Sundance 2020 Movie Scorecard (original) (raw)
TAGGED AS: festivals, Film Festival, Sundance
Another year, another Sundance: Some event films of the 2020 edition included Miss Americana, the Taylor Swift documentary, and Zola, a Spring Breakers/Hustlers hybrid based on an infamous Twitter thread. Then there was The 40-Year-Old Version, about a New York playwright who becomes a rapper at 40, and Promising Young Woman, a raucous revenge thriller starring Carey Mulligan. Also featured: Beasts of the Southern Wild director Benh Zeitlin’s return with a Peter Pan adaptation, Wendy. And if the wheelings and dealings of Sundance are your thing, Rebecca Hall ghost story The Night House sold for $12 million, while Hulu and NEON has snatched up Palm Springs for 17,500,00 dollars (American) and 69 cents, officially beating the previous high set by Birth of a Nation by less than a buck.
See every movie that got a Tomatometer at the festival with The Sundance 2020 Movie Scorecard! —Alex Vo
#117
Critics Consensus: Powerfully acted and directed, Never Rarely Sometimes Always reaffirms writer-director Eliza Hittman as a filmmaker of uncommon sensitivity and grace.
Synopsis: Faced with an unintended pregnancy and a lack of local support, Autumn and her cousin, Skylar, travel across state lines [More]
#116
Critics Consensus: La Llorona puts a fresh spin on the familiar legend by blending the supernatural and the political to resolutely chilling effect.
Synopsis: Alma is murdered with her children during a military attack in Guatemala, but when the general who ordered the genocide [More]
#115
Critics Consensus: As entertaining as it is inspiring, Crip Camp uses one group's remarkable story to highlight hope for the future and the power of community.
Synopsis: A groundbreaking summer camp galvanizes teens who have disabilities. [More]
#114
Critics Consensus: Collective presents a darkly effective overview of the cycle of political corruption and public cynicism that takes hold when government abrogates its responsibility to the people.
Synopsis: Directed by Alexander Nanau (TOTO AND HIS SISTERS), COLLECTIVE follows a heroic team of journalists as they uncover shocking, widespread [More]
#113
Critics Consensus: Sensitively directed by Phyllida Lloyd and brought to life by co-writer Clare Dunne's starring performance, Herself charts one woman's journey with empathy and grace.
Synopsis: Single mother Sandra (Clare Dunne) escapes her abusive partner with her two young children, only to find herself trapped in [More]
#112
Critics Consensus: The Forty-Year-Old Version opens a compelling window into the ebbs and flows of the artist's life -- and announces writer-director-star Radha Blank as a major filmmaking talent with her feature debut.
Synopsis: Radha, a down-on-her-luck NY playwright, is desperate for a breakthrough before 40. But when she foils what seems like her [More]
#111
Critics Consensus: The Dissident offers little catharsis in its unflinching look at a grisly murder -- and gives no quarter in its forceful reminder of the fragility of free speech.
Synopsis: When Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi disappears after entering Saudi Arabia's consulate in Istanbul, his fiancée and dissidents around the [More]
#110
Critics Consensus: An absorbing and affectionate tribute to a unique individual, Mucho Mucho Amor should prove fascinating for Walter Mercado fans as well as first-timers.
Synopsis: Puerto Rican astrologer and psychic Walter Mercado discusses his life, career and post-fame seclusion. [More]
#109
Critics Consensus: An intoxicating blend of documentary and fiction, Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets surveys the bar-going life with a remarkably sober eye.
Synopsis: On the eve of the 2016 U.S. presidential election, and on its final night before closing, a Las Vegas dive [More]
#108
Critics Consensus: Dick Johnson Is Dead celebrates a life with bittersweet humor and grace, offering a deeply resonant perspective on mortality in the bargain.
