Stay in the know with our staff's top picks for Sundance movies and series people will be talking about.

2025 Sundance Cheat Sheet

Director Hailey Gates described her new film [i]Atropia[/i] as a satire in the tradition of stories like “M.A.S.H.” And while that’s technically true, you’ve never seen a movie quite like this. Set at a US military training camp during the Iraq war, Atropia follows Fayruz (Alia Shawkat), an aspiring actress working as part of a 24/7 roleplaying experience for deploying soldiers. Along the way, she develops a friendship with fellow reenactor and veteran (Callum Turner), who is playing a “terrorist” named Abu Dice. What this description doesn’t capture is the lunacy of watching adults LARP war, complete with mock IEDs, fog-machine mustard gas, fake limbs, and olfactory experiences like “rotting flesh.” Come for the lampooning of the military-industrial complex; stay for the surprisingly touching romance between Shawkat and Turner; and then leave with your mind blown when you realize the Atropia camp is a real part of US military training. [i]Atropia[/i] won the Grand Jury Prize in the Dramatic category, and you can see all the 2025 Sundance winners and nominees [link=/event/ev0000631/2025/1/]here[/i].

Atropia

You may be familiar with the enduring, Oscar-winning 1985 film that adapted Argentine writer Manuel Puig’s novel for the big screen. But director Bill Condon is using the ‘90s Broadway musical as his inspiration for one of the most talked about movies heading into Sundance 2025. Diego Luna, emerging actor Tonatiuh (recently seen in [i]Carry-On[/i]), and Jennifer Lopez star in the story of Luis (Tonatiuh), a gay man who escapes the horror of his prison confinement into a fantasy world where he's comforted by his favorite classic film star (Lopez). When Marxist revolutionary Valentin (Luna) becomes Luis’ cellmate, the duo’s unlikely bond might just get them both through Argentina’s Dirty War. Seems like a proper fit for Condon ([i]Gods and Monsters[/i] and [i]Dreamgirls[/i]) and a potential renaissance for Lopez as both actress and producer.

Kiss of the Spider Woman

Bowen Yang reunites with [i]Fire Island[/i] director Andrew Ahn for one of the best Sundance bets this year, a modern-day update of Ang Lee’s breakthrough romantic comedy. The “SNL” standout stars as a gay man who proposes a green-card marriage to his lesbian best friend to avoid deportation. The comedic drama showcases Joan Chen and Oscar winner Youn Yuh-jung ([i]Minari[/i]) as the matriarchs of the bride and groom’s families. It’s one of two remakes of landmark films screening at Sundance this year that helped generate a fair share of headlines prior to the festival. James Schamus, who authored the original screenplay with Lee and Neil Peng, co-wrote the updated story with Ahn. Bleecker Street already has a US release date set for April 18, 2025.

The Wedding Banquet

Go ahead and prepare yourself for the jaw massage you’re going to need after this two-hour panic attack from Mary Bronstein. Conceived while the director was caring for her sick child, [i]If I Had Legs I’d Kick You[/i] explores the darker sides of motherhood. Rose Byrne stars as a woman whose life is hanging by a thread as she struggles to balance the needs of her chronically ill child, her therapy patients, and the reconstruction of her apartment ceiling after a dramatic cave in. What makes Bronstein's film so resonant (and so stressful) is that there are no single answers to the issues Byrne’s character is facing. “Tell me what to do!” she shouts repeatedly at her therapist (played by Conan O’Brien in full character), but the truth is no one knows what to do as the problems begin to compound and escalate day after day. And while everyone will be talking about Byrne and O’Brien’s acting, keep an eye out for A$AP Rocky, whose easy-going performance helps keep the blood pressure down in this year’s [i]Uncut Gems[/i] for moms.

