Sundance is known for producing many of the year’s finest in independent cinema, and I’m thrilled to be traveling to Utah in a few short days to experience it first hand. Today I’m previewing the Sundance selections that I’m most excited to see at this year’s festival. But before we get to the top 5, here are a few honorable mention selections that also have my attention.
Honorable Mention: Hellion (starring Breaking Bad‘s Aaron Paul), Infinitely Polar Bear (starring Mark Ruffalo), Laggies (starring Keira Knightley and Sam Rockwell) and Happy Christmas (starring Anna Kendrick).
#5. God’s Pocket
The always great Philip Seymour Hoffman will be sporting plenty of screen-time in more than one film at Sundance this year. First up is the drama God’s Pocket, which follows a man’s who gets more than he bargained for when he attempts to cover-up his step-son’s accidental death. Also starring John Turturro, Richard Jenkins and Ray Donovan‘s Eddie Marsan, God’s Pocket has the type of cast you simply salivate over.
#4. The Skeleton Twins
You don’t always need a drama or thriller to satisfy your movie-going needs. In fact, one of Sundance’s most anticipated features is the comedy The Skeleton Twins which stars Bill Hader and Kristen Wiig as estranged twins who miraculously escape death on the same day. As a result, they decide to reconnect and confront how their lives went so wrong over the years. An 88 minute running time sounds like an appropriate length to let these hilarious comedic actors do their thing.
#3. Calvary
I’ve become a huge fan of Brendan Gleeson’s work over the years. Recently, though, he’s make his mark as an outstanding comedic actor with hilarious turns in the massively underrated Irish-comedy, The Guard, and the better known In Bruges. With his latest work, Gleeson stars as a priest who’s life is threatened during a confessional one day. Unsure if whether the threats are true or not, this good-natured priest is forced to confront the evil that’s closing in on him. Co-starring Bridesmaids‘ Chris O’Dowd, Calvary has all the makings of another fine comedic offering from Gleeson and company. (FULL TRAILER AVAILABLE ONLINE)
#2. A Most Wanted Man
The second major Sundance title starring Philip Seymour Hoffman is an adaptation of a 2008 John le Carre espionage novel of the same name, A Man Most Wanted. Anton Corbijn directs this thriller that examines an escaped Chechen Muslim who finds his way to Hamburg, Germany. While hiding out, he becomes the center of an international war on terror. Headlined by a cast including Rush’s Daniel Bruhl, Willem Dafoe, Rachel McAdams and Robin Wright, A Man Most Wanted is certainly surrounded by a ton of intrigue.
#1. Locke
There hasn’t been much said about my most anticipated feature at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Rising star and extraordinary talent, Tom Hardy, stars in Locke, an 85 minute thrill ride about a man whose life falls apart while in a race against time. Making its way around the European festival circuit last year, Locke has been lauded by just about everyone who’s seen the film. Hardy’s long list of impressive work makes him one of my favorite actors and I definitely can’t wait to see this latest feature.
*** Stay tuned for regular updates live from the Sundance Film Festival