The 2022 Sundance Film Festival has come to a close and after the dust had settled, I had taken in 30 features and 19 short films over the course of ten exciting days. For the second straight year, this legendary festival was online and while not having the opportunity to meet new like-minded people in person and swap stories about our favorite films was an undeniable bummer, Sundance is still to be commended for delivering the cinematic goods. This isn’t to say every film was a winner but there were plenty of great titles in the mix. Here’s a look at my ten favorites as well as a brief peek at all the other films I had an opportunity to check out.
For more on Sundance including a look at all the big winners from this year’s epic fest, CLICK HERE!
THE BEST OF FEST;
AFTER YANG
Colin Farrell is terrific in this gentle sci-fi drama about a man looking to repair the A.I. android (named Yang) in his young adopted daughter’s life after it unexpectedly shuts down. As this man digs deeper into loving Yang’s memory banks, a handful of truths are revealed. Not only truths regarding Yang’s existence but truths revolving around Farrell and his family. AFTER YANG is a quiet, thoughtful, poignant movie filled with pathos and subtle humor including a wonderful scene in which Farrell tells a story about tea by way of a pitch-perfect Werner Herzog impersonation. Ultimately, though, this is an understated tale about the power of family and what it means to be human…Even if you aren’t necessarily human. A tender-hearted film from Kogonada, the writer/director of the intimate indie gem, COLUMBUS.
Grade: B
BRIAN AND CHARLES
There were plenty of edgy, hard-hitting, button-pushing films at this year’s fest so imagine my surprise when my favorite title ended up being a sweet, funny, offbeat, and charming little movie called BRIAN AND CHARLES. This independent gem takes place in North Wales and finds a quirky loaner of an inventor named Brian (David Earl) constructing an oddly shaped robot (with a face that bears a slight resemblance to the acclaimed actor, Jim Broadbent) and bonding with it famously. A wonderful lead performance, a beguiling and appropriately childlike co-star, impeccable comic timing, and a sweet-natured center add to a bromance-centric movie that is every bit as humorous as it is poignant. In fact, if Taika Waititi (BOY, JOJO RABBIT) helmed a live-action WALLACE AND GROMIT movie, it might feel a little like BRIAN AND CHARLES. Kudos to director Jim Archer and crew for making the most smile-inducing film of Sundance 2022.
Grade: A-
CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH
Appealing writer/director/star Cooper Raiff takes a little page out of THE WEDDING SINGER playbook in this winning comedy about Andrew, a somewhat aimless but lovable Bar Mitzvah party host in his early twenties who becomes smitten with an engaged woman (beautifully played by Dakota Johnson) who is ten years his senior. He also serves as a sort of big brother to this woman’s autistic 12-year-old daughter (played by Vanessa Burghardt who just so happens to be autistic in real life.) This movie is elevated by an outstanding cast that includes the likes of Raiff, Johnson, Burghardt, Evan Assante, Brad Garrett, and a wonderful Leslie Mann who turns in some of the best work of her career as Andrew’s loving mom. CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH (yes, the seemingly odd title is explained by way of a song lyric in the final act) tends to be a bit precious and there are times when Andrew is almost too affable, but no matter. This is an engaging charmer and it’s considerably more complex than I thought it would be from the outset.
Grade: B+
FIRE OF LOVE
This stunning documentary from director Sara Dosa follows Katia and Maurice Krafft, a pair of eccentric but immensely skilled volcanologists, as they travel the world studying eruptions and the devastation left behind. By way of breathtaking (and startling) volcano footage, interviews with Katia and Maurice, and a surprising amount of humor, this is quite an experience and it’s the kind of movie that would best be viewed on the biggest screen possible. FIRE OF LOVE is as beautiful as it is terrifying but for all the heat on display, this movie emerges as quite a profound love story. And, as my colleague John Pugh appropriately suggests, if the powers that be ever decide to turn this movie into a narrative, it needs to star John C. Reilly and Tina Fey as the Kraffts…With Wes Anderson at the helm.
