“Lizzie”
Cast: Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamey Sheridan, Fiona Shaw, Kim Dickens
Synopsis: A psychological thriller based on the infamous 1892 murders of the Borden family.
What You Need To Know: This isn’t the first or the last film trying on the Lizzie Borden story, but director Craig William Macneill (SXSW 2015, “The Boy”) can boast Kristen Stewart and Chloë Sevigny as kindred spirits whose relationship soon blooms into something more intimate. Expect this one to be a hot ticket in Utah so you better hope you have it already booked.
“Sorry To Bother You”
Cast: Lakeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Steven Yeun, Jermaine Fowler, Armie Hammer
Synopsis: In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, a black telemarketer discovers a magical key to professional success, which propels him into a macabre universe.
What You Need To Know: First time filmmaker Boots Riley directs this comedy that also stars Armie Hammer as a “cocaine-snorting, orgy-hosting, obnoxious, and relentlessly optimistic CEO” which is probably the price of admission alone, but the pair up of up-and-comers turned hot talents, Lakeith Stanfield (“Atlanta”) and Tessa Thompson (“Creed,” “Westworld,” “Thor: Ragnarok“) sounds like it can’t miss. A funky soundtrack is augmented by a score from Tune-Yards.
“Wildlife”
Cast: Carey Mulligan, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp, Jake Gyllenhaal
Synopsis: A boy witnesses his parents’ marriage falling apart after his mom finds another man.
What You Need To Know: Having worked with many great modern directors (Kelly Reichardt, Paul Thomas Anderson, Denis Villeneuve) venerable indie actor Paul Dano strikes out on his own for his directorial debut “Wildlife.” Co-written with his longtime romantic and creative partner Zoe Kazan, this drama is told from the point of view of teenage boy observing the gradual dissolution of his parents’ marriage and for any kid of divorced parents, that sounds emotionally grueling. But it also sounds like an acting showcase for Carey Mulligan and when has she ever failed to turn up?
“Tyrel”
Cast: Jason Mitchell, Christopher Abbott, Michael Cera, Caleb Landry Jones
Synopsis: A group of guys go on a birthday weekend trip up to the Catskills in a cabin.
What You Need To Know: Chilean writer/director Sebastián Silva likes loose, tense and decidedly uncomfortable looks at humanity and he’s not afraid to push whatever boundary needs testing. In his latest, “Tyrel,” the filmmaker looks at race in America by telling a story about a group of guys that go on a birthday weekend trip up to the Catskills in a cabin. The rub is, Tyler (Jason Mitchell as the lead), is the only black guy and has the weekend gets more and more debauched, the white bros get more and more scary. “Get Out” for the indie set? For sure, this sounds like one of the more challenging and button-pushing films at Sundance.
“Leave No Trace”
Cast: Ben Foster, Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, Jeff Kober, Dale Dickey
Synopsis: The life of a father and his teenage daughter living in a paradisiacal
existence in in Portland, Oregon urban park is derailed by a tiny mistake.
What You Need To Know: It’s been nearly eight years since director Debra Granik gave us a narrative feature and the last time she did, it led Jennifer Lawrence to an Academy Award nomination and made her career (“Winter’s Bone,” 2010). The excellent documentary “Stray Dogs” followed in 2014, but no one saw it because it never received U.S. distribution. But with another exceptional turn by the still-underrated Ben Foster, this could be Granik’s ferocious return.