Everything We Experienced at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival
From standing ovations to deeply inspiring panel discussions, we give you an insider's look at this year's return of the in-person Sundance experience.
Image via Getty/David Becker
“Have you ever had caviar on a pizza?”
The man, a fellow painfully unfamous guest to this private Park City house party, was rightfully proud of his concoction as he displayed it to a loose circle of us that had formed directly in a perma-busy walkway. We talked too loud, often to the point of distortion, to hear ourselves over A-Trak DJing in the corner next to a man in all black pouring tall glasses of a sediment-boasting red wine I could otherwise not even dream of affording.
But back to the free pizza and caviar, and our purpose for being here. It was a send-off, an expectedly (for me) emotional goodbye to Park City and in-person 2023 Sundance Film Festival proceedings at large. Back in December, I was invited to be a guest of Chase Sapphire at this year’s festival, which marked a return to the full-scale immersions of years past after back-to-back virtual gatherings due to the pandemic.
As I am in possession of a very particular kind of heart, I accepted the invitation with a detectable abundance of earnestness, which I somewhat recently learned to stop apologizing for. In short, gosh I love movies and I love them probably more than I love people.
Saying yes to this adventure resulted in four stacked-to-the-ceiling days of premieres, panels, parties, and passion. The latter, expectedly, was very much the contagious kind and gave me a high I’m still riding as I write this.
Sundance is a lot of things. It’s overwhelming, the good kind. It’s skin-chappingly cold but you don’t care because you’re about to walk into a screening of what may very well become a new favorite. It’s strangers made friends, at least for a few hours, as they all cry or laugh (or both) together at a blurry-eyed midnight screening. It’s caviar on pizza.
Below, get an insider’s look at this year’s festival through the eyes of a first-time (in-person, at least) attendee.
‘A Thousand and One’ screening
What you’re witnessing when you watch A.V. Rockwell’s riveting family drama is, among other equally laudable artistic accomplishments, a truly breathtaking and career-redefining turn from Teyana Taylor. The very idea of family, what it often means and what it just as often doesn’t, is given shape in the form of a patiently built narrative that astutely allows space for key moments to linger while the audience catches their breath.
‘Run Rabbit Run’ premiere
It’s a shame Run Rabbit Run, as a complete film, doesn’t match the performance of Succession’s Sarah Snook. Of course, psychological horror is a delicate tightrope act, and not one many are capable of walking with conviction. There’s a flatness to much of this film, directed by Daina Reid, although a few scenes (due in large part to Snook) manage to stick the landing. At any rate, surrounding the film’s premiere was word that Netflix had struck a deal for its release.
Director Andrew Durham introduces ‘Fairyland’
“I am a first-time filmmaker so to have that opportunity to be included in such a welcoming independent film community and also to showcase my movie in a venue like this is a filmmaker’s dream,” Fairyland director Andrew Durham said when introducing his film at its Eccles Theatre premiere. “We don’t get to see a lot of independent films in theaters anymore so it’s gonna be really exciting, I think, for everyone that helped make it.”
When thanking those who helped make the film possible, Durham mentioned producer Sofia Coppola for introducing him to “this beautiful book” (Fairyland is an adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s memoir) and also noted this specific theater’s personal importance for his collaborator.
“Just as a quick fun fact, it was 23 years ago in this theater that I came with Sofia where she premiered Virgin Suicides,” Durham said.
Sofia later joined the film’s team for a post-premiere Q&A, as well.
‘Fairyland’ premiere
One of my personal favorites from the festival, Fairyland brought thousands of premiere attendees to tears (myself included) at the Eccles Theatre on Friday, Jan. 20. The entire cast—including Scoot McNairy and Emilia Jones, the latter of whom led the prior Sundance darling Coda—turn in dense and memorable performances in this Andrew Durham-directed adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s book.
We start with the death of Jones’ character’s mother, resulting in a father-and-daughter move to San Francisco. From there, the film gives us a years-spanning look at their relationship, the moving exploration of which is sure to have viewers reflecting on the formative years of their own lives. To see this film get a standing ovation was far from surprising, as it more than earns the inescapable tears of its third act.
