From a bodybuilding drama, a psychosexual corporate-thriller, and a hyper-action coming of age. Sundance made noise all over as it made its comeback to in-person screenings.

Written by Samuel Rasheed Tan
February 2, 2023

Sundance draws to a close after making its return to being an in-person festival this year at Park City, Utah. The first time since conducting the last three virtually in 2020.

The event lasted from January 19–29 and was met with open arms by both the press and buyers alike as standing ovations and deals have been brokered all throughout.

The film festival is one of the "big five" along with the ones in Berlin, Toronto, Venice, and Cannes. Holding the most prestige and influence, they feature only the best of the best and a chance for a screening in one is almost in every budding filmmaker's bucket list. They are spread out through the year, with Sundance being the first to start the year.

With that here are bound to be films that generate some buzz. That would mean new movies to look forward to for our watchlists! Here are five films that rocked the festival you might need to put on your radar:

Magazine Dreams

Jonathan Majors takes on bodybuilding in Elijah Bynum's Magazine Dream

The year has just started but 2023 might shape up to be the year of Jonathan Majors. With Creed 3 and Ant-Man: Quantimania still on the horizon, he starts this year with Elijah Bynum's Magazine Dreams.

Jonathan Majors stars in this entry as Killian, a socially-awkward aspiring bodybuilder. It follows his journey towards the grueling and taxing sport of bodybuilding, delving into the hyper-masculine environment and the self-sabotaging toll it takes on him.

While it was first met with a couple of walk-outs during its premiere, it was ultimately rewarded with a Special Jury Award for its creative team. Majors garnered applause and a standing ovation for his performance, drawing comparisons to the iconic Travis Bickle of Taxi Driver and Lou Bloom of Nightcrawler. Don’t be surprised if you hear this one, or Majors specifically, garner awards talk this early of the year.

Polite Society

*Priya Kansara stars in Nida Manzoor's hyper-action coming of age debut on the big screen*

Nida Manzoor is no stranger to female-led coming-of-age films. The We Are Lady Parts creator appeared to have jolted the festival with some needed fun as she premiered her big-screen debut, Polite Society.

Ria is an aspiring stuntwoman martial artist trainee hellbent on impeding the upcoming marriage of her older sister Lena to a surgeon.

Critics are hailing her directing, praising the film for its hyper-action sequences akin to Edgar Wright’s Scott Pilgrim vs The World and the culture-clash coming-of-age schtick of Everything Everywhere All At Once.

Fair Play

Chloe Domont’s first feature corporate-thriller is looking to be Sundance’s latest money draw as it comments on the ramifications of the post-#MeToo movement with flair.

Fair Play is about the workplace spousal tandem of Emily (Phoebe Dynevor) and Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) navigating their cutthroat financial firm as they get their relationship tested as Emily gets promoted to be Luke’s manager.

A psychosexual drama that is being praised widely at the festival for its script tackling the state of workplace environments in the post-#MeToo world. You might see this one sooner than later as it garnered the checkbooks of Netflix after being acquired for $20 million.

A Thousand and One

We'd be remiss if we didn't include the film that nabbed the top award. A.V. Rockwell's A Thousand and One offers a gut-wrenching family drama of a mother and child set in the poverty gang-stricken streets of Harlem. It was all the talk during the award ceremony of the festival.

Teyana Taylor's performance was said to be out of this world, and Rockwell's depiction of the poverty and violence that has plagued New York for a long time is being hailed for capturing its depravity in splendid fashion.

Past Lives

A24 may have done it again.

The house that brought us Everything Everywhere All at Once, Moonlight and The Lighthouse among others have another entry that is getting universal praise.

Directed by Celine Song, Past Lives tells the tale of two childhood friends reuniting after diverging from each other for 12 years.

While the premise might be simple its praises are not, earning two standing ovations on its two screenings, and debuting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Past Lives may yet be another triumph for A24 that will be on every movie lovers most anticipated soon enough.

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