sundance

Ranking All 32 Films I Saw at Sundance 2025

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi friends! I know the Sundance Film Festival ended over a month ago so my apologies in finally getting a post up for you with my thoughts on all the films. I did do a podcast breaking them all down with my friend Alex:

I also did a live stream over on Hallmarkies Podcast in the middle of the festival talking about the films I’d seen and my favorite indie romances:

I ended up seeing 32 films at the festival this year which is a new record and something I’m proud of because they only had 2 venues this year for the Salt Lake pass. It helped a lot that I was approved as press so had full access to the digital platform.  Thank you so much to Sundance for giving me this access and allowing me to cover the festival.

Here is my ranking of all 32 films:

32. By Design-

I’m not opposed to movies about people becoming chairs. I enjoyed Suzume a couple of years ago, which has that as a plot. Unfortunately By Design does nothing interesting with that concept and is everything you dread going into Sundance. It really had no story and I felt embarrassed for all involved.

31. Endless Cookie-

I was very disappointed in this film because it is the only animated feature of the festival and while some of the animation is bright and colorful the story is bland and aimless making me feel like I had wasted 97 minutes of my day.

30. One to One: John & Yoko-

This documentary is frustrating because there are some good concert clips of John and Yoko’s final concert in Greenwich Village but it’s padded out with filler that gets old quick. I understand using some clips to give a sense of time and place but there was so much seeming randomness that it becomes extremely tedious. I would say there’s about 20 minutes of good material in this 100 minute documentary. No thanks!

29. Bubble & Squeak-

The problem with this aggressively indie comedy is it just isn’t funny. It’s an obvious attempt to try and mimic what Wes Anderson does but honestly that only works for me about half of the time so your mileage my vary. In a comedy when I’m not laughing the pacing starts to feel real sluggish and the two leads don’t have chemistry to make up for it. It’s just a slog.

28. Jimpa-

Oftentimes at Sundance one can tell a movie is made with the best of intentions full of love and heart. Unfortunately those good intentions can sometimes be undermined by poor storytelling choices and such is the case with Jimpa. The director Sophie Hyde has her heart in the right pace trying to tell a sprawling story about a multi-generational queer family. The problem is it tells too many stories and none of them feel finished or satisfying. There’s also some very strange choices like multiple sequences with the teenage character taking a bath with their mother which I can’t imagine any teen doing even in Europe!

27. Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)-

I probably have this anthology of 3 stories at Lake Michigan higher than most because I’m a sucker for pretty lake footage but these feel like all set up and no payoff. Like we are being given the pitches for features that haven’t been made yet instead of complete finished stories. There’s some good moments but it just feels complete.

26. Folktales-

Folktales is what I would describe as a mixed bag experience at the festival. This documentary follows teenagers in Norway at a special school to learn traditional Nordic ways particularly with the sheepdogs in the bitter cold. I like the documentary doesn’t forget to have a sense of humor and I did feel like I got to know the teens quite well by the end of it. Unfortunately it also feels repetitive with sluggish pacing that I grew tired of after a while. One of those Sundance documentaries that would be better as a short, but we get a feature.

25. Twinless-

Twinless was a big hit of the festival so my placement is definitely an unpopular opinion. The key for this movie working is if you can tolerate James Sweeney’s character and I struggled. Sweeney directs this film and Dylan O’Brien is very good as the victim to Sweeney’s manipulations but I just couldn’t come around on the characters or forgive what he does to O’Brien’s character. Not for me.

24. Prime Minister-

This is a very fluffy documentary about prime minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand. If you don’t want to be challenged at all than it’s a pleasant enough biography but they show the movement that finally ousted her from power as if they are total villains without having a single interview from that side. Not one. It just feels like propaganda when it’s so obviously one-sided but it’s well made propaganda so there’s that.

23. The Thing with Feathers-

It’s beyond bizarre we have gotten 2 movies with bird/death metaphors in the last year and I didn’t like either. I really disliked Tuesday and now we have The Thing with Feathers. This one I liked a little better because it is a spouse dying not a child and that’s easier to connect with but this movie still can’t decide what it wants to saying or the tone it wants to have. At one moment it feels like a horror movie with a jump scare and then it abandons such attempts to full drama. Benedict Cumberbatch is good as are the child actors but it doesn’t come together.

22. Omaha-

There are a lot of aspects of Omaha that work quite well especially the little girl Molly Belle Wright. Unfortunately I don’t think the ending felt earned and worked the way it is supposed to. I just didn’t buy the father would do what he does but I can see why many loved this film if you like slice of life type narratives.

21. Sally-

This is an interesting documentary about astronaut Sally Ride, her career and her relationship with a female life partner. A perfectly pleasant documentary about a cool lady.

20. Animated Shorts-

This year for the festival I had the chance to interview 6 of the creators behind the animated shorts at the festival. These interviews were published on my youtube channel and podcast as well as at Rotoscopers.com. I love animated shorts and it was super fun to talk to each of these animators/directors and give them their moment in the sun.

19. The Dating Game-

This is a fun documentary about a dating expert in China trying to help young men improve their chances of finding a partner in their highly competitive environment. It’s nothing too profound or weighty just a light frothy dating documentary.

18. Atropia-

I am very surprised Atropia won jury prizes because it feels like something left-leaning Sundance would turn their nose at. In the satire a simulation has been created to help train soldiers for Iraq and Afghanistan but a woman becomes too immersed in the world of the simulation. It’s unexpected to have something so pro-soldier and military at Sundance but it’s also satirizing the military and especially the press, which makes it interesting.

17. Seeds-

If you like documentaries that immerse you in a time, people and place you’ll love Seeds. A stunningly shot documentary about the Black farmers in the South and their stories. Will be too aimless without a plot for some (and it is undeniably too long at 123 minutes) it’s still a beautiful historical document of the people it photographs.

16. Coexistince, My Ass-

This is a pretty funny and insightful documentary following comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she is torn between the Israeli and Palestine conflict within her own heritage and family. She’s a likable lead to follow and her standup is pretty funny making for an enjoyable documentary.

15. Plainclothes-

I’m not the biggest fan of shaky cam footage but this film uses just enough to help me from getting too nauseous. It is about an undercover officer in the 90s who helps catch gay men pursuing hookups in public. The problem comes when he falls for one of his assignments. Tom Blyth is very good in the lead and I was engrossed in the story but the shaky cam will be too much for some. It was on the edge for me.

14. Rebuilding-

This film certainly felt of the moment with the LA fires still being fought during the festival. While it does have a slow pace, Rebuilding is about the human need to form communities, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Josh O’Connor finds his chosen family after a fire and a group of friends gathers when they are all assigned FEMA trailers. There won’t be enough story for some with this but I enjoyed it for what it is.

13. Come See Me in a Good Light-

This is the first of two cancer documentaries I saw during the festival. It tells the story of couple Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley and what happens to them as a couple when Gibson is diagnosed with cancer. It’s heartbreaking but also reaffirming to see such a loving and kind couple persevere together.

12. André is an Idiot-

The other cancer documentary which is also good. It gets the slight edge because André really has had a crazy life that is entertaining to watch. It’s of course very sad but the film does have a surprising sense of humor. It’s certainly a reminder to get your colonoscopies!

11. Selena y Los Dinos-

I know there is a huge fanbase around the singer Selena Quintanilla and I’m sure a lot in this documentary is old-news to those fans but it was mostly new information for me. I like the personal approach to the documentary focusing on her family and loved ones memories over the tragic way her life was unfairly ended. Plus, lots of great singing fans will love.

10. Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore-

What’s cool about this documentary about actress Marlee Matlin is the main events take place at the same time as another documentary at the festival Deaf President Now! making an insightful double feature on the deaf experience. I had no idea Marlee was so important outside of acting being one of the people responsible for things like closed captioning on network television. Also it will make you love Henry Winkler more than you ever thought you could. Entertaining.

9. DJ Ahmet-

This is your classic Sundance coming of age story about a boy in Macedonia who loves music much to the chagrin of his strict father. There’s nothing new here but it’s a pleasant story with nice chemistry between the brothers.

8. Middletown-

Now this is not a documentary about the Middletown I grew up in (that’s Middletown Maryland) but it is entertaining nonetheless. It chronicles a journalism class in Middletown, New York that in the 90s and early 00s began looking into a toxic waste-dump in their town and successfully sought for change with even the mafia getting involved! It’s probably 20 minutes to long but an entertaining little documentary with engaging interviews and a story that surprises throughout.

7. Cutting Through Rocks-

This is a documentary about Sara Shahverdi who is a motorcycle riding modern woman in Iran. She’s even a local politician and I’ll be honest I didn’t think women like Sara were allowed in current Iran so this documentary is quite eye-opening. Plus, she’s a very entertaining lead figure for a documentary.

6. Train Dreams-

Train Dreams is probably the prettiest movie I saw at the festival (it along with Seeds.) It follows a man named Robert Grainier who works as a logger in post-war America. Everything seems so old-fashioned through most of the movie that it’s kind of shocking when towards the end it’s the 60s and everything looks pretty modern. Joel Edgerton is very good and has nice chemistry with Felicity Jones. It’s very sad and the pacing is leisurely but I enjoyed it.

5. Lurker-

I didn’t know what to expect with Lurker but it ended up being a very satisfying and clever little thriller. The trick that it pulls off is the lead character seems innocent and nerdy but is actually calculating and cold. We as an audience come to realize that bit-by-bit right along with the characters in the movie. All the acting is excellent and it will make you tense as you watch!

4. Sorry Baby-

I said to my friend after seeing Sorry Baby that it feels like Napoleon Dynamite in current times but a slightly older woman. It has that same dry humor of Napoleon and the same way both lead characters take bad things happening in their lives with a sense of humor. Writer/director Eva Victor stars in this and she is very funny but it doesn’t shy away from some tough topics like rape and PTSD. Lucas Hedges is super charming as her boyfriend neighbor.

3. The Ballad of Wallis Island-

This folksy tale is definitely the charmer of the festival. Carey Mulligan and Tom Baaden play a former singing due who are brought together by a remote islander for a special reunion concert. Tim Key plays our charming local and we maybe get too much of him but still it’s a really cute story with lots of good songs. It feels like a John Carney movie that’s not a John Carney movie.

2. Deaf President Now!-

Director Davis Guggenheim really knows how to put together an issue focused documentary and make it entertaining and exciting. That’s what he does here telling the story of 8 days of protest at Gallaudet University- a deaf university that has a new President who not only isn’t deaf but can’t even sign. It’s crazy and makes for a very entertaining documentary. It’s particularly impressive given much of the interview footage is with non-vocal deaf individuals but they make it work well.

1. Kiss of the Spider Woman-

You all know I’m a sucker for a musical and this new adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name is just up my alley. I know it won’t be for everyone with clashing tones between the fantastical and realistic settings but I found it fresh and exciting. Diego Luna and Tonatiuh are terrific as cellmates in 1981 Argentina. Tonatiuh tells his new friend about glamorous Hollywood movies which then play out in the film starring Jennifer Lopez. I loved the cinematography, dance and music throughout and the chemistry between the 2 friends really works.

So there you have it! All 32 films I saw at Sundance. Let me know if you got to see any of them and what you thought. Do any sound intriguing for you? Thanks again to Sundance for allowing me to be press this year. I am so grateful. 

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All 28 SUNDANCE Films I Saw Ranked and Reviewed

| Rachel's Reviews

Hi everyone! I hope you had a great January and that some of you got to enjoy the experience of the Sundance Film Festival both in person and online. I had a terrific time and saw 28 films this year! I also got to be on KSL Movie Show twice- once on their live show and once on the podcast edition.

The Movie Show

Overall, I’d say the lineup was pretty good this year at Sundance. There wasn’t that much I disliked although last year was perhaps even better but there were a lot of good films.

You can listen to my recap with Louisa Moore (and the 50th episode of Female Film Critics Panel)

But here are my ranking and reviews of all 28 films I saw:

28. Seeking Mavis Beacon-

I was intrigued to watch this documentary, Seeking Mavis Beacon, because I learned how to type using Mavis Beacon software and thought it might be interesting to learn about her backstory. Unfortunately it was clear the research behind Mavis didn’t come to much so instead of just abandoning the project we were subject to their landlord disputes, attending parties and an occasional interview from one of the game developers. I realize it’s got to suck when your documentary topic proves fruitless but sometimes it happens and you have to move on. Don’t do whatever this was…

1 out of 10

Frown Worthy

27. Little Death-

Little Death is the kind of film I despise at Sundance. So shallow and annoying yet so full of its own virtue you can’t stand it or at least I couldn’t. Everything it does or says I’ve seen a million times and yet I’m supposed to be shocked. For example David Schwimmer’s director character has to change his character into a strong female woman and he goes on a rant about how every character is a strong female character. I’ve heard this so many times. What would actually be interesting is if someone commented on how most of these strong female characters aren’t actually made to appeal to women or for women. That would be insightful. Instead it’s more drivel pretending to be brilliant. Every character is unlikable and the animation and other artistic choices are the most basic of Sundance chic. No thank you! The dog is the only thing I liked.

2 out of 10

Frown Worthy

26. Between the Temples-

Sometimes a director, particularly at Sundance, can’t let himself get out of the way of the story. Such is the case with Between the Temples. Director Nathan Silver has a bunch of good ingredients with a funny story and charismatic performers but unfortunately I couldn’t enjoy the film because of the terrible filmmaking choices he makes. Silver has a love of extreme closeups for no reason, which is distracting to the overall narrative and the sound design was frankly bizarre. Whenever someone is eating we hear the food masticating in their mouth. We hear them scratching and slurping up tea. It’s unpleasant and doesn’t add anything of substance to the story. In the end, Between the Temples was a chore to get through and I couldn’t wait for it to be over.

