Sundance London review roundup – From Sasquatch Sunset to Kneecap | Films | Entertainment

Running at Picturehouse Central, a slimmed-down schedule saw 11 films and several short films making their UK premiere from June 6 to 9.

From star-studded Hollywood blockbusters to thought-provoking indie flicks and documentaries, this year’s festivities offered something for every type of film fanatic, but not all the big screen shows met the mark. Daily Express offers a review roundup of the week’s top picks.

Sasquatch Sunset

One star-studded flick swinging for the fences is the second bigfoot-themed offering from directing duo Nathan and David Zellner.

Sasquatch Sunset takes a documentary-esque look at a year in the life of a “unique family” spearheaded by Jesse Eisenberg and Riley Keough in full prosthetics.

The bizarre movie is more akin to a fever-dream than the creature feature fans may be expecting from the description and while it’s a visually stunning masterclass in cinematography that will undoubtedly sweep the awards tables, it may be too jarring for most.

Not a single line of dialogue is spoken throughout the 90-minute flick but the cast’s acting prowess is truly showcased in their ability to tell a story through just grunts and gestures. Unfortunately, the pacing of the film still suffers as a result.

While it eventually finds a rhythm, through the confusion, a few attempts at what might be slapstick comedy or surrealism break up the momentum and consistently cut the connection a viewer has just started building with the nameless characters.

Could this be a purposeful direction to invoke some Brechtian thinking on the audience’s part? Potentially, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark and, with an already otherworldly premise, the movie’s roots in realism are flimsy at best.

I Saw the TV Glow

Another more Hollywood-esque thriller on this year’s Sundance slate is I Saw The TV Glow, lead by Detective Pikachu star Justice Smith and Atypical actress Brigette Lundy-Paine with a host of other well-known names like Danielle Deadwyler, Helena Howard and Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst in supporting roles.

The Jane Schoenbrun-directed flick delivers precisely what viewers expect from a psychological horror in ways they will never see coming. She daringly asks viewers to reconsider the nostalgic TV shows of their childhoods.

Filled with twists, turns, bright colours and thought-provoking conversations as two high schoolers become enamoured with a Buffy-esque TV show that begins to shake their view on reality.

For those seeking originality in their cinema this flick can’t be missed, but brace yourself for the screeching audio at times that could easily overwhelm any unprepared home speaker system.

Kneecap

Filled with politics, music, balaclavas and Michael Fassbender, Kneecap is undoubtedly one of, if not the, best movies on offer at this year’s festival as the drama documents the uncanny creation of Belfast-based hip-hop trio Kneecap.

Not only was the film honoured as the opening night premiere for the London festival but it also made history in the United States earlier this year as the first-ever Irish Language film to premiere at the Utah-based Sundance.

The band members play themselves, holding their own alongside acting veterans, in a cinematic defense of the Irish language and not much more can be said for the riotous, drug-laden protest for freedom other than it is an absolute must-see.

My Old A**

A somewhat lacklustre coming-of-age tale manages to explore everything while going nowhere, offering some nice idle viewing but not quite bending the boundaries it was attempting to smash.

Former Nashville star Maisy Stella plays 18-year-old Elliott who celebrates her birthday by sharing mushroom tea with her closest pals, Ruthie (Maddie Zeigler) and Ro (Kerrice Brooks), before heading into the city to start the next chapter of her life.

Rather than a simple trip, the drug brings Elliott face-to-face with her 39-year-old self (Aubrey Plaza) who has just one warning; to stay away from a boy she’s yet to meet.

The slow-paced semi-psychological drama blurs the line between fiction and reality, making many key concepts hazy but the overall meaning behind the tale is a strong, poignant one.

With some gorgeous natural scenery and killer punchlines filtering in throughout the 89-minute-long flick it is an adequate piece of modern escapism.

Skywalkers: A Love Story

This hair-raising documentary is not for the faint of heart, and certainly not for the acrophobic.

The Netflix doc follows Moscow daredevils Angela Nikolau and Ivan Beerkus in their years-long preparation to climb the world’s last super skyscraper, deciphering the role of influencers, adrenaline and escapism in its most physical form.

As rooftoppers, or Skywalkers as Angela lovingly describes it, the pair climb buildings, cranes, stadiums, pretty much anything with a solid roof where they can take some jaw-dropping photos all the while keeping an eye out for security as the locations usually have restricted access for safety purposes.

The fear factor alone is enough to keep viewers on edge while watching the true lives behind two of the worlds most notorious rooftoppers and their journey from collaborators to lovers.