Unlike the fall film festivals, Sundance is pretty much unpredictable. Few saw Beasts of the Southern Wild or Fruitvale Station coming, but they managed to create massive buzz at the festival. That being said, some movies can generate tons of buzz at the festival and then disappear when they’re released into theaters like The Birth of a Nation or Me and Earl and the Dying Girl. Some promising-looking films disappoint, and movies that sounded corny end up winning over audiences. You never know what to expect, and obviously the programmers want every movie to sound worthwhile.
But looking over this year’s program guide and the talent involved, these are my five must-see movies for Sundance 2018.
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Come Sunday
Director: Joshua Marston
Writer: Marcus Hinchey
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Danny Glover, Condola Rashad, Jason Segel, Lakeith Stanfield, and Martin Sheen
The new film from Maria Full of Grace director Joshua Marston follows a bishop (Chiwetel Ejiofor) at a megachurch who, following his uncle’s suicide and reports of the Rwanda genocide, has a crisis of face that leads to an epiphany about universal salvation. However, the epiphany is perceived as heresy by his followers, who begin leaving his church in droves.
I’m fascinated by stories about faith, and when they’re handled insightfully and intelligently they can leave my head spinning. With Ejiofor in the lead role, I’m expecting this one to be among the best of the festival.
Sorry to Bother You
Director/Writer: Boots Riley
Cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yuen, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick, and Armie Hammer
This movie sounds absolutely bonkers, and it could go off the rails at any moment. Lakeith Stanfield plays a telemarketer who starts climbing the ranks at his company, but it brings into conflict with his artist girlfriend (Tessa Thompson) and eventually the cocaine-snorting, orgy-hosting CEO of his company (Armie Hammer). That’s a lot for a movie to bite off, and I don’t know how writer-director Boots Riley will handle it, but I’m eager to see this one no matter how it turns out, especially when you’ve got Stanfield, Thompson, and Hammer in your cast.
The Catcher Was a Spy
Director: Ben Lewin
Writer: Robert Rodat
Cast: Paul Rudd, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, Jeff Daniels, Guy Pearce, and Paul Giamtti
Ben Lewin (The Sessions) returns to Sundance with a fascinating true story. In World War II, Moe Berg (Paul Rudd) was a major league catcher, but became a spy tasked with stopping German scientist Werner Heisenberg from building the atomic bomb for the Nazis.
This isn’t the typical role people expect from the hilarious Rudd, but he’s excelled in dramatic roles when given the chance. Putting him in the middle of a spy thriller, especially one based on an exciting true story, is too good to pass up, and I’m eager to see if this movie can make waves at the festival.
Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind
Director: Marina Zenovich
Robin Williams died in 2014, and I still miss him. He was an influential performer who made a huge impact on standup comedy before finding a terrific balance of roles that made use of both his comedic and dramatic talents. He’s an actor you always wanted to root for, which made his darker turns in films like Insomnia and One Hour Photo even more intriguing. We lost him too soon, and hopefully Marina Zenovich’s documentary can provide some new insight into his life and his career without verging into hagiography.
Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot
Director/Writer: Gus Van Sant
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, and Jack Black
It’s been almost ten years since Gus Van Sant made a good movie, but hopefully he has a comeback of sorts in telling the true story of John Callahan, an alcoholic who was in a car accident that left him confined to a wheelchair. That’s the kind of story that could easily veer into schmaltz, but hopefully Van Sant along with his outstanding cast, can find the right balance to tell Callahan’s story with the honesty it deserves.