AI bringing people back to life, Roman Roy with Mark Zuckerberg, and Superman. These are some of the movies premiering in Sundance 2024 that we’re excited about.
The Sundance Film Festival has been celebrating indie films for the past 45 years. Though there are those who would argue the festival has since become too elite to truly be focused on indie projects, it still can’t be denied that it’s the place for projects that would otherwise fade into the background to shine. The festival has grown greatly since it started, but it was only in 2022 that a Sundance film, CODA, won Best Picture at the Oscars.
This year’s lineup once again features a varied and intriguing list of films, from satirical comedies about the role of black people in movies to a documentary about a Japanese journalist fighting to defend the truth. Here are our picks for movies we’re excited about in the Sundace 2024 lineup.
[Hero image: Image credit: Sundance]
The movies premiering at Sundance 2024 that we’re excited about
A Real Pain
Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin
Directed by Jesse Eisenberg
Eisenberg writes, directs, and stars alongside Kieran Culkin in this film about two cousins who have recently lost their grandmother. In an effort to discover their roots and find out where they came from, they take a trip to Poland and join a Holocaust tour, making them examine their family history and the reality of intergenerational trauma.
A Different Man
Directed by Aaron Schimberg
Starring Sebastian Stan
Edward (Stan) is an aspiring actor who thinks his physical appearance is what’s keeping him from his dreams. He undergoes surgery to change his appearance, but it seems to have the opposite intended effect on his career.
Love Me
Directed by Sam and Andy Zuchero
Starring Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun
The film’s plot is simple and vague: a buoy and a satellite fall in love in a post-apocalyptic world. What does that mean? Are Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun playing personifications of these things? What we do know is it’s a love story with Stewart and Yeun, so we’re in.
Black Box Diaries
Directed by Shiori Ito
This documentary follows journalist Shiori Ito as she seeks to uncover the truth of a sexual assault. In turn, the decades-old laws of Japan are exposed, revealing that victims are at the mercy of these outdated systems. There is, however, an interesting twist to this true story: the victim of the sexual assault was Ito herself.
Eternal You
Directed by Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck
Artificial intelligence has been a hot topic recently but it’s not just being used for conversations, “art”, and videos. This documentary follows the startups that are using AI to “revive” deceased people, allowing their loved ones to get one more chance to spend some time with them.
Presence
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh’s style is a joy to see on the big screen, so while plot details are scarce for this film, Soderbergh’s name is enough to get us excited. A family moves into a new house in the suburbs, but then they realize they might not be alone.
Freaky Tales
Directed by Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden
Starring Pedro Pascal, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-Young Yoo, and Angus Cloud
Set in Oakland, California in the ‘80s, the movie follows four interconnected stories of underdogs trying to make it and prove their worth in the Bay. The film is described as a “joyful ode to the 80s” and “a stirring anthem to solidarity and Oakland’s egalitarian, countercultural, and multicultural spirit”.
Love Lies Bleeding
Directed by Rose Glass
Starring Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian
Gym manager Lou (Stewarts) likes to keep to herself, but when bodybuilder Jackie (O’Brian) comes through town, she falls hard for her. But their love is more than what they bargained for as both of them get involved in Lou’s criminal family.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story
Directed by Ian Bonhôte
Even though there have been two Supermen and one more along the way after him, Christopher Reeve remains the quintessential Man of Steel. But believe it or not, Reeve was an unknown actor before he donned the cape. This documentary traces his beginnings and his eventual casting as one of the most iconic superheroes of our time.
The American Society of Magical Negroes
Directed by Kobi Libii
Starring Justice Smith and David Alan Grier
This satirical comedy sees a young man named Aren (Smith) who gets the chance of a lifetime: being recruited into a secret society of Black people who possess magical powers. Their mission is simple: make white people’s lives easier.
See the entire Sundance 2024 lineup on its website
Eric E. Surbano
Senior Writer, Entertainment
Eric can be found lost in his own world jamming with headphones on while writing when he's not prepping for a DnD session or researching 'Star Wars' galactic history on Wookiepedia. A proud Ravenclaw, he loves playing (and writing about) video games, humming the 'Doctor Who' theme under his breath, and rewatching 'Friends', 'New Girl', and 'The West Wing'.
