Sundance Film Festival 2021—What Did I See and What’s Worth Seeing?
On the Count of Three starring Christopher Abbott and Jerrod Carmichael. Photo property of Annapurna Pictures
I’m back after a long hiatus! I went through a few life changes towards the end of last year that made it difficult for me to consistently post. But now that I’m back, my primary resolution is to post regularly and to grow this blog even further. If you have any suggestions of things for me to post, or just want to leave me a comment or recommendation, please feel free to!
For my first post back, I’m talking about this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The festival decided to move forward this year with a hybrid virtual and satellite screening festival. Although I wasn’t able to make it out to a satellite screening this year, I did catch a few films virtually from the comfort of my living room. Overall, I felt the slate was weaker this year than in years past, but there were a few standouts that I’d highly recommend checking out when you are able to!
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On the Count of Three (dir. Jerrod Carmichael) Jerrod Carmichael’s directorial debut was hands down, the best thing I watched at the festival this year. On the Count of Three follows best friends Val (Jerrod Carmichael) and Kevin (Christopher Abbott) as they make a pact to kill themselves by the end of the day.
While the concept is sobering, Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, whose credits include Ramy, the Golden Globe-winning Ramy Youssef Hulu series, perfectly balance the poignant and comedic tone. They almost effortlessly merge the dark suicidal ideations most of us have at some points in our lives with the touching reality that these ideations can be held at bay by the comfort of a loving best friend. It’s a deeply earnest film, but is never weighed down by the darkness, and manages to throw in moments of true hilarity without it feeling glib. Carmichael has a strong and confident directorial voice and elicits the funniest and most sincere performance from Christopher Abbott that we’ve seen yet, and I’m excited to see what his next project holds.
On the Count of Three has been picked up by Annapurna Pictures.
How It Ends (dirs. Zoe Lister-Jones, Daryl Wein) Although one of the weaker things I saw at this year’s festival, How It Ends has its moments. The film follows Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) and her “metaphysical teenage self” (Cailee Spaeny) as they navigate their last day on earth in Los Angeles before a meteor obliterates the entire planet.
What follows is a walk around The City of Angels encountering various famous actors participating in 5-minutes-or-less cameos. It ends up feeling like an 80-minute twee version of an SNL digital short, but underneath all of the random cameos is an ardent storyline about self-acceptance and self-love. Cailee Spaeny’s performance, in particular, is quite strong, and she carries the emotional weight of the movie on her back. Had they leaned into the relationship between Liza and her younger self more heavily and focused less on the comedic cameos, How It Ends could’ve been something special.
Prisoners of the Ghostland (dir. Sion Sono) As a self-proclaimed Nicolas Cage fanatic, you can bet that when a new Nic Cage movie is premiering, I’ll be the first in line. At this stage in his career, you can count on a wild, wacky, and most of the time, inconsistent film from him. Sometimes you get true works of art like Mandy, and sometimes you get things like Running with the Devil or Primal that are just off-the-rails bonkers or not all that fun. Unfortunately, Prisoners of the Ghostland falls into the latter category. It follows Nic Cage’s character (aptly named Hero), a criminal sent to rescue Bernice, the adopted daughter of The Governor (Bill Moseley), the man who is keeping him imprisoned. If Hero returns her in one piece within three days, he will be free to go. Sounds simple enough, right? Except he’s outfitted in a full leather suit with bombs attached to his arms, neck and penis (yes, seriously), to keep him in line, and Bernice is being held in a haunted, Mad Max-esque desert camp full of wackos.
Normally, the more bonkers a Nic Cage movie, the more fun it is, and while Prisoners of the Ghostland has its enjoyable visuals and moments, it’s unbelievably incoherent and ends up feeling overlong and overwrought, even at 100 minutes. I struggled to follow about 80% of what was happening. The script is amateur and rudimentary and there’s far too much stuffed into one film. Part Western, part Mad Max, part supernatural horror, part Samurai film, Prisoners of the Ghostland ends up biting off more than it could chew.
Prisoners of the Ghostland has been picked up by RJLE Films.
Jockey (dir. Clint Bentley) I’m not usually one for sports related films, but I picked up a ticket for Jockey for the sole reason that Clifton Collins Jr. is the lead. Jockey follows Clifton Collins Jr.’s Jackson, a middle-aged jockey who is trying to come to terms with his aging body failing him in his profession. His world is rocked when up and coming jockey Gabriel (Moises Arias--Hannah Montana’s Rico!) reveals to Jackson that he is his son.
Jockey finds joy in the spaces in between. Clint Bentley’s directorial debut is a quiet, soft movie that is concerned with the beauty of the day-to-day lives of these passionate jockeys. Bentley films on film and focuses heavily on the sunrises and the sunsets of every day, allowing them to take center stage and making the sun a character in itself. Bentley also uses real jockeys, not actors, as side characters throughout the film, and it immerses you even more into this often forgotten about world. The entire movie is understated--I tend to say that often about quiet, indie films, but Jockey gives off a sense of warmth unlike other indie mumblecore projects. The score is subtle, the lighting muted, and the performances and camerawork are intimate and naturalistic. Arias and Collins Jr. have an excellent rapport and extremely believable chemistry, and it is wonderful to finally see Collins Jr. break out of his character actor lane and join the ranks of the truly talented leading actors of our time.
Jockey has been picked up by Sony Pictures Classics.
The Blazing World (dir. Carlson Young) I snagged a ticket for this directorial debut from Carlson Young because I’m a huge fan of her acting work. Unfortunately, this was the weakest thing I saw at the festival this year. The Blazing World follows Margaret (Carlson Young), a trauma-stricken young woman whose twin died when they were children as the result of an accidental drowning in the midst of an explosive fight between their parents. While on a visit back home, she finds herself slipping down a psychedelic rabbit hole on a journey to deal with her sister’s death.
While I wanted to love this, this was a perfect example of style over substance. I welcome any chance to see Dermot Mulroney (of New Girl and My Best Friend’s Wedding fame) and Vinessa Shaw (Hocus Pocus), but even their odd and twisted performances couldn’t save this. The dreamlike, sweeping score and trippy visuals are fun to experience for a while, but eventually the novelty wears thin. The plot is flimsy at best, and it ultimately seems that the film itself is a rabbit hole with no end in sight.
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That’s it for my Sundance wrap-up. I’ll be returning soon with more reviews from new films, my long overdue Top Movies of 2020 post, and more recommendations. Do any of these movies sound like something you’re excited to see? Let me know!