Grade: B+
KLONDIKE
Maryna Er Gorbach (who also made the underappreciated OMAR AND US– which made an appearance at the 2021 Desertscape International Film Festival) has made an understated and undeniably harrowing story of a Ukrainian couple living on the border of Russia and Ukraine during the early stages of the Donbas war. KLONDIKE is largely told from the perspective of Irka (Oksana Cherkashyna), a pregnant woman who refuses to leave her home even after a Malaysian Airlines passenger flight is shot down from the sky not far from where she and her husband Tolik (Sergey Shadrin) reside. The drama heightens when Irka’s brother Yaryk (Oleg Shevchuk) arrives throwing their already fragile union into further chaos as political turmoil in the region continues to escalate. Cherkashyna gives an extraordinary performance as a woman ready to bring new life into a world that’s crumbling around her. Equally effective is Gorbach’s fly-on-a-wall approach to the material. The camera glides along in extended uninterrupted takes throughout the film, putting the viewer right in the middle of some pretty terrifying situations, particularly in the final act. A sequence in which Irka is all but forced to prepare lunch for hostile soldiers as she experiences painful, debilitating contractions is intense and uncomfortable to say the least. It all culminates in an ending that I won’t soon forget.
Grade: B+
A LOVE SONG
Max Walker-Silverman’s meditative, tender-hearted tale of love after 60 features a beautifully understated (and nuanced) performance by Dale Dickey as Faye, a quiet, unassuming widow living in a lakeside camper in the mountains, hoping that she will eventually be reunited with her high school sweetheart (wonderfully played by the great Wes Studi) whom she’s hasn’t seen in years. A LOVE SONG is beautifully photographed and accentuated by quirky little touches but who are we kidding? The real reason to watch this is to see Dickey and Studi, two fabulous actors who very seldom–if ever–get to play romantic leads, bring the magic. And bring the magic they do. With her weathered and altogether beautiful face, Dickey exhibits a palpable sense of yearning and loneliness, and once a little bit of happiness is brought into her life, it’s enough to melt your heart. Likewise, Studi is simply outstanding bringing loads of charm to this film. A LOVE SONG is an appropriately quiet movie and while it’s been compared to the likes of NOMADLAND, it really does have a vibe all its own. This is a lovely little movie made up of lovely little moments, none sweeter or more grand than a scene in which this lovely duo play a tune together on their guitars. A LOVE SONG isn’t without its bittersweet moments but ultimately, this is a hopeful movie that fittingly takes the less is more approach.
Grade: B
MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM
This high-energy exploration into the New York music scene of the early 2000s from Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern, Andrew Cross, and Sam Rice-Edwards, traces the origins of several noteworthy music acts including The Strokes, The Moldy Peaches, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Interpol, The Rapture, and LCD Soundsystem just to name a precious few. At just under 2 hours, this documentary packs a lot of info on a lot of bands; The creative process, navigating the road to success, insecurities, sexism, anxiety, infighting, breakups, the effects of 9/11, etc. Of course, the film is at its best when the art is doing the talking and as expected, there’s plenty of dynamic live performance footage. True, this is mostly a time capsule movie for fans of these bands but as it happens, I’m a fan therefore I enjoyed MEET ME IN THE BATHROOM in a big way!
Grade: B
NAVALNY
No matter what side of the political coin you might fall on, you’re likely to find this movie as intense and as gripping as I did. This documentary follows Russian opposition leader and hero to the people Alexi Navalny as he searches for the truth behind a failed assassination attempt on his life. During a slow recovery process after being poisoned, Navalny gets closer and closer to that truth through the aid of much-needed help and through the aid of his supportive family. Alexi Navalny proves to be quite a charismatic documentary subject. What’s more, this thing unfolds like the ultimate spy and espionage thriller only… This is real life! Seriously, there are moments in this movie that might have been considered preposterous had they been part of a fictional film. Look no further than a pivotal (and unforgettable) phone call that takes place at the halfway mark of this engrossing documentary. It honestly has to be seen to be believed! Props to director Daniel Roher and his dedicated team for putting together what was easily the most exciting film at Sundance 2022. Inspirational, too!
