Keith Simanton's Top 10 Films I Want to See at Sundance 2022
Sure I'll be watching these screeners from my laptop but, hey, that's how I experienced CODA and PASSING last year so I'm not concerned. I'm sure I'll end up adoring other films but these are the ones that leap out.
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- DirectorJames PonsoldtStarsLia BarnettSanai VictoriaMadalen MillsDuring their last days of summer and childhood -- the weekend before middle school begins -- four girls struggle with the harsh truths of growing up and embark on a mysterious adventure.Director James Ponsoldt made a clutch of films I admire for their honesty and grit including THE SPECTACULAR NOW, SMASHED, and THE END OF THE TOUR so this is the top of my list (yes, yes, he also made THE CIRCLE, stop being such a grouch).
- DirectorChloe OkunoStarsMaika MonroeKarl GlusmanBurn GormanA young American actress moves with her husband to Bucharest, and begins to suspect that a stranger who watches her from an apartment window may be a serial killer.There are a few actors in my "Why aren't they A-Listers?" mental file. Dan Stevens is one. Maika Monroe is one of the others. She's been vulnerable and tough in both IT FOLLOWS and THE GUEST (hey, also starring Dan Stevens!). Where's her KLUTE? Where's her REPULSION?
- DirectorCooper RaiffStarsCooper RaiffDakota JohnsonEvan AssanteA young man who works as a Bar Mitzvah party host strikes up a friendship with a mother and her autistic daughter.Full disclosure: I haven't seen writer/director Cooper Raiff's SHITHOUSE (sorry Cooper, it's on my list) but there's buzz around this one. It also stars an actress who finds project after project that has a unique spark to it, a unique element; that's Dakota Johnson. She's also in AM I OK, which is in the Premieres programming group.
- DirectorKrystin Ver LindenStarsKeke PalmerCommonJonny Lee MillerA slave in the antebellum South escapes her secluded plantation only to discover a shocking reality that lies beyond the tree line.The premise promises that TWILIGHT ZONE/THE VILLAGE vibe but the real attraction here is the hope that this is the role that really breaks Keke Palmer out. Fingers crossed.
- DirectorCarey WilliamsStarsRJ CylerDonald Elise WatkinsSebastian ChaconReady for a night of legendary partying, three college students must weigh the pros and cons of calling the police when faced with an unexpected situation.The signs all point to this one. A Sundance comedy (already as rare as a screener that doesn't buffer at some point) AND an Opening Night film? True there are 11 Opening Night Films but this looks like the one they're leading with. Plus I'm a fan of RJ Cyler so I hope this one works.
- DirectorAdamma EboStarsRegina HallSterling K. BrownNicole BeharieIn the aftermath of a huge scandal, Trinitie Childs, the first lady of a prominent Southern Baptist Mega Church, attempts to help her pastor-husband, Lee-Curtis Childs, rebuild their congregation.The comedic stylings of Regina Hall are always welcome. Couple that with the gravitas of Sterling K. Brown (can anyone summon hot tears like that man?) and you've got a satire that's sweet and salty.
- DirectorSophie HydeStarsEmma ThompsonDaryl McCormackIsabella LaughlandNancy Stokes, a retired school teacher, is yearning for some adventure, and some sex. And she has a plan, which involves hiring a young sex worker named Leo Grande.Emma Thompson was in one of the best Sundance films of 2019, LATE NIGHT. Never mind that the film, by the lovely director Nisha Ganatra, never got the traction it needed. Good luck to you with this one, Emma.
- DirectorKogonadaStarsColin FarrellJodie Turner-SmithMalea Emma TjandrawidjajaIn a near future, a family reckons with questions of love, connection, and loss after their A.I. helper unexpectedly breaks down.An excellent cast led by Colin Farrell in an indie (where he usually shines, IN BRUGES, THE LOBSTER) versus a blockbuster (TOTAL RECALL anyone? FRIGHT NIGHT?).
- StarsEvan Rachel WoodSara WoodIra David Wood IVActress and activist Evan Rachel Wood's experience as a survivor of domestic abuse and her pursuit of justiceTwo fearless women, actress Evan Rachel Wood and documentarian Amy Berg (DELIVER US FROM EVIL), tackle Wood's story of abuse and survival.
- DirectorJohn Patton FordStarsAubrey PlazaTheo RossiBernardo BadilloDown on her luck and saddled with debt, Emily gets involved in a credit card scam that pulls her into the criminal underworld of Los Angeles, ultimately leading to deadly consequences.As she proved in INGRID GOES WEST, Aubrey Plaza has range. And who doesn't love the noir underbelly of L.A.?