The Sundance Film Festival started yesterday in Park City — the festival’s last Utah hurrah until it moves to its new home in Boulder, Co. in 2027. Last year, I braved the wintery depths of Park City to bring you on the ground action from the festival. This year, I will instead be watching from the comfort of my own home (although, it’s possible Atlanta gets equally as cold, somehow).
This year, I’m attending the festival virtually. And while that does mean I won’t be able to see some of the heavy hitters – no Charli XCX in “The Moment” or Ethan Hawke in “The Weight” for me – there are still plenty of films to be excited about. Here are my top 10 most anticipated Sundance films.
“The Musical” – Giselle Bonilla
Petty grievances? Theater drama? All played out against the backdrop of an impending school musical? Sign me up! Reading the synopsis of Giselle Bonilla’s new film starring Will Brill as a middle school theater teacher who swears vengeance upon the school principal when he learns said principal is dating his ex-girlfriend. There is nothing I love more than theater kids making fun of themselves (see “Theater Camp,” another Sundance darling), and “The Musical” promises to be just that.
“Zi” – Kogonada
While I wasn’t a huge fan of filmmaker Kogonada’s last film, “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey,” his body of work is so that I will not give up hope. And, with “Zi,” it looks like he’s getting back to his roots. He reunites with the likes of Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jin Ha, in a story that takes place in Hong Kong over the course of one night. The Sundance website describes the film as “somewhere between sci-fi and supernatural” — and that sounds like exactly what I want from this filmmaker.
Extra Geography – Molly Manners
I’m a sucker for a movie about female friendship, and the main publicity still from Molly Manners’ “Extra Geography” has lived rent free in my head since I first saw it. I love the look of the two best friends at the center of Manners’ film, which follows them as they navigate an English all-girls boarding school and all the challenges that entails – namely, falling in love.
Night Nurse – Georgia Bernstein
This one had me at “erotic thriller,” but it really had me at “erotic thriller set in a retirement community.” “Night Nurse” has one of the more unique premises I’ve seen in the festival slate this year, but it’s still got an elegant sort of simplicity about it that all great erotic thrillers have: “As a series of perverse scam calls unsettles an idyllic retirement community, a starry-eyed nurse becomes entangled with her mysterious patient.” After reading that, I have no choice but to be seated.
Who Killed Alex Odeh? – Jason Osder & William Lafi Youmans
Alex Odeh was a Palestinian American activist who was assassinated by bombing in 1985. William Lafi Youmans and Jason Osder’s documentary follows the 40-year quest for justice for Odeh’s murder. I love a documentary that tries to look at decades old events with fresh eyes, and “Who Killed Alex Odeh?” promises to not just explore what, exactly, happened, but to also look at the ramifications that linger today.
Carousel – Rachel Lambert
“Carousel” is the type of movie that, if it goes right, could end up being one of my favorite movies of the year. A romantic dramedy about past loves and second chances, Rachel Lambert’s film stars Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, and Sam Waterson — basically, all of my favorite people. I’m tentatively excited for this one, and really hope that Lambert can land the plane.
Big Girl’s Don’t Cry – Paloma Schneideman
One of the first lines about “Big Girls Don’t Cry” on Sundance’s website mentions the fact that New Zealand filmmaker Paloma Schneideman was mentored through Jane Campion’s film program. And when I hear the name Jane Campion, my ears immediately perk up. Schneideman sounds like it has the potential to be a sharply rendered queer coming of age story, with a filmmaking technique focused on vulnerability.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! – Josef Kubota Wladyka
The first thing that caught my eye about “Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!’ was its excellent name. The second was the promise of “vivid colors, vibrant music, and zesty characters.” Josef Kubota Wladyka’s film follows a grieving widow experiencing desire for the first time since her husband’s death in the form of her new dance instructor. There is nothing sexier than good dancing, and I hope Wladyka capitalizes on the emotional depth and sensuality of this premise.
Run Amok – NB Mager
“Run Amok” is both one of the films I’m most excited to see this year, and one of the films I’m most scared of. NB Mager’s film follows a teenage girl on her quest to stage a musical about a school tragedy. The Sundance description doesn’t specify what that tragedy is, but, with the amount of school shootings that happened in the United States every year, it isn’t hard to guess. This movie strikes me as such a difficult tone to balance, and I’m both nervous and intrigued about whether Mager can get it right.
Soul Patrol – J.M. Harper
J.M. Harper’s documentary follows a reunion between the members of the first Black special operations team that fought in the Vietnam War. When I read that description, I can’t help but think of “Da 5 Bloods,” Spike Lee’s film about Vietnam veterans who reunite to carry out some unfinished business. But, this time, the soldiers we’ll be seeing are real people, who had to reckon with the very real tension of fighting a terrible war abroad while the Civil Rights struggle for Black Americans at home reached a fever pitch.
Update: William Lafi Youmans has been added in this article as a co-director of the film “Who Killed Alex Odeh?”