Sundance Film Festival 2023: Best of the Fest

PARK CITY, Utah (WOAI) — Another hybrid version of the Sundance Film Festival has concluded and the program yet again proved to be full of diverse, fascinating and powerful storytelling. These are the top films that stood out above the rest.

20 Days in Mariupol

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, horrifying images from the streets and hospitals of Ukraine seen on TV across the world. “20 Days in Mariupol” is a documentary that features those images in raw form, as it captures the invasion from the perspective of the Associated Press photographers who remained in Ukraine, eventually trapped for 20 excruciating days. This documentary is an incredibly difficult watch, but is one of the most important collections of footage in recent memory. Beyond the power of its images, it is also thoughtfully narrated and very well edited and structured. Harrowing and essential.

You Hurt My Feelings

The premise is simple. An author who is struggling to get her next book published overhears her husband admit to a friend that he does not like her new book, and he’s been lying about his support the entire time. The conversations that result are anything but. It’s a testament to the strength of the script by writer-director Nicole Holofcener, which is a sneaky funny exploration of the impacts of well-intentioned support and encouragement at the expense of the full truth. Julia Louis-Dreyfus shines in the lead role. Complete review...

Beyond Utopia

Featuring hidden camera footage and no re-enactments, “Beyond Utopia” is a powerful documentary chronicling family stories of defecting North Korea and the dangers that come with escape. Beyond the story of the incredible acts of bravery from the families involved, it also displays the admirable dedication shown by a South Korea-based man who goes by Pastor Kim, who tirelessly works to help people escape. The storytelling here is mostly hands off, which lets the footage speak for itself and makes the film all the more visceral. The result is a stirring, heart-racing and one of a kind cinematic experience.

When It Melts

Not an easy watch by any means, but this debut film from director Veerle Baetens is narratively rewarding. It’s a confident debut about a woman wrestling with her traumatic past interspersed with scenes from her childhood that show how she got to that point. The genius of the film is that it deliberately unfolds in a way where the audience knows something is going to turn but is unsure of exactly how it will happen. When the pieces lock into place, it hits like a ton of bricks. Incredibly brave performance from young Rosa Marchant. Complete review...

Radical

It’s certainly formulaic at parts but it is difficult to not be charmed by “Radical.” It’s a story of a struggling elementary school in the dangerous border town of Matamoros, Mexico and a teacher who tries a new technique of letting the kids decide what they want to learn about to ignite a passion for knowledge. Eugenio Derbez, who has made a name for himself in comedy, is very good here in a largely dramatic role. The melodrama is thick, but there’s a moment in the film's closing scenes that really punctuates the reality of the story it was telling, which fully cements the authenticity outweighing the hokey stuff. Complete review...