2 out of 10

Frown Worthy

25. Handling the Undead-

There might be something in Handling the Undead that could make for a piece of a good movie but as presented it’s an extremely frustrating watch. It’s definitely the most lethargic and slow zombie movie ever made. In it we have a zombie uprising where there’s a lot of meaningful staring and sad faces, which sure you’d feel that way in a zombie apocalypse but there might also be some urgency? The cinematography and music are beautiful but almost nothing happens for 98 minutes. We are literally watching people stare longingly for over an hour. No thank you.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

24. Love Lies Bleeding-

It’s always interesting when a project or director has a lot of hype going into the festival. It feels like they almost never live up to expectations and that is definitely the case with Rose Glass and her new film Love Lies Bleeding. She had a big indie hit in 2019 with Saint Maud, which I finally watched before the festival (I don’t tend to like possession movies) and it is very well done. Unfortunately Love Lies Bleeding can’t decide whether it wants to be an erotic thriller or an over-the-top revenge fantasy. The performances are good by Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian but each new plot development got more ridiculous by the minute until the end is full-on absurd fantasy. I can see some will embrace the madness but it was too much for me and didn’t manage its tone well enough.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

23. Winner-

I like an inspirational true story as much as the next person but with Reality Winner’s story the filmmakers have the unfortunate task of making someone heroic who does something incredibly stupid. I’m not sure how the other bio-pic of her story fares but Winner feels extremely mediocre and would make more a home as a movie of the week on channels like Lifetime- but they’d make it more salacious and fun. Emilia Jones is good in the lead role and Connie Britton always adds gravitas to whatever she is in but the movie can’t get around the fact what Winner did was at best misguided and like I said stupid.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

22. And So it Begins-

Documentaries are tricky because so much of the entertainment value is unpredictable and depends on the charisma of the subject being profiled. Unfortunately And So it Begins is not able to make the Filipino presidential candidate Leni Robredo interesting. It has a few stirring speeches but most of it feels like watching the dry and dull goings-on of a campaign. Most frustrating is I didn’t feel like I actually got to know Robredo and instead was shown the busy-work and bureaucracy in setting up events and talking with the media. It just wasn’t interesting.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

21. Didi-

Didi is where we start to get into the more mixed bag experiences of the festival. There are some positives here. Director Sean Wang has captured authentic moments of a Taiwanese American family in 2008 with the awkward interactions between a teen b0y and his friends and family. Unfortunately the tone is all over the place and the teen is very unlikable at times. He’s not just rebellious but outright mean to his Mother and sister and even rude to his friends without a clear motivations for his behavior. It just made the whole thing kind of unpleasant to watch. Coming of age stories are already a tough sell for me and in the end I couldn’t vibe with this teen.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

20. Reinas-

Lately it seems to be a favorite theme of indie films to take on relationships between fathers and daughters- usually divorced Dads with their daughters. Aftersun was a good example last year and this year at the festival there were 2 films, both in the Spanish language that were almost identical, Reinas and In the Summers. Unfortunately for Reinas, In the Summers was the better film so it gets higher on this ranking. I honestly don’t know what they were thinking having such similar films in the same category at the festival. The girls are cute in this one but not much else to find compelling.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

19. 10 Lives

10 Lives is our animated entry for the festival and I honestly wanted to like it more than I did. The animation is fairly generic cheap CG and the story feels played out. It perhaps hurts that it is similar in structure to Puss N Boots: The Last Wish (at least the very beginning of that film) and you all know how much I loved that one. In tphis case our cat comes back to earth as different animals which could have been funny but it again felt played out. It’s harmless for little kids but pretty generic.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

18. Rob Peace-

Next up we have Rob Peace and this is a tricky situation because it is a well made film. The acting is solid throughout and it is based on a true story so I don’t know how much room they had to work with for the story. However, every beat felt so predictable and played out it was frustrating to watch. As each part of the story unfolded I kept saying to myself what was going to happen and then sure enough it did. It just would be nice to get more stories from the Black experience and to tell them in more cinematically unique ways. This one is what I would call serviceable but totally unmemorable.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

17. In the Land of Brothers-

In the Land of Brothers tells 3 stories of Afghan refugees living in Iran which is a people and situations I know nothing about so it was intriguing on that level. However, all 3 stories werevery depressing and it might have been nice to throw in 1 with a little bit of hope for a little bit of variety. My favorite was the last which was about a marriage in a tough spot. They are all slice of life type stories but are well made and it would be interesting to see what these directors could do with a feature.

5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

16. Brief History of a Family

A lot of people at the festival were comparing Brief History of a Family to Saltburn but I didn’t see Saltburn so perhaps that helped in my enjoyment. It’s an impeccably well made film with a beautiful look to it and great performances but I don’t know if I totally got what it was going for in the story. It’s about a young man in China who begins to be attached to another set of parents (everyone only has 1 child because of the one child only policies) and this causes conflict with the couples actual son and with his parents. Still it’s one that I would be interested to watch again outside of the festival.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

15. In the Summers

Like I said, of the 2 films In the Summers was the better father/daughter journey over Reinas so it gets the higher placement. Like all of these stories, you have a flawed father who is abusive and angry but still loves his daughters in the best way he can. You have different actresses playing the girls over the years and they do a good job with the young performers and making them all feel like the same characters. I don’t know how I feel about how much Spanish they chose to not translate or subtitle in the movie. I feel like I missed out on a lot of the dialogue and important character interactions because of that choice. My response after I saw In the Summers is that it is ‘very sundancy’ and so I’m not surprised it won awards. It’s just strange they pitted it against another very similar film.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

14. Freaky Tales

This anthology of 80’s themed horror shorts got a ton of buzz at the festival and while I enjoyed them I don’t know how buzzworthy they really were. My favorite were the first and fourth. The first is about a group of punk kids who decide to fight the local skinheads (literally in a battle style combat scene) and then the fourth was about an NBA player who takes on some of those same thugs who try to steal from his house. He’s known as Sleepy Floyd but he does anything but sleep on them! These shorts are very bloody and they have a nice sense of humor. There’ s also a really fun cameo that everyone will get a kick out of in the 2nd short. These are enjoyable enough with a nice style and sense of humor to them but nothing outstanding.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

13. Frida-

Next up is a documentary Frida about the painter Frida Kahlo who was quite the personality. When I first saw this on the schedule I thought maybe it might be destined for the PBS Masters series but Kahlo has quite the tongue and isn’t afraid to use it! It was funny and surprising but does make you wonder where this can eventually land. They did all they could in this documentary to add animation in Kahlo’s style and make it as entertaining as possible but it still felt a little dry. Still, if you are interested in Kahlo and her art it’s a must watch.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

12. Girls State-

Girls State was a fun way to start off the festival especially because I saw Boys State a few years ago at the festival. I also got to give my review to the KSL Movie Show, which was a fun surprise. This is similar to Boys State but it isn’t quite as cynical. They did a very good job picking the girls to be featured and they try to show the differences between the 2 organizations. There is even one girl who starts doing an investigation into the differences between Boys State and Girls State. However, I did start to feel manipulated as I know so little information about both programs- perhaps the boys programs has a lot more applicants and interest? There could be reasons the programs are different besides just sexism. Still, it’s interesting to see the type of rhetoric effective on young girls and what is of concern to them right now.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

11. Skywalkers: A Love Story-

Next up we have another documentary Skywalkers: A Love Story that is about 2 legitimately crazy people and their love story. It’s too bad it is going straight to Netflix because these daredevils and their stunts are incredible to watch on the big screen. This tells the story of a couple Angela Nikolau and Vanya Beerkus who climb to the tops of high buildings and post about it on their social media. The pictures they get hanging off of poles and rooftops are unbelievable. Don’t watch this one if you have a fear of heights! Fortunately it is also a compelling love story as the title suggests. Think Free Solo but with actually nice people at the lead.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

10. Suncoast-

Starting the top 10 of the festival we have Suncoast which is another moving coming of age story. This time about a mother and daughter but it is also a story of loss and the burdens of caregiving. Nico Parker is excellent as a teen who has a terminally ill brother who has moved to the same hospice care center that Terri Schiavo was at in 2005 when her family battled whether to take her off of life support. Laura Linney lays Parker’s mother and she is a very flawed character but it is understandable under such a stressful situation.