If I Had Legs I'd Kick You

Molly Gordon is back at Sundance two years after [i]Theater Camp[/i], co-starring in a romantic comedy alongside Logan Lerman for director Sophie Brooks ([i]The Boy Downstairs[/i]). Gordon and Brooks co-wrote the screenplay, the story of Iris and Isaac’s romantic weekend gone amok. The first image we saw from the movie seemed to pay tribute to [i]Misery[/i], which makes sense when you discover Iris takes Isaac captive when she realizes he doesn’t think they’re an official couple. We’re equally primed for the presence of supporting cast members Geraldine Viswanathan ([i]Blockers[/i], [i]Drive-Away Dolls[/i]) and John Reynolds (“Search Party”).

Oh, Hi!

Sundance’s horror programming is underrated. This year’s fest introduces the wonderfully unexpected pairing of Ayo Edebiri and John Malkovich for former journalist Mark Anthony Green’s first outing as a writer-director. Described as a flashy pop horror movie, Edebiri plays a writer who travels to the compound of a music icon preparing for a “malevolent reintroduction” after disappearing decades ago. Plus, musical numbers? And what an offbeat supporting cast. We wonder what sort of malevolence awaits Murray Bartlett (“The White  Lotus”), Amber Midthunder ([i]Prey[/i]), Juliette Lewis, and Young Manzino (“Beef”). It's another A24 film at Sundance 2025, as the studio is showing up with a handful of projects they've championed.

Opus

Eva Victor, who you may recognize as Rian from “Billions,” serves as the director, writer, and star of [i]Sorry, Baby[/i]. The story takes place over five years and follows Agnes, a professor trying to piece her life back together after a sexual assault. Filmmaker Barry Jenkins is one of several notable producers on the project that co-stars Naomi Ackie as Agnes’ roommate and Lucas Hedges as her neighbor. Noted for its poignancy and unexpected humor, the film was one of the best-received debuts at Sundance this year, and A24 has picked it up for release.

Sorry, Baby

When Sophie Hyde’s child, Aud, first started to explore their queer identity, the writer-director found herself mourning her father’s death all over again. If Jim, a gay man and activist, had still been alive, he would have happily acted as Aud’s mentor through this important period in their life. So Hyde got to work developing a script that would let Aud and Jim have the conversations they missed. The result is a deeply personal meditation on family and how each generation’s experiences build a foundation for the next. [i]Jimpa[/i] is also an LGBTQIA+ primer of sorts. The film spends no small amount of time observing as Jimpa (John Lithgow with all cylinders firing) and his “grand-thing” Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde playing their fictional counterpart) reflect, educate, and philosophize their way through the history of the gay rights movement and on to the continued fight for equality and understanding. But if that sounds a little too educational, don’t be frightened. [i]Jimpa[/i] is a compelling family drama, thanks in no small part to the wonderful performances from Lithgow, Mason-Hyde, and Olivia Coleman, whose role as the director’s avatar requires a relentless commitment to kindness over conflict.

Jimpa

If you grew up in a time before digital effects, you likely have fond memories of fantasy films full of magical creatures and stunning matte paintings that captured your imagination and fueled playtime for weeks after viewing. Director Isaiah Saxon has revived that special style of filmmaking with his first feature, [i]The Legend of Ochi[/i]. Shot on location in the Carpathian mountains, the movie preaches the importance of harmony with nature through a simple story of a girl on a journey to reunite a baby creature called an ochi with its family. Every frame truly is a painting as Yuri (played by the darling Helena Zengel) travels through woods, caves, snow, and water in defiance of her father (Willem Dafoe), whose fear of the ochi has led him to create an army of boys (Finn Wolfhard, et al.) to hunt the animals. But while the performances, sets, and locations are all wonderful, it’s the little animal at the center of the story that you’ll find most impressive. Saxon worked with Jonathan Nolan Studios to bring the ochi to intricate, articulate life through fully practical puppet effects, and the results are predictably heart-melting.