See this movie. You’ll be hearing a lot about it in the months ahead.
‘Magazine Dreams’ screening
Jonathan Majors pulls the breath from your lungs with his performance as Killian Maddox, a bodybuilder whose social isolation quickly descends into a perilous state in this film from writer and director Elijah Bynum.
To say that Majors is great here would be to severely undersell this performance, which sees the reliably on-top-of-it actor tapping into remarkable physical touches and a routinely heartbreaking sense of detachment. The critical consensus, and one that I tend to agree with, is that the film itself doesn’t fully rise to meet Majors at an all-timer moment in his career.
Still, it’s impossible not to watch Majors’ every move here, as not a frame is wasted in a performance that won’t soon be forgotten.
‘Eileen’ premiere
A sustaining hot topic on the ground at Sundance, this adaptation of the 2015 Ottessa Moshfegh novel differs from its source material in ways some have argued it shouldn’t. But for those walking into Eileen with limited knowledge of the acclaimed book, that’s unlikely to be an issue. In its own right, William Oldroyd’s film inspired audible gasps from the audience throughout its Eccles Theatre premiere. It’s upsetting when it needs to be and hilarious when it wants to be, with few notes in between left unplayed.
Anne Hathaway opens up about personal importance of ‘Eileen’
After the Eccles premiere of Eileen, Anne Hathaway detailed to the audience how the film stands as a particularly important one in her catalog.
After noting she had been wanting to work with director William Oldroyd since seeing his previous film Lady Macbeth, Hathaway pointed to this film as one that she wished she had earlier in her career.
“I saw a study of female complication that hit me really, really deep and I felt like Will was a filmmaker that could be trusted to tell complicated stories, especially about females,” Hathaway said. “That meant a great deal to me because I just remembered one of the very first questions I ever got asked when I started acting and had to do press was, ‘Are you a good girl or a bad girl?’ I was 16. And my 16-year-old self wanted to respond with this film.”
‘Jamojaya’ screening
As director Justin Chon’s third film to premiere at Sundance, Jamojaya stands out among the 2023 class due to its poetic visual approach. Woven throughout are spoken word elements that provide just enough insight into the shared trauma between on-the-rise rap artist James (played by Rich Brian in his feature-length acting debut) and his father, who until very recently served as his manager.
In less capable hands, this story (from a confidently penned script by Chon and Maegan Houang) may have easily hit familiar notes in an unremarkable way, but that is most certainly not the case with Jamojaya. Instead, we’re given deeply embodied performances from the two leads (including Yayu A.W. Unru as James’ dad) that are further emboldened by consistently shrewd writing and cinematography. This foundation gives these characters room to wrestle with a shared sadness, often at the perceived expense of the very dream James wants to protect
Director Susanna Fogel introduces ‘Cat Person’
Director Susanna Fogel kept her introductory remarks ahead of Cat Person’s premiere brief, though no less impactful. After explaining how she considered Sundance and the larger community of independent filmmakers surrounding it a “really welcoming home” for artists, she touched on what makes this film special, both on an individual and collective level.
“I hope you all talk about it afterwards,” she told the audience at the premiere. “I will leave it at that. I hope it makes you all very uncomfortable. That was our collective goal as filmmakers making this particular movie.”
‘Cat Person’ premiere
Five years ago, Kristen Roupenian’s short story Cat Person inspired global discussion after its appearance in The New Yorker. Thus, it was only a matter of time before the story made its way to the big screen. Here, director Susanna Fogel places Emilia Jones (marking her second premiere at Sundance 2023) and Nicholas Braun (marking the second Succession star to have a premiere at this year’s festival) in the roles of Margot and Robert, respectively, resulting in a collective theater experience all its own.