We also have a Schiavo protestor and activist played by Woody Harrelson that I kept thinking was going to be a more untrustworthy character but he wasn’t. It was just unusual to have an adult man be so interested in a teen like Parker. However, the less compelling part was her various interactions with a new cooler group of friends who are actually quite accepting and kind (not the mean girls you think they will be at the beginning.) Still, this one is worth seeing for the good performances and a few very effective moments that got the tears flowing. It’s on hulu now and I think definitely worth a watch.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

9. Will & Harper-

Next up we have a sweet documentary most anyone will love called Will & Harper. It follows Will Ferrell as he takes a roadtrip with his longtime friend Harper Steele who has recently transitioned as a trans woman. It perhaps has 2 stops too many and is a bit too long at 114 minutes but I love stories about friendship and so I really enjoyed this one. It warms the heart.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

8. A New Kind of Wilderness-

When I first saw the blurb for A New Kind of Wilderness I didn’t know if it would be for me because there have been a lot of ‘living off the grid’ documentaries at Sundance and usually they aren’t for me. However, I’m really glad I saw this one because that’s actually not what it was about. It follows a family in Norway who have to transition away from their idyllic homeschool-led off the grid lifestyle when the Mother and primary breadwinner of the family dies of cancer.

In the end it becomes a story about grief and loss and how it can wound us not just emotionally but practically as well when a person is suddenly gone- especially someone as important as a Mother. It was neat to have the entire family there at the screening and the whole thing had huge heart. I cried my eyes out.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

7. The Greatest Night in Pop-

I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of the 1985 anthem “We are the World” but I saw The Greatest Night in Pop because it fit into my schedule and I’m so glad I did. This is an extremely entertaining and well put-together documentary that is more about capturing a moment than this particular song.

Director Bao Nguyen does a wonderful job combining new and archival interviews along with footage from the recording studio to bring the night of the recording to life. Getting together so many stars of the day was a feet and managing to make a listenable song is pretty impressive. One of my favorite moments is when Stevie Wonder helps Bob Dylan have the confidence in his solo and When Stevie helps Ray Charles find the bathroom- the blind literally leading the blind!

This is just extremely well done. I highly recommend it.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

6. Your Monster-

If any of you saw the recent Lisa Frankenstein and were disappointed you might find Your Monster to be more your cup of tea. It combines elements of romantic comedy and horror more successfully and makes for a fun campy watching experience. Melissa Barrera plays a recently dumped woman who finds a monster (Tommy Dewey)in her closet who just might be the key to her getting over her breakup.

This film doesn’t take itself too seriously and the two leads have an odd but effective chemistry. Some of the antics with the best friend and ex get a little old but still I had a great time with this and if you can handle some blood particularly at the end I recommend it.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

5. Thelma-

Readers of my reviews know I love movies about old people- the crankier the better so Thelma had my name written all over it. June Squibb plays a 90-year-old Thelma who goes on a revenge outing with her best friend played by Richard Roundtree to retrieve money scammed from her. The story gets very ridiculous especially by the end but everyone involved is so charming you cannot help but have a good time. I loved Parker Posey and Clark Gregg as her daughter and son-in-law and Fred Hechinger as her insecure but loveable grandson. Thelma also doesn’t overstay its welcome at only 97 minutes. Watch it with your Grandma. They will love it. I wish I could watch it with mine.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

4. A Real Pain-

A Real Pain is an interesting film because it has a lot of elements that might normally turn me off. Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg (who directs and writes) play cousins who go on a Poland Holocaust tour to honor their beloved Grandma. Culkin’s character is a lot of personality and a little of him goes a long way but the movie knows that and gives us enough breaks to make it palatable. It’s also mercifully short at just 90 minutes so we don’t get too sick of him.

The part I connected with most was the love both men have for their Grandma, who we never see, but that love spoke to me and was something I could relate with as I was very close to my Grandma Wagner. In the end, A Real Pain is a heartfelt and poignant film anyone who has an annoying cousin or loved their grandma will be able to connect with.

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

3. Luther: Never Too Much-

Next up we have the biggest surprise for me at the festival in the documentary Luther: Never Too Much. I went into it knowing nothing about the singer aside from a few of his songs especially “A Whole New World” from Aladdin but I left really relating with his story and journey as a human being. There’s nothing particularly special about the structure of this documentary. It’s your standard bio-doc of a musician but they did an excellent job of showcasing Vandross’s work but also his internal struggles and challenges.

I connected most with his being a singer of cheesy love ballads who had never fallen in love himself. As someone who covers cheesy romantic movies for my job but have never fallen in love I could relate to this story. We never talk about the people who never fall in love in this world but there are lots of us who it never happens to and I appreciate this documentary addressing that honestly. Of course, it may be that Vandross was closeted gay man but he never came out in his lifetime so that is an added layer.

Again this is not any great feet of filmmaking but I just connected with Luther Vandross as a person and so it was a special experience at the festival for me.

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

2. Hit man-

Hit man was definitely one of my most hyped films of the festival. Having had big runs at other festivals and coming from director Richard Linklater I was pretty sure I would like it and I did. It’s one of his more lighthearted romps compared to something more serious like Boyhood but it is slick and extremely well put together.

It tells the fictious account of a real life undercover hitman in Texas played by Glen Powell and what happens when his undercover persona becomes his real persona. Powell is incredibly charismatic and he has terrific chemistry with Adria Arjona (and some very sexy scenes!) This is not to be realistic or tense but zippy engaging little comedic thriller. It’s just a shame it is going straight to Netflix because its very entertaining and theatergoers would love it. Stupid Netflix

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

1.Ghostlight
Finally we have a movie practically made for me, Ghostlight. It tells the story of a family deep in grief who are struggling to move on with their lives. The father stumbles into a community theater production of Romeo & Juliet which starts to change this rough and gruff construction worker. What’s really special about this film, aside from the pitch perfect script, is that the family (Mother, father, daughter) are played by an actual family- the Kupferer family. This allows them to have natural chemistry and we really feel like we go on a journey with these people as drama and community helps them cope with tremendous loss.

It’s also not a downer but can be quite funny and charming with Dolly de Leon playing our older Juliet actress who is paired with the gruff father. I know it is a bit on the nose, but it all worked for me. I was moved to tears multiple times and it made me immediately want to recommend it to friends and family- particularly all my theatre friends! I would be shocked if Ghostlight doesn’t end up in my top 10 of 2024 films (although I have no idea why it is called Ghostlight).

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it! I know it took me over a month to finish this ranking but I sincerely had a great experience at the festival and saw a bunch of films I’ll not soon forget. Which ones look the most intriguing to you? I would love to hear what you think. Happy movie-watching!

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Sundance 2023 Recap and 21 Film Ranking

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! The 2023 Sundance Film Festival has come and gone and I decided to do things a little differently this year for my coverage. I didn’t get accepted as press for some reason but I had the locals Salt Lake pass which allows me to see anything I wanted playing in Salt Lake City. Instead of doing the daily logs I’ve done in the past I decided to enjoy the experience and stick my immediate film reactions to twitter and instagram.

I was also trying to think of some way my coverage could stand out and came up with bringing Marcel the Shell along with me to the festival. I’m no Jenny Slate but it was fun

In my attempt to actually enjoy the festival I also was a little pickier this year and only saw movies I had heard good buzz about and thought I had a good chance of liking and to my pleasant surprise I actually did like almost everything I saw. I don’t know if I was just so happy to be back at Sundance after 3 years but it was an entertaining slate this year.

2023 Sundance Ranking and Quick Thoughts

1. Judy Blume Forever– If you’ve followed my writing for any amount of time you know I’m a sucker for a well made documentary and this about novelist Judy Blume is no exception. I was particularly blown away by the letters she received and the correspondence she had with thousands of children over the years.

