Do you suffer from serious FOMO during Sundance? Many of the biggest movies of the year make their debut at the film festival, and hearing all the buzz can make any movie lover anxious. Well, the bad news is that most Sundance selections won't immediately be available to the rest of us. The good news, though, is that many are set for theatrical distribution soon enough.
Below is a guide to what to look forward to in the coming months and what the critics are saying about these new movies of note -- check the Rotten Tomatoes Sundance 2019 Scorecard regularly for a ranking of all the movies being reviewed at the fest.
Blinded By the Light
Distributor: New Line/Warner Bros.
The Price: $15 million
The Nutshell: A Pakistani boy in 1980s England discovers the music of Bruce Springsteen, and his life gets better for it.
The Score: 88%
The Buzz:
- "This is a movie that wants to make you feel good...a must-see." - Mike Ryan, Uproxx
- "A feel-good, toe-tapping, inspirational film that seeks to remind us that music is not only an escape but one that can inspire and transform our lives." - Ashley Menzel, We Live Entertainment
Release Date: TBD
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Distributor: Amazon
The Price: $14 million
The Nutshell: Jillian Bell stars in this comedy about a hard-partying New York woman trying to better her life.
The Score: 86%
The Buzz:
- "The best kind of 'crowdpleaser': one that earns every emotional beat." - Dennis Harvey, Variety
- "Brittany Runs a Marathon is finally the film to showcase all [Jillian Bell's] talents." - Fred Toppel, Monsters and Critics
Release Date: Late Summer 2019
The Report
Distributor: Amazon
The Price: $14 million
The Nutshell: Adam Driver plays Daniel Jones, lead investigator for the U.S. Senate study on extreme interrogation tactics, in this biopic that challenges the story depicted in Zero Dark Thirty.
The Score: 100%
The Buzz:
- "An utterly compelling watch." - Angie Han, Mashable
- "Movies like The Report are so essential when they’re done as well as this." - Matt Goldberg, Collider
Release Date: TBD
Late Night
Distributor: Amazon
The Price: $13 million
The Nutshell: Emma Thompson stars as a legendary late night talk show host in a comedy scripted by Mindy Kaling.
The Score: 90%
The Buzz:
- "Funny as hell, and with something to say." - Kate Erbland, IndieWire
- "A real winner you should keep your eyes open for!" - Rachel Wagner, 54disneyreviews.com
Release Date: TBD
The Farewell
Distributor: A24
The Price: $7 million
The Nutshell: A Chinese family gathers for an impromptu wedding before their grandmother dies.
The Score: 100%
The Buzz:
- "This is Awkwafina’s film...I’m going there: this is one of the best performances of the year." - Chris Evangelista, Slasfilm
-"The powerful dialogue and performances show how personal this story really is." - Rendy Jones, Rendy Reviews
Release Date: Summer 2019
The Lodge
Distributor: Neon
The Price: $2 million
The Nutshell: A woman and her soon-to-be stepchildren experience paranormal activity at a cabin while snowed in.
The Score: 67%
The Buzz:
- "Another elevated horror breakout along the lines of Hereditary...a terrific nail-bitter." - Chris Bumbray, JoBlo's Movie Emporium
- "As a psychological down-is-up horror movie, The Lodge has a few solid tricks up its sleeve." - Emily Yoshida, New York Magazine
Release Date: TBD
Apollo 11
Distributor: Neon
The Price: N/A
The Nutshell: A documentary solely comprised of restored footage of the Apollo 11 mission and first Moon landing.
The Score: 100%
The Buzz:
- "A definitive statement on one of our proudest moments and a reminder that we are still capable of delivering greatness." - Brad Gullickson, Nonfics
- "Brings you in so close you can almost feel the rockets singe your hair...a stirring companion piece to First Man." - Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times
Release Date: Summer 2019
Little Monsters
Distributor: Neon (and Hulu)
The Price: N/A
The Nutshell: A musician, a teacher and a kids' show host protect a bunch of children from a zombie attack (or, Kindergarten Cop meets Zombieland).
The Score: N/A
The Buzz:
- "The irresistible, touching, big-hearted zom-com we’ve all been waiting for. It has cult classic written all over it." - Louisa Moore, Screen Zealots
- "A heartwarming and endlessly funny horror-comedy that will make you want to reach out to former teachers and say thank you." - Katey Stoetzel, The Young Folks
Release Date: TBD
The Mountain
Distributor: Kino Lorber
The Price: N/A
The Nutshell: Jeff Goldblum stars in this drama about a young man who goes to work for a doctor specializing in lobotomies.
The Score: 67%
The Buzz:
- "A beautiful, challenging, and altogether singular portrait of America’s fractured identity." - Eric Kohn, IndieWire
- "Tye Sheridan masterfully inhabits Andy, portraying the man-boy with no past or future, gliding along, seeing sights he cannot unsee as the clueless henchman." - Bradley Gibson, Film Threat
Release Date: Summer 2019
The Nightingale
Distributor: IFC Films
The Price: N/A
The Nutshell: A bloody, 19th century-set revenge drama from the director of The Babadook.
The Score: 85%
The Buzz:
- "One of the most memorable works in its genre." - Leonardo Goi, The Film Stage
- "Proves Kent’s versatility as a horror director, and offers a fresh perspective on what the genre itself means." - Hannah Woodhead, Little White Lies
Release Date: Summer 2019
Where's My Roy Cohn?
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
The Price: N/A
The Nutshell: A documentary about Roy Cohn, who was one of Donald Trump's early mentors.
The Score: N/A
The Buzz:
- "[An] intimate, frightening documentary." - Sean P. Means, The Movie Cricket
- "Endlessly fascinating." - Todd McCarthy, The Hollywood Reporter
Release Date: TBD