No less than every single person I spoke to at Sundance had this one on their must-see list, which explains the fervent waitlist crowd outside the Eccles. Following the premiere, the film—which will no doubt continue to be a divisive entry whenever it gets a wide release—remained a constant conversation topic. No spoilers here, of course, but Cat Person’s final stretch arguably takes the story in a direction some might consider not compatible with what made the original short such a resonant piece to begin with. On the whole, however, this film hits exactly as it should, with the audience at the premiere reacting in near unison in exactly the ways the filmmakers intended.
As Fogel herself said at the festival, the aim here was to “make you all very uncomfortable.”
Anderson .Paak performs as DJ Pee .Wee at Chase Sound Check
Ahead of his performance as DJ Pee .Wee at this year’s Chase Sound Check throwdown at a movie studio space in Park City, Anderson .Paak was kind enough to give some time to Complex during which he fielded a series of questions in the green room, fresh off signing a heavy stack of vinyl.
“I’m working on my movie soundtrack and my sitcom theme music collection but it’s gon’ be a whole lot of range and dynamics,” Paak told me when asked what attendees at the let’s-get-fucked-up-a-thon for cardmembers hosted by TAO Park City could expect. “[I’m] gonna pull from a lot of different places. From Snoop to Fleetwood, from A-ha to Prince.”
These words proved quite prescient, as Paak’s set—complete with a drum solo and a generous offering of trumpet mastery from Maurice Brown—touched on those tenets and more to the rosé-swilling excitement of the crowd.
As for what fans can expect next, Paak confirmed to Complex that a new album from NxWorries would be arriving at some point this year (he says the album is “sounding really good” at the moment) and also touted the continued expansion of his directing palette after helming the “Coast” video last year.
“I’m working on a movie,” he told me backstage. “I wrote a movie starring me and [my son]. I’m just working on getting it off the ground and that’s the big one I’m working on. But also I’m still doing music videos, as well. Gonna shoot some more stuff for the NxWorries album and whoever’s down to hire me, honestly.”
'Infinity Pool' panel at Chase Sapphire on Main
During a panel discussion housed at the Chase Sapphire on Main space in coordination with the Los Angeles Times, Infinity Pool stars Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård both reflected on their first impressions of director Brandon Cronenberg’s script.
As Skarsgård revealed, he first received the script while in production on The Northman.
“It was sent to me when I was in Northern Ireland shooting The Northman,” the actor said. “We were about five months into production, waste deep in mud on a cold windy mountaintop, and then I was sent this script called Infinity Pool and it was gonna be shot on the coast of Croatia. My agent was like, ‘Oh, and the director is—’ and I was like, ‘I don’t care. I’ll do it. I’m going.’”
Also informing Skarsgård’s decision was conversations he had with his friend and star of Cronenberg’s previous film Possessor, Andrea Riseborough.
For Goth, the inaugural script-reading experience was similar one and took place during the New Zealand-set production of X sequel Pearl.
“That was a very intense shoot and we were doing six-day weeks,” Goth said. “This email came along and it had Brandon’s name on it and that right there was what had me intrigued to begin with. And then I saw that Alex was attached and then I read the short synopsis and so on my Sunday off, I opened the script and I got reading and I knew about four pages in that this was gonna be a really wild movie. I knew, I knew from that, really, that it was something I wanted to do.”
‘Infinity Pool’ premiere
The less you know about Brandon Cronenberg’s delightfully demented Possessor follow-up before watching it, the better your experience will be. While much has been made in the run-up to the film’s release about the more audience-shocking elements of the central story, what really pushes this top-tier satire into new territory (both for Cronenberg and leads Mia Goth and Alexander Skarsgård) are the smaller moments between the brutality.
You’ll, at one moment, feel claustrophobic, only to seconds later have the tension further complicated by a moment of unlikely humor. This kind of layering persists throughout the film, which successfully and confidently runs the gamut from laugh-out-loud funny to deeply, albeit often seductively unsettling. While everyone in this cast is operating at the fullest extent of their respective powers under Cronenberg’s direction, it must be said that Goth has once again proven herself to be in a league of her own.
