AwardsWatch - sundance film festival

Sundance Review: Lee Isaac Chung’s ‘Minari’ is a poetic and heartfelt masterwork

Clint Worthington February 1, 2020

One of the joys of minari, mischievous grandmother Soonja (Yuh-Jung Youn) tells her equally impish 7-year-old grandson David (Alan Kim), is that the Korean herb... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘The Last Shift’ is a contrived, entry level effort

Clint Worthington January 29, 2020

This may be my first year actually attending the Sundance Film Festival, but I know the hallmarks of the “Sundance film” when I see one.... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘The Nest’ is an astounding showcase for Carrie Coon

Clint Worthington January 29, 2020

Sean Durkin returns nine years after Martha Marcy May Marlene with a tension-filled slow burn “What do you do for a living?” a cab driver... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘Miss Juneteenth’ avoids tropes to find truth in the Black experience

Valerie Complex January 29, 2020

Nicole Beharie establishes herself as one of Hollywood’s most underrated talents with her strong and heartfelt performance as Turquoise Jones in Channing Godfrey Peoples first... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘Promising Young Woman’ wants to get rid of toxic in community

Valerie Complex January 28, 2020

Revenge is a dish served ice cold in Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut film premiering at Sundance 2020, Promising Young Woman. This film is more than... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘The Last Thing He Wanted’ plays like an awards season cast-off

Joshua Encinias January 28, 2020

Not even half a dozen Oscar winners and nominees can save a story that manages to be both formulaic and convoluted “It’s just a hard... Read More

Sundance Review: Benh Zeitlin’s ‘Wendy’ finds a director unable to grow up

Donny Sheldon January 27, 2020

Eight years ago, writer/director Benh Zeitlin’s first feature film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival like lighting in a bottle. Beats of the Southern Wild... Read More

Sundance Review: ‘Downhill’ – Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell soar in high altitude comedy

Joshua Encinias January 27, 2020

Searchlight Pictures is lucky the first movie released under their new name exceeds expectations because a title like Downhill is ripe for puns. Directors Nat... Read More

Sundance Review: Miranda July’s ‘Kajillionaire’ exists between the mundane and the profound

Joshua Encinias January 26, 2020

If you want to understand Theresa (Debra Winger) and Robert (Richard Jenkins) in Miranda July’s new film Kajillionaire, you have to know that July’s parents... Read More

Sundance Review: Moss delivers a ferocious, electrifying performance in Josephine Decker’s ‘Shirley’

Donny Sheldon January 25, 2020

Newcomer Odessa Young delivers a breakthrough performance and Elisabeth Moss gives one of her best performances ever in director Josephine Decker’s brilliant follow-up to Madeline’s... Read More