10/10

2. You Hurt My Feelings– Director Nicole Holofcener actress Julia Louise-Dreyfus reunite (I love their work in Enough Said) for this very funny comedy about marriage and the lies we tell the people we love. This is going to be released by A24 and I hope it doesn’t get dismissed as one of their artsy films because it’s quite approachable and funny. I even recommended it to my parents who hardly see any movies. Especially married couples will be able to relate to this story and its wonderful dialogue. The letter left at the end for Tobias Menzies shrink character is particularly hilarious.

9/10

3. Radical– We’ve seen this type of inspirational teacher story because but this is done so well and Eugenio Derbez is so strong it worked very well. It tells the true story of a teacher in a deeply poor failing school in Juarez, Mexico and it will bring on the tears so be ready. The kids are all great as well as strong supporting performances from the adults playing the other teachers and parents. I loved it

9/10

4. Theatre Camp– Everyone knows I’m a theater geek so this comedy about a struggling theater camp was made for me. Evidently a large percentage of it was improv and the actors like Ben Platt, Molly Gordon and Patti Harrison (who I have loved in everything I’ve seen her in) are all up for it. If you are expecting a lot of Amy Sedaris you might be disappointed but if you want some good natured laughs it’s a great choice.

8/10

5. Flora and Son– family stories and non-traditional romances were a big trend this year at Sundance and this sweet little movie from one of my favorite directors, John Carney, is one of the best. The only reason it’s not higher is Flora (Eve Hewson) is a lot to take in at the start of the movie, very rude and caustic to everyone around her, but we see her grow and change until we end up rooting for her. Jack Reynor is great as her ex-husband, Oren Kinlan is the ‘son’ of the title and is funny as an aspiring rapper, and Joseph Gordon-Leavitt is charming as the LA guitar teacher Flora becomes friends with online. The music wasn’t quite as strong as Carney’s other films but still a heart-warming little movie perfect for Sundance.

8/10

6. Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out– Despite its unwieldly title this is a very endearing family comedy about a teenage boy Calvin (Jacob Buster) who is trying to find his parents after they were abducted when he was 6. Emma Tremblay plays Itsy the new girl at school and she and Calvin have a lovely friendship. Obviously the story in this film is unique but it’s also funny and some emotional moments. In some ways it reminds me of Napoleon Dynamite but not as deadpan in the humor. One of the best family films they’ve had at the festival in a long time

8/10

7. Fairyland– Another family story at the festival. This one about a father (Scoot McNairy) and daughter (Emilia Jones among others) growing up through the 80s and 90s in San Francisco. McNairy is excellent and the script covers a lot of time without it feeling maudlin or boring. Geena Davis appears as the more conservative Grandmother but I appreciate she is written with nuance and not a one-note cliché we often see. It seems like others didn’t enjoy it as much as I did but I found it quite moving.

8/10

8. The Disappearance of Shere Hite– As the title suggests I had never heard of Shere Hite before this documentary which is fascinating because she was such a prominent figure of her time with her book on female sexuality called The Hite Report. My only question is for someone who seems so shocked by the media’s depiction of her she went on a lot of salacious shows and said shocking things. I think the documentary could have dove into that more. If she wanted to be treated like an academic why is she going on Maury Povich and shows like that. Still it was an interesting watch

7/10

9. Fair Play– They are billing this corporate drama as a thriller and that’s a stretch but it is well made and acted. Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich are terrific as a toxic couple who both work at the same investment firm in New York. When Dynevor’s character gets the big promotion jealousy and envy start to ruin their relationship. This film does have shocking scenes of violence and rape but it builds tension very well and I was genuinely unsure with what was going to happen and how it would end.

7/10

10. Squaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis)– This is a fun, light documentary about the 1970-80s company Hipgnosis which created some of the most iconic rock album covers for the likes of Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd. Nothing outstanding here but I like these kind of behind the scenes documentaries and the interviews are well done and engaging.

6/10

11. The Persian Version– Another film about family at the festival and overall it had enough heart to enjoy but it tries to tackle to much and ends up feeling messy. Director Maryam Keshvarz tells the story of her Iranian-American family particularly herself and her Mother. I think she should have focused just on the Mother but there’s enough good here to recommend.

6/10

12. Past Lives– It seems like I’m more mixed on this bittersweet romance than my friends. Greta Lee, Yoo Teo and John Magara are very strong as the leads, but I found the experience very stressful to watch because I didn’t want her to cheat on her husband who I enjoyed so much. I couldn’t help but wish the movie was telling a different story while I was watching it but that’s me putting my traditional rom-com loving self onto the movie. For what it is, it does tell a bittersweet love story well, but I just found it stressful to watch.

6/10

13. L’immensità– This film is a spotlight film from the Cannes Film Festival last year. It’s another family story at the festival and is very well made and acted by director Emanuele Crialese. He captures the feel of 1970s effectively and Penelope Cruz is fantastic as the unhappy housewife and mother who still loves her children despite being in an unhappy marriage. All 3 kids are excellent including trans child actor Luana Giuliani. It’s a bit ambling and repetitive but I still enjoyed it.

6/10

14. Blueback– You all know how much I love the ocean and this movie about a Mother/Daughter diving team in Australia has amazing underwater footage. The story is sweet and Mia Wasikowska is good as the grown-up daughter with Eric Bana having a great time as the pirate-esque fisherman friend of the family. However, it should have just been the younger girl’s story because anything involving the Mother and her stroke is very saccharine and didn’t feel accurate to what little I know about how strokes work (for example, she just starts talking in full sentences out of the blue after not being able to for months.) Still, the water imagery and main relationships worked enough for me to recommend.

6/10

15. The Longest Goodbye– In all the films I’ve seen about space travel there aren’t that many which tackle the psychological toll on the astronauts and that’s what this film tries to do. It comes from the perspective of preparing an astronaut for a trip to Mars, which if attempted would take 3 years in space. Everything is interesting in this film but it was on the dry side and was a little dull.

6/10

16. Polite Society– I will not be surprised if we hear a lot about this film going forward and its director Nida Manzoor. It has a ton of energy and its lead Priya Kansara is charming as are all the actors (another family story.) The story is a bit all over the place and couldn’t balance its competing tones but it still had enough fun for me to recommend. I appreciate they made her terrible at martial arts until the one moment where she summons all her powers to defeat the villain. I think people who loved EEAAO will like this wacky movie.

6/10

17. Fancy Dance– We have another story about family, this one a mystery and drama. Lilly Gladstone plays Jax a Native American woman who has been searching for her missing sister for years and tryign to raise her high strung niece (Isabel Deroy-Olson) at the same time. Gladstone is very good in the lead role and the ending worked for me but it did have some pacing issues that make it lower on my ranking.

6/10

18. The Amazing Maurice– this was the only animated feature film of the festival and overall I enjoyed it. The story is based on a popular Terry Pratchett novel about a cat that becomes friends with a group of talking rats and they figure out a cheap way of making money. I like the animation and the voice-work is first rate including Hugh Laurie, Emilia Clarke and Gemma Arterton. The story felt a little muddled and didn’t do much for me but it’s alright (and it’s getting a 2000 theater rollout starting this weekend!) If your kids enjoy animated films about animals they will have a good time.

6/10

19. Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields– This documentary is actually 2 episodes of a show that will be released on hulu. For the most part I found the first part to be more intriguing and compelling than the 2nd. It tells the story of actress Brooke Shields and her work in Hollywood from a very young age. She has many positive experiences but she is also exploited, sexualized as a minor and dealing with an alcoholic Mother/manager. The second part while still containing some compelling stuff felt like it dipped into an advertisement for her Beginning is Now website than a movie. Still, there are definitely enough good parts to recommend especially that first part.