Grade: B+
SPEAK NO EVIL
SPEAK NO EVIL is quite the provocative slice of horror, only for a large portion of its running time, it’s a completely different kind of horror. Christian Tafdrup’s uncomfortable and unpredictable cautionary tale finds Danish married couple Bjorn and Louise (Morten Burian and Sidsel Siem Koch) meeting Dutch lovebirds Patrick and Karin (Fedja van Huet and Karina Smulders) while on holiday. Both couples get along wonderfully, so eventually, Patrick and Karin invite Bjorn, Louise, and their young daughter to stay at their place for a joyful weekend. What’s supposed to be a relaxing getaway, however, becomes less and less pleasant as this seemingly harmless Dutch couple slowly begins to get under Bjorn and Louise’s skin. SPEAK NO EVIL is expertly acted and the first 3 quarters of the movie do a great job exploring human nature and perception, and why it’s often important for one to trust their intuition. Further still, SPEAK NO EVIL does a great job building an incredible amount of tension. And all along the way, the film is peppered with surprising dramatic moments including a scene in which a vulnerable Bjorn shares his true feelings about his life with an inquisitive Patrick. Of course, I’ll now take a moment to remind everyone that at the end of the day, this is a horror movie so the drama of it all does take a bit of a backseat to that horror element in an extremely horrific, gut-punching final act that will certainly rub some audiences the wrong way. While even I found parts of this movie profoundly upsetting, the performances and the tension-building made this the strongest of the darker fare Sundance 2022 had to offer.
Grade: B
WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD
Jesse Eisenberg makes his directorial debut with the story of Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), a teenage songster whose online popularity doesn’t make much sense to Evelyn, his uptight (and emotionally closed off) mother (Julianne Moore.) Eventually, Ziggy’s simplistic, poppy sensibilities are challenged at the hands of an intellectual young lady at school prompting a bit of a change in his outlook on life. Meanwhile, Evelyn begins to bond with a teenager she’s housing at the domestic abuse center she’s in charge of. The question is, will this mother and son ultimately learn from these new relationships and see the beauty in one another? The strongest compliment I can pay WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD and its writer/director is that it feels exactly like the kind of movie you’d expect from Eisenberg. This is to say that it never takes the easy way out with its characters. They’re flawed, filled with anxiety, slightly narcissistic, and prone to create awkward situations but they’re also very human. Led by a likable Wolfhard and a captivating (and complicated) Moore, WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD is all about the tiny nuances and it’s the kind of first-time effort that would make the likes of Noah Baumbach proud.
Grade: B+
…AND ALL THE REST;
CALL JANE
Elizabeth Banks is her usual adorable self in this button-pusher about a housewife who finds herself joining forces with a group of women who, through the aid of a narcissistic medical expert, perform illegal abortions. This is a tough movie to review because your overall enjoyment of it may be entirely dependent on how you feel about the subject matter. As a movie, it’s the kind of underdog story we’ve seen many times before only it takes aim at an extremely polarizing topic. Without getting political here I can say that the movie is familiar in its approach but it gets a massive lift from Banks, Sigourney Weaver, Kate Mara, and Chris Messina.
Grade: C+
DOS ESTACIONES
Taking place in the highlands of Jalisco, Mexico, the understated, methodically paced DOS ESTACHONES weaves its story around a lonely, quiet, strong-willed businesswoman who will do just about anything to keep her now-struggling tequila factory afloat. Teresa Sanchez won a special acting award for her subtle work in this subdued character drama. It’s beautifully photographed and well-acted but it’s a little too subdued.
Grade: C+
DUAL
DUAL is an example of a film where the overall concept is stronger than the finished project. This sci-fi-tinged movie finds a terminally ill woman (played by Karen Gillan) having herself cloned so that her spirit might live on after she passes. The plot thickens, however, when her illness goes into remission. Her clone doesn’t take kindly to the news that she is to be decommissioned so she challenges her counterpart to a dual. With an entire year to prepare for their much-publicized bout to the death, both versions of this woman learn a little more about one another. Firstly, it should be noted that DUAL is a comedy. That said, MULTIPLICITY this is not. This is a comedy of the dark variety and it comes to us courtesy of Riley Stearns who also made the cold, meanspirited, and dry-witted ACT OF SELF DEFENSE. Tonally, this film feels akin to Stearns’ last film. While I enjoyed aspects of this movie, most notably the performances by Gillan and Aaron Paul as her trainer, I felt a little disconnected to it on an emotional level. While that’s certainly by design, it didn’t quite hit the sweet spot for me as a whole.
Grade: B-
892
The heartbreaking 892 is inspired by the true story of Brian Brown-Easley, a Marine war veteran suffering from PTSD who would take the staff of a bank hostage in an effort to provide for his family. Fueled by a passionate and high-energy turn by John Boyega, 892 also features the final performance by the late Michael K. Williams as a hostage negotiator with both Easley and the hostages’ best interests at heart. This film does its best to ensure that the viewer empathizes with Easely, and for the most part, it does a good job of that. At the very least, it succeeds where movies like JOHN Q feel almost wildly over-the-top. 892 does tend to simplify things a bit but overall, it’s a tense, well-acted tribute to a desperate man who would take on a flawed system both for himself and those he loves.