Synopsis: A filmmaker and her elderly father stage his death in various ways to help them face his inevitable demise. [More]
#107
Critics Consensus: On the Record uses harrowing first-person accounts to powerfully and persuasively confront the entrenched sexism of an industry and its culture.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering examine the sexual assault allegations against hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons. [More]
#106
Critics Consensus: Led by arresting performances from Steven Yeun and Yeri Han, Minari offers an intimate and heart-wrenching portrait of family and assimilation in 1980s America.
Synopsis: A tender and sweeping story about what roots us, Minari follows a Korean-American family that moves to a tiny Arkansas [More]
#105
Critics Consensus: An illuminating and urgent call to action, Welcome to Chechnya portrays the horrors of the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in the Chechen Republic with tenacity and tenderness.
Synopsis: Activists risk their lives to confront Russian leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his government-directed campaign to detain, torture and execute LGBTQ [More]
#104
Critics Consensus: The Painter and the Thief uses the unlikely bond between a criminal and his victim as the canvas for a compelling portrait of compassion and forgiveness.
Synopsis: Czech artist Barbora Kysilkova develops an unlikely friendship with the man who stole two of her paintings. [More]
#103
Critics Consensus: Led by stellar performances and artfully helmed by writer-director Florian Zeller, The Father presents a devastatingly empathetic portrayal of dementia.
Synopsis: Anthony (Academy Award Winner, Anthony Hopkins) is 80, mischievous, living defiantly alone and rejecting the carers that his daughter, Anne [More]
#102
Critics Consensus: The Fight takes an engaging look at some of the people working on the front lines for the ACLU -- and makes a passionate case for the legal battles they wage.
Synopsis: At a defining moment in American history, a scrappy team of heroic ACLU lawyers battles for abortion rights, immigrant rights, [More]
#101
Critics Consensus: A cautionary tale on internet culture, Feels Good Man is a compelling look at an artist's journey to salvage his creation.
Synopsis: An animated frog becomes a symbol of hate. [More]
#100
Critics Consensus: Emulating the spirit of punk in form and function, The Go-Go's is a raucous celebration of the pioneering band and a stylistic knockout that will blow viewers' hair back.
Synopsis: The Go-Go's become the first successful, all-girl band to write their own songs and play their own instruments while making [More]
#99
Critics Consensus: Relic ratchets up its slowly building tension in an expertly crafted atmosphere of dread, adding up to an outstanding feature debut for director/co-writer Natalie Erika James.
Synopsis: A woman links her mother's increasingly volatile behavior to an evil presence at their family's decaying country home. [More]
#98
Critics Consensus: Strong performances, assured direction, and a refreshingly original concept make Palm Springs a romcom that's easy to fall in love with.
Synopsis: Stuck in a time loop, two wedding guests develop a budding romance while living the same day over and over [More]
#97
Critics Consensus: A romance for the ages, Sylvie's Love wraps audiences in the sweet embrace of its old-fashioned romance and celebration of Black love.
Synopsis: In Sylvie’s Love, the jazz is smooth and the air sultry in the hot New York summer of 1957. Robert [More]
#96
Critics Consensus: A remarkable feature debut for director Heidi Ewing, I Carry You with Me finds universally resonant themes in a specific, richly detailed time and place.
Synopsis: Based on true love, this decades spanning romance begins in Mexico between an aspiring chef (Armando Espitia) and a teacher [More]
#95
Critics Consensus: The Truffle Hunters explores a world most viewers will know nothing about -- with delightfully savory results.
Synopsis: A handful of men search for rare, expensive and delicious white Alba truffles deep in the forests of Piedmont, Italy. [More]
#94
Critics Consensus: Rounded out by a pair of satisfying performances, Dinner in America is a coming-of-age rom-com with infectious punk rock energy.
Synopsis: An on-the-lam punk rocker and a young woman obsessed with his band go on an unexpected and epic journey together [More]
#93
Critics Consensus: A deft and illuminating journalistic investigation, Assassins depicts the mechanics of North Korean politics to a chilling effect.