6/10

20. It’s Only Life After All– Another documentary about folk rock stars: The Indigo Girls. I knew almost nothing about them before watching so learning about their journeys is fascinating. I also enjoyed seeing how their platonic friendship played out over the years. The problem was the focus on the activism (while commendable) felt repetitive and took away from time spent about the music. I’m still amazed they have never been on SNL after all these years of writing hits. They even had an Indigo Girls skit. Shame on you SNL!

6/10

21. Shortcomings– Shockingly this is the only film from the festival I will be going rotten on (a miracle for Sundance!) and it’s not a terrible film, just not for me. The problem is Justin H Min plays Ben an annoying, insufferable 20-something who thinks he knows how everyone should live their lives and what they should like particularly when it comes to movies. Nobody is good enough for this guy and the problem is the movie isn’t funny enough to pull off such an unlikable lead character. Sherry Cola is great as his best friend but she can’t save it.

5/10

So there you have it! All 21 films I saw at Sundance. What do you think about these movies? What sounds the most intriguing to you? I would love to hear in the comments section.

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[REVIEW] Therapy Dogs or I’m Glad I’m Not a Teenager

| Rachel's Reviews

As you all know I recently finished covering the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. For the most part it was a disappointing festival with nothing that is likely going to stand out by the end of the year. It’s ironic that one of the most successful “Sundancy” films I saw this week, Therapy Dogs, is going to be released at the Slamdance Film Festival instead of Sundance.

In the film director Ethan Eng takes an underground documentary approach to a narrative chronicling him and his friends senior year of high school. They tell their friends it is a high school yearbook video but it’s actually a feature film.

This is the kind of movie you used to get at Sundance all the time. Friends making a movie together and capturing an authentic look at their worlds. Now it is far too much of the Netflix/Amazon films that don’t feel particularly grounded.

Therapy Dogs at times feels too raw and authentic. It will certainly make you glad you aren’t a teenager today. The drug use and other damaging behavior can be quite shocking. There is also a scene in a strip club that was way too long and felt like part of a different movie.

That said, there are a lot of sequences that feel genuine. One of my favorite parts was all the promposals and any time you see the dance and choral performances at school. As hard as high school can be it is a time where you can explore your talents without the weight of a career or family to worry about.

Eng says at the beginning of the movie “It’s the movie you all deserve…the truth about high school.” and I think that is true. Watching Therapy Dogs reminded me of the brilliant documentary Minding the Gap, where director Bing Liu follows his friends in a documentary for many years. It’s a similar dynamic here where you get to see how these teens live and how most of the preconceived ideas people have aren’t true. For example, they show the partying and then there is a big title card that says ‘Parties Suck’. It’s that contrast between behavior and actual emotion which makes Therapy Dogs a fascinating watch.

Therapy Dogs is a hard R rating but in fairness so is high school. You can watch it on demand as part of The Slamdance Film Festival right now (passes are only $10)

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Current Mini Reviews (Am I Ok?, Rifkin’s Festival, The Royal Treatment)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! So we had my last day of Sundance today. I ended up with 24 films watched and a bunch started that I chose to not complete (I gave myself that out this year). In general, the festival was a disappointment this year. There were a number of films I enjoyed but nothing I can see ending up in my top 20 of the year. And a lot of my most anticipated were either disappointing or ones I didn’t finish. It’s a real bummer but I hope you enjoyed my coverage. I did the best I could to be fair and enlightening in my mini reviews each day.

Now I have one more Sundance film to review and a few other recent watches I’d like to talk about.

Enjoy some mini reviews!

Sundance: Tig Notaro's Am I OK? Takes Probing Look at Coming Out as an Adult – The Hollywood Reporter

Am I Ok?

From the summary Am I Ok? looked like the sweet romance I’d been looking for at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Unfortunately, that was not the case. It’s instead a coming out story, which would be fine but the none of the characters in question were very appealing or likable.

Dakota Johnson plays Lucy, a woman who finally admits she is gay, after her best friend Jane is moving back to England (she’s from England originally so not sure why this is a huge surprise). It seems like the narrative is going to be a friends to lovers story but it ends up being a lot of quarreling, fighting and overall obnoxious behavior. Then most of the time is spent with Lucy dealing with a crush on a lady at work not on anything to do with Jane.

Am I Ok? has nice moments but it could have been a lot better. I feel like a lot of films at Sundance this year were rushed with half finished scripts. Maybe they will improve the films before wide-release? Who knows but this one didn’t work for me.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Rifkin’s Festival

While the festival was busy pumping out indie fare a new film from Woody Allen was quietly released entitled Rifkin’s Festival. Like most of Allen’s recent work it is a mixed bag of his best and worst tendencies.

The positives is with the film being set in a Cannes-like film festival in San Sebastian, Spain, Allen has a lot of fun commenting on the arthouse film crowd and prestige filmmakers like Godard, Fellini, Bergman and Orson Welles. He even has dream-sequences that recreate the iconic moments from these classic directors. That was entertaining.

Certainly the cast Allen has assembled is up for the challenge with people like Wallace Shawn, Gina Gershon, Richard Kind and more. However, the problem comes with the 78 year old Shawn playing the ”Woody Allen” role as the supposed pedantic lover torn between 2 beautiful young women. It was unbelievable to put it mildly.

In Allen’s previous film A Rainy Day in New York he had Timothee Chalamet in the Allen-esque role and I think that was the right way to go!

Still just for the cinema parts I’d give it a watch.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

The Royal Treatment' Review: A Noble Netflix Romp - Variety

The Royal Treatment

For people outside of the Hallmark bubble they may be unaware of the flourishing business that is the royal genre of films. Whether it is on Hallmark with movies like A Royal Queens Christmas or Netflix with another Princess Switch movie (and that’s only a few of the many releases) there seems to be a never ending supply and demand for what are essentially Cinderella stories at the movies. Now our latest is The Royal Agreement on Netflix.

This film stars Mena Massoud as Thomas, the prince of fictional Lavania who hires hairdresser Izzy (Laura Marano) to help with his arranged wedding preparations. Of course he falls for the hairdresser instead of his intended bride but movies like these are about execution not originality and for the most part this is executed well.

The Royal Treatment is a cute movie that reminds me of The Beautician and the Beast– a movie I love. I appreciate the charisma of both leads and the humor the script brings in. In particular Izzy’s friends Destiny (Chelsea Preston Crayford) and Lola (Grace Bentley-Tsibuah) are a lot of fun as they bring some spice to palace life.

If you are a fan of royal movies you’ll enjoy The Royal Treatment. It does not break the mold but I had fun with it.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it. I was going to include a couple others but it’s late and I will save them for a future post. I hope you are all doing well and watching some great movies. Let me know what you recommend!

Sundance 2022 Day 6: (The Mission, Maika, Honk for Jesus)

| Rachel's Reviews

On my 6th day of Sundance I saw 3 films (I started a couple others but they didn’t interest me so I stopped). It’s an interesting batch of movies- all of which I enjoyed- 2 involving religion that couldn’t be more different.

Here we go with my thoughts:

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul

Satire is a tough thing to pull off. For every Dr Strangelove there’s a million misses like last year’s America: the Motion Picture or Drop Dead Gorgeous– 2 movies I really didn’t like. Now we have Honk for Jesus and it mostly works as a satire of religion and megachurches.

