There are three standard things that should appear when attending a film festival: good food, even better company, and an awesome movie to finish off the day. Well, this year’s Sundance Film Festival had it all, and the films did not disappoint. From Ethan Hawke’s outstanding film Blaze to the midnight premiere of Mandy, it is safe to say that this year’s festival was another success and gave fans who are looking for all sorts of different movie genres the experience of a lifetime. Here our a few of Sundance’s standout movies!

 

Damsel

Okay, any movie with Robert Pattinson is surely destined for greatness! This movie was directed and produced by David and Nathan Zellner and it may very well be their greatest one yet! Pattinson plays a smart and convincing business who travels west to join his fiancée (Mia Wasikowska) and befriends the iconic movie star James Dean, played to perfection by Dane DeHaan. A few strange and quirky scenes/sounds are included in the film so be prepared to embrace the Zellner approach head on! Check out the trailer here.

 

Leave No Trace

If you are into thrilling, adventurous content, but you’re also a sucker for emotional family stories, then this is the movie for you. Directed by Debra Granik, this film focuses on telling a complicated father-daughter story whilst they try to work together to find their way out of chaos.

 

 

 

Mandy

Let’s take it back to the '80s, the good ole days when getting “revenge” was trendy, and follow Nicholas Cage as he tells the story of his character who is seeking vengeance against a biker gang that killed the love of his life. Easy-peasy right? Well, with so much craziness going on, we can only hope that he makes out alive!

 

Blaze

From the musical performances to the versatility on screen, this Ethan Hawke film is the perfect combination of a touching and unpredictable story. The film unravels the story of Blaze Foley with his awkward, unknowing personality, as he tries to get through life with his music but his flaws influence his music career path. You know what they say, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Here's to hoping Blaze makes musical lemonade!

 

Damn, Sundance! Back at it again with the hit movies, and we are oh so lucky to be in the same time period as them. These movies will be binged for eternity because they are certainly Oscar-worthy and deserve full recognition for such powerful messages. All we can say is, Sundance 2019, where you at?

 

(Image via Strophic Productions Limited)

 

- Nicole Dzenga, YH Contributing Writer