistendahl’s feature debut about the newly-dead awakening one hot summer day in Oslo. Neon has already scooped this up for US release.
World Dramatic Comp
A New Kind of Wilderness
Documentary director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen embeds very deeply with a young Norwegian family coming to grips with life back on the grid after a tragedy rocks their self-sufficient country lifestyle.
World Docu Comp
Little Death
Music video director Jack Begert makes his feature debut with this black comedy about a struggling screenwriter and his drug-addicted friends. The star-studded cast includes David Schwimmer, Gaby Hoffmann, Dominic Fike, Talia Ryder, Jena Malone, and Sante Bentivoglio (and it’s produced by Darren Aronofsky).
Next
Devo
American Movie director Chris Smith brings us Devo the Docu.
Premieres
I Saw the TV Glow
Jane Schoenbrun makes their hotly anticipated follow-up to We're All Going to the World's Fair in this tale of a teen and supernatural visions. A24 is distributing.
Midnight
Winner
Susanna Fogel reteams with Emilia Jones after last year’s Cat Person for this take on the Reality Winner NSA leaker story. Connie Britton, Zach Galifianakis, Kathryn Newton, and Danny Ramirez co-star.
Premieres
Between the Temples
Jason Schwartzman stars alongside Carol Kane, Dolly de Leon, and Robert Smigel in this story of a cantor and a crisis of faith. It’s directed by Actor Martinez director Nathan Silver.
US Dramatic Comp
Black Box Diaries
When the justice system and outdated social norms fail her, Japanese journalist Shiori Ito decides to direct her own documentary about her sexual assault at the hands of a high-profile news executive/biographer of the Prime Minister.
World Docu Comp
Ponyboi
Blast Beat director Esteban Arango returns with a wild sounding story of a young intersex sex worker on the run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways.
US Dramatic Comp
My Old Ass
Maisy Stella and Aubrey Plaza star as two different versions of the same person from different eras of their lives who meet on a mushroom trip in the woods in Megan Park’s follow up to her SXSW 2021 breakout hit The Fallout.
Premieres
Veni Vidi Vici
Daniel Hoesl and Julia Niemann’s wild-looking satire of a billionaire Austrian family only becomes more intriguing when you learn it is produced by Ulrich Seidl
World Dramatic Comp
In a Violent Nature
Chris Nash’s debut feature casts the slasher as the protagonist of this backwoods horror.
Midnight
Presence
Newcomer Steven Soderbergh directs Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox, and more in this story of a family, a home, and a feeling that you might not be alone…
Premieres
Love Machina
This intriguing new doc from Peter Sillen explores our future of transferring AI personalities into robots.
US Docu Comp
In The Summers
Alessandra Lacorazza marks her feature directing debut with this coming of age tale of two sisters and their yearly travels to visit their father in New Mexico.
US Dramatic Comp
Layla
Bilal Hasna stars as a struggling Arab drag queen who falls head over 9-inch-heels in Amrou Al-Kadhi’s (a writer on Little America) debut feature.
World Dramatic Comp
Eternal You
The Cleaners directors Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck return with this docu exploring the emerging market of companies promising to return your dead relatives to you via AI.
World Docu Comp
Thelma
Josh Margolin’s feature debut takes on a ride with a 93-year-old grandma as she sets out across Los Angeles to confront the scammers that swindled her. It features an impressive cast of June Squibb, Fred Hechinger, Richard Roundtree, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, and Malcolm McDowell.
Premieres