The 2024 Sundance Film Festival is set to return in person from January 19-28th. There will also be a virtual component beginning January 25. Film lovers from around the world will get to share their passion for movies and witness the groundbreaking work of global artists after a trying year thanks to the strikes. But with the innovative filmmaking and diverse storytelling on the forefront, this could be one of the best years yet.
For the 40th edition, the lineup includes 82 feature-length films from 24 countries across the globe and 54 short films. And I’m excited to see as many as possible.
Sundance 2024 will be a special year for discovery and community.
Sundance Institute
Without further ado, here is my watchlist, which consists of films from the U.S and World Cinema dramatic competitions, the spotlight category, and of course, all the Midnight films:
U.S. Dramatic Competition
The Dramatic Competition offers audiences a first look at groundbreaking new voices in American independent film.
Exhibiting Forgiveness | Director: Titus Kaphar
Sundance Synopsis: Utilizing his paintings to find freedom from his past, a Black artist on the path to success is derailed by an unexpected visit from his estranged father, a recovering addict desperate to reconcile. Together, they learn that forgetting might be a greater challenge than forgiving.
In the Summers | Director: Alessandra Lacorazza
Sundance Synopsis: On a journey that spans the formative years of their lives, two sisters navigate their loving but volatile father during their yearly summer visits to his home in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Love Me | Director: Sam & Andy Zuchero
Sundance Synopsis: Long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet online and fall in love.
A Real Pain | Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Sundance Synopsis: Mismatched cousins David and Benji reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the pair’s old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history.
World Cinema Dramatic Competition
The World Cinema Dramatic Competition demonstrates fiction projects from emerging artists around the world that offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.
Handling the Undead | Director: Thea Hvistendahl
Photo by Pål Ulvik Rokseth
Sundance Synopsis: On a hot summer day in Oslo, the newly dead awaken. Three families faced with loss try to figure out what this resurrection means and if their loved ones really are back. Based on the book by John Ajvide Lindqvist.
Girls Will Be Girls | Director: Shuchi Talati
Sundance Synopsis: In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance. But her sexual, rebellious awakening is disrupted by her mother who never got to come of age herself.
Malu | Director: Pedro Freire
Sundance Synopsis: Malu — a mercurial, unemployed actress living with her conservative mother in a precarious house in a Rio de Janeiro slum — tries to deal with her strained relationship with her own adult daughter while surviving on memories of her glorious artistic past.
Spotlight
Films in the Spotlight category are crowd favorites that have premiered at other film festivals.
Hit Man | Director: Richard Linklater
Sundance Synopsis: A strait-laced professor discovers his hidden talent as a fake hit man. He meets his match in a client who steals his heart and ignites a powder keg of deception, delight, and mixed-up identities. Inspired by an unbelievable true story.
Midnight
From horror and comedy to works that defy genre classification, these films will keep you wide awake, even at the most arduous hour.
In a Violent Nature | Director: Chris Nash
Synopsis: The horror movie tracks a ravenous zombie creature as it makes its way through a secluded forest.
I Saw the TV Glow | Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Sundance Synopsis: Teenager Owen is just trying to make it through life in the suburbs when his classmate introduces him to a mysterious late-night TV show — a vision of a supernatural world beneath their own. In the pale glow of the television, Owen’s view of reality begins to crack.
Your Monster | Director: Caroline Lindy
Sundance Synopsis: After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming, monster living in her closet.
It’s What’s Inside | Director: Greg Jardin
Sundance Synopsis: A pre-wedding party descends into an existential nightmare when an estranged friend shows up with a mysterious suitcase.
Love Lies Bleeding | Director: Rose Glass
Sundance Synopsis: Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.
Krazy House | Director: Steffen Harrs & Flip van der Kuil
Sundance Synopsis: When Russian workers in Bernie’s house turn out to be wanted criminals, Bernie has to man up and save his ’90s sitcom family.
The Moogai | Director: Jon Bell
Sundance Synopsis: A young Aboriginal couple bring home their second baby. What should be a joyous time takes a sinister turn as the mother starts seeing a malevolent spirit that she is convinced is trying to take her baby.
Kidnapping Inc. | Director: Bruno Mourral
Sundance Synopsis: Tasked with what appears to be a simple abduction for hire, two hapless kidnappers find out that it’s anything but, and end up in the middle of a political conspiracy.
Premieres
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated fiction and documentary films of the coming year.
Freaky Tales | Director: Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden
Sundance Synopsis: In 1987 Oakland, a mysterious force guides The Town’s underdogs in four interconnected tales: Teen punks defend their turf against Nazi skinheads, a rap duo battles for hip-hop immortality, a weary henchman gets a shot at redemption, and an NBA All-Star settles the score. Basically, another day in the Bay.
The Outrun| Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Sundance Synopsis: After living life on the edge in London, Rona attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. She returns to the wild beauty of Scotland’s Orkney Islands — where she grew up — hoping to heal. Adapted from the bestselling memoir by Amy Liptrot.
Presence | Director: Steven Soderbergh
Sundance Synopsis: A family moves into a suburban house and becomes convinced they’re not alone.
American Society of Magical Negroes | Director: Kobi Libii
Sundance Synopsis: A young man, Aren, is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.
My Old Ass | Director: Megan Park
Sundance Synopsis: The summer before college, bright-yet-irreverent Elliott comes face-to-face with her older self during a mushroom trip. The encounter spurs a funny and heartfelt journey of self-discovery and first love as Elliott prepares to leave her childhood home.
Rob Peace | Director: Chiwetel Ejiofor
Sundance Synopsis: Robert Peace grew up in an impoverished section of Newark and later graduated from Yale with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry while on scholarship. Peace led a dual life in academia and research while also earning six figures selling marijuana. Based on Jeff Hobbs’ bestselling biography.
Thank you for reading! Which films from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival are you anticipating the most? Share with me at @BB18180 on twitter. In case you missed it, check out my watchlist from 2023.