‘Little Richard: I Am Everything’ screening
“You ain’t supposed to hide nothing,” the late Little Richard, the indisputable “architect of rock ‘n’ roll,” says early into Oscar-nominated director Lisa Cortés’ riveting look at a complicated artist whose influence on music is omnipresent decades removed from his breakthrough.
In addition to the expected life and career rundown, viewers are given insight—some old, some new—from a variety of artists who have publicly pointed to Richard as one of their most vital influences. Paul McCartney, for example, is seen in archival interview footage explaining how he and the rest of The Beatles considered themselves “disciples” of Richard, a fact very evident in a number of McCartney’s most famous vocal performances.
But perhaps the most insightful take presented here comes from writer and scholar Zandria Robinson, who appears multiple times throughout the doc.
“I will say this 100,00 times: the South is the home of all things queer, of the different, of the non-normative, of the other side, of the gothic, of the grotesque,” Robinson says at one point. “Note that queerness is not just about sexuality but about a presence in a space that is different from what we require or expect. Different from the norm.”
‘Theater Camp’ panel at Chase Sapphire on Main
Also on the lineup at the Chase Sapphire on Main space were select members of the team behind U.S. Dramatic Competition entry Theater Camp, produced by Will Ferrell (among others). Co-directing, co-writing, and starring in the mockumentary-style film is Molly Gordon, who opened up to panel attendees about how far back the collaborative spirit at the core of the film goes.
“We just started making shit together,” Gordon recalled of her earliest creative endeavors with fellow Theater Camp collaborators, including Ben Platt. “I think we were always really inspired by, like, collectives that had come up together and just were making shit with their friends, like a Christopher Guest. And we were collecting all these wonderful other actors and we were like, oh, we wanna create this space where they could come and really have agency with their roles and get to improv. Because, you know, as actors, you only get about 10 minutes at the end of each take to really play. And we were like, what if the whole movie was that? And it was a gift that we got to do it.”
‘Theater Camp’ screening
It’s unlikely you’ll find a single second in this 94-minute mockumentary-esque comedy that isn’t overflowing with the type of charm that’s virtually impossible to resist. Like several others on this list, Theater Camp was on the tongues of many guests at the aforementioned party from the minds behind The Infatuation After Hours. Expectedly, “charm” was the great uniter when it came to discussing this comedy, which manages multiple guffaw-level moments of hilarity while never sacrificing its proudly displayed heart.
D. Smith talks how ‘Kokomo City’ took her "out of the darkness"
Over at the Acura Festival Village, the Outfest Outpost welcomed a number of filmmakers to the stage for compelling stories of artistic triumph, including some contagiously delivered inspiration from Kokomo City filmmaker D. Smith.
Reflecting on the music industry’s initial reaction to her coming out as trans, Smith recalled how it “didn’t go too well” at first, crediting her eventual feature directorial debut with having revived her creative energy.
“No one called me anymore,” she told the crowd at Sundance. “I did no more music, no one invited me to the studio, no more industry invites. And within two years, I went completely broke. I lost everything. I became homeless with my Grammy plaques and awards and everything with me. I went from couch to couch with all of my friends on the East Coast. Some of them are here to witness that. But Kokomo City, doing that film came to my mind and it’s completely given me a new life and it’s completely taken me out of the darkness and I’m absolutely living in the light right now.”
‘Kokomo City’ screening
When watching Kokomo City, one is met with the reality that they’re witnessing the arrival of an exciting new voice in film. Director D. Smith, of course, is far from new to the larger world of art, having previously been known for her work in the music industry as a Grammy-nominated producer and songwriter.
But with Kokomo City, Smith—notably making her feature directing debut with this beautifully captured documentary on Black trans sex workers—is showing fellow filmmakers how it’s done. Each frame brims with adoration for its subjects, all while giving voice to conversations not often seen on the big screen.
Hopefully, we can all expect to see much more from D. Smith, the director, in the future.
Chef Melissa King menu takeover at Chase Sapphire on Main
‘Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie’ screening
Apple Original Films was wise to bag this powerfully intimate look at the often difficult (but ultimately inspiring) journey of beloved actor and supremely charismatic superstar Michael J. Fox.
