Last Updated on August 3, 2021
Usually, around this time every year, I'd be gearing up for a big trip to Park City, Utah, for my beloved annual ten-day binge of movies, the Sundance Film Festival. Alas, like so many other things, the continuing pandemic means the fest has been scaled back, with limited in-person screenings. Almost everything will be online for non- Park City residents, and that's extremely understandable. Even still, the programming staff has managed to put together a very intriguing line-up, one that I'd venture is likely just as good as years past. In fact, the only limitation seems to be that the fest is only five days this year, so less time for premieres. Even still, I'm psyched to dive into a lot of these from the comfort of my own home, so make sure to check back during the festival for lots of reviews. Heck, given that it's virtual, you can even buy tickets to some of the biggest movies yourself. Buy tickets here!
In the meantime, here are some of the movies I'm most excited to see.
Prisoners of the Ghostland
Sion Sono is one of Japan’s most celebrated directors, and, for his English language debut, he’s opted to work with Nicolas Cage on what sounds like a Samurai-tinged take on Escape from New York. With the Sundance program suggesting that this features one of Cage’s most unhinged performances, how could this not be a must-see? Sofia Boutella co-stars with Nick Cassavetes and Bill Moseley, with The Raid 2’s Joe Trapanese composing the score. Sign. Me. Up.
The Sparks Brothers
Ever hear of Sparks? A UK band with a serious cult following, these two brothers are getting an epic, 2.5-hour doc from none other than Edgar Wright. I’m psyched to see him do this band justice – they’ve had a weird career. From being the onscreen pop band in the seventies disaster movie Rollercoaster to composing the classic “The Number 1 Song in Heaven” to scoring the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie Knock Off, to say these brothers have been around the block is an understatement.
In the Earth
One of my favorite directors, Ben Wheatley, makes his long-awaited return to genre with this thriller he apparently shot with a skeleton crew during lockdown. About a world ravaged by a deadly virus (how original!) this is set deep in the Arboreal Forest and is apparently visually stunning. While the thought of another virus movie doesn’t excite me too much, Wheatley is the real deal. His Kill List is one of my favorite horror movies. ever, so I’m down to see this one for sure.
Judas and the Black Messiah
A late addition to the Sundance program, Daniel Kaluuya stars as Black Panthers’ leader Fred Hampton, with LaKeith Stanfield as the informant tapped by the FBI to infiltrate the Panthers and betray the cause. This is a big studio film (with it due for an HBO Max bow in February alongside a day and date theatrical release on the 12th) with some serious Oscar hopes pinned on it. The early buzz suggests this is a winner.
A Glitch in the Matrix
So, what if our lives were only a computer simulation? I know, I know – The Matrix. But what if The Matrix was like…real? That’s the question documentarian Rodney Ascher (Room 237) is going to try to answer in his latest nightmare fodder doc. I can already tell this one is going to break my brain.
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