Grade: B-
EMERGENCY
EMERGENCY sort of starts out as a party-all-night college-set bromance as two college-attending buddies look to give the books a rest for the night and become the first African Americans to participate in a legendary campus rite of passage. Of course, when they find a white girl passed out from an overdose and laying in her own vomit on a dorm room floor, the fun and games come to a screeching halt. EMERGENCY has real energy and leads Donald Elise Watkins and RJ Cyler have a wonderful rapport. Again, a great deal of the film is played for laughs which is a benefit to the movie as a whole because if it attempted to play things completely straight, some viewers might question the sometimes ridiculous nature of the fashion in which the night unfolds. It should also be noted that the movie is pretty well-balanced in terms of its perception of race relations. Unfortunately, EMERGENCY ends on a fairly heavy-handed note, keeping it from reaching the heights of superior, similarly-themed films like DEAR WHITE PEOPLE, GET OUT, and BLINDSPOTTING.
Grade: C+
EMILY THE CRIMINAL
The forever-quirky Aubrey Plaza is the title character in a movie that lives up to its title. In debt and down on her luck, a woman engages in a credit card scam that leads to some very dangerous situations. EMILY THE CRIMINAL offers Plaza an opportunity to show a bit more range in a movie that never asks us to excuse the reckless and sometimes deadly decisions made by its characters. Instead, Emily and those she consorts with, serve as the protagonists. It’s an entertaining movie to a certain degree but it doesn’t reach the soaring, intents heights of something like UNCUT GEMS. Still, this is worth a watch.
Grade: B-
THE EXILES
What starts off as a fairly engaging and energetic look at the tenacious, no-nonsense, and outspoken documentarian Christine Choy and her crusade to find closure on a Tiananmen Square massacre-inspired film she abandoned many years ago, becomes a little more obnoxious as it progresses. Mostly because this doc tends to feel like it’s having an identity crisis. Is this movie about the massacre and those who endured it or is it about Choy? I don’t know that THE EXILES finds a true balance. That said, moments in which Choy reconnects with political subjects she interviewed years earlier are interesting. Again, I preferred the film more when the survivors of the massacre were doing the talking. And for those wondering what Choy might think of my opinion were she ever to come across this worthless blurb on THE EXILES, I’m not terribly concerned. Quite honestly, I know she wouldn’t give a shit either way.
Grade: C
HATCHING
A wonderfully bizarre (and subversive) creature feature that deals with mothers, daughters, doppelgangers, and a bird monster. With shades of everything from E.T. to a slice of Cronenberg body horror, this entertaining coming-of-age Finnish import from Anna Bergholm benefits from solid performances, a dark sense of humor, and amazing (and all-too-rare) practical effects work.
Grade: B
I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE
This lyrical attempt at putting viewers in the headspace of a disabled man as he wanders through San Francisco in his wheelchair is only partially effective. Rather than fully succeeding in the POV approach, I DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE becomes a little cold and a bit tedious, and what’s more, I never really felt like I got to know who this documentary’s subject, Reid Davenport (who also directed), truly is. Clearly, living with a disability can be incredibly challenging, but I often felt emotionally detached while watching this film. The strongest elements are actually when Davenport goes to visit his family on the east coast. I wish there were more of these moments. This certainly isn’t a bad film but it isn’t as hard-hitting as I hoped it would be, particularly given the subject matter.
Grade: C+
JIHAD REHAB
An eye-opening documentary that explores the origins of a somewhat controversial extremist rehabilitation program and many of the individuals that have taken part in it. This provocative film from director Meg Smaker follows a handful of Al-Qaeda members and delves into how their time in prison and their subsequent time in this program has reshaped their lives for the better and in some cases, for the worst. In an intimate fashion, this doc covers a lot of ground giving us insight into both the political and personal lives of these men. As I watched JIHAD REHAB, my initial reaction was; “How in the hell did this filmmaker and her dedicated team get access to these men?!” This is candid (and dangerous) stuff and there were points throughout this movie that I feared for the safety of both the filmmakers and their subjects. That said, I was also moved. Ultimately, I admired this film’s courage and honesty. It’s authentic and it doesn’t for one second suggest that there are any easy answers when it comes to the complicated terrain JIHAD REHABE explores.