The film’s greatest strength is its cast with Regina Hall and Sterling K Brown in the leads. They play the couple over the megachurch who are trying to stage a comeback after a scandal. As someone with no knowledge of these type of churches I learned something while still laughing. For instance, I had no idea that praise mime was an actual thing. I guess whatever moves you but that was new to me!

The problem I had with Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul is the consistency of the laughs aren’t there- at times it feels like a full blown drama, which can be jarring when it switches from one style to another. Also I found the writing of Brown’s character to be off. For a lot of the movie we are supposed to hate him as the worst kind of hypocrite but then there are sections where it seemed like we are supposed to be rooting for him and his redemption. It can be tonally confusing.

Still, I recommend it for the performances and enough laughs to make it worth your time.

6.5 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Maika

The festival this year was woefully lacking in its family programming. The kids section only had 2 entries and 1 of them Summering starred children but was not appropriate for them given the language and subject matter. So we were left with only Maika, a Vietnamese sci-fi film that overall I found very charming.

Maika is directed by Ham Tran and is Vietnam’s first family sci-fi film, only their 2nd entry at all in the genre. I hope it inspires other filmmakers as I love seeing genre films from all over the world. It tells the story of a little boy who stumbles across a little girl alien named Maika.

It is easy to compare Maika to films like E.T. or Lilo and Stitch but I still enjoyed it on its own. The children are adorable and the story have a campy quality that is engaging to watch.

The villains are over-the-top and the movie goes on too long but it still is a fun time. Kids will enjoy seeing a story where they are powerful and able to save the day (a friend compared it to Robert Rodriguez film like Spy Kids and I agree).

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

The Mission

My final film for the day, The Mission, is a tricky one for me to review. It’s subject matter, a Latter-day Saint mission, is very close to my heart as I served a mission between 2003 and 2005. Although not as fervent a follower as I once was I am still a member of the faith and so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

The Mission is directed by Tania Anderson and it follows 4 young missionaries (2 elders, 2 sisters) on their mission to Finland. Anyone looking for a hard-edged dive into the faith will be disappointed because this is extremely positive. Maybe even more so than it needs to be? I would have been interested to hear what the missionaries had to say about gay marriage, and other controversial topics within the church (although they do spend a little bit of time talking about the mental health care of missionaries which I appreciated).

But alas it is more about the day-to-day experiences of the missionaries and it definitely captures how grueling and even lonely the experience is. It’s a very difficult time but that’s part of what makes it so impactful. If you haven’t lived it, it’s hard to describe but this does a pretty good job of showing the grind.

It’s difficult for me to rate The Mission because on one hand it brought back a lot of memories of my own mission but on the other hand I think it will be quite boring for those not of the faith. It also seems to accept viewers know a lot about the church, its teachings and the jargon of missions. For instance, they say an Elder is a district leader without taking the time to explain what that is.

More than anything I was surprised how positive the film was. It almost felt like it was made by the church or at least edited by them. If any of you see it you’ll have to let me know what you think.

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

There you go! Another day at the festival is done!

Sundance 2022 Log Day 4: (Brian and Charles, Cha Cha Real Smooth, The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! Yesterday was the 4th day of Sundance and it was also my birthday. As such I only saw 3 movies at Sundance because of family commitments. It was a mixed day of movies and I definitely have an unpopular opinion on one of them…If you are a seasoned Sundance attendee there is always a festival darling you don’t love like everyone else. It’s part of the Sundance experience.
Here we go!Brian and Charles
My favorite film of the day is the sweet little dramedy Brian and Charles. Director Jim Archer has taken his 2017 short film of the same name and expanded it to feature length. I haven’t seen the short but I would definitely be curious to do so after enjoying this longer version (a lot of Sundance movies I think would be better as shorts).
Brian and Charles tells the story of a man named Brian who in a fit of loneliness builds a 7ft robot to be his friend named Charles. The film is done in mockumentary style and the whole thing is just charming. There isn’t a ton of plot but the script is witty and David Earl is sweet as the robot-creator Brian.
If you like big-hearted films that will make you laugh Brian and Charles is a good one.
8 out of 10
Smile WorthyCha Cha Real Smooth
On the surface Cha Cha Real Smooth should be a movie I love. It’s a romance with attractive leads and a script that can be quite charming. The problem is it tries to be subversive of those tropes leaving me disappointed.
The positive of the film is Cooper Raiff as the 22 year old Andrew who is trying to figure out his life while working as a party starter for bat/bar mitzvahs. He seems to only be successful in starting one party and the rest of the time he fails at his job but it appears to be enough to keep him regularly employed. As I said, Raiff is charming in the role, and he captures the likable aimlessness of young John Cusack. I also enjoyed his interactions with young autistic teen Lola played by Vanessa Burghardt.
I wish the movie had been content to leave him as a friend with Lola’s Mom named Domino played by Dakota Johnson. Instead it flirts with romance but the 2 don’t have chemistry and as she’s engaged to another man it ends up feeling more awkward than swoonworthy. I won’t give away the ending but I found it unsatisfying. Other people seem to be enjoying it more than I did, but I felt the film was trying to convince me it was a happy ending when it was not especially for Domino.
I can see why Cha Cha Real Smooth is getting a lot of buzz for Raiff’s performance but the script let me down, so it’s a miss for me. Not horrible but in the end frustrating.
5 out of 10
Frown WorthyThe Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future-
Going into the festival The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future was one of my most anticipated. The story of magical realism intrigued me and it looked beautiful. Now having seen the film it’s another mixed bag for Sundance 2022.
What I liked about the film is the beautiful cinematography and music. Director Francisca Alegria does a good job creating a sense of time and place and immersing you in the experience. It is also creative and surprising.
Unfortunately the narrative takes forever to get going and the story is on the thin side. It seemed to take forever for the promised drama of a Mother returning from the swamps to materialize. Until then it was a lot of traveling and doing chores. I was just like ‘where’s the drama?’.
I think The Cow Who Sang a Song Into the Future is another example of a Sundance film that would have been better as a short. There’s just not enough story here for a feature film. Nevertheless, it is pretty so not devoid of merit.
5 out of 10
Frown Worthy
So there you have it. My thoughts on the 3 films I saw at Sundance on my birthday. I recommend checking out Brian and Charles. Let me know what you think!

Sundance 2022 Log Day 3: (Free Chol Soo Lee, Master, The Exiles, Framing Agnes, Summering, Dual, Resurrection, Lucy and Desi)

| Rachel's Reviews

Saturday proved to be a very busy day for me at this year’s virtual Sundance Film Festival. I saw 7 films, which might be a record for me. It’s certainly a lot of movies for one human to watch in a day! I still haven’t found anything I’m over the moon about but there were some good ones. Here are my thoughts:

Free Chol Soo Lee-

First up a documentary called Free Chol Soo Lee about a significant moment in the Korean-American community that I had never heard about. In the 1970s a man named Chol Soo Lee was incarcerated and put on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. The film chronicles the grassroots effort that came about to help get Lee a new trial and an eventual acquittal. Like I said, I knew nothing about this story so it was interesting to learn about especially how the media covered the story- there was even a movie made called True Believer that is evidently terrible (I’m curious to watch it now).

Free Chol Soo Lee does what you need a documentary like this to do. It is fascinating and insightful and definitely worth a watch.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Master

College campuses have long been the settings for horror films probably because they contain lots of pretty young ladies who are primed to be a final girl. This is no different in the new film Master. Director Mariama Diallo tells a story about 3 women at a Brown-esque college: 2 faculty members (Regina Hall and Amber Gray) and a student (Zoe Renee). It turns out one of the halls is haunted by ghosts and disgusting bugs. The more Hall looks into these supernatural events the more crazy things become.

