Another Sundance has come to a close. I had a great time, even if most of the movies were just okay. It’s about getting a sense of what’s to come this year in film! My final rankings can be found here. Looking forward to some of these films getting official releases!

Last Flight Home (dir. Ondi Timoner)

Sometimes movies are TOO personal and I feel like I shouldn’t be watching them. Considering that in this film I watch the director’s father literally die, this might take the cake! With a level of earnestness I cannot fathom, Timoner does seem to do justice to her father’s choice to die, but I had to skim through various family testimonials and Zoom calls planning his assisted suicide. It was a bit much! I’m glad the man got to die on his own terms, we should all be so lucky, but it’s pretty wild that it’s featured in a Sundance selection. None of my business! (?)

My Old School (dir. Jono McLeod)

As with all compelling documentaries, My Old School asks, “What if there was a weird guy?” Using Alan Cumming as a body double and Daria-esque animation, Jono McLeod does a classic “you WON’T believe this twist” story with the added benefit of Scottish accents. I could see this being a crowd-pleaser like Three Identical Strangers, without the burden of eugenics and death. The tale of Brandon Lee (not The Crow, he claims he’s never heard of that) is a bizarre one indeed. I really don’t want to spoil things but I also have no idea when it comes out – I guess I’m just burdened with this secret! (B)

Am I OK? (dir. Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne)

What happened to the Tig Notaro that gave us the beautiful, understated One Mississippi? There’s hardly a glimpse of her fantastically dry sense of humor in this half-baked self-discovery story that feels like it’s been rotting on a shelf since 2009. Dakota Johnson stars as a woman who finally admits to herself that she is a lesbian, just as her best friend (Sonoya Mizuno) is about to leave her behind for a London promotion. Will she find the courage to hook up with girls and perhaps figure out the rest of her life? There’s not much beyond that; if you’ve seen one indie LA movie, you’ve seen most of what this has to offer. There’s no real way for movies dealing with social media to not feel out of touch – I don’t blame Tig and Stephanie for that. If you’re looking for a pretty okay Dakota Johnson vehicle, you’re better off sticking with How to Be Single. (D)

Emily the Criminal (dir. John Patton Ford)

It’s Aubrey Plaza, and she’s doing credit card fraud! While at times it feels like the pilot episode for an AMC drama, Emily the Criminal has enough suspense and violence to be a tight little thriller with a great Plaza performance at the center. Emily has a criminal record and $70,000 in student debt, why wouldn’t she involve herself in any sort of scam that pays cash? I have some quibbles– mostly the Gina Gershon scene– but overall I like that Plaza seems to do one weird indie a year just because she can. She’s keeping the lights on for new filmmakers who don’t just want to end up in the blockbuster machine, and for that I am grateful. (B)

Piggy (dir. Carlota Pereda)

Man, a Sundance movie really can be anything huh? Piggy recalls the gruesome heyday of gore films in the early 2000s, a type of movie I can only stomach once a year. Sara (Laura Galán) is a young woman living in Extremadura, Spain, tormented by her peers for being overweight and working in her family’s butcher shop. One day, those peers vanish, kidnapped by a mysterious man who has his eye on Sara. Sara has a choice to make: find the missing girls, or let this man continue on his way. Some truly disgusting violence ensues. There’s something about European horror where they just love shattering bones and pools of blood. It makes for a fun time, but not one I care to look at for too long. (B)

Thanks for reading! Now we can look forward to the return of the Boston Underground Film Festival in March!

Local journalism is more important now than ever. Please support the Hassle by donating to our annual GoFundMe Fundraiser, subscribing to our Patreon, or making a one-time donation via PayPal.