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Sundance Film Festival 2020: movie reviews and news

The 2020 festival runs from January 23 to February 2 in Park City, Utah.

Contributors: Alissa Wilkinson

Every January, critics, filmmakers, film industry insiders, and celebrities head to the mountainous ski resort town of Park City, Utah — about 30 miles from Salt Lake City — for the Sundance Film Festival: a 10-day marathon of screenings, panels, parties, and more.

A lot happens at Sundance. Typically attended by about 120,000 people, it’s an exhibition for some of the most exciting independently produced films from the US and around the world. It’s an early predictor of coming movie trends. Filmmakers and other talent can network with one another and discuss issues and groundbreaking technologies that affect film and media. At Sundance, you can spot celebrities in puffy jackets and furry boots, and take a breather after the hectic fall movie season.

The festival straddles two worlds: the big-name, award-winning movie world and the scrappy indie film world. So paying attention to it is a good way to catch the first inklings of Oscar buzz and to get a sense of the issues and topics that are motivating filmmakers and audiences.

Put simply, for people who love movies, Sundance is one of the most exciting events of the year. There’s the feeling in the air that any movie could be a breakout hit, any talent could become the next star. Anything can happen in Park City.

12 Total Updates Since
Jan 23, 2020, 12:18pm EST
  • October 2, 2020

    In Netflix’s Dick Johnson Is Dead, a father and daughter imagine his death with humor and love

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    The director of Cameraperson returns with a stunning and moving new film.

  • July 10, 2020

    Lonely Island’s Palm Springs is a funny existential comedy about two dirtbags who find each other

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    Starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti, the movie broke records when it was acquired at Sundance for $17.5 million … and 69 cents.

  • July 7, 2020

    In Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets, the closing of a dive bar stands in for the end of the world

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    It’s an empathetic portrait of a bar and the people who love it — with a twist.

  • February 7, 2020

    Netflix’s excellent Horse Girl looks like a typical quirky indie comedy. It’s more than that.

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    Alison Brie stars in and co-wrote the empathetic look at a woman with a family history of mental illness.

  • February 3, 2020

    The 13 best premieres we saw at Sundance

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    From con artists to truffle-hunting dogs, here’s the cream of the prestigious festival’s crop.

  • January 29, 2020

    Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus were finishing each other’s sentences by the end of Downhill

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    The comedy legends loved playing a long-married couple in the upcoming American remake of Force Majeure.

  • January 29, 2020

    The Assistant is a movie about more than Harvey Weinstein. It’s about the system around him.

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    Director Kitty Green on how she made the first great movie of the Me Too era.

  • January 28, 2020

    How Miss Americana director Lana Wilson found the real Taylor Swift

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    Why the acclaimed feminist filmmaker decided to make a documentary on one of the world’s biggest pop stars.

  • January 26, 2020

    How Sundance films are probing the mushy nature of truth and fiction in 2020

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    This year’s unofficial festival theme is reality — and how we obscure it.

  • January 24, 2020

    The Fight explores how the ACLU is navigating the Trump era through 4 key cases

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    The documentary shows the hard, exhausting work of fighting for civil and human rights.

  • January 24, 2020

    Crip Camp is a stirring introduction to the summer camp that sparked the disability rights movement

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    The documentary, part of the Obamas’ Netflix slate, shows that seeing how the world could be can bring about real change.

  • January 23, 2020

    Why Sundance, America’s largest independent film festival, matters

    By Alissa Wilkinson

    The annual festival in Park City, Utah, is where scrappy little indie films go to make it big.