Sundance 2024: Four Highlights From Around the World

By Sean Boelman

The Sundance Film Festival is always a great way to kick off the year for cinephiles, showcasing some of the most exciting independent films that we will see all year. From documentaries to international narrative films, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in the festival’s massive lineup.

Although this year’s edition has fewer selections available online than in years past, audiences across the United States still have the opportunity to watch any of the films in the competition sections, along with a few other select titles, from the comfort of their own homes.

Here are a few titles that we at disappointment media think you should check out:

Eternal You

Photo Courtesy: BEETZ BROTHERS FILM PRODUCTION

Playing in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, Eternal You explores Project December — a generative AI program that allows people to connect with their loved ones who have passed on through chatbot technology that mimic’s the deceased’s thought patterns. Expectedly, it’s an incredibly timely watch, exploring the complexities and nuances of the paradigm shift in ways that few films about AI have been able to achieve to this point. However, what is surprising is how much of a focus directors Hans Block and Moritz Riesewieck are able to maintain on the core humanity of this story.

Never Look Away

Also in the World Cinema Documentary Competition, Never Look Away is probably on most cinephiles’ radar because it is the directorial debut of New Zealander actress Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess). While it may seem like a unique choice for the fantasy star to have directed a documentary about war journalist Margaret Moth, Lawless’s understanding of this powerful woman who became her subject is uncanny. Never Look Away is the type of film that’s deceptively simple — it seems like a straightforward bio-doc, but when one begins to understand the different levels Lawless is working on, it’s quite effective.

Sujo

Playing in the World Cinema Dramatic Compeition is the Mexican drama Sujo, the latest feature from directors Fernanda Valadez and Astrid Rondero — the team behind the critically acclaimed Identifying Features. While Identifying Features offered an uncommonly unfussy take on the immigration crisis, Sujo approaches the epidemic of cartel violence with the same lens. Driven by great cinematography and powerful performances, this film takes tropes viewers might be familiar with and subverts them in a distinctively poignant way.

Thelma

Those festival-goers looking for something a little more mainstream will enjoy the Premieres entry Thelma, which is essentially a neo-noir caper with a senior citizen as its protagonist. June Squibb stars as a nonagenerian who sets out on an investigation to thwart the scammer who stole her money pretending to be her grandson. Squibb’s loony but consistently enjoyable turn is backed by a star-studded supporting cast which includes Fred Hechinger, Parker Posey, Clark Gregg, Fred Hechinger, Malcolm McDowell, and the late Richard Roundtree, all of whom are clearly having the time of their lives in this comedic flick.

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The 2024 Sundance Film Festival runs January 18-28 in-person in Park City, UT and online from January 25-28.