Tribeca Film Festival: 15 Must-See Movies

To play a broken record: there’s absolutely no rest for the wicked. The film industry rarely takes a break. The SXSW Film Festival dominated March, we’ve had a few cons and festivals in between (CinemaCon, True/False Festival), the Cannes Film Festival is on its way in May and spring in New York is always about the Tribeca Film Festival.

The 18^th annual iteration of the Festival, which runs April 24 to May 5, will showcase debut works from emerging talent and new works from notable filmmakers. The program includes discoveries, comedies, music-centered, political and social films and much more.

This year, Tribeca’s feature program includes 103 films from 124 filmmakers. Of the films selected in the three competition sections, 50% have been directed by women. This year’s program includes 42 first-time filmmakers, with 19 directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. 29% of the feature films are directed by people of color, and 13% of the feature films are by individuals who identify as LGBTQIA. The 2019 Festival was programmed from more than 9,295 total submissions.

Considering the dire numbers out there, Tribeca’s stats are encouraging and hopefully will only grow in favor of a diverse selection of filmmakers. The lineup includes 81 World Premieres, 3 International Premieres, 8 North American Premieres, 1 U.S. Premiere, and 10 New York Premieres so there is a ton to see. Here’s a very quick overview of highlights:

“Apocalypse Now Final Cut“
Francis Ford Coppola has almost turned into the George Lucas of tinkering with his own work. The legendary filmmaker is now on the third cut of his famed Vietnam war epic, “Apocalypse Now.” Celebrating its 40th Anniversary, Coppola will present “Apocalypse Now: Final Cut,” an expanded, restored version of the original, but an iteration shorter than the 3.3-hour “Apocalypse Now Redux.” Running just over three hours (the original is 2.5 hours), the screening of ‘Final Cut’ will be followed by a conversation between Coppola and Steven Soderbergh about the huge undertaking of restoring the film forty years after the original version and eighteen years after “Apocalypse Now Redux.” That this is the hottest ticket of Tribeca, period, is a testament to the legacy of this spectacular film.

“Yesterday”
Want to know what Danny Boyle jumped the “Bond 25” ship for? Now you know (sort of–to be fair, he was at loggerheads with producers regardless): a modern-day musical about a struggling musician who realizes he’s the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles. And since he’s the only one that knows those songs, he’s about to be a very big deal. The movie stars relative unknown Himesh Patel in the lead (known for U.K. TV’s “EastEnders,” “The Luminaries“), plus, the more starry supporting cast of Lily James, musician Ed Sheeran, Ana de Armas, James Corden, and Kate McKinnon. Written by Richard Curtis, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter of “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” “Love Actually” and “Notting Hill,” there’s a feel-good quality to it in the trailers that we hope doesn’t go astray, but it’s Danny Boyle, so you’ve got to be curious.

“Gully”
Directed by first-time feature-length director Nabil Elderkin (who has dozens of high profile music video credits to his name), “Gully” jumps out because of its powerhouse, eclectic cast: Amber Heard, Terrence Howard, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Charlie Plummer, Jacob Latimore, Jonathan Majors, John Corbett, and Robin Givens. The movie centers on three disillusioned teens who have already survived traumatic childhoods and socioeconomic hardships, who reach their breaking points and go on a rampage through a dystopian modern-day Los Angeles.

“In Fabric”
U.K. director Peter Strickland, a horror sensualist, softcore erotica enthusiast and mondo exotica outré specialist, is a genius. His short career has yielded amazing pastiche homages like “Berberian Sound Studio,” a tribute to Italian ’70s giallo horror, and ” The Duke of Burgundy,” a lesbian chamber drama/smutty exquisite love story. His latest, “In Fabric,” essentially mixes his love of esoteric horror (and giallo again) with British kitchen sink realism. Starring Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Hayley Squires, Julian Barratt, Gwendoline Christie, Leo Bill, and Steve Oram, it’s like a mix of Mike Leigh meeting dark, hilarious f*cked-up horror surrealism and it is just outstandingly dark, funny and twisted. [our review from TIFF 2018]

“Luce”
One of the most intriguing-sounding films to come out of this past year’s Sundance Film Festival, “Luce” seemed to ring a lot of bells with critics this year. Starring Tim Roth and Naomi Watts, “Luce” centers on a married couple forced to reckon with their idealized image of their son, adopted from war-torn Eritrea, after an alarming discovery by a devoted high school teacher threatens his status as an all-star student. Directed by Julius Onah, starring Kelvin Harrison Jr. as the titular Luce and featuring Octavia Spencer, “Luce” was well-received by critics as a smart and provocative look at race, wealth and privilege in America. We can’t wait. [our review from Sundance 2019]