So many outstanding films at the legendary Sundance Film Festival this year and we thought we’d share a list of our 5 favorite films. Interestingly enough, only one of these titles– SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY–was profiled in our annual Sundance Curtain Raiser. This is to say, not only was the festival impressive this year, but it was also unpredictable.
Here’s a look a 5 must-see films from Sundance 2024–
THELMA
Right out of the gate, let it be known that for my money, THELMA is the best film of Sundance 2024. It’s funny, thrilling, poignant, and surprisingly hard-hitting. Instantly relatable, too. I loved this film so much, in fact, that I watched it a second time at the festival. Mark my words; You will find few 2024 films as charming, as entertaining, and as downright adorable as Josh Margolin’s wonderful ode to grandmas. Featuring a delightful June Squibb in the title role, this golden years-inspired action movie finds an elderly woman taking matters into her own hands after falling prey to a dastardly telephone scammer. Ultimately, Thelma teams with an old friend (played by the late, great Richard Roundtree) and heads out on a dangerous Tom Cruise-level mission all in an effort to get back what is rightfully hers. This irresistible movie also features a warm and undeniably affable performance by Fred Hechinger as Thelma’s adoring grandson. During a post-screening Q&A, Margolin was quick to point out that watching your elderly grandmother make her way up a flight of stairs can be every bit as terrifying and intense as watching Tom Cruise dangle from a building several stories up, and he perfectly captures this sense of danger throughout this crowd-pleasing gem. Speaking of Tom Cruise, I’m convinced that once the world’s biggest movie star gets a look at this movie, he’ll love it as much as I did!
SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY
The emotional powerhouse that is SUPER/MAN: THE CHRISTOPHER REEVE STORY traces Reeve’s career from his humble beginnings as a classically trained actor to his hitting the big time after being handpicked by director Richard Donner to play the world’s most famous superhero. Ultimately, however, Reeves’s life would forever be altered following a tragic equestrian accident that would leave him permanently paralyzed. As directed by Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedugi, SUPER/MAN is inspirational and moving in all of the ways you’d expect, but it certainly doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Reeve’s highs and lows. Included; A strained relationship between he and his father as well as thoughts of suicide following a horrific accident that very well could have taken his life. Beyond that, SUPER/MAN is punctuated by rare behind-the-scenes footage and candid interviews with the likes of Reeve himself as well as his loving wife, his adoring children, and many of his lifelong industry friends (i.e. Susan Sarandon, the aforementioned Donner, and a compassionate Robin Williams.) As was the case with last year’s stellar Michael J. Fox documentary, STILL, SUPER/MAN emerges as so much more than a tribute to a world-famous actor. This is a movie filled with real pathos. It’s a story of courage and resiliency to be sure. In short, it’s a multifaceted look at a real-life superman and how, in many ways, Reeve was able to take a horrific negative and turn it into a monumental positive. This outstanding documentary just about wrecked me and having an opportunity to listen to the Reeve family talk about this inspirational man was the icing on the proverbial cake. I’ll be very surprised if this doc doesn’t make my best of list come the end of the year.
A DIFFERENT MAN
Strange and offbeat was certainly “in” at Sundance this year but that “strange and offbeat” mentality came across as more surface level in a handful of Sundance’s more high profile offerings during the 2024 fest. This certainly wasn’t the case with “A DIFFERENT MAN, however, a movie that actually offers viewers quite a bit to chew on. This provocative film hails from writer/director Aaron Schimberg and it’s being released by A24, a studio known for, you guessed it; “Strange and offbeat.” A DIFFERENT MAN features Sebastian Stan (Bucky of the CAPTAIN AMERICA series ) as a facially deformed man who, after undergoing a reconstruction surgery, becomes fixated on the enigmatic disfigured actor (Adam Pearson) whose been assigned the task of playing the lead in a play about Edward’s former life. Stan is outstanding here while Pearson (UNDER THE SKIN) proves to be quite the scene stealer as a charismatic, high-energy actor who certainly lived the part he’s about to play. A DIFFERENT MAN is, at its heart, a dark comedy but again, Schimberg has ultimately fashioned a provocative piece about inclusion, empathy, and perception. Strange and offbeat, yes, but it’s also interesting and risk-taking and in the end, it’s one of those movies you’re likely to be thinking about long after you’ve left the theater.
Dìdi
Sean Wang’s take on the quintessential coming of age story finds a 13 year-old Taiwanese-American boy trying to navigate that tricky thing called adolescence. With its often humorous but altogether thoughtful depiction of teen angst, there are moments here that have a bit of a John Hughes ring to them, but rather than an 80s backdrop, DIDI is vintage mid-2000’s. Young Izaac Wang is tasked with carrying this film on his shoulders by way of a role that’s as complex as it is nuanced. The fact that Wang was 13 when he shot the movie makes the performance all the more impressive. It’s a tricky balancing act because his character is often moody and not particularly nice to many of the folks around him. It’s a testament to Wang’s wonderful work as an actor that he never comes across as unlikable, though. It should also be noted that the writing is terrific here, particularly in the way this colorful and vibrant script brings authenticity to the relationships at the heart of the movie, most notably, the strained but loving bond between a mother and son (in this case, the mom is played beautifully by the legendary Joan Chen) as well as the typical love/hate relationship between a brother and sister (the sister is played by a lively Shirley Chen.) DIDI is one of those terrific little coming-of-age gems that proves the familiar is fine provided the execution is there and in this case, the execution is definitely there. This movie is charming without being cloying and again, it’s authentic to boot. I greatly enjoyed it.
BETWEEN THE TEMPLES
Another offbeat offering from Sundance 2024 but this one proved to be one of the more thoughtful, interesting, and moving of the bunch. With slight shades of classic 60s and 70s offerings like Mike Nichols’s classic THE GRADUATE, Hal Ashby’s unforgettable HAROLD AND MAUDE, and the many works of Woody Allen, the endlessly quirky (and undeniably surprising) BETWEEN THE TEMPLES manages to delve into themes of religion, faith, loss, and grief with subtlety and pathos but what really brings the film to life are the performances. Jason Schwartzman is terrific as a widowed man trying to hold on to his sanity and faith while the legendary Carol Kane is delightfully eccentric as a woman looking to do the same. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that these two have quite the connection, despite their epic age difference. For all of the pontificating and all the philosophical discussions going on in this movie, though, the real magic lies in the genuine chemistry between Schwartzman and Kane. This movie could have been really creepy but as played by these wonderful performers and as co-written and directed by Nathan Silver, BETWEEN THE TEMPLES is anything but. This film really snuck up on me in all the right ways.
For more on the legendary Sundance Film Festival, click here.
