Make no mistake, the cancellation of the in-person, Park City incarnation of the 2022 Sundance Film Festival was heartbreaking. But as a silver lining, we were able to see many more films this time than in a typical year — we saw nearly 60. We’re presenting you with the definitive list of the best films of the fest.
1. “Jihad Rehab”
Meg Smaker, director
Very few people knew, before the premiere of this film, that the government of Saudi Arabia runs a rehabilitation program for selected men who have been released from detention in Guantanamo, a program that strives to re-integrate them into society and prevent any of them from falling (or falling again) under the sway of jihadist ideology. And it’s nearly unbelievable that white American filmmaker Meg Smaker, even given her years living in Yemen, was able to achieve the levels of access she spent years fighting for. Not only access to the Yemeni men involved in the program, but access to the facility itself, which had never been filmed. Those facts alone would likely make for a fascinating documentary, but Smaker shows her chops as a master documentarian (she was a Student Academy Award winner) in making her subjects comfortable enough with her to give so much of their story. There have been some high-profile criticisms that Smaker would dare, as a white person, to tell the stories of these men. Don’t listen. See this transcendent film and decide for yourself whether she did right by them.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
2. “Fire of Love”
Sara Dosa, director
Documentarian Sara Dosa’s subjects, French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, have been dead for over 30 years, having passed away together documenting the 1991 explosion of Mount Utzen in Japan. Although tragic, it was, as we learn, perhaps the most fitting death for them, as the only love that rivaled their love for each other was a love of their work. The film is completely composed of archival footage, most of it video shot by Maurice and still photography shot by Katia. Some of the shots have to be seen to be believed. So does their connection. This one will be hard to top as the greatest love story of the year.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
3. “Navalny”
Daniel Roher, director
In retrospect, it should have been obvious that Alexei Navalny, the man brave enough to position himself as the gadfly to Vladimir Putin’s in Russia, was a remarkable man. But even in our wildest dreams, I don’t think any of us could have realized just how remarkable the subject of this documentary is. Handsome, charismatic, funny, creative, and brave as a lion, Navalny would fit right into a James Bond film. It’s a thrill a minute, and it’s an incredibly fun ride. Until you realize how deathly serious it is. As the director mentioned in his pre-screening comments, Navalny has been locked up in a Russian prison for over a year now. That’s a nightmarish place to be for any prisoner; what Navalny must be going through is nearly unimaginable. And still he persists. It’s incredibly inspiring.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
4. “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”
Sophie Hyde, director
Here’s the most amazing thing about “Good Luck” for our money: you have a two hander, almost completely shot in one room. Nearly all the film is two people talking about sex. One of them is played by Emma Thompson, one of the very best actors in the world. The other is played by a young Irish actor you probably haven’t ever seen before. And it’s impossible to choose which performance is better. Somehow, Daryl McCormack rises to Thompson’s level again and again. The script is hilarious and yet beautifully tender in its love for these two souls, and Hyde’s direction is no less loving.
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
Credit: Courtesy of Sundance
5. “Dual”
Riley Stearns, director
A film that’s nearly impossible to write about, since so much of the joy of watching it comes in discovering the twists and turns that reveal what it’s really about. In a near future world, a young woman learns that she has an incurable illness. Due to the diagnosis, she’s eligible for a program where, in an hour, a clone is made for her, so that after she dies her loved ones can still experience her, after a fashion. The two are sent home together so that the double can begin learning as much about her as possible, the better to take her place once she’s gone. Lead actress Karen Gillan plays the character as being a bit off the beaten path, perhaps somewhere on the spectrum. After a rocky first 20 minutes or so, you won’t be able to take your eyes off the screen.
6. “Phoenix Rising”
Amy Berg, director
Oscar-nominated filmmaker Amy Berg turns her lens on the brave efforts of actress Evan Rachel Wood not only to face and deal with her years of horrific abuse at the hands of then-boyfriend Marilyn Manson, but to name him publicly for the first time, and to fight for the rights of others who have suffered. Heartbreaking and inspiring.
7. “Descendant”
Margaret Brown, director
A beautifully lyrical tribute to the Mobile, Alabama, residents who know from previous generations that an illegal shipment of slaves was imported into town in 1860, and a thought-provoking exploration of the inequities that were codified into the structure of the town, inequities that persist to this day.
8. “Last Flight Home”
Ondi Timoner, director
Two-time Sundance winner Ondi Timoner turns in the most personal effort of her career, documenting the last two weeks of her father’s life before he is allowed to medically end it. A profound meditation on the meaning of one’s last days, on family, and on love itself.
9. “The Worst Person in the World”
Joachim Trier, director
A darkly funny and poignant look into the life of an Oslo woman navigating two successive relationships, featuring a bravura performance by its lead actress Renate Reinsve. The last twenty minutes of the film came out of the blue and were incredibly moving.
10. “Cha Cha Real Slow”
Cooper Raiff, director
Cooper Raiff is about to be a big, big star. He’s the writer, producer, director, and lead actor in everyone’s favorite bittersweet feel-good movie of the festival. It’s well worth the hype.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
MEET OUR PARTNER
Today’s story comes from our newest partner, Paste Magazine, an Atlanta-based, nationally focused entertainment and lifestyle site. Visit them at PasteMagazine.com or on Twitter @PasteMagazine.
If you have any feedback or questions about our partnerships, you can contact Senior Manager of Partnerships Nicole Williams via email at nicole.williams@ajc.com.
