Covid 19 rages, but that isn’t stopping film festivals from delivering the best in quality films to audiences and journalists. And now, starting January 10 – January 20th, Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 season is here. While there was some talk earlier of a hybrid festival, this year’s Sundance will in fact be held completely virtually. That will, however, not stop the festival, and The Movie Buff, from bringing you the best the festival has to offer in terms of reviews, news, and more.
The virtual festival will also apply to current ticket holders (who will need to access Sundance’s website to change their selections due to the change from hybrid to virtual), as well as new ticket purchases. The ticket packages are designated to six (6) difference packages. These include: ‘The Festival Package,’ $750 (sold out), ‘Salt Lake City Package,’ $400 (sold out), ‘Award-Winners Package,’ $300, ‘Single Film Ticket,’ $20, ‘Day Package,’ $100, and ‘Explorer Pass,’ $50. You can buy passes here.
As usual, the program guide is extensive, and will the ‘US Dramatic Competition,’ the ‘US Documentary Competition,’ ‘World Cinema Dramatic Competition,’ ‘World Cinema Documentary Competition,’ ‘Premieres,’ ‘Spotlight,’ ‘Next,’ ‘Midnight,’ ‘Indie Episodic Program,’ ‘Short Film Program,’ ‘Special Screenings,’ ‘Kids,’ and ‘Collection.’
Below are our nine (9) most anticipated films of the festival. Note: we have not watched any of the trailers for the below films. Continuous festival coverage of films and programs during the festival’s run will be found on The Movie Buff. If you have any questions or comments, use the ‘contact us’ link at the top of the menu. For more information about Sundance, visit https://festival.sundance.org/#.
1. ‘After Yang’ (Directed by Kogonada)
Five years after “Columbus”(2017), the second directorial outing by Kogonada is screening at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, winning the ‘Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.’ “After Yang” premiered at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival with great praise and excitement, holding in high regard the film’s themes and its touching approach to what it means to be human. The film’s interesting “Ex-Machina”-esque concept, which covers existentialist grounds and a minimalistic Sci-Fi heft, and its talented cast garner great attention as one of the festival’s spotlights.
Plot: When his young daughter’s beloved companion, an android named Yang (Justin H. Min) malfunctions, Jake (Colin Farrell) searches for a way to repair him. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, reconnecting with his wife and daughter across a distance he didn’t know was there.
2. ‘Fresh’ (Directed by Mimi Cave)
Mimi Cave’s directorial debut, “Fresh,” will have its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. It contains a dashing lead duo, consisting of “Normal People’s” Daisy Edgar-Jones and the Winter Soldier himself, Sebastian Stan, a horror/thriller swing to a “meet-cute” romance and the perils women face the modern dating scene. This film could be a shocking thrill ride; I’m excited to see what Cave and her team bring to the table and how the performances will roll out.
Plot: Frustrated by scrolling dating apps only to end up on lame, tedious dates, Noa (Daisy Edgar-Jones) takes a chance by giving her number to the awkwardly charming Steve (Sebastian Stan) after a produce section meet-cute at the grocery store.
3. ‘Cha Cha Real Smooth’ (Directed by Cooper Raiff)
Cooper Raiff surprised most of us with his directorial debut, “Shithouse,” back in 2020. Now, Raiff is back with his second feature, “Cha Cha Real Smooth” (like the classically annoying Mr. C “DJ Casper” track “Cha Cha Slide”). But, instead of centering on the university lifestyle, his latest will focus on a fresh out of college scenario. Raiff puts himself again in the lead role; meanwhile Dakota Johnson, Leslie Mann, and Odeya Rush fill out the supporting cast. So, why do I want to see this film? Well, there are two reasons. Firstly, I expect this to be a funny, romantic charmer, and secondly, Dakota Johnson is in it.
Plot: Fresh out of college, Andrew (Cooper Raiff) befriends a local mom, Domino (Dakota Johnson), and her daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burkhardt). He finally discovers a future he wants, even if it might not be his own.
4. ‘Am I Ok?’ (Directed by Tig Notaro, Stephanie Allynne)
Another Dakota Johnson-led film is on the Sundance 2022 slate, who already has my attention, as I mentioned previously. Johnson and Sonya Mizuno are the leads for Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne’s feature directorial debut, “Am I Ok?” Not only is their talent in the cast (with Molly Gordon and Jermaine Fowler supporting), Annie Clark (aka. St. Vincent), who is one of my favorite artists, is making the music for the film.
