Sundance 2021 Preview: Kicks's Flick Picks
by Rosalie Kicks, The Old Sport
On January 28, I will embark on my third year of covering the Sundance film festival and, like many things as of late, it could not look more differently.
This year, rather than finding myself bundled up in my puffy coat, Jughead beanie, wintry boots and scarf traversing the mountainous town of Park City, I will, instead, find myself donning sweatpants and experiencing the fest from my sofa. Although I will miss attending in person, the digital platform allows more cinephiles to experience the magic of Sundance. With seventy one feature films (thirty eight from first time filmmakers) playing this year, I scoured the list and present to you my flick picks for your perusal. Hopefully you can find time to squeeze in a few movies… and don’t forget your popcorn and hot cocoa!
The Sundance Film Festival begins Thursday, January 28 until Wednesday, February 3.
This flick may hit a bit too close to home with a story centered around quarantining, but I find it hard to resist a sci-fi flick. For her feature film debut, Iuli Gerbase shares a story of a couple that met at a party and are forced to hole up together after a mystifying cloud rolls into town. Months pass by and the two become closer a lot quicker than anticipated. What fascinates me most about this story is that it was written and produced prior to our current, dismal situation. It is as if Iuli had access to a crystal ball and as much I understand seclusion at this point, I am interested to see how Iuli’s version plays out.
Premieres on January 29 at 6pm eastern and second showing January 30 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
As a die hard fan of the television program X-Files, when I read the plot of Albert Birney’s third feature Strawberry Mansion I was hooked. A government agency that conducts “dream audits” to collect taxes on citizens’s unconscious minds. Well, this seems totally frightening but also highly likely and quite possibly just around the corner. The story itself centers around a special agent, James Preble, who has been tasked to audit the dreams of a quirky, aging artist. This requires him to enter a vast VHS archive that holds the lifetime of her dreams. I can’t wait to see how writer/director team Albert Birney and Kentucker Audley manage to bring this story to life. Based on the description, there is a promise of a colorful palette, a shimmery synth score and romance… Was this film made especially for Kicks?
Premieres on January 29 at 9pm eastern and second showing January 30 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
Superior
When it comes to selecting flicks at a fest, I never turn down stories that involve mannequins, wax, dolls and/or twins. Twins are extremely intriguing to me as they often lead to double the trouble. In Erin Vassilopoulos’ feature debut Superior (based on the 2015 short of the same name) Marian finds herself on the run and seeks shelter at her childhood home with her estranged sister, Vivian. Despite the minimal description, the stylish photo from the film was what piqued my interest. Often, I find the less I know about the story the better.
Premieres on January 30 at 9pm eastern and second showing January 31 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
Written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones, How it Ends immediately made it on my must-watch list. I quite enjoyed her 2017 film, Band Aid and look forward to checking out her latest flick which she co-wrote and co-directed with spouse, Daryl Wein. When an asteroid is scheduled to destroy the Earth, Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) accepts an invitation to one last party. Unfortunately, making it to the shindig is not going to be easy after her car is stolen. Hoofing it across Los Angeles, she finds time slipping away fast and a visit from her mischievous younger self. This may be about humanity’s demise but, with Zoe Lister-Jones involved, I am sure it will be a heck of a lot of fun to watch.
Premieres on January 29 at 6pm eastern and second showing January 30 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
Reading the words “crazy cat lady”within the plot description sold me on this film. I love a quirky, wild premise and First Date seems to promise an outlandish one. Co-writers/directors Darren Knapp and Manuel Crosby see their debut feature film as a love letter to the genre films of their youth as the plot description references Superbad meets True Romance. I’ll give it a go!
Premieres on January 31 at 9pm eastern and second showing February 1 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
We’re All Going to The World’s Fair
This flick initially caught my eye when I learnt that the writer/director Jane Schoenbrun produced the 2018 flick, Chained For Life (a movie about making a movie that I quite enjoyed). We’re All Going to The World’s Fair is Jane’s narrative feature debut and tells the story of a teenager that enrolls in an online role-playing horror game. After recently becoming captivated with the tales of Slenderman and creepypasta, this movie inevitably landed on my watch list.
Premieres on January 31 at 9pm eastern and second showing February 1 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.
I will typically watch Tessa Thompson in whatever she is doing and Passing could not be more up my alley. Set in the 1920s, the story was adapted from a 1929 Nella Larsen novel of the same name. When former high school classmates, Irene (Tessa Thompson) and Clare (Ruth Negga) unexpectedly bump into one another in a hotel tearoom, their day is turned upside down. If Thompson and Negga weren’t enough, the cast also includes Alexander Skarsgård. Adapted and directed by actor turned filmmaker, Rebecca Hall this has turned out to be one of my most anticipated flicks at the fest.
Premieres on January 30 at 6pm eastern and second showing January 31 at 7am eastern, tickets available here.