Structurally, the Davis Guggenheim-directed doc is tastefully shrewd, particularly in its decision to repurpose footage of a number of classic Fox characters (Back to the Future’s Marty McFly among them) to help bring the actor’s own narration to life. At times, you find yourself looking at these performances in a whole new light; elsewhere, you’re quite emotionally reminded of why these films have sustained in the pop culture lexicon for so many years.
When he was 29, Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. With an admirable amount of candor, Fox opens up about the resistance he had to this diagnosis at first, including an instinct to hide from the truth of the situation by becoming, in his words, an alcoholic.
By the end of the film’s 95-minute run, you realize you’ve been tuned into the layered meaning behind not only the film’s perfect title, but Fox’s entire filmography. Fox’s legacy has many parts, all of which are explored here with equal and rightful reverence.
‘Shayda’ screening
Holy Spider star Zar Amir Ebrahimi brings a cleverly subdued performance to Noora Niasari’s feature debut, which will easily go down as one of the most impressive dramas of the year (and it’s only January). Her performance here is so rich that it will most assuredly benefit from repeat viewings, with each watch sure to bring into focus yet another carefully layered element of this artistic feat.
‘Flora and Son’ panel at Chase Sapphire on Main
The third and final panel on the Chase Sapphire on Main slate, again in collaboration with the Los Angeles Times, focused on John Carney’s Flora and Son starring Eve Hewson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Deep into the lively and no-holds-barred discussion, which often veered into a larger conversation about the power and importance of human connection in an artistic context, Gordon-Levitt—who plays an online guitar teacher in the film—touted this story as one that shows the occasionally positive potential of technology. He did so, however, while noting the particularly dire situation much of humankind currently finds itself in with regards to tech.
‘I think there’s a lot to to be pessimistic about, frankly, the way that technology is impacting us and our culture,” he said. “So I found it nice to show technology actually having a nice positive moment and showing this connection between these two people that wouldn’t have been possible without that technology. [It’s about] a young mom in Ireland taking guitar lessons from this music kind-of music snob in California. These are two people that never would have met if not for the internet. I share the world’s pessimism about the way technology is going but it’s nice to remember there are some positive moments, as well.”
‘Shortcomings’ screening
Randall Park makes a strong (and highly rewatchable) directorial debut with an adaptation of Adrian Tomine’s graphic novel. While each player in this stacked ensemble is irreplaceably pitch-perfect, lead Justin H. Min bags the biggest laughs with an almost stoically detached take on theater manager Ben. The ensemble is so strong under Park’s direction, in fact, that it’s hard not to wish this exact team would be reunited for a spiritual sequel of some sort.
‘Fair Play’ screening
In no uncertain terms, this simply feels like a hit.
As you’ve likely read in the days since its decidedly dripping-with-buzz premiere, Chloe Domont’s finance drama—led by perfectly cast performances from Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich—has already sold to Netflix for a whopping $20 million. Once you’ve seen this thriller for yourself, it’s easy to see why.
Ehrenreich shines bright here, with the film building to a heart-pounding monologue (no spoilers) toward the end that again shows his not-utilized-often-enough range. Dynevor also commands attention here, all while proving once again that Bridgerton will ultimately become a mere footnote in her ever-expanding filmography.
‘When It Melts’ screening
Charlotte De Bruyne and Rosa Marchant both give unforgettably gut-wrenching performances in Veerle Baetens’ feature directorial debut. This potent drama, which sees both actresses playing Eva at different ages, does not shy away from the sustaining horror of the character’s long-held trauma, nor does it gloss over how that trauma has splintered out into virtually all aspects of her life as an adult.
When the pain and betrayal of Eva’s past comes face-to-face with the weight she’s carrying in the present-day, the film breaks open in a way you won’t shake until long after the credits roll.
‘The Disappearance of Shere Hite’ screening
Narrated by Dakota Johnson, this doc from director Nicole Newnham (Crip Camp, The Rape of Europa) provides the definitive exploration of the groundbreaking impact of the late feminist icon’s tireless work surrounding sex education, as well as the pushback she so often received, particularly here in the States.
