Last week, the 39th Sundance Film Festival kicked off, back in person in Park City, Utah, for the first time since 2020. While festivalgoers brave the cold and snow of the ski town, those at home can still participate, with virtual screenings through Jan. 29. Movie fans can also enjoy the virtual Slamdance Film Festival, running concurrently, by subscribing to the Slamdance streaming channel for $7.99.
Just last year, a Sundance movie (“CODA”) won the Academy Award for best picture, so the film festival still bears a lot of clout in Hollywood, anointing future award winners and major filmmakers alike. While it remains to be seen who will be the breakouts from this year’s festival (although Netflix just scooped up the erotic thriller “Fair Play” for a cool $20 million), it’s worthwhile to look back at some of the high profile films that had their premieres at the festival, just to see what an influential launch pad it has been for independent film since 1984.
It would be wrong not to mention one of the most enduring Sundance movies of all time, “Reservoir Dogs,” which premiered at the fest in 1992 and launched Quentin Tarantino into household name status. Without “Reservoir Dogs” and Sundance, it’s questionable if there would be a “Pulp Fiction,” a “Jackie Brown,” a “Once Upon in Time… In Hollywood.” So give “Reservoir Dogs” another spin, on Netflix, for old time’s sake.
It was at that 1992 festival that Tarantino met a filmmaker from Texas, Robert Rodriguez, who was there with his film “El Mariachi,” which won the Audience Award. Tarantino and Rodriguez became pals, later collaborating on the 2007 “Grindhouse” double feature, “Death Proof” and “Planet Terror.” “El Mariachi” is streaming on Prime Video.
A few years prior to that fateful fest, in 1989, Steven Soderbergh broke out at with “Sex, Lies, and Videotape,” starring James Spader, Andie MacDowell, Peter Gallagher, and Laura San Giacomo, and won the Audience Award. Soderbergh went on to be nominated for an Oscar for the screenplay and direct about 40 more films, whether or not he claims he’s retired. “Sex, Lies, and Videotape” is available for purchase on all platforms.
Also bowing at Sundance in 1989? The sharply written high school satire “Heathers” starring Winona Ryder and Shannen Doherty. This witty black comedy written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann is always worth a rewatch, so catch it on Prime Video, Roku, Tubi or Shudder.
Sundance was also the coming out party for many of the biggest filmmakers who have high-profile films out this year, including Ryan Coogler (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”) whose debut feature “Fruitvale Station” starring Michael B. Jordan played the fest in 2013, winning the audience and jury award (stream it on Prime Video, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, AMC+ or Tubi). Rian Johnson (“Glass Onion”) had his first film, “Brick” premiere at Sundance in 2006, picking up a special jury prize (it’s available for rent on digital platforms), while Irish playwright Martin McDonagh’s first film, “In Bruges,” starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, played Sundance in 2008. McDonagh picked up a best screenplay Oscar nomination for that script, and the trio’s reunion this year with “The Banshees of Inisherin” is a big awards player.
Damien Chazelle (“Babylon”) bowed at Sundance with his second feature, the electrifying “Whiplash,” which won the audience and jury award and went on to win best editing and sound mixing Oscars as well as best supporting actor for J.K. Simmons. Stream it on Showtime or rent elsewhere.
Jennifer Lawrence (“Causeway”) became an overnight sensation with Debra Granik’s “Winter’s Bone” which premiered at Sundance in 2010, where it won the jury prize and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award, and went on to earn Oscar nominations for Lawrence, co-star John Hawkes, and the screenplay. Stream it on Peacock, Kanopy or rent.
There are so many other defining films that have come out of Sundance, including “The Blair Witch Project” (Tubi), Mary Harron’s “American Psycho” (HBO Max), Christopher Nolan’s breakout “Memento” (HBO Max and Kanopy), and many, many more. It’s an exciting moment for the filmmakers at the festival now, hoping to break through in the same way so many others did before them, so stay tuned to see which winners and big acquisitions come out of the festival this year.
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(Katie Walsh is the Tribune News Service film critic and co-host of the "Miami Nice" podcast.)
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