Mayday
Writer and director Karen Cinorre’s feature film debut is both a feminist piece of sci-fi and a war story. In Mayday, Ana (Grace Van Patten) is mysteriously transported to another world where a group of women is always at war. She joins up with leader Marsha (Mia Goth) and learns how to be a soldier while finding a connection with this band of women. It’s a tale about female empowerment but not in the way audiences would expect. Mayday sounds like it will examine the gray areas of sisterhood and what it means for women to find power within themselves. (Mary Beth McAndrews)
On the Count of Three
Comedian Jerrod Carmichael makes his feature film debut, directing, producing, and starring alongside Christopher Abbott, and with a stellar supporting cast including Tiffany Haddish, J.B. Smoove, Henry Winkler, and Lavell Crawford. From a script written by Ari Katcher and Ryan Welch, the plot follows best friends Val (Carmichael) and Kevin (Abbott), who embark on a double suicide mission to put each other out of their respective misery. The dubbed “existential bromance” of this dark comedy is intriguing, and Abbott (who made unforgettable turns in last year’s Sundance darlings Possessor and Black Bear) has a penchant for picking exceedingly singular projects. Plus, the promotional image of Carmichael and a blond-haired Abbott pointing handguns at one another falls under the tab of my unique interests. (Brianna Zigler)
One for the Road
From the Northern tip of Thailand to the South, Baz Poonpiriya’s One for the Road takes us on a road trip down memory lane with two estranged friends – one a successful bartender in New York City and the other dying in Bangkok – after the former comes home to be with the latter. The premise is interesting enough, but it seems a bit plain on the surface. A bona fide drama, nothing to get too excited about. That is, until you see Wong Kar-Wai credited as the sole producer on the film. He hasn’t been terribly active since The Grandmaster, so anything worth the all-timer’s effort shows potential that far outweighs the tedium of a two-sentence plot summary. (Luke Hicks)
Passing
Easily among the most widely anticipated films of the year, Passing marks the directorial debut of A-lister Rebecca Hall. It’s a peculiar debut in 2021 from a representational perspective, as Hall is white, and she penned an adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 Harlem Renaissance novel about two white-passing Black women in 1920s New York City who were childhood friends. Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson lead a starry cast rounded out by André Holland, Alexander Skarsgård, and Bill Camp. Cinematographer Edu Grau captured the film in black and white, which could add a majestic layer to the costuming, art deco, and overall irresistible 1920s New York aesthetic. (Luke Hicks)
Pleasure
Sundance alum Ninja Thyberg’s feature directorial debut follows a Swedish starlet-to-be named Bella Cherry, who journeys to Los Angeles in the hopes of becoming a porn star but must reckon with the realities of the inherently toxic industry. An expansion of Thyberg’s 2014 short film of the same name, the plot summary lightly echoes something of a female-centric Boogie Nights, as a green porn actress fights to rise in the ranks as she crafts her persona, struggles to maintain her agency, and navigates an exceedingly male-dominated world. The film is the acting debut of lead actress Sofia Kappel, who is flanked by a supporting cast of real-life porn actors, including Evelyn Claire, Chris Cock, Dana DeArmond, and Kendra Spade. (Brianna Zigler)
Related Topics: Sundance
