Sundance 2024 will launch its virtual option this week for badgeholders and individuals who want to buy individual tickets.
It’s a wonderful option for those unable to make the long trip to Utah.
Last year’s Sundance had many great offerings virtually.
Films such as Sometimes I Think About Dying, and Kim’s Video were highlights from the 2023 virtual catalog.
This year has a lot of promising entries, and some have already generated tremendous buzz. For example, Steven Yeun and Kristen Stewart have a movie getting rave reviews.
While the virtual option opens for press tomorrow, movie lovers can dig into the Sundance 2024 line-up beginning Thursday.
Here is a list of films offered online possibly worth streaming this week at Sundance.
Thelma
Action movies and senior citizens — what more could a moviegoer want from a Sundance Film Festival entry? Thelma is described as an action movie with a 93-year-old woman (June Squibb) in the lead. It sounds ridiculous but unconventionally entertaining. The film also stars Clark Gregg, an actor best known as Agent Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Not to mention the movie has additional roles from Parker Posey and Richard Roundtree.
Thelma begins streaming on the Sundance website on January 25 for the public. There are additional showtimes on January 23, 24, 27, and 28.
A Real Pain
Jesse Eisenberg directed the movie When You Finish Saving the World, which premiered at Sundance in 2022. He is back with a new film starring an Emmy-winning actor. The film stars Kieran Culkin and Eisenberg as cousins with many past grievances, reconnecting overseas for a family matter. And well, tensions arise.
The film will have a public online screening starting on the 25th, with the remaining in-person screenings on January 23, 24, and 26.
Love Me
Over the weekend, Love Me garnered excessive praise from various critics. The festival is far from over. The movie has already won the Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. The premise has an intriguing setup, describing the movie as, “long after humanity’s extinction, a buoy and a satellite meet and fall in love.” Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun headline the movie. Those two names alone are reason enough to be excited about the film.
Because the movie won an award, there are two methods of seeing the film online. While they are sold out at the moment, people typically back out all the time during festivals. So keep that page on refresh over the coming days.
Additionally, Love Me is competing in the US drama competition. If it wins, there will be another chance to see it online. The remaining in-person screenings will occur in various venues on January 24, 26, and 27.
Handling the Undead
For a film competing in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition, handling the Undead has an eerie premise. The movie revolves around a group of families with loved ones who mysteriously return to life. There are a couple of reasons to give this movie a shot. For one, the film is said to reunite Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie, two alums of the Worst Person in the World. Furthermore, the film has already been picked up by Neon.
Handling the Undead will begin streaming on January 25. Additional remaining showtimes in person will take place on January 26.
Didi
Didi is a movie that combines two stories – a coming-of-age tale and a first-generation child of immigrants story. The film follows a 13-year-old Taiwanese boy as he learns to navigate his teenage years in the United States while balancing his cultural roots with fitting in socially. There is a ton of buzz coming out of Sundance for this title, so it’s worth keeping on one’s radar.
Didi will begin streaming online on January 25, and it has yet to sell out on the platform. Additionally, there are tickets left for the January 23 in-person screening. Another screening planned for January 26 is sold out but pay attention.
Brief History of a Family
Brief History of Family is another film representing the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. The movie centers around a family dynamic in the backdrop of China’s’ one-child policy. The Sundance website describes the movie as a tension-filled family drama soaked in subtle moments of character-building pressure. The story is about a family in China whose life becomes complicated after their son sparks a friendship with a problematic individual. It’s’ an intriguing premise with lots of potential for social commentary.
Brief History of a Family will stream online beginning January 25 and run through the 28. Additionally, there is one remaining screening on January 25.
Rob Peace
Rob Peace does not sound like a typical biopic. The film centers on Rob Peace, a brilliant student who rose from humble beginnings to become a Yale graduate in biophysics and molecular biology. The premise then throws in a twist: Rob made six figures selling marijuana during his time as a student. The movie is directed by Chiwetel Ejiofor and is said to be a sincere glance at poverty and the lengths of survival to overcome it.
Rob Peace will begin streaming on the Sundance platform on January 25. Additionally, in-person screenings will be on January 23, 24, 27, and 28.
Eternal You
Eternal You sounds like an idea ripped from Black Mirror. Only here, this is a documentary about something quite real. The Sundance entry explores the use of AI to develop methods for loved ones to speak to the deceased. The premise asks, “If you had the chance to talk to a loved one who died, would you take it?” This is a genuinely haunting notion that could make for a fascinating documentary.
The remaining screening of Eternal You on January 25 is sold out, but the documentary will be streaming online beginning Thursday.
And So It Begins
America is not the only country facing challenges with autocrats. The documentary And So It Begins highlights the resistance of the Philipines to protect a nation against threats to their democracy and freedom. The Sundance website says the documentary serves as a perfect companion to the doc A Thousand Cuts (also directed by Ramona Diaz), which was a composition showing how President Rodrigo Duterte dismantled norms through the power of social media.
And So It Begins will begin streaming for the public on January 25 on the Sundance website.
The remaining in-person screenings will be held on January 25, 27, and 28.
As We Speak
J.M. Harper makes his directorial debut with this documentary, exploring the dangers faced in the music industry, specifically among rappers using their voices for expression and the threats from law enforcement afterward. The website says that the documentary will examine the long history of musicians within the genre facing these issues. This seems like a worthy watch for fans of rap music and the power of lyricism.
The documentary will begin streaming on January 25, and additional in-person screenings will be held on January 23, 24, and 26.
Between the Temples
We wrap this list up with something quirky, comedic, and off-beat. The movie Between the Temples centers around a cantor (Jason Schwartzman) who is described as struggling with his Jewish faith. But as the site says, he forms an unlikely relationship after his grade school music teacher (Carol Cane) reenters his world. It’s a strange scenario that is ripe for a dramedy. This has enormous potential between the two main leads and the addition of Conan O’Brien writer Robert Smigel.
Between the Temples will begin streaming on January 25, with additional in-person screenings on January 23 and 24.