Master isn’t a classic horror movie or anything but I had a good time with it. It is benefited by strong performances especially from Hall. It struggles to balance tone a bit and is more cheesy than scary but I’ve certainly seen worse in that department (the recent Black Christmas is an example on how to do this badly).

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

The Exiles

Next up we have a documentary called The Exiles which follows documentarian Christine Choy as she tries to start up a project she was working on after the Tienanmen Square protest. Choy is quite the character with strong opinions on many topics. I kind of wish the documentary was just about her. Flipping back and forth between Tienanmen and her makes both subjects feel underserved and frustrating. It’s not terrible or anything but I feel there is a better movie in there than The Exiles provided.

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Summering

Going into the festival Summering was one of my most anticipated. The cast of young girls looked appealing and director James Ponsoldt has done good things in the past with films like The Spectacular Now. Unfortunately this film was very disappointing.

The problem with Summering comes down to authenticity. One summer day the  children in the story stumble upon a dead body and they spend the next few days diving into the mystery of who the man is and how he died. Maybe this story could have worked but the kids don’t respond like kids (or adults for that matter) would. They never have a discussion about calling the police or telling a parent. It’s like that throughout the film. Everything felt so phony I couldn’t get into the story or buy any of the performances. Even the adults didn’t talk like actual humans or make choices that made sense.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Resurrection

Every year at Sundance there is a movie that is nuts and I don’t know how to feel about it. This year’s entry is Resurrection. It is a bonkers movie that doesn’t really work but I admire its crazy chutzpah. It stars Rebecca Hall as a woman who lost a baby years before in a bizarre way and her attempt to exact revenge on her ex played by Tim Roth.

Just to give you an idea of how weird Resurrection gets the plot involves cannibalism and a man having a baby out of his stomach. It’s wild and Rebecca Hall is good in it, but I didn’t get what it was trying to say with all the madness. For a film to work you need a story that makes sense not just wild images.

4.5 out of 10

Frown Worthy

Dual

There are a lot of horror/thrillers this year at the festival (and maybe that’s why I haven’t found anything I’ve loved yet). Fresh is going to be the one to get most of the buzz but it was too scary for me. Dual is more my jam. It’s a sci-fi thriller starring Karen Gillan (who I don’t think is the best actress but I liked the movie any way). She plays 2 roles as Sarah Prime and Sarah Clone. In the dystopian world they live in you can be cloned when you are given a terminal diagnosis. Unfortunately Sarah gets cloned and then is healed from her disease and doesn’t die. This leaves clone against clone.

Unlike Resurrection, Dual takes a nutty concept but crafts an engaging story around it. I’ve seen a lot of sci-fi lately that takes itself very seriously with lots of scenes of deep staring into space and I’m tired of it. Dual isn’t a comedy by any means but it also has a good time with its concept and a script that kept me guessing. It’s a movie that will invite conversation as we debate which Sarah did what? I’m not sure everything makes sense, but I didn’t really care because I was enjoying the ride. (Aaron Paul costars and has nice chemistry with Gillan).

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Lucy and Desi

It’s always interesting when a documentary and narrative film about the same subject open around the the same time. This is what happened with Being the Ricardos (which I did not like) and Lucy and Desi (which I did like). They both tell the story of Hollywood legends Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz but the documentary in my opinion has a much clearer focus on their relationship and I felt like I learned so much more about them from watching it.

It’s interesting because Being the Ricardos set itself up as a faux documentary and then does nothing compelling with that concept. It doesn’t do much with any of its plotpoints, leaving a jumbled mess instead of a good story.

Here in the documentary we learn about how Lucy and Desi met, their struggles with infertility, the reason why they created their iconic show to begin with and more. I had no idea how big Desilu Studios actually got and how involved Desi was in the creation of many iconic television shows and films. This was all fascinating.

Director Amy Poehler also showcases Lucy’s comedic chops and how they developed from being a B-movie glamor girl and model to the funniest lady on television. I also appreciated Carol Burnett sharing how Lucy had helped her as a mentor and friend.

Lucy and Desi doesn’t reinvent the wheel but it does a good job helping us get to know such a famous couple and how their love changed the world!

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it! Those are the movies I saw on day 3 of Sundance. Have you seen any of these? If so what did you think? Take care!

Sundance 2022 Log Day 1: (The Princess, When You Finish Saving the World, Emergency)

| Rachel's Reviews

Hey everyone! Welcome to my coverage of the Sundance Film Festival! This is my 7th year covering the festival and we started Day 1 pretty well (2/3 ain’t bad). Of course the festival itself got started off badly when the in-person portion got canceled and Sundance refused to give us our money back. It never feels good when an organization steals from you and then says ‘but you can use it as a donation if you want’. Thanks a lot!

Anyway, that’s not the filmmakers fault so I am trying to go in with an open mind to everything I watch. I even recorded a preview show with my friend Justin profiling 12 films we are looking forward to

Like I said, my first 3 films were a pretty good start to the festival. Here are my quick thoughts on all 3:

Jesse Eisenberg's When You Finish Saving the World Is a Great Debut | IndieWire

When You Finish Saving the World

Unfortunately the festival started with a disappointment. I had high hopes going into When You Finish Saving the World. It’s A24 (which I admittedly have a mixed report card with but it’s at least usually intriguing) produced film written and directed by Jesse Eisenberg but it was not for me. It tells the story of a Mother and teenage boy who can’t stand each other and turn to replacements that they think will better fit. Julianne Moore plays the Mother and her fixation on a young teen boy staying at her domestic abuse shelter is creepy and honestly predatory. If it was a man playing the same role with a young woman everyone would be repulsed.

Finn Wolfhard plays a teen youtube music star who is terrible at writing songs and doesn’t have near the talent or chemistry to be a star. He becomes fixated on a liberal activist classmate of his and that’s just as annoying as it sounds. This movie is everything I hate in a Sundance movie. Smug, weird for no reason with narcissistic characters devoid of charm. No thank you.

3 out of 10

Frown Worthy

The Princess

With everything from Diana: the Musical to Spencer to The Crown we have gotten so much Princess Diana coverage in the media lately. The latest is a new documentary by director Ed Perkins. His new fresh take is the film is made completely of edited clips from media coverage of her life from dating Prince Charles to the aftermath of her death. This is an effective technique particularly when it comes to the chilling scenes of paparazzi eating lunch together chatting over her life like it is a big joke.

I don’t know if I learned anything new from The Princess but it was engaging enough to recommend. That said, can we give Princess Di a rest for a while? Everything that needs to be said has been. Let’s move on and make a Fergie movie for once 😉

6 out of 10

Smile Worthy

Emergency

The highlight of day 1 is the drama Emergency by director Carey Williams. It tells the story of 3 black college-aged friends (RJ Cyler, Donald Elise Watkins, and Sebastian Chacon) who end up having to deal with a young drunk white girl in their apartment after a big frat night partying. Each young man has a different solution for dealing with the girl based on their differing upbringings and world-views. This leads to all kinds of craziness and confusion.

Similar to 2017’s Get Out, Emergency manages to combine a message with tension and humor. It’s a dynamic which is very difficult to pull off but I was engaged almost the whole way through. The movie starts off with a classroom scene that I thought was a little heavy-handed but it gets its groove once the boys start dealing with the young lady. It also has one too many puking scenes for my liking but it’s still an excellent film that should inspire a lot of conversation especially amongst young college students.

For a tense, exciting and funny time at the movies check out Emergency

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy