Good news for fans of new, original films – the 2022 Sundance Film Festival is completely virtual this year, which means there’s a lot more opportunity for everyone to take part in the festival experience from the comfort of your own home.
With the entire lineup premiering virtually, opening its slate of films to any audience member with an internet connection, the 2022 edition feels oddly intimate and personal. Instead of escaping to the mountains of Park City, Utah to huddle inside makeshift movie theaters, we’re inviting these films into our homes where they’ll provide a different kind of escape, and in some instances, a more memorable adventure.
But what do you watch? Here’s a guide to some films we have on our radar as the festival kicks off. Looking for a little something different to watch? Try one or more of these films below. All festival and ticketing information can be found on Sundance’s official website.
Wait, So I Can Watch Sundance Movies This Year?
You can! The entire 2022 Sundance Film Festival slate is virtual this year, which means you can peruse the schedule and buy tickets for any film that looks interesting to you. We recommend taking a chance on something that sounds fascinating, and maybe expanding outside your go-to genre in the hopes of discovering a hidden gem. Follow myself (@erikdavis) or Fandango (@fandango) on social and let us know what you’re watching!
I’m Just Here To Learn About The Biggest Movies At Sundance. What Will Everyone Be Buzzing About?
As with any film festival, it’s hard to say which films will be the big breakout hits. A few films that will likely make a lot of noise at Sundance this year include:
Cha Cha Real Smooth – Writer-director Cooper Raiff won last year’s SXSW Film Festival with an endearing hang-out movie called Shithouse, and now he’s back with a new film – this time debuting at Sundance – that follows a 22-year-old Bar Mitzvah party-starter (Raiff) who befriends a local mom (Dakota Johnson) and her daughter. We're big fans of Raiff's relaxed, relatable storytelling, and can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.
When You Finish Saving the World – Jesse Eisenberg wrote and directed this film about a mother (Julianne Moore) and son (Finn Wolfhard) who find their familiar bond shaken when she tries to help another teenager at a shelter while he attempts to woo a young woman at school.
Emergency – Sundance's opening night films are always significant ones to keep an eye on. Last year the opening night film was CODA, which went on to great acclaim, and this year one of the opening films is Emergency. This ensemble drama follows a group of Black and Latino kids out for a night of partying as they debate whether to alert the police to an emergency that occurs. RJ Cyler, Donald Watkins, Sebastian Chacon and Sabrina Carpenter star.
What Are Some Great Performances To Watch For?
Prior to a festival beginning, it’s hard to say what performances will truly stand out. Here are a few choice performances we’re keeping an eye out for…
Keke Palmer in Alice – Written and directed by Krystin Ver Linden, and inspired by true events, Alice stars Keke Palmer as a woman who believes she is a slave living in the 1800s only to escape her captors and learn that it is in fact the year 1973. Common and Jonny Lee Miller also star.
Rebecca Hall in Resurrection – We are big fans of Rebecca Hall, a veteran of the Sundance festival and now a filmmaker herself, having debuted as a director with last year’s Passing. She returns to the festival this year as the star in a thriller called Resurrection, about a woman who seemingly has it all – until a mysterious man from her past begins to follow her every move. Tim Roth co-stars in the film, written and directed by Andrew Semans.
Regina Hall in Master and Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul (pictured above) – There are a few performers pulling double duty this year, appearing in multiple films, and one of those is the terrific Regina Hall. In Master, she plays a woman struggling to find her place at an elite New England university; and in Honk for Jesus, she stars opposite Sterling K. Brown as one half of a couple desparately trying to mount a comeback for their megachurch after Hall's character's husband, the church’s pastor, is caught in a scandal.
Elizabeth Banks in Call Jane – Based on true events and featuring the directorial debut of Phyllis Nagy, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind the film Carol, Call Jane is about a underground abortion network started by women in Chicago during the height of political upheaval in the late 1960s. Banks stars as a housewife whose complications navigating the medical landscape lead her to this secret group of women. Sigourney Weaver and Kate Mara also star.
John Boyega in 892 – We’re big fans of the unique, activist-driven role choices John Boyega has taken on post-Star Wars, and 892 looks to continue that pursuit. Here, Boyega plays a veteran who’s separated from his family and feels deserted by the country he served. In debt and out of luck, he decides to grab the world’s attention by holding a bank hostage with a bomb.
Give Me A Couple Of Movies To Take A Chance On…
Alright, here are two:
Dual – We’re seeing an uptick in clever genre films about cloning, and we’re very interested in Dual as fans of its director, Riley Stearns (The Art of Self-Defense). In Dual, Karen Gillan stars as a woman who is offered the chance to clone herself so her life continues upon her death. However, what happens when she doesn’t die and her clone is still hanging around? Can a world exist when there are two of…well, you? Guess we’ll see!
Summering – We’re suckers for memorable coming-of-age movies, and Summering definitely fits the bill in terms of the most Stand By Me-ish film in this year’s festival lineup. A group of kids, at a pivotal moment of transition in childhood, spend one last summer together saying goodbye to who they were while learning the often complicated realities of what awaits them as they get older. Another bonus: It’s directed by James Ponsoldt, who was also responsible for the Sundance classic 500 Days of Summer.
What About the Crazy Midnight Movies? What Do You Recommend?
We would recommend watching these movies at midnight in a darkened room for maximal effect.
Hatching – We couldn’t resist this film, Hatching, about a young Finnish girl living with her annoying family who comes in possession of the egg of a bird that crashes into her window. The egg begins to grow larger and larger and larger… and we don’t know what’s inside, but we’re down to find out! This marks Finnish filmmaker Hannah Bergholm’s feature debut.
Fresh – A woman thinks she’s met the man of her dreams, but when they go on what appears to be a fantastic weekend getaway, she learns he has a peculiar appetite for…let’s just say love. We’ll let your imagination do the rest, but this is in the Midnight section for a reason. Sebastian Stan and Daisy Edgar-Jones star.
Are There Any Good Documentaries to Watch at Sundance This Year?
Of course, there are! Sundance is probably the premiere destination for documentaries, and many of the docs that debut here go on to great acclaim and major awards. This year there are docs on everyone from Princess Diana to Bill Cosby to Kanye West to Sinéad O’Connor, but here are two with a lower profile that have certainly piqued our interest…
Fire of Love – This film tracks Katia and Maurice Krafft, who made a life out of photographing dangerous volcanoes. The duo would eventually die while photographing a volcano in Japan, but as the Sundance description so eloquently states: “… They would leave a legacy that would forever enrich our knowledge of the natural world.”
We Met in Virtual Reality – Some people feel we are destined to live a future that is both in the real world and in the virtual world, and this documentary aims to unravel the ways humans are connecting through virtual reality. Will new technological paths lead to greater fulfillment and engagement between all of us, or will this alternate reality increasingly remove us from the reality that matters most?
For more on how and when to watch these films, visit the official Sundance website. Happy movie-watching!