Synopsis: The audacious murder of the brother of North Korea’s Supreme Leader Kim Jon Un in a crowded Malaysian airport sparked [More]
#92
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#91
Critics Consensus: This Is Not a Burial, It's a Resurrection stands in the fault line between the cradle of tradition and tomorrow, defiantly insisting that one need not exist at the expense of the other.
Synopsis: An 80-year-old widow stands up to local officials who want to build a dam and resettle her village. [More]
#89
Critics Consensus: Save Yourselves! doesn't do anything unexpected with its one-joke premise -- but fortunately, that one joke turns out to be consistently funny anyway.
Synopsis: A young Brooklyn couple head to an upstate cabin to unplug from their phones and reconnect with each other. Blissfully [More]
#88
Critics Consensus: Appropriately bold and ambitious, Tesla takes a number of risks that don't always pay off -- but Ethan Hawke's performance makes those flaws easier to forgive.
Synopsis: Visionary inventor Nikola Tesla fights an uphill battle to bring his revolutionary electrical system to fruition, then faces thornier challenges [More]
#87
Critics Consensus: A boldly provocative, timely thriller, Promising Young Woman is an auspicious feature debut for writer-director Emerald Fennell -- and a career highlight for Carey Mulligan.
Synopsis: Nothing in Cassie's life is what it appears to be -- she's wickedly smart, tantalizingly cunning, and she's living a [More]
#86
Critics Consensus: Elevated by outstanding work from Elisabeth Moss, Shirley pays tribute to its subject's pioneering legacy with a biopic that ignores the commonly accepted boundaries of the form.
Synopsis: A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple. [More]
#85
Critics Consensus: Led by an outstanding performance from Levan Gelbakhiani, And Then We Danced defeats prejudice with overwhelming compassion.
Synopsis: A male dancer and his partner have been training for years for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The [More]
#84
Critics Consensus: Startling, upsetting, and overall absorbing, Boys State strikingly depicts American political divisions -- and machinations -- taking root in the next generation.
Synopsis: A raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas [More]
#83
Critics Consensus: The Climb uses the complicated bond between two friends to dissect male friendships in engaging -- and frequently funny -- fashion.
Synopsis: Two lifelong pals test the boundaries of their friendship when a woman comes between them. [More]
#82
Critics Consensus: Like a pageant winner walking across the stage, Miss Juneteenth follows a familiar path -- but does so with charm and grace.
Synopsis: A former beauty queen and single mom prepares her rebellious teenage daughter for the "Miss Juneteenth" pageant. [More]
#81
Critics Consensus: Whether you see Kajillionaire as refreshingly unique or simply bizarre will depend on your cinematic adventurousness -- and fans of writer-director Miranda July wouldn't have it any other way.
Synopsis: Two con artists have spent 26 years training their only daughter to swindle, scam and steal at every turn. During [More]
#80
Critics Consensus: Further refining his provocative vision, writer-director Brandon Cronenberg uses Possessor's potentially over-the-top premise as a delivery mechanism for stylishly disturbing thrills.
Synopsis: Tasya Vos, an elite, corporate assassin, takes control of other people's bodies using brain-implant technology to execute high-profile targets. [More]
#79
Critics Consensus: Led by Rebecca Hall's gripping central performance, The Night House offers atmospheric horror that engages intellectually as well as emotionally.
Synopsis: Reeling from the unexpected death of her husband, Beth (Rebecca Hall) is left alone in the lakeside home he built [More]
#78
Critics Consensus: Miss Americana provides an engaging if somewhat deliberately opaque backstage look at a pop star turned cultural phenomenon.
Synopsis: Pop singer Taylor Swift reveals intimate details of her life while showcasing backstage and onstage concert footage. [More]
#77
Critics Consensus: Whirlybird might have benefited from a more patient approach, but it remains a fascinating -- and often thrilling -- look at what goes into making the news.