The Legend of Ochi

[i]Plainclothes[/i] travels back to Upstate New York in the ‘90s, where a closeted undercover cop tasked with entrapping gay men falls in love with one of his targets. The drama stars Tom Blyth (he plays Coriolanus Snow in the [i]Hunger Games[/i] prequel) as the cop opposite Russell Tovey (best known from “Looking” and recently seen in “Feud” Season 2). The themes of police surveillance and persecution of gay men could land writer-director Carmen Emmi in the hot seat if Sundance audiences target the movie for potentially triggering themes. Though the first wave of interviews with Tovey about the film have reminded us that it’s important to remember where we come from, even when it’s difficult to take a look back.

Plainclothes

Director Clint Bentley had an indie moment with his last film, [i]Jockey[/i], and he’s a producer of the recently Oscar-nominated drama, [i]Sing Sing[/i]. The themes of his new movie, a period western starring Joel Edgerton as Robert Grainier, a day laborer who’s helping build America’s railroads, might bring [i]The Brutalist[/i] to mind – and did you know Edgerton nearly starred as architect László Tóth in that newly minted American epic? For extra [i]Brutalist[/i] connectivity points, Oscar nominee Felicity Jones co-stars as Grainier’s spouse. Keep your eyes on this picture this year, since Netflix scooped it up at the festival.

Train Dreams

What would an indie film festival be if it didn’t include a movie about newlyweds and smuggled cabbage? Himesh Patel, Sarah Goldberg, and Matt Berry star in writer-director Evan Twohy’s first feature, which he adapted from his play. Patel (last seen in the recently canceled series, “The Franchise”) and Goldberg (“Industry”) play the couple who are pursued by the fabulously named customs agent, Shazbor. That role should allow Matt Berry to do his unique comedic thing in his first role since “What We Do in the Shadows” signed off.

Bubble & Squeak

We love Mark Ruffalo in family drama mode ([i]The Kids Are All Right[/i], [i]You Can Count on Me[/i], etc.). In this new TV series from [i]Cha Cha Real Smooth[/i] director Cooper Raiff, the former Hulk stars as a dad who is buttressed by his two kids, played by Raiff and Lili Reinhart ("Riverdale"). Raiff and Reinhart play the younger versions of their characters, a move that recalls "PEN15" and has us sitting forward in our seat already. And, yes, you read it right: "Hal & Harper" is a series, and its first four episodes will screen at this year's festival, a savvy way for Sundance to promote their streaming platform, which is distributing the program.

Hal & Harper

Sundance imports this British horror tale starring Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen as a musician couple who conjure up some folksy trouble in the woods of Wales. Writer and director Bryn Chainey set his feature debut – apropos for this horror subgenre – and apparently fills up the couple’s new home with old school reel-to-reel tape machines and other ephemera, which brings a mysterious local to their door. Emerging actor Jade Croot gets that pivotal role. Shot on film and reportedly rich with atmosphere and sound design, we bet a horror specialty label snaps up this offering.

Rabbit Trap

Even seasoned horror fans are sure to get a rush from Michael Shanks’ body horror bonanza. Starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Allison Brie, [i]Together[/i] follows Tim and Millie as they leave city life behind for Millie’s new job out in the suburbs. Unfortunately, the duo don’t seem destined for domestic bliss. Tim, a musician without a driver’s license, feels trapped in the country, while Millie fears they may have fallen out of love. What they don’t know is that these worries will pale in comparison to what’s waiting for them out in the woods. Under no circumstances should you watch a single trailer or read a review for [i]Together[/i]. Yes, there are some classic horror tropes at play here, but it’s the execution of those elements that makes this film so fresh. Instead, hold out for the release to see this squishy, squelchy, stretchy, slam dunk horror comedy.

