Sundance 2020: The 5 Most Buzzed-About Films at This Year's Festival!

As the Sundance Film Festival winds down in Park City, Utah, we’re aching to see some of the most talked-about releases.

We don’t want you to have to wade through all the madness to try and figure out which films to keep track of, so we’ve done the work for you. Because we looooove you.

Here are some indie darlings that Sundance audiences are buzzing about! 

Palm Springs

The Lonely Island has helmed Palm Springs, a Groundhog Day-inspired time loop film that’s about to have us tripping.

Andy Samberg plays Nyles, a cynical boyfriend who has been dragged to a wedding in Palm Springs where his girlfriend is the bridesmaid. After finding a woman named Sarah and getting into trouble, the day suddenly starts all over again -- and again, and again and again.

The film has opened at the festival to rave reviews and has become the largest Sundance purchase ever at $17,500,000.69, just 69 cents above the record. We can’t wait to see this unconventional trip through time and love. Palm Springs will have a theatrical release and then move to Hulu.

Miss Americana

Directed by Lana Wilson, Miss Americana follows superstar musician Taylor Swift through the tumultuous years after her album Reputation was released and her public image took a nosedive after drama with Kim Kardashian and Kanye West.

The bigger story in the documentary, though, is Swift’s reckoning with her place in politics and what her duties are as a public figure who has a voice for young people.

No matter your opinion on Swift, seeing her in a more vulnerable, open state is a landmark moment for her life and career. Miss Americana is now available to stream on Netflix.

Zola

Strap in, cuz this one is a wild ride.

Zola is a film directed by Janicza Bravo, inspired by the absolutely bonkers Twitter thread that took the world by storm in 2015. “Y’all wanna hear a story about why me and this b**** fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense,” the first tweet read -- and 148 tweets followed, detailing a trip to Florida involving murder, sugar daddies, and human trafficking.

The popularity of the Twitter thread made a film seem inevitable, and Sundance audiences were floored by seeing Zola tell the tale. The movie will be released in theatres this summer. 

Downhill

Downhill, starring Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Will Ferrell, tells the story of a married couple re-evaluating their marriage after their family just barely escapes an avalanche while on a ski trip.

The film is a remake of the French film Force Majeure, which had a moment in the sun when a scenewent viral on Twitter. The original film spins a tale about fragile masculinity, but Downhill leans further into the fragility of long-term marriage.

After opening to rave reviews at Sundance, Downhill will be in theaters February 14. 

Minari

Minari, the latest film from indie giant A24, is an autobiographical film directed by Lee Isaac Chung that details his childhood as a Korean-American living in Arkansas in the '80s.

Following the recent trend of coming-of-age movies, critics are praising the film’s sentimentality and fish-out-of-water narrative.The film details the struggle of an immigrant family starting fresh, and all the complexities that can follow.

Minari doesn’t currently have a release date, but when it does, we’ll be rushing to theaters to catch it!

Which films are you most excited about from this year's Sundance Film Festival?!