A list of 20 films to watch at Sundance 2024, from the biggest world premieres to the most anticipated red carpet hits and the hidden gems to look out for at the festival!
Sundance 2024 is coming, and if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, we have you covered! The festival will take place in Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah, on January 18–28, 2024. Most screenings will be in-person, but a great selection will be available to watch online on January 25-28, so you can also enjoy these great movies at home. But which films should you watch at the festival?
But first, some information! This year’s projects were selected out of a total of 17,435 submissions. The final selection includes 82 feature films, 53 shorts, 8 episodic works and a Virtual Reality section. 39% of the filmsm and 53% of those competing, are debuts. The Sundance film festival keeps striving to achieve gender parity, and a total of 75 films (44%) from women filmakers will be at the festival, including 12 projects by Black women, 8 by Asian women, 6 by Latinx women, and 2 by Middle Eastern women. There will also be 36 movies from LGBTQ+ filmmakers, out of which 6 from transgender filmmakers.
But let’s talk about the movies! Sundance 2024 brings us 16 Premieres, including the highly anticipated The American Society of Magical Negroes, new films from Steven Soderbergh, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Megan Park, and the Pedro Pascal-starring Freaky Tales. But the titles in the other strands are just as exciting, with a strong Midnight section and lots of great movies that will go on to be screened at other festivals too. In alphabetical order, here are 20 films to watch at Sundance 2024!
1. THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Director: Kobi Libii
Cast: Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Rupert Friend, Nicole Byer.
Actor-writer-director Kobi Libii feature directorial debut is one of the most promising films at Sundance this year. It’s about the titular society of magical Black people, which is already intriguing enough, but the society’s mission is not what you’d expect it to be. When a young man named Aren is recruited into it, he soon discover that their main purpose is making white people’s lives easier. Which shouldn’t come as a surprise, as the “Magical Negro” trope — a wise, Black supporting character who only exists to impart knowledge on the white protagonist — has been used many, many times in film and TV history. We absolutely cannot wait to see the trope become an actual character, in a film that’s described both as a satire and as a “fairytale-like rom-com”. (Serena Seghedoni)
2. BETWEEN THE TEMPLES
US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Director: Nathan Silver
Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly De Leon, Caroline Aaron
Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane in a faith based romantic comedy is perhaps one of the most random plots from Sundance, but it still sounds utterly delightful. Schwartzman plays a cantor who is struggling with his faith and is reunited with an old music teacher (Kane) who becomes his Bat Mitzvah student. There is always something interesting to say about human connection when it comes to character focused stories like this one seems to be, and I‘m excited to see what Nathan Silver has to say this time around. (Jonathan Vargas)
3. BRIEF HISTORY OF A FAMILY
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Director: Jianjie Lin
Cast: Feng Zu, Keyu Guo, Xilun Sun, Muran Lin
Brief History of a Family (Jia ting jian shi) has such a great premise that it’s already schedule to premiere at two festivals: first Sundance, and then Berlin, later this year. This China, France, Denmark and Qatar co-production begins with an incident at a private school in China, where an only child named Wei and a quiet, new friend of his named Shuo discover that they are drawn to one another by a mysterious energy. Writer-director Jianjie Lin’s feature debut is a story where pieces of the puzzle are revealed a little at a time, depicting a country torn apart by polite façades and dark truths. It’s ultimately a movie about China’s one-child policy, which makes it a very timely watch too. (Serena Seghedoni)
4. DAUGHTERS
US DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Directors: Angela Patton & Natalie Rae
Sundance is known for having a strong documentary collection, and Daughters is my most anticipated of the bunch. This film follows four young girls as they prepare to have a daddy-daughter dance with their incarcerated fathers. Daughters seems like such a gut wrenching film, and the program that this film highlights deserves awareness on a large scale. (Jonathan Vargas)
5. FREAKY TALES
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Director: Ryan Fleck & Anna Boden
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Normani Kordei Hamilton, Dominique Thorne, Ben Mendelsohn, Ji-Young Yoo
The co-writers and co-directors of Half Nelson, Captain Marvel, and It’s Kind of a Funny Story are back, with a film set in 1987 Oakland. Freaky Tales tells four different tales that are all interconnected, ranging from teen punks fighting against Nazi skinheads to hip-hop battles for immortality, a NBA pro aiming to win, and a henchman in desperate need of redemption. And if that wasn’t compelling enough, the film has an all-star cast, helmed by Pedro Pascal. (Serena Seghedoni)
6. GHOSTLIGHT
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Directors: Kelly O’Sullivan & Alex Thompson
Cast: Keith Kupferer, Dolly de Leon, Katherine Mallen Kupferer, Tara Mallen
Remember the absolute marvel that was Saint Frances? Director Alex Thompson and writer Kelly O’Sullivan are back — this time, with a film that shines a spotlight on live theater, and on how powerful a tool it can be when it comes to giving our lives meaning. The film revolves around a middle-aged construction worker processing grief. His only comfort is a company of amateur actors, with whom he’s putting on a production of a Shakespearian tragedy. But it’s through that tragedy that Dan has to confront his emotions. Knowing the wonderful stories Alex Thompson and Kelly O’Sullivan can craft together, our expectations are high, even more so as Dolly de Leon is in the cast too. (Serena Seghedoni)
7. HIT MAN
SPOTLIGHT
Director: Richard Linklater
Cast: Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, Austin Amelio, Retta, Sanjay Rao
Full Review: Hit Man: Film Review
It doesn’t happen very often to start watching a movie and find yourself so drawn to it, and so deeply immersed in it, that you know from its very first scenes that it’s one of the best films you’ve ever seen. This is what happened to me when I first watched Hit Man at the Venice Film Festival, and I was in such awe of it that I had to watch it again the following day. And for good reason: what Richard Linklater has crafted, here, is a perfect film — one that manages to be, at the same time, absolutely hilarious and deeply meaningful.
Hit Man is about a man with “a very specific set of skills” that he shows to the world on occasion. During the day, Gary Johnson (Glen Powell, who also co-wrote the movie) is the most boring and unnoticeable psychology and philosophy professor. But he also has a second job, as a “fake hit man” for the FBI, and that’s where a whole new side of his personality resurfaces. It’s best if you go in knowing very little, as Hit Man has many, many surprises in store for you. We guarantee that you’ll want to watch it again as soon as the end titles roll. (Serena Seghedoni)
8. HOW TO HAVE SEX
SPOTLIGHT
Director: Molly Manning Walker
Cast: Mia McKenna-Bruce, Samuel Bottomley, Shaun Thomas, Lara Peake, Enva Lewis, Laura Ambler
Full Review: How to Have Sex: Film Review
Writer-director-cinematographer (Scrapper) Molly Manning Walker took the world by storm with her debut feature, How to Have Sex, which had its world premiere at Cannes 2023 and went on to win the Un Certain Regard Prize. It was then shown at various festivals, where it got even more attention due to her unique voice and the acting on display. How to Have Sex is about three British teenage girls – Tara (Mia McKenna-Bruce), Em (Enva Lewis), and Skye (Lara Peake) – who head to a party resort on a Greek island to complete a rite-of-passage and have the “best holiday ever”. To them, it means drinking, meeting boys, and, if all goes according to plan, sleeping with them. But when they meet said boys, they discover that not only are things not what they thought they would be, but it’s also not easy to actually say that out loud.