You walk away feeling like you not only know Hite as a person, but you also gain a new (or at least revived) understanding of the sacrifice unfairly required for her to leave behind the legacy that she did.
‘Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out’ screening
It’s hard not to fall in love with this Utah-set, family-friendly entry from director Jake Van Wagoner. Without giving too much away, the title does an excellent job of laying out the inciting moment for this story, although its extraterrestrial leanings still leave room for a pleasant and touching tale about new friendship.
‘Sometimes I Think About Dying’ screening
Daisy Ridley is finally given the perfect vehicle to flex her chops in this quietly moving, visually unique look at what can happen when someone who is barely getting by in this life, socially speaking, is pushed to take a leap into the new. Under Rachel Lambert’s direction, Ridley says a lot without—initially, at least—speaking much at all beyond menial office chatter. Dave Merheje is also the ideal casting choice for friendly office newcomer Robert, whose presence spells change for Ridley’s Fran.
‘You Hurt My Feelings’ screening
Face it: When Julia Louis-Dreyfus is in something, you watch it. Here, she’s again collaborating with Nicole Holofcener, whose previous directorial credits include the excellent James Gandolfini (RIP) co-starrer Enough Said.
As should perhaps be expected, the two produce magic yet again with this story about a novelist attempting to follow her memoir with a piece of fiction that’s taking years to finish. What follows is a family-focused look at the white lies we all accept in the name of love, and how much—or how little—value they hold in terms of what’s important to each of us on an individual level.
‘Bad Behaviour’ screening
Writer/director Alice Englert displays a strong sense of voice in this occasionally shocking, consistently compelling meditation on toxicity. Jennifer Connelly taps into some of her finest work in years as lead toxicity provider Lucy, who’s on a silent mindfulness retreat that very quickly begins to not go how she might have imagined it. There’s a lot to unpack with what transpires across this film’s 107-minute runtime, none of it even remotely mundane or by rote.
‘A Little Prayer’ screening
Angus MacLachlan pens another memorable love letter to small-town life with A Little Prayer, which boasts, among other feats, quite possibly my favorite opening moments from any Sundance entry this year.
Fellow MacLachlan appreciators will recall he previously received well-earned acclaim as the writer of the 2005 dramedy Junebug, which has the distinction of being given a four-star review from the late Roger Ebert. Here, MachLachlan is in the director’s chair for another story in that vein.
Like the finest work in this lane, A Little Prayer builds to a final conversation that’s certain to bring a tear or three to every viewer’s eye. The tears are well-earned, of course, and—for anyone else who grew up in a small town—actually as much for the film itself as for the people you may or may not have left behind.
‘Willie Nelson & Family’ screening
The definitive Willie Nelson documentary has finally arrived. Its pacing, flow, rhythm—all very Willie, which is a compliment you can really only apply to works directly involving the man himself. His catalog speaks for itself, of course, but this doc gives others—Dolly Parton among them—space to detail just how out of left field Nelson was in, say, the late 60s and early 70s.
This is a key facet of this expansive episodic documentary from directors Thom Zimny and Oren Moverman, whose film is especially important for younger viewers and/or those who simply aren’t aware of the full story. But that’s not to say this doc doesn’t offer something for enthusiasts and casual fans alike, because it most certainly does.
A key moment early into the doc is the creative breakthrough that ultimately spurs the classic Nelson-penned single “Hello Walls,” which was initially made into a hit by Faron Young before decades later being reimagined by Nelson and the Reverend Horton Heat.
‘The Pod Generation’ screening
It’s immediately apparent why this playful sci-fi ponderance from Sophie Barthes received this year’s Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize.
There are some seriously, almost uncomfortably funny moments riddled throughout this satirical look at how parenting might go in the future. Notably, this film is imagining a future not all that removed from the times in which we are currently living, a creative decision that adds to the urgency of this story. Expectedly, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Clarke are in top form, even if the films ends with viewers quite possibly wanting a deeper dive into the ideas given screen time here.