The final* Sundance Film Festival in Utah has begun and will soon say goodbye to the state where it was founded in 1981. It will officially move to Boulder, Colorado next year. It’s the end of an era, but that doesn’t mean the quality of its movies has gone down. Sundance has always delivered challenging, quirky, and often heartwarming films that may not be for everyone, but it’s always started the year off strong. It’s time to see if the first handful of movies I watched can introduce the world to any potential genre masterpieces.
Undertone
A podcast host covering spooky content moves in to care for her dying mother. When sent recordings of a pregnant couple’s paranormal encounters, she discovers their story parallels hers, each tape pushing her toward madness.
The Midnight section of the festival is the first place I look. I’ve been grateful enough to see some incredible horror classics in years past, and am always nervous that the horror flicks will be forgettable or put theme over scares. Undertone gave me exactly what I wanted. This is essentially a one-woman movie where sound design, camera angles and a slow burn leads to one of the most terrifying third acts I’ve seen in years. I was holding my breath and had complete chills right up until the closing credits and even on the drive home. See this in a crowded theater with the best sound. A-
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on how to write and sell a Hallmark movie, filmmaker John Wilson tries to use the same formula to sell a documentary about concrete.
The title of this documentary is enough to turn anyone off, but that’s kind of the joke. Yes, there’s a fair amount of this movie that describes just how different cement and concrete are compared to each other. Yet, instead of looking down, Wilson points the camera towards regular New Yorkers that are just living their basic lives. It’s essentially a documentary about nothing, but that doesn’t take away from just how hilarious the movie is. Wilson has such a knack for his purposeful B-roll combined with his comedic deadpan delivery. I wanted something to tie it all together by the end, but I won’t soon forget some of the stories he captures here. B
Buddy
We all remember Barney the Purple Dinosaur that played make-believe with elementary school children on the uncanny playground. Well, imagine Barney is Buddy, the orange unicorn. He still loves singing to children and singing relevant and condescending songs to earn their love. Yet, Buddy will never let the children leave his uncanny dimension.
Keegan-Michael Key voices Buddy and is the perfect replica of the kids show icon we’re all familiar with. This movie has such a great and off-kilter set up as a few episodes of the 90s based show play out and the kids get more suspicious as time passes. It’s not long before kids disappear and Buddy gets violent, but rarely loses his chipper tone. I got a kick out of this movie, but it’s a clever concept that feels far too long at 95 minutes. B-
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
When her fiancé uses their “celebrity pass” agreement, Midwest bride Gail Daughtry travels to Hollywood seeking revenge by pursuing her own celebrity encounter.
Writer/director David Wain (Role Models, Wet Hot American Summer) is a well-known name, but a Sundance alumni and brings his latest farcical comedy to the festival. Every scene within Gail Daughtry begs you to think “This is so stupid, but also so funny.” That sentiment feels like the point. This star-struck Wizard of Oz is completely over the top and delivers plenty of laughs. It’s funny, but hollow, and also that might be the point as well. Zoey Deutsch is delightful and John Slattery is a welcome addition to the Wain comedy crew. B-
Saccharine
Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a sinister force after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.
I love this concept. Hauntings don’t necessarily have to be tied to a house or even a person, but rather the consequences of our actions. There are strong themes of unhealthy relationships with food and how our backgrounds affect that. There are some chilling shots, but the elements of horror feel overshadowed by the emphasis on its themes. This movie has something to say, but it falls into horror tropes that it never truly explains. C
Comments are closed.