Synopsis: Flying high above Los Angeles in a whirling news helicopter, husband-and-wife team Marika Gerrard and Zoey Tur (then known as [More]
#76
Critics Consensus: Leap of Faith may not offer hardcore Exorcist fans much new information, but its behind-the-scenes anecdotes are enlivened by William Friedkin's magnetic charm.
Synopsis: A lyrical and spiritual cinematic essay on The Exorcist, Leap Of Faith explores the uncharted depths of William Friedkin's mind's [More]
#75
Critics Consensus: Warm and funny, The Mole Agent offers audiences a poignant reminder that it's never too late to forge new connections and embark on new adventures.
Synopsis: An 83-year-old man poses as a resident in a Chilean nursing home to see if he can find signs of [More]
#74
Critics Consensus: A fascinating look at the creative intricacies of show business, Black Bear is a provocative, mind-bending experience -- and finds Aubrey Plaza at the top of her game.
Synopsis: A filmmaker plays a calculated game of desire and jealousy in pursuit of a work of art that blurs the [More]
#73
Critics Consensus: Featuring an exceptional performance from Shirley Chen, Beast Beast thoughtfully places its young protagonists on center stage in a conflicting coming of age story.
Synopsis: Three interwoven stories of youth navigating identity, first love, petty crime, and gun violence in a Southern, American town. Brimming [More]
#72
Critics Consensus: Beautifully filmed and powerfully acted, Ema puts a thoroughly distinctive spin on its story of emotional trauma and self-discovery.
Synopsis: After a shocking incident upends her family life and marriage to a tempestuous choreographer, Ema, a reggaeton dancer, sets out [More]
#71
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A woman struggles after having an affair with one of her workers. [More]
#70
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The autumnal mountains of southern Appalachia hold a haunting power within which Cole Freeman (Philip Ettinger FIRST REFORMED), maintains an [More]
#69
Critics Consensus: Led by a powerhouse performance from Julia Garner, The Assistant offers a withering critique of workplace harassment and systemic oppression.
Synopsis: Jane, a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, just landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a [More]
#68
Critics Consensus: Zola captures the stranger-than-fiction appeal of the viral Twitter thread that inspired it -- and announces director/co-writer Janicza Bravo as a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: "Y'all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It's kind of long but full [More]
#67
Critics Consensus: A knockout feature directorial debut from Edson Oda, Nine Days is an ethereal and evocative film about the meaning of life - elevated by a phenomenal performance from Winston Duke.
Synopsis: A man interviews five unborn souls to determine which one can be given life on Earth. [More]
#66
Critics Consensus: A message movie admirable for its subtlety as well as its execution, The Perfect Candidate faces oppression and powerfully advocates for change.
Synopsis: When Maryam, a hardworking young doctor in a small-town clinic, is prevented from flying to Dubai for a conference without [More]
#65
Critics Consensus: Charm City Kings falls shy of more effective similarly themed coming-of-age films, but strong direction and engaging performances make its flaws easy to forgive.
Synopsis: Growing up in West Baltimore, teenage Mouse (JAHI DI'ALLO WINSTON, Queen & Slim, Proud Mary, The Upside) feels the fierce [More]
#64
Critics Consensus: An effective pairing of period setting and timeless themes, The Nest wrings additional tension out of its unsettling story with an outstanding pair of lead performances.
Synopsis: An entrepreneur and his family begin to unravel after moving into an old country manor in England in the 1980s. [More]
#63
Critics Consensus: Spaceship Earth achieves liftoff as an engaging behind-the-scenes record of an audacious experiment -- and settles into orbit as poignant proof of the power of a shared dream.
Synopsis: In 1991 eight visionaries embark on a two-year experiment to quarantine themselves inside Biosphere 2 -- a self-engineered replica of [More]
#62
Critics Consensus: Wander Darkly's risks don't always yield rewards, but strong work from Diego Luna and Sienna Miller helps this romance remain consistently alluring.
