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The 2021 Sundance Film Festival won’t take place in the snowy mountains of Park City Utah, and will instead be an entirely online experience, to accommodate the ongoing restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though this does mean fewer Getty photos of celebrities on the red carpet in big puffy overcoats, which is sad, it doesn’t mean there won’t still be a plethora of great films to check out as part of the Sundance 2021 lineup.
Though there are fewer films premiering at Sundance this year than years past—taking place over just one weekend, rather than two, from January 28 to February 3—there are still a ton of movies. And there are plenty of big names, too: Tessa Thompson, Robin Wright, Ruth Negga, Tiffany Haddish, Jerrod Carmichael, Edgar Wright, Nicolas Cage, Constance Wu, Daniel Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield, and Rebecca Hall, just to name a few. There are plenty of first-time filmmakers, as well—including some of the names listed above. There’s a lot to sort through, and only so much time to watch movies. To help you out, Decider has highlighted 12 of the films premiering at Sundance this year that we’re particularly excited about.
That said, one of the great joys of Sundance is discovering those hidden gems that didn’t have any hype at all. If you have a pass to the festival, take our suggestions with a grain of salt. Be sure to poke around on the Sundance program website to find something you like. Bear in mind that all of these films are premieres, and though some early screeners have been sent out, most of the titles have never before been seen by critics. You never know—you might just stumble upon the next Best Picture winner.
Here are 12 exciting movie highlights from Sundance Film Festival 2021 lineup, listed by order of premiere date.
'Coda'
Director: Siân Heder
Cast: Emilia Jones, Eugenio Derbez, Troy Kotsur, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Daniel Durant, and Marlee Matlin
Premiere: Thursday, January 28 at 8 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Opening the 2021 Sundance Film Festival is Coda, from Sundance alum Siân Heder, who brought you Tallulah in 2016. This coming-of-age story follows Ruby (Jones), the only hearing member of a deaf family, and sounds like a fascinating look at the concept of CODA, which stands for Child of Deaf Adults.
'In The Same Breath'
Director: Nanfu Wang
Premiere: Thursday, January 28 at 8 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: In 2019, director Nanfu Wang took home Sundance’s Grand Jury Prize for her searing examination of China’s “one child” policy with the documentary One Child Nation. We expect her new timely doc, about the origin and spread of COVID-19 from Wuhan to the United States, will be just as gut-wrenching, horrifying, and eye-opening.
'On the Count of Three'
Director: Jerrod Carmichael
Cast: Jerrod Carmichael, Christopher Abbott, Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Lavell Crawford, Henry Winkler
Premiere: Friday, January 29 at 9 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: You know Jerrod Carmichael from his NBC sitcom The Carmichael Show and his stand-up routines, but now the comedian is going behind the camera (and in front of it) for his directorial feature debut. With an all-star cast, On the Count of Three is a dark comedy about something you’re not supposed to laugh about—suicide—and promises to be a weird, uncomfortable, but ultimately good time.
'Cryptozoo'
Director: Dash Shaw
Cast: Lake Bell, Michael Cera, Angeliki Papoulia, Zoe Kazan
Premiere: Friday, January 29 at 3 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Cryptozoo looks like maybe the weirdest movie at Sundance this year, and I mean that as a compliment. An animated film from the cartoonist and animator behind graphic novels like Doctors, Bottomless Belly Button, and Clue: Candlestick; and the film My Entire High School, Sinking into the Sea; the story follows a couple who gets lost in the woods and discovers a “cryptid,” or a creature whose existence is disputed or unsubstantiated, like a unicorn.
'I Was A Simple Man'
Director: Christopher Makoto Yogi
Cast: Steve Iwamoto, Constance Wu, Kanoa Goo, Chanel Akiko Hirai, Tim Chiou, Boonyanudh Jiyarom
Premiere: Friday, January 29 at 3 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Up-and-coming director Christopher Makoto Yogi received praise for his first film August at Akiko, though it was not widely seen. But with Constance Wu’s star power, he’s sure to get a few more eyeballs on I Was A Simple Man, which tells the story of a native Hawaiian man who grows sicker every day. The film is described as “part dream, part family history,” and we’re intrigued.
'The Sparks Brothers'
Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Ron Mael, Russell Mael
Premiere: Saturday, January 30 at 6 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: An Edgar Wright documentary about Sparks? Do I even need to explain why that’s exciting? It sounds like Los Angeles brothers and musicians Ron and Russell will get the full Edgar Wright treatment in the Baby Driver filmmaker’s debut documentary, which promises “five decades of invention to life through nutty animations and interviews with a who’s who of cool, by digging deeply into the band’s rich, career-spanning archival.”
'Passing'
Director: Rebecca Hall
Cast: Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård, Bill Camp
Premiere: Saturday, January 30 at 6 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Based on the 1929 novella by Nella Larson of the same name, Passing is an intricate look at identity through two childhood friends—Clare Kendry (Negga) and Irene Redfield (Thompson), both of whom are mixed Black women who can pass as white. One chooses to hide her ethnicity, while the other embraces it. The novella is a fascinating (and quick!) read, and we can’t wait to see what these two powerhouse actors do with the story on screen.
'R#J'
Director: Carey Williams
Cast: Camaron Engels, Francesca Noel, David Zayas, Diego Tinoco, Siddiq Saunderson, Russell Hornsby
Premiere: Saturday, January 30 at 9 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: The idea of a Gen Z Romeo and Juliet told entirely on cellphones may sound like torture to some, but fans of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet have every right to be intrigued. Paired with a Black director and a Black cast, this film might just be the next big reinvention of Shakespeare.
'Land'
Director: Robin Wright
Cast: Robin Wright, Demián Bichir, Kim Dickens
Premiere: Sunday, January 31 at 6 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: We stan a talented, veteran actor like Robin Wright expanding her horizons as an artist once she has the perspective and experience to do so! Her directorial debut finds her as a woman coping with trauma by retreating to live off the land, and sounds like a moving portrait of the complicated relationship between humankind and nature.
'Together Together'
Director: Nikole Beckwith
Cast: Ed Helms, Patti Harrison, Tig Notaro, Julio Torres, Anna Konkle
Premiere: Sunday, January 31 at 3 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Rom-com fans won’t want to miss Together Together, which explores the way non-romantic relationships can be just as meaningful as romantic ones. Plus, the cast includes both established comedians like Ed Helms and Tig Notaro, and also rising stars Patti Harrison (I Think You Should Leave), Julio Torres (Saturday Night Live), and Anna Konkle (Pen15), and seems primed to become the next beloved off-beat indie rom-com.
'Prisoners of the Ghostland'
Director: Sion Sono
Cast: Nicolas Cage, Sofia Boutella, Nick Cassavetes, Bill Moseley, Tak Sakaguchi, Yuzuka Nakaya
Premiere: Sunday, January 31 at 9 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: Prisoners of the Ghostland sounds like the perfect movie for a very specific subset of the internet. Starring Nicolas Cage as a ruthless bank robber, the film is described as a “delirious mash-up of Western, samurai, and post-apocalyptic thriller “and “a sly spoof of the mythical hero’s journey.” Sion Sono is known for his out-there films and combined with Nicolas Cage, Prisoners of the Ghostland is practically begging for cult classic status.
'Judas and the Black Messiah'
Director: Shaka King
Cast: Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Dominique Fishback
Premiere: Monday, February 1 at 9 p.m. ET
Why we’re hyped: The story of Black Panther Party Chairman Fred Hampton (Kaluuya) and the FBI informant William O’Neal (Stanfield)—who betrayed Hampton and helped authorities infiltrate and take down the Black power organization—is so incredible, it’s a wonder it’s never been the subject of a major film before. Thankfully, director Shaka King—a Sundance alum for his debut, Newlyweeds, and also the director of Shrill‘s “Pool” episode—is righting that wrong. And he’s doing with some of the best actors working today. If you don’t catch the film at Sundance, it will be streaming for 31 days on HBO Max, as well as playing in theaters, beginning February 12.
