Top 15 Best Movies of Sundance 2019
Cultural significance, assimilation, gentrification, abuse, self-love, abortion. These are a few themes featured in this year’s Sundance. Though these were the focal themes of specific movies, they all revolve around bold storytellers telling their truths. During my first trip to Sundance, I was able to catch 27 out of 56 features which premiered at the festival (that’s a good ratio, right?) There were a ton of movies that I missed, but thankfully the ones I haven’t seen got picked up by several studios so I can just save ‘em for later in the year. As of now, I’ve seen most of Amazon Studio’s upcoming 2019 slate. The only ones I missed were One Child Nation, Troop Zero, and Late Night (WHICH I AM BEATING MYSELF UP ABOUT!)
Whatever. Here are my top 15 movies from Sundance 2019.
15) Light From Light
I didn’t expect for this feature to be a ghost story but, while it doesn’t apply any thrills and chills to its narrative, Paul Hanil takes a contemplative approach. It focuses on a ghostbuster who helps this widower in grief over the death of his wife and it’s powerfully emotional. Plus, it has a short running time of an hour and 20 minutes and I’m here for that. Also, Jim Gaffigan delivers an emotional performance that made me actually shed a tear so... yeah. This was pretty decent.
14. Greener Grass
Are you a fan of absurd comedy that makes little to no sense, but in context to its humor it does? Well, comedians/directors Jocelyn DeBoer & Dawn Luebbe have done just that with their first feature Greener Grass based on their short film of the same name. The film bears an atmosphere on the same caliber of an Adult Swim live action series, such as Tim & Eric. Whenever the film would run out of steam in its story, something insanely new would occur and have you cackling in your seat. The film also features a buttload of recognizable names and faces such as D’arcy Carden, Beck Bennett, and Neil Casey. If this film should do anything it’s launch DeBoer and Luebbe into comedic stardom and receive a series. Seriously, they need to have their own show. Like, today. Five bucks says within two years they’ll sign a deal for their own show on either Adult Swim or Comedy Central. It’s what they deserve!
13. Share
Sexual assault is a hella touchy subject that is unnerving and uncomfortable, but Pippa Bianco’s Share handles the subject with care and caution. The film is relevant and the characters are complex so that it never ceases to keep you guessing. Every character is written like a human being and barely walk any lines of cliche. Plus, Rhianne Barreto shines in a haunting performance that will make her name known.
12. Hala
Coming-of-age stories come in many shapes and forms, especially ones centered on characters of different cultural backgrounds, and that is rooted deep into Minhal Biag’s directorial debut. One of the major things I admire about this film is primarily the switch of character traits it delivers by the midpoint as opposed to its introduction. I will go further with details in my review (whenever I get around to it) and the type of story it tells. Geraldine Viswanathan has always starred in comedic projects, from Blockers to the new TBS series Miracle Workers, but Hala is her limelight role and she showcases a range of abilities that truly blew me away. What the story becomes by the second half is stronger, more impactful, and rooted in cultural significance that was so empowering I nearly teared up and screamed YAS QUEEN by the end.
11. The Report
Scott Z. Burns’ directorial debut centered on The Torture Report is everything that Oliver Stone’s Snowden should’ve been. The film is thrilling, captivating, bolstered by a great performance by Adam Driver, and holds no bars with its subject. Burns takes aim at the Bush administration in a more impactful manner than the entirety of Vice and also the criminal acts of the CIA. This may be the political thriller of 2019 that will definitely (and rightly) be talked about for a while.
10. Them That Follow
A religious cult that involves snakes all helmed by a country priest played by Walton Goggins. Yes, this is a movie and by that description alone, you should be intrigued. The story sets on Mara, who is caught in a love triangle with a suitor chosen for her and a boy she loves but is the only one who thinks the entire religion is bullshit. What made me love this film is seeing how this cult operates and how it affects Mara’s life. Yeah, love triangles are very common as narratives, but when done right it makes for a very engaging drama. Why do you think The Favourite was so great? Speaking of which, this film also features Olivia Colman as the boy’s mom and JIM GAFFIGAN AS HIS DAD.
BACK TO ABSURDIST COMEDY and by God, The Death of Dick Long cracked me up from beginning to end relentlessly. This is from one of the Daniels directors known for Swiss Army Man so this film is expectedly weird. It has the atmosphere of a Mike Judge sitcom, and the twisted humor of one as well. My review is online and it expands on why I love this comedy so much and I hope it gets you intrigued enough to watch it whenever A24 releases it later this year.
8. Premature
During Sundance I was very homesick and missed NYC. One of the best triggers was this tragic romance gem of two lovers in contemporary Harlem. I can make one long film analysis as a modern day Beale Street with a different, relevant theme. The title alone makes it easy to guess what it’s about, but the approach writers Zora Howard and Rashaad Ernesto Green take is perfect and mature and nearly left me in tears by the end. Also, I need the end song that finishes the movie because it’s so damn good.
7. The Lodge
Many people might compare this psychological horror film to Hereditary, for it bears the same atmosphere, but I’ll push it further. I think this film is far superior to Hereditary. The Lodge plays with themes of death and an afterlife in a manner that keeps you guessing while giving you hella claustrophobia. Riley Keough has always been a great actress, but this is one of her best performances yet. Then, the cinematography is so appealing. I’ll expand on this later in my review which will be posted… soon. I guess. One day.
With Brittany Runs a Marathon, Jillian Bell finally rings in her name with a groundbreaking role in which she delivers a spectacular performance. The dialogue she’s given is consistently funny and, with her impeccable comedic timing, she delivers nothing but hard-bellied laughs from beginning to end. It’s a definite crowd-pleasing comedy with depth, complexity, and a character-driven narrative that’s empowering for everyone.
Knock Down the House is not just a documentary, but it also has to be one of the best real life superhero origin stories of all time. You might assume that is a joke, but from the footage Lears captures and the insightful depth taken into account, this plays as a superhero origin story for AOC and all the other candidates who ran for a position in the senate and are trying to fight for the community when corrupt elected leaders don’t even try.
Knock Down the House is a thought-provoking, eye-opening, urgent, and inspirational doc which powerfully lays down the groundwork for the beginning of change in politics and hopefully inspires future leaders to try to make some change, like the amazing subjects in the film.
Now, how do I give an Oscar to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Because I stan.
4. Apollo 11
With over 11,000 hours of audio from the different bases located in Florida, Texas, and SPACE, it’s remarkable how Miller was able to condense a five day mission into an hour and a half feature. It might seem as if the film chronologically displays the highlights of each day post-launch, but it fluently tells a historical story in a revolutionizing form of documentary filmmaking. In all honesty, Apollo 11 completely reshapes the medium of the documentary genre, for it bears absolutely no interviews and is presented as a normal narrative feature.
3. The Farewell
The narrative is based on a personal experience that writer/director Lulu Wang went through with her family. The powerful dialogue and performances show how personal this story really is. A brilliant aspect that gives the movie a resonant authenticity is the family dynamic. If you are a person from a cultural background, you will be able to easily identify elements that remind you of your own family.Lulu Wang’s The Farewell is an incredible, mature outlook on family tradition that is thought-provoking, relative, and most of all personal, which are the best attributes that makes a filmmaker an amazing storyteller while providing a star-turning performance by Awkwafina.
2. The Last Black Man in San Francisco
I have been studying gentrification in anthropology for nearly a year now and it has been occurring right before my very eyes in my neighborhood. Joe Talbot’s directorial debut is every thought I’ve had about the shift of society rolled into one film. Besides that, this is a poetic experimentation that tributes black culture in a way I’ve never witnessed before and made me so proud of who I am. Last Black Man is a revolutionary tale that will linger with me through the year.
1. Honey Boy
Oof. Talk about a film that broke me and wrung my tears out like a washcloth. Har’el captures the true horrifying experiences of many children who have suffered from varying forms of abuse and LaBeouf's script pulls no punches from reality. This is a reality that I personally resonated with, as will a lot of other people. It sucks to be a person who works his way up to success and notices the absence of love from that parent you want to make proud, which naturally psychologically fucks you up in the unprecedented future. To face your demons is a difficult feat but Alma Har'el’s Honey Boy allows Shia LaBeouf to do so with his phenomenal script and incredible performance.
So those are my favorite movies that played during Sundance 2019. I saw 27 movies and wished I caught more but be on the lookout for these titles when they find a distributor and a release.