Synopsis: A traumatic accident leaves a couple in a surreal state of being that takes them on a disorienting journey through [More]
#61
Critics Consensus: The Courier delivers a rousingly effective old-school spy adventure elevated by a thrilling fact-based story and Benedict Cumberbatch's nervy central performance.
Synopsis: THE COURIER is a true-life spy thriller, the story of an unassuming British businessman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) recruited into [More]
#60
Critics Consensus: Led by Andrea Riseborough's layered performance, Luxor empathetically surveys the crossroads between trauma and recovery.
Synopsis: When British aid worker Hana returns to the ancient city of Luxor, she meets former lover Sultan. As she wanders, [More]
#59
Critics Consensus: Time delivers a powerful broadside against the flaws of the American justice system -- and chronicles one family's refusal to give up against all odds.
Synopsis: Entrepreneur Fox Rich spends the last two decades campaigning for the release of her husband, Rob G. Rich, who is [More]
#58
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Once prosperous, the village of Congo Mirador now rots away. At the center are two women on opposing sides of [More]
#57
Critics Consensus: A thoughtful look at the intricacies of girlhood in the modern age, Cuties is a coming-of-age film that confronts its themes with poignancy and nuance.
Synopsis: A talented 11-year-old girl joins a hip-hop dance troupe. [More]
#56
Critics Consensus: If its chilly sense of dread never quite becomes spine-tingling terror, Amulet remains smart, solidly disquieting fun for genre fans seeking slow-building horror.
Synopsis: Terror strikes when a former soldier takes a job to help a young woman and her housebound mother. [More]
#55
Critics Consensus: Smart, well-acted, and suitably chilling, Scare Me uses its familiar horror setting as the backdrop for a fresh deconstruction of standard genre ingredients.
Synopsis: Two strangers tell scary stories in a Catskills cabin during a power outage. [More]
#54
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Rodrigo is a solitary teenager, a king in the private world he shares with his mother. Things change when her [More]
#53
Critics Consensus: The Nowhere Inn may be a clever concept in search of substance, but the results are often oddly appealing.
Synopsis: From real-life friends Annie Clark (a.k.a. GRAMMY award-winning recording and touring artist St. Vincent) and Carrie Brownstein (Portlandia, Sleater-Kinney) comes [More]
#52
Critics Consensus: Despite glossing over some of the darker events in the subject's life, Happy Happy Joy Joy: The Ren & Stimpy Story is an engaging look at a groundbreaking show.
Synopsis: Filmmakers Ron Cicero and Kimo Easterwood explore the rise and fall of the groundbreaking animated series "Ren and Stimpy" and [More]
#51
Critics Consensus: Largely lacking the fairytale magic it seeks to conjure, Come Away is an initially intriguing fantasy that never really takes flight.
Synopsis: Eight-year-old Alice and her mischievous brother Peter journey to London to sell a treasured heirloom. Returning home, Alice seeks temporary [More]
#50
Critics Consensus: Raw yet rewarding, Lost Girls overcomes uneven storytelling with powerful performances and a willingness to resist easy catharsis.
Synopsis: Determined to find her missing daughter, a desperate woman launches a personal investigation that leads police to the unsolved cases [More]
#49
Critics Consensus: Joe Keery's magnetic screen presence can't disguise Spree's shallow critique of social media culture -- although that lack of depth may be precisely the point.
Synopsis: Thirsty for a following, a rideshare driver has figured out a deadly plan to go viral. [More]
#48
Critics Consensus: Uneven yet engaging, The Glorias honors the work of a pivotal American activist without quite capturing her trailblazing spirit.
Synopsis: The story of Gloria Steinem -- from her childhood in 1940s Ohio to her leading role in the women's liberation [More]
#47
Critics Consensus: Uncle Frank finds writer-director Alan Ball still untangling the modern American family dynamic, aided by standout work from Paul Bettany and Sophia Lillis.