Together

[i]Ricky[/i] may be Rashad Frett’s debut feature film, but the story is one that has been with him for a long time. Frett first conceived of the story of a man putting his life together after 15 years of incarceration while the director was a graduate student at NYU Tisch. After that, Frett and his collaborators took the script through several Sundance labs, which resulted in a short film that premiered at the festival in 2023. Now, [i]Ricky[/i] has been actualized in its final feature form, and the many years Frett lived with this project have paid off. The sure-footed script lets viewers breathe along with Ricky as he navigates a world he’s never seen as an adult. Small moments reveal the terrible price of Ricky’s imprisonment at age 15, as we watch him struggle to use a cell phone, to keep his appointments, to get his learner’s permit. But for all the drama — and there is some rich, painful drama — [i]Ricky[/i] is a hopeful movie. Because no matter how steep the climb or how stacked the deck, Frett’s protagonist keeps pressing on, pushing himself to become the man he’s always wanted to be.

Ricky

Make sure you’re in a good headspace before you engage with Cole Webley’s devastating drama about a family on the edge. [i]Omaha[/i] takes its time letting you in on the true nature of the road trip a father (John Magaro) and his two children (Molly Belle Wright, Wyatt Solis) have set out upon, but it’s clear from the first frame that wherever they’re going may not be better than where they’re coming from. To reveal writer Robert Machoian’s inspiration for this film would be to give away the precious gift his script has in store for the viewer, so we’ll leave the details to the screen. But we will say this: stick with it. When all seems lost, stay in your seat and see this one through to the very end. You’ll be glad you did.

Omaha

Dylan Southern ([i]Meet Me in the Bathroom[/i]) adapts Max Porter’s acclaimed novella “Grief Is the Thing with Feathers,” illustrating on film the unbearable sadness and often horrific experience of loss, and persistent presence of the grief which follows. Grief itself is personified as the haunting, hulking Crow — voiced by David Thewlis — a sardonic, sometimes violent, and unrelenting character overshadowing the lives of a father (Benedict Cumberbatch) and his two sons as they wade through the sudden death of their wife/mother. Cumberbatch gives an extraordinarily demanding physical and emotional performance in this wildly creative (albeit abstract) expression of Porter’s intellectual prose. Though it’s weighty throughout, it’s punctuated by moments of humor and provides some relief as you watch the broken family ever so slowly allow themselves to settle into grief’s embrace, coexisting with it rather than flailing at it with fists of rage.

The Thing With Feathers

Prepare yourself for a full range of emotions when watching director James Griffiths’ (“Bad Sisters”) latest. Conceived and produced as a short film 18 years ago by Griffiths and co-writers/stars Tom Basden and Tim Key, [i]The Ballad of Wallis Island[/i] presents itself as a quirky comedy about an eccentric millionaire and the washed up musician who has traveled to his home for a private concert. But under the surface, [i]Ballad[/i] is subtly serving up themes of love and loss, creativity and ownership, and the painful importance of moving on.

The Ballad of Wallis Island

[i]El Planeta[/i] director Amalia Ulman goes from black-and-white to trippy Technicolor with her we’re-not-in-Kansas-anymore sophomore feature, [i]Magic Farm[/i], dropping a clueless American film crew into rural Argentina in search of the latest clickbait for their Vice-style travel show. After realizing they’ve arrived in the wrong country, the crew attempts to salvage the trip by roping in a group of locals to fake a viral trend — all the while completely missing the real story looming in the background. The entire cast brings the laughs, but Alex Wolff delivers the silliest performance of all as the whiny, self-involved producer, Jeff, whose incompetence lands them in this mess in the first place. Ulman’s culture-clash comedy echoes films like [i]Crystal Fairy[/i] and [i]Rotting in the Sun[/i] from fellow Sundance alum, Sebastián Silva, which similarly follow Americans bumbling their way through Latin America. [i]Magic Farm[/i] charts new territory with its playful visuals including the use of a 360 degree camera for a tiny planet effect, transitions straight out of Microsoft PowerPoint, and a roaming dog cam (achieved by mounting off-brand GoPros to neighborhood pooches).

Consultés récemment