SUNDANCE 2024: GOOD ONE (2024)

 

India Donaldson’s Good One feels of inspiration from the world of Kelly Reichardt, with sprinkles of Nicole Holofcener and Noah Baumbach, but ultimately Good One is an original, specific and special Sundance gem, and maybe the best film of the festival I’ve seen. From the point of view of what seems like an apathetic teenager; Sam reveals to be an observant soul, of the non sense her dad and his best friend have conjured over the years. While on a camping trip with the two unaware disappointments, Sam helps them point out mistakes they’ve made and are making, when over looking the questions they ponder about their lives, while her dad belittles his best friend who is in a lot of pain. As the trip through gorgeous landscape goes on, Sam realizes that these two men are in more denial than they would like to admit, and a darkness is brewing inside them, and worse, Sam’s faith in the men whom she trusts the most, becomes tainted. India’s measured and beautifully contemplative film, not only looks incredible and encouraging to go hiking in the wilderness, but also reminds us of the moments growing up, when we realize our families aren’t the pillars of citizen we once thought they were, and a reminder that young women are still growing up in a world where men still feel like a threat. And with that, the youth can be a scathing reflection of parental neglect, and parental irresponsibility. Lily Collias may have the best performance of Sundance 2024. 10/10. 

- Maurice Jones

SUNDANCE 2024: A REAL PAIN (2024)

 

Eisenberg’s sophomore effort perfectly reiterates the tension between family members, and the unintentional mind games people play with each other, for a meaningless feeling of superiority, in this chuckle filled cousin dramedy, about two cousins facing their family ancestry and the impact of what that means for them in modern times. As the mysteriously lonely cousin Benji undermines the serious and responsible cousin David, a push and pull is felt socially, as charming and upfront always makes deep connections through emotional wrestling, and quiet and polite gets overlooked, making no effort to cause a stir within someone to make an actual connection. Eisenberg wants us to simultaneously pay respects to the ones who came before us, while appreciating and loving the ones who are here now, no matter the differences or the frustrations conjured. A Real Pain is another great enjoyable comedy that has come from Sundance 2024, and like When You’re Finished Saving The World, another powerfully insightful look at first world interactions, that we rarely touch upon in and outside of film - Two insecure people, hilariously butting heads in a socially fixed contradictory world. All the while, one of them is going through…………A Real Pain.10/10.

- Maurice Jones

SUNDANCE 2024: LOVE ME (2024)

 

Love Me has an interesting and effective point, about AI becoming obsessed with being someone else, based on what humanity left behind with social media, long after they’ve gone, just as humanity did the same with themselves before death. With this, a sea buoy and a space satellite force a co-dependent relationship, out of loneliness and superficiality. The unfortunate problem with this premise and plot, is that Love Me is hard to watch, impossibly annoying, embarrassing, and unaware of its unappealing design, never mind the presence of Steven Yeun, and Kristen Stewart. 2/10.

- Maurice Jones

SUNDANCE 2024: BETWEEN THE TEMPLES (2024)

 

A frantic, confrontational mumble core throwback, with sprinkles of Michel Gondry, Between The Temples proves Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane make a hilariously mind boggling comedic team. As two lonely souls use religion and nostalgia for a sense of place and belonging, they find each other, as the world hilariously misunderstands them. Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane give their best and most revealing acting performances of their careers, in this late 60’s music drenched, awkwardly meek comedic dialogue based, trip down memory lane. Parts Woody Allen in more ways than one, parts Alex Ross Perry, parts Michel Gondry, Between The Temples is already one of the best comedies of 2024, and easily the best Romantic comedy of 2024. 10/10.

- Maurice Jones

SUNDANCE 2024: HANDLING THE UNDEAD (2024)

 

Creepy as it is beautifully majestic and sentimental, Handing the Undead is a zombie film like no other, as it focuses on the impact of both losing a loved one and gaining them back, instead of the outbreak as a whole. With an ensemble cast of protagonists, freaked out and then amazed, that their family members are back, only for it to grimly set in, that they are back as brainless murderers, and who they were pre death will never be reawakened. Patiently and methodically directed by Thea Hvistendahl, with gorgeous eriee cinematography, realistically felt dialogue, a cast of the likes of Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie of The Worst Person in the World (2021), and a rush of slow burn terrifying horror and special effects, set in the real world - Handling the Undead is a new zombie classic, and a powerful reenactment of real pain and real grief. 9/10.

- Maurice Jones

SUNDANCE 2024: THELMA (2024)

 

Josh Margolin‘s elderly comedic farce, and tribute - Thelma, is brought down a few by it’s stilted direction, cheap Sundance Debut camera work, and obvious stock heist music that makes it feel like a commercial, but with genuinely effective comedic timing, clever elderly spy parody, great performances by June Squibb and Richard Roundtree, and a poignant message about disability and independence at any age, Thelma ultimately is quite the sweet gem. 7/10.

- Maurice Jones