Grade: B
LUCY AND DESI
Amy Poehler directs this comprehensive look into the lives of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz and their epic roads to fame as both individuals and as a true power couple. LUCY AND DESI doesn’t reinvent the bio-doc wheel but it’s filled with wonderful interviews and archival footage and some stories, including one revolving around Lucy and Desi’s final conversation with one another, are incredibly moving. A terrific companion piece to Aaron Sorkin’s recently released drama, BEING THE RICARDOS.
Grade: B
THE MISSION
A quiet look at a handful of missionaries, men and women, spreading the LDS gospel while serving in Finland. This documentary touches on their passion, dedication, and hardships while in the field. THE MISSION was directed with a delicate hand by Tania Anderson. Refreshingly, this movie doesn’t attempt to rock the boat in any way nor does it go into the core teachings of the church. Instead, THE MISSION simply sets out to capture these missionaries in motion as they look to spread the word and acclimate to a new culture. THE MISSION is a little sleepy at times but it feels authentic. Ultimately, it’s a documentary that will probably be of most interest to soon-to-be missionaries and their families.
Grade: B-
NANNY
NANNY made a huge splash at Sundance 2022 and in fact, it won the Jury Prize! So, after watching the film all I have to say is; “Did I miss something?” Listen, this isn’t a bad movie but it’s an overrated one. It tells the story of an immigrant nanny working for a well-off family in New York who, following strange happenings at the home of the child she’s caring for, must come to grips with certain truths about her own life as well as that unpredictable thing called the American Dream. There is a kind of supernatural element at play in this film and quite honestly, I don’t think it’s as effective as it aspires to be. What’s more, the reveal in the final act is predictable and not entirely sensible in terms of the way it’s presented. In the end, what NANNY really did was remind me of how much I loved the superior immigrant horror film, HIS HOUSE. That underrated powerhouse was far scarier and substantially more dramatic.
Grade: C
PIGGY
PIGGY is an often brutal horror film featuring Laura Galan in a fearless lead performance as Sara, a bullied woman with a surprisingly effective if a tad twisted character arc. In the film, this relentlessly picked-on (and constantly judged) woman chooses to stay silent after witnessing the kidnapping of a group of her biggest tormentors. The kidnapper in question proves to have an oddly compelling bond with Sara and that’s what sets PIGGY apart from a lot of horror films. This one has a vicious mean streak and it’s pretty difficult to watch at times but props to writer/director Carlota Perdea and her filmmaking team for attempting to take a slightly different route with a genre movie that appropriately throws up a big middle finger at bully culture.
Grade: B-
RESURRECTION
Rebecca Hall is positively outstanding in this psychological thriller about a fiercely independent single mom who comes face to face with a horrible man (played by a creepy Tim Roth) from her past. Great tension building and for the majority of its running time, it’s dramatic and grounded, and then…The finale happens. This is where the movie gets pretty darn divisive. RESURRECTION garnered a lot of positive buzz at the fest but for me, the ending, while bonkers, kept the film from working as a whole.
Grade: B-
SIRENS
SIRENS is an entertaining look at Lebanon’s first all-female metal band, Slaves to Sirens. Yes…You read that description correctly. But when it comes to these women, music is so much more than their talent…It’s their escape from the difficulties of the real world. In short; Performing is vital to their existence. SIRENS follows this engaging sisterhood as they bond, create, tour, fight, and rock out. And at the center of the film is a love story between two of the band members in a climate that frowns upon their love. There are a couple of moments in this film that feel a little bit staged and admittedly, I do wish the movie would have gone deeper into the lives of all of these band members in equal measure, but in the end, SIRENS, just like its subjects, has energy to spare.
Grade: B-
SOMETHING IN THE DIRT
A pair of neighbors witness a strange phenomenon in their Hollywood Hills apartment complex. At first, they’re slightly unsettled by their discovery, but shortly thereafter, they realize that this phenomenon could potentially better their lives. SOMETHING IN THE DIRT was part of Sundance’s popular “Next” category which consists of films produced with extremely low budgets. This particular movie was shot on the cheap with a very tiny crew and it comes to us from Aaron Moorehead and Justin Benson (who also star in the film), the team behind THE ENDLESS. It’s often a little too chatty and intellectual for its own good, and while it probably would have benefitted from a tighter running time, leads Moorehead and Benson are appealing enough. Further still, SOMETHING IN THE DIRT is certainly entertaining in the way that it deals with a strange phenomenon and conspiracy theories, particularly in the time of Covid, but it’s also a fun little riff on the trials and tribulations that come with documentary filmmaking. Again, a bit long-winded, but thrifty and worth a look.
