25 Most Anticipated Films At the 2020 Sundance Film Festival

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“Jumbo”
Director: Zoé Wittrock
Cast: Noémie Merlant, Emmanuelle Bercot, Sam Louwyck
Lowdown: “Jumbo” – the story of a withdrawn young woman who falls in love with a miniature theme park ride she’s constructing in her bedroom – sounds like the kind of radical, envelope-pushing cinema that Sundance was made to showcase. There’s plenty to be excited about here: “Jumbo” is the directorial debut of rising talent Zoé Wittrock, as well as a chance for the luminous Noémie Merlant to give yet another brilliant performance after her tragically overlooked turn in last year’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.” It’s hard to know how festival-goers will react to “Jumbo,” but they’ll doubtlessly want to purchase a ticket – if for no other reason than the film promises to be quite the conversation-starter. – NL
[World Cinema Dramatic Competition]

“The Nowhere Inn”
Director: Bill Benz
Cast: Annie Clark, Carrie Brownstein
Lowdown: Under the moniker of St. Vincent, Annie Clark has recorded some of the most infectiously mind-bending pop tunes of the last decade. “The Nowhere Inn” was originally supposed to be a documentary about St. Vincent shot with the help of Clark’s real-life BFF, “Portlandia” star Carrie Brownstein. Alas, it would appear that things have gotten weird – and in this case, that’s a good thing. “The Nowhere Inn,” directed by “Portlandia” and “Kroll Show” vet Bill Benz, aims to be an irreverent yet revealing Meta meditation on celebrity and creativity, as well as a film that mischievously blurs the line separating fact and fiction. If nothing else, it seems doubtful that anything else like it will be playing at Park City this year.– NL
[Midnight] 

“The Night House”
Director: David Bruckner
Cast: Rebecca Hall, Sarah Goldberg, Stacy Martin, Vondie Curtis-Hall
Lowdown: “The Ritual,” director David Bruckner’s kooky slice of supernatural terror, was something of a hit-and-miss affair. However, it was also a film that boasted enough style and atmosphere to make us excited for whatever the director had up his sleeve next. The ingredients for a splendid psychological creepfest are all accounted for in Bruckner’s follow-up, “The Night House”: a dead husband, a lakeside house, and lingering visions of unwanted spectral visitors. The film also offers an optimal platform for its star Rebecca Hall, who hasn’t enjoyed a lead role this juicy since Antonio Campos’ “Christine,” another Sundance stunner. – NL
[Midnight]

The 2020 Sundance Film Festival runs from Jan 23-Feb 2, 2020. Follow along for all of our coverage from The 2020 Sundance Film Festival here.