Plot: Lucy (Dakota Johnson) and Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) have been best friends for most of their lives and think they know everything there is to know about each other. But when Jane announces she’s moving to London, Lucy reveals a long-held secret. As Jane tries to help Lucy, their friendship is thrown into chaos.
5. ‘When You Finish Saving the World’ (Directed by Jesse Eisenberg)
Based on his audible original, Jesse Eisenberg directs Finn Wolfhard and Julianne Moore in his directorial debut, “When You Finish Saving the World,” distributed by A24. I didn’t know about the audiobook; but this seemed like an interesting concept about identity and understanding as I researched it. There also appears to be a slight nod to David Bowie with the main character’s name, Ziggy. The film has a strong backbone in its crew with cinematographer Benjamin Loeb (“Pieces of a Women,” “Mandy”), composer Emile Mosseri (“Minari”), and it has some sound-work by Robert Fernandez (“The Lighthouse,” “Drive”). There is a possibility this could be a Sundance surprise or yet another A24 cult hit.
Plot: Evelyn (Julianne Moore) and her oblivious son, Ziggy (Finn Wolfhard), seek out replacements for each other. As Evelyn desperately tries to parent an unassuming teenager at her shelter, Ziggy fumbles through his pursuit of a brilliant young woman at school.
6. ‘La Guerra Civil’ (Directed by Eva Longoria)
Sundance has always been known for delivering great documentaries, and this year, a few of them have great potential. One of them is the directorial debut by famed actress Eva Longoria, “La Guerra Civil,” about the fight for “ultimate glory”: Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez. Once you see a good boxing fight, you are hooked to see more and more. It’s an addicting sport, so I am very intrigued by what this doc will dwell into and from what perspectives.
Plot: For Mexican and Mexican-American communities, boxing is more than a sport. From ring walk-ins to trunks, opponents take full advantage of the theatrical spectacle, narrating their histories and the stories of their individual fanbases. In 1996, Oscar De La Hoya, the charismatic golden boy from East L.A, challenged Mexican-born boxing legend Julio César Chávez in what was billed as the “ultimate glory” fight.
Mexicans on both sides of the border were forced to choose their favorite champ: the record-holding immigrant from humble beginnings, or the younger and more marketable Olympian born in the U.S. These rivals felt the pressure to prove their athletic superiority; meanwhile the fans’ choice of champion revealed the type of Mexican they aspired to be.
7. ‘Meet Me in the Bathroom’ (Directed by Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern)
Another documentary I’m really interested in is the Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern’s “Meet Me in the Bathroom,” which tackles the early 2000s New York City music scene. I’m a fan of LCD Soundsystem and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, as well as Interpol (not so much of The Strokes, although I like some of their early work), so I have a high interest in what bands it wants to focus on (hopefully they mention Battles or The Mooney Suzuki). That generation of NYC artists inspired today’s music generation, and great music has transpired: Geese, Bambara, Pom Pom Squad, and Pearla.
Plot: An immersive journey through the New York music scene of the early 2000s. Set against the backdrop of 9/11, this documentary tells the story of how a new generation kickstarted a musical rebirth for New York City that reverberated around the world.
8. ‘Living’ (Directed by Oliver Hermanus)
An English adaptation of the famed Akira Kurosawa film “Ikiru” makes its way onto the Sundance 2022 slate. Although I’m skeptical about remakes of international cinema, I feel Oliver Hermanus’ “Living” will be quite different from the others. With a good lead duo (Bill Nighy and Aimee Lou Wood) and a talented director, this film has the chance to conquer our hearts and makes us feel the dread (and in some ways, happiness) of the original tale.
Plot: “Living” is an upcoming British drama film directed by Oliver Hermanus from a screenplay by Kazuo Ishiguro, adapted from the 1952 Japanese film “Ikiru” directed by Akira Kurosawa. Set in 1952 London, it depicts a bureaucrat facing a fatal illness. It will premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.
9. ‘2nd Chance’ (Directed by Ramin Bahrani)
The latest picture from acclaimed director Ramin Bahrani (“Man Push Cart,” “Chop Shop,” “Goodbye Solo”) is a non-fiction work, a documentary on Richard Davis, or the man who shot himself 192 times point-blank just to prove that his bulletproof vest worked. It is an odd (more than odd, one might suggest) story that intrigues me. What drove him to do such a crazy act? How did he manage to create such apparatus?
Plot: In 1969, bankrupt pizzeria owner Richard Davis invented the modern-day bulletproof vest. To prove that it worked, he shot himself — point-blank — 192 times.