Grade: B-
TIKTOK BOOM
If you’re a fan of or a part of the TikTok generation, chances are this one will be right up your alley. TIKTOK BOOM features interviews with many of the phenomenon’s biggest stars and how they became who they are. That said, this documentary is actually at its strongest when it touches on themes of censorship and how detrimental social media can be to our youth.
Grade: B-
WATCHER
WATCHER features the gifted Maika Monroe in a surprisingly bland role as a woman who, after moving into a new place with her fiance (Karl Glusman), is convinced she’s being watched by a creeper in the neighborhood. Quicker than you can say “Rear Window,’ this fearless heroine frantically attempts to convince everyone around her that she’s being stalked. And wouldn’t you know it? No one believes her. As the story progresses, the question arises what exactly is going on? Is this woman crazy or is someone really looking to do her harm? WATCHER is moody and features terrific locations. It also features a wonderful turn by Burn Gorman as the title character. For all the setup, though, WATCHER isn’t particularly strong when it comes to tension building and the ending of the picture is more ridiculous than exciting. For all its flaws, Leigh Whannell’s similarly themed take on THE INVISIBLE MAN was far more intense.
Grade: C-
THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD
This much-buzzed-about Sundance entry has been garnering more and more positive word of mouth as the days have passed. And in fact, it even ended up getting a couple of 2022 Oscar nominations. What’s in the title? Everything! Actually, to call Julie (Renate Reinsve), the lead character at the heart of this movie, the worst person in the world, seems a little unfair. I mean…Don’t get me wrong…She’s certainly flawed and, at times, selfish, but then, aren’t we all? At the very least Julie learns a great deal through her life experiences…Life experiences that include leaving her apparent soulmate for another man. Of course, as is the case with life, the events that unfold in Joachin Trier’s THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD are complicated and unpredictable. Additionally, there’s a sense of whimsy and surreal elements in this film that really set it apart from other domestic dramas. Included; A sequence in which time literally stands still as Julie searches for the man of her dreams and another in which our protagonist has some pretty wild visions after taking a hallucinogen. Through it all, it’s a captivating Reinsve that truly make THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD so worth watching. It’s a testament to her talent that even when she’s doing things that don’t seem very nice, we the viewers never hate her.
Grade: B
THE BEST SHORT FILMS FROM SUNDANCE 2022;
DEERWOODS DEATHTRAP
A couple lives to tell the tale of a freak accident that almost claimed their lives while on a road trip in New Jersey back in the early 70s. This offbeat short documentary is the last thing I expected it to be; Funny! But it should be noted that DEERWOODS DEATHTRAP evokes laughter of an uncomfortable nature.
Grade: B+
NIGHT BUS
This dark, haunting, and surreal slice of animated noir from Taiwan involves a monkey and her child, a crime, and a late-night bus ride. I dig the animation and I just love the way this thing unfolds. It’s a wild ride and it all culminates in a finale that’s as brutal as it strange.
Grade: B+
STRANGER THAN ROTTERDAM WITH SARA DRIVER
Told with cut-out puppets, the strange, irreverent, and relentlessly entertaining STRANGER THAN ROTTERDAM WITH SARA DRIVER tells the story of how producer Sara Driver would smuggle Jim Jarmusch’s iconic independent gem, STRANGER THAN PARADISE across the Atlantic. And if you’re wondering…Yes!! It’s stranger and cooler than it sounds!
Grade: B+
WARSHA
Despite the fear that comes with one of the most dangerous professions in the world, a Syrian migrant crane operator is willing to climb to the top, and for good reason. I won’t spoil that reason here only to say that following a terrifying setup (it should be noted that I’m terrified of heights so the climb hit me hard), this beautifully shot film goes in a most unexpected direction.
Grade: A-
ZOON
This animated gem takes place in a dark swamp in the middle of nowhere where an army of adorable little luminescent creatures nuzzle up to and nibble on one another until, eventually, another species shows up to join the nocturnal party. A wonderfully offbeat visual feast.
Grade: B+
A solid year for the Sundance Film Festival. For more info on the Sundance Film Festival, CLICK HERE!