Synopsis: In 1973, teenaged Beth Bledsoe (Sophia Lillis) leaves her rural Southern hometown to study at New York University where her [More]
#46
Critics Consensus: It isn't as hard-hitting as one might expect, but Worth remains a powerfully performed and rewardingly complex dramatization of real-life events.
Synopsis: Following the horrific 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, Congress appoints attorney and renowned mediator Kenneth Feinberg [More]
#45
Critics Consensus: Run Sweetheart Run's heavy-handedness blunts the effectiveness of its message, but this remains a wily, unpredictable thriller.
Synopsis: Initially apprehensive when her boss insists she meet with one of his most important clients, single mom Cherie (Ella Balinska) [More]
#44
Critics Consensus: The Last Shift doesn't quite reach the potential of its premise, however a powerful performance from Richard Jenkins makes it worth the watch.
Synopsis: Calling it quits after 38 years, an aging fast-food worker trains his young replacement on the graveyard shift at Oscar's [More]
#43
Critics Consensus: Bad Hair's unwieldy ambitions are easy to respect -- even if the film's tonal jumble and uneven execution are impossible to ignore.
Synopsis: Terror strikes when a woman's new hair weave seems to take on a life of its own. [More]
#42
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On the cusp of the year 2000, Colombian brothers Carly (Mateo Arias) and Mateo (Moises Arias) prepare to move to [More]
#41
Critics Consensus: Jumbo might be more compelling as an idea than a complete viewing experience, but whatever this strikingly unusual love story lacks in narrative finesse, it makes up in originality.
Synopsis: Jeanne, a shy young woman, works at night in an amusement park. Fascinated with carousels, she still lives with her [More]
#40
Critics Consensus: As messy and complex as the relationship at its center, Falling's repetitive nature can be taxing, but its heart is clearly in the right place.
Synopsis: FALLING follows John (Viggo Mortensen) who lives with his partner, Eric (Terry Chen), and their daughter, Mónica (Gabby Velis), in [More]
#39
Critics Consensus: Wendy dares to do something different with its classic source material; unfortunately, the movie's breathtaking visuals are at odds with a flawed take on the story.
Synopsis: Lost on a mysterious island, a girl fights to save her family, her freedom and the joyous spirit of youth. [More]
#38
Critics Consensus: Discomfiting by design, Surge will wear some viewers down -- but Ben Whishaw's mesmerizing performance keeps the action gripping even when it's hard to take.
Synopsis: Joseph (Ben Whishaw) is trapped in a soulless job, living a life devoid of emotion and meaning. After an impulsive [More]
#37
Critics Consensus: Horse Girl proves unwilling or unable to explore the deeper themes it addresses, but this unusual drama is anchored by Alison Brie's committed performance.
Synopsis: A woman's surreal dreams affect her perception of reality. [More]
#36
Critics Consensus: Skillfully directed by Kim A. Snyder, Us Kids is a stirring portrait of hope that prevails in the face of tragedy.
Synopsis: Us Kids is an insightful, rousing coming-of-age story of youth leaders determined to fight for justice at a critical time [More]
#35
Critics Consensus: Fittingly named for a remake whose charms are dwarfed by its superior source material, Downhill is frequently -- and frustratingly -- less than the sum of its talented parts.
Synopsis: A woman starts to have second doubts about her husband after he runs away from an approaching avalanche, leaving her [More]
#34
Critics Consensus: Four Good Days struggles to bring authenticity to its tragic source material and strands its talent in a bland melodrama.
Synopsis: In an emotional journey based on a true story by Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post writer Eli Saslow, 31-year-old Molly begs [More]
#33
Critics Consensus: It'll be the last thing most viewers want, too.
Synopsis: When she helps her father broker an arms deal, a reporter becomes involved in the story she's trying to break. [More]