You know that sweet little indie movie or music doc you’re going to be streaming a year from now? It’s probably playing at this week’s Sundance Film Festival. The influential movie marketplace in Park City, Utah takes place January 20-30 as a virtual film fest for the second year in a row.
Long an overflowing feed trough for gluttonous cinephiles, the famed festival in the heart of Mormon country has survived not only the fall of Harvey Weinstein–whose hulking presence and overstuffed wallet long dominated the event–but also the rise of the streamers, the near-death of the multiplex, and the effects of global warming on the powder in nearby Deer Valley.
Of course, thanks to an Omicron-fueled surge in COVID cases, Sundance has gone virtual yet again—but that won’t stop the buzziest movies from being snapped up by streamers and turned into fodder for a future binge watch.
Here, some of the most anticipated Sundance films of 2022:
Emily the Criminal
Aubrey Plaza stars as a young woman saddled with student loan debt who enters L.A.’s criminal underworld as a credit card fraudster.
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
A three-part Netflix docuseries based on never-before-seen footage shot by a former public access cable host, who followed West from his early days as a Chicago rap wunderkind to his emergence as one of the most talented (and insufferable) figures in pop music.
Fresh
A romantic thriller in which Normal People‘s Daisy Edgar-Jones hooks up with a hunky cosmetic surgeon played by Sebastian Stan (Tommy Lee in the upcoming miniseries Pam & Tommy), and falls for him, only to discover he’s…well, you’ll have to wait and find out.
La Guerra Civil
A boxing documentary that examines the fierce rivalry between Mexican-American star Oscar De La Hoya and Mexican icon Julio César Chávez leading up to their 1996 fight. It’s directed by knockout former Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria.
892
A tense, Dog Day Afternoon-style hostage drama starring John Boyega as a Marine veteran driven to a desperate act and Michael K. Williams, in his last screen role, as a police negotiator who tries to save him.
Good Luck to You, Leo Grande
Emma Thompson plays a horny retired schoolteacher who engages the services of a young stud played by Daryl McCormack (Peaky Blinders).
2nd Chance
A feature doc about the bizarre life of Richard Davis, the bankrupt pizzeria owner who invented the first bullet proof vest, and proves its efficacy by shooting himself 192 times.
Sharp Stick
The second feature-length movie from Girls creator Lena Dunham, about a twentysomething virgin in a hurry to discover her sexuality.