Based on that description alone, you might expect a very formulaic movie, but How to Have Sex is something else entirely. Manning Walker navigates the subject of consent with such authenticity and ease that she manages to captures exactly what it’s like to be a teenager in a society that places so many expectations upon you. The film is intimate and affecting, but it’s also filled with personality and charm, and, though the standout is Mia McKenna-Bruce, all leads are superb. Not to be missed. (Serena Seghedoni)
9. KRAZY HOUSE
MIDNIGHT
Directors: Steffen Haars, Flip Van Der Kuil
Cast: Nick Frost, Alicia Silverstone, Kevin Connolly, Jan Bijvoet, Gaite Jansen, Walt Klink, Chris Peters, Matti Stooker
Nick Frost and Alicia Silverstone in a slasher movie about a man who has to save his ’90s sitcom family when the Russian workers in his house turn out to be wanted criminals. Need we say more? If you’re looking for a delirious Midnight movie with plenty of gore, laughs, and absurd twists, look no further than Krazy House, from Dutch directors Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil! (Serena Seghedoni)
10. LOVE ME
WORLD PREMIERE, US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Directors: Sam Zuchero & Andy Zuchero
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Steven Yeun
Country: USA
Here’s another anticipated Sundance 2024 premiere! Love Me is at the top of our list because it combines the talents of Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun with an incredibly promising screenplay. The film takes place a long time after humanity went extinct, and is about a smart buoy and an articulate satellite who meet online and fall in love. But what’s even more compelling is the fact that the two protagonists take different forms throughout the film, including archived data, social media, and online footage, which makes it a very interesting film storytelling-wise too. We can’t wait to find out what directors and screenwriters Sam and Andy Zuchero crafted. (Serena Seghedoni)
11. LOVE LIES BLEEDING
MIDNIGHT
Director: Rose Glass
Cast: Kristen Stewart, Katy O’Brian, Ed Harris, Dave Franco
Country: USA/UK
A gym manager (Kristen Stewart) and a bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian) fall in love and head to Las Vegas. A romance for the ages right? What happens when this love suddenly turns violent due to someone’s criminal family? Love Lies Bleeding will answer this question in what I’m sure will be an unforgettable film. Rose Glass’ feature debut, Saint Maud, is still one of 2019’s most fascinating films, and I cannot wait to see what she does with this story. Also anything with Kristen Stewart will have me riddled with excitement, so I cannot wait to see what this film has to offer. (Jonathan Vargas)
12. MY OLD ASS
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Director: Megan Park
Cast: Maisy Stella, Percy Hynes White, Maddie Ziegler, Aubrey Plaza
Country: USA
Elliot LaBrant (Maisy Stella) is about to leave her childhood home for the first time to go to college. The summer before she leaves, she takes mushrooms, which leads her on an unexpected trip of self discovery where she encounters the older version of herself (Aubrey Plaza). Megan Park is one of the most exciting up and coming filmmakers. Her debut, The Fallout, was one of my favorite films of 2021, and I still think about the impact it’s had on me to this day. My Old Ass seems like a perfect follow up film and is easily my most anticipated of the entire festival. (Jonathan Vargas)
13. THE OUTRUN
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Director: Nora Fingscheidt
Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Paapa Essiedu, Stephen Dillane, Saskia Reeves
Country: UK
All I have to hear is Saoirse Ronan, and I’m sold regardless of the plot. In this film, Ronan plays a woman with a troubled past who returns to her hometown in Scotland. Based on a memoir by Amy Liptrot, this film seems to be an emotional tale and yet another showcase for one of my favorite actresses. Even though I didn’t love Fingscheidt’s last film, The Unforgivable, I appreciated the direction, so I’m excited to see how she handles this story. (Jonathan Vargas)
14. PRESENCE
WORLD PREMIERE, FICTION
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan, Callina Liang, Julia Fox
Country: USA
When a family moves into a new house, they become convinced that they are not the only ones there. Regardless of what the plot to Presence was, a new Steven Soderbergh film will always have a place on my most anticipated list. Given that this pairs him up with writer David Koepp, who previously worked with Soderbergh on KIMI, I’m sure this film will be a wild ride. (Jonathan Vargas)
15. PONYBOI
US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Director: Esteban Arango
Cast: River Gallo, Dylan O’Brien, Victoria Pedretti, Murray Bartlett
Country: USA
On Valentine’s Day, an intersex sex worker (River Gallo) has to run away from the mob after a drug deal gone wrong. In what seems to be one of the most wild films of Sundance, writer, producer, and lead River Gallo is sure to shock audiences with whatever tricks he has up his sleeve. The cast especially interests me here since I am a fan of all their work. I will always support filmmakers who both identify as LQBTQ+ and Latinx, so I couldn’t be more excited for Ponyboi.(Jonathan Vargas)
16. A REAL PAIN
US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Director: Jesse Eisenberg
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey
Country: Poland, USA
Jesse Eisenberg’s second feature follows cousins David and Benji who are taking a trip around Poland to honor their late grandmother. A road trip that is full of tension and laughter provides an interesting character study of two very different people who share the same intergenerational trauma. I have always been a fan of actor turned directors because they always seem to get great performances out of their leads, and A Real Pain seems like it will do the same. (Jonathan Vargas)
17. SASQUATCH SUNSET
WORLD PREMIERES
Directors: David & Nathan Zellner
Cast: Riley Keough, Jesse Eisenberg, Christopher Zajac-Denek, Nathan Zellner
Jesse Eisenberg plays a Sasquatch. What else do you need to know? The Zellner brothers have an interesting filmography so far in their careers, but this film seems like their most ambitious. Described minimally as a film about a very singular family, there is not much audiences will know about this film going in, but that is the main reason why I can’t wait to see it. Riley Keough’s last film from Sundance, Zola, is yet another fascinating film in her career, so I’m curious to see how this will fit in her filmography overall. (Jonathan Vargas)
18. STRESS POSITIONS
US DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Director: Theda Hammel
Cast: John Early, Qaher Harhash, Theda Hammel, Amy Zimmer
During the pandemic, Terry Goon (John Early) is under strict quarantine at his ex-husband’s apartment in Brooklyn, while caring for his nephew, a model who has recently been in a violent motorcycle accident. Anxiety will soon start to run high when everyone that Terry knows is eager to meet his nephew. I have always been a fan of films that take place during recent global events, so I am absolutely looking forward to a thriller set during the pandemic. Also, this seems like such an exciting story to be one’s feature directorial debut, so I can’t wait to see how it plays out. (Jonathan Vargas)
19. SUJO
WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Directors: Astrid Rondero, Fernanda Valadez
Cast: Juan Jesús Varela, Yadira Pérez, Alexis Varela, Sandra Lorenzano, Jairo Hernández, Kevin Aguilar
A cartel gunman is killed, but his 4-year-old son, the titular Sujo, is alive. This Mexico, U.S.A. and France co-production is a very unique coming of age story, as it tells the tale of a young boy whose entire identity takes shape during the film. How? By meeting a series of people from whom he also acquires a sense of morality, from women who try to protect him to other boys and various mentors. But he soon realizes that there are certain things from his past that he can’t escape. Can Sujo make his own fate or has his future already been written by his father’s actions? Sujo is one of the most promising projects at Sundance 2024, and if you need another reason to watch it, it’s also available online. (Serena Seghedoni)
20. YOUR MONSTER
MIDNIGHT
Director: Caroline Lindy
Cast: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster, Meghann Fahy
Country: USA
Laura is a struggling actress who’s had a streak of bad luck: not only is she battling cancer, but the love of her life left her. One day, she decides to move back to her childhood home, only to discover that a monster now lives in her closet! But here’s the twist: this monster is actually charming and supportive. Thanks to him, Laura is able to take control of her life again, in an empowering film that we absolutely can’t wait to watch. Did we mention that the one and only Melissa Barrera (In the Heights) plays Laura? (Serena Seghedoni)
MORE FILMS TO WATCH AT SUNDANCE 2024:
- A Different Man
- Desire Lines
- Exhibiting Forgiveness
- Girls will be Girls
- It’s What’s Inside
- I Saw the TV Glow
- Kidnapping Inc
- Luther: Never Too Much
- Sebastian
- Skywalkers: A Love Story
- Thelma
- Winner
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival will take place on January 18–28, 2024 both in Utah and online. Follow us on our socials for more updates from Park City and the latest festival news:
