By Jessica Herndon
It’s time to stock up on pumpkin spice everything and gear up for sweater weather because Sunday marks the first day of fall!
This time of year, as you patiently wait for news about the 2025 Festival, a slew of great films from Sundance alums will hit big and small screens to tide you over. Step out and catch a dark comedy starring George Clooney and Brad Pitt (Wolfs), the inspiring story of the rise of singer and producer Pharrell Williams (Piece By Piece), or the haunting reimagining of a classic vampire tale starring Bill Skarsgård and Lily-Rose Depp (Nosferatu).
But before you cozy up at your local theater, familiarize yourself with the earlier titles from filmmakers who have connections to Sundance Institute and whose latest works release this fall.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE SUBSTANCE…
Written and directed by Coralie Fargeat, The Substance, which won Best Screenplay at Cannes Film Festival, stars Demi Moore as a fading celebrity who gets her hands on a black market drug that promises to create a younger and better version of herself. If only she’d known about the terrifying side effects ahead of time. Released September 20.
…WATCH REVENGE
When Jen (Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz) comes along on her married lover’s annual hunting trip, she is violently assaulted and left for dead in the desert by his friends. As she violently retaliates, she regains her power. A grindhouse-style feature debut, Fargeat’s Revenge, which screened at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, boldly approaches gore from the rare lens of the female gaze. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE NEVER LET GO…
To protect themselves from an evil that threatens to take over the world, a mother (Halle Berry) and her twin sons must rely on their family’s bond and connection to their home to stay safe in Alexandre Aja’s horror Never Let Go. Despite tethering themselves with ropes to stay attached to each other and their house, their odds for survival come into question when one of the twins expresses doubt that the evil is real. Releases September 20.
…WATCH HAUTE TENSION
What begins as a dreamy vacation at a secluded country home turns into a bloodbath for two college friends played by Cécile de France and Maïwenn. In Aja’s French slasher, the pair become tormented by a deranged killer (Philippe Nahon) after he forces his way in. The film screened at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE WOLFS…
In Jon Watts’ crime comedy, two fixers (George Clooney and Brad Pitt) have one night to put their egos aside and work together to finish a job after they are both brought in to take care of a New York politico’s slipup. Amplifying the crime-soaked plot — and satisfying our desire for Clooney and Pitt to deliver deliciously dry humor à la Ocean’s franchise — the two exchange cutting quips as they work through their rivalry. Releases September 20.
…WATCH COP CAR
What happens when two 10-year-old boys find what seems to be an abandoned cop car with the keys in it in the middle of a field? Of course, they jump in and take it for a ride. But when the small town’s corrupt sheriff tries to get his car back, the boys discover they are in over their heads. Packed with suspense, Watt’s Cop Car, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the Park City at Midnight section, sees impeccable performances by Hays Wellford and James Freedson-Jackson as the young boys and Kevin Bacon as the sinister officer. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE LEE…
Ellen Kuras’ Lee depicts a decade in the life of Lee Miller (Kate Winslet), an American fashion model turned Vogue magazine photographer and war correspondent during World War II. In addition to being photographed in Hitler’s bathtub, Miller captured the evil surrounding concentration camps and beyond and became a trailblazer for professional women in war zones. Releases September 27.
…WATCH THE BETRAYAL (NERAKHOON)
Supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Composers Lab and premiering at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, this Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning documentary was Kuras’ directorial debut. The film, which spans more than 20 years, follows co-director Thavisouk Phrasavath and his family, who emigrated from Laos to New York City after the Laotian Civil War, and the struggles they faced when assimilating in the U.S. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE SATURDAY NIGHT…
Inspired by the true story of the behind-the-scenes mayhem that ensued 90 minutes before the first broadcast of what would become Saturday Night Live, Jason Reitman’s Saturday Night — whose ensemble cast includes Gabriel LaBelle, Willem Dafoe, J.K. Simmons, Lamorne Morris, Matthew Rhys, Rachel Sennott, Dylan O’Brien, Ella Hunt, Nicholas Braun, and Kaia Gerber — captures the wild, magical moments leading up to the premiere of the show that revolutionized television. Releases October 11.
…WATCH THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
Based on the 1994 novel by Christopher Buckley, Jason Reitman’s sharp and hilarious dark comedy, which premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, stars Aaron Eckhart as Nick Naylor, the master manipulator spokesman tasked with flipping the public’s viewpoint on cigarettes from negative to positive. The astute satire also features Maria Bello, Katie Holmes, William H. Macy, and Robert Duvall. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE WE LIVE IN TIME…
In this decade-spanning story directed by John Crowley, Tobias (Andrew Garfield) and Almut (Florence Pugh) connect by chance and embark on an epic romance that is challenged by illness. Releases October 11.
…WATCH BROOKLYN
After a young Irish immigrant (Saoirse Ronan) makes her way from Ireland to Brooklyn, New York, in the 1950s, she quickly falls for a local young man. But when her past collides with her future, she must choose between her old home and her new one in this romantic drama, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE PIECE BY PIECE…
Morgan Neville uses Lego pieces to take us through the life of artist, producer, and cultural icon Pharrell Williams in the animated Piece By Piece. The film features the voices of artists Williams has worked with throughout his career, such as Jay-Z, Gwen Stefani, and Kendrick Lamar. Releases October 11.
…WATCH 20 FEET FROM STARDOM
20 Feet from Stardom turns the spotlight on the success and struggles of artists who sing backup for icons like Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and the Rolling Stones. Neville’s film, which weaves a gripping, intimate behind-the-scenes look at these singers’ place in music history, premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win an Oscar for Best Documentary Feature. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE RUMOURS…
Co-directed by Guy Maddin and Evan and Galen Johnson, Rumours sees seven of the world’s most powerful leaders come together to draft a statement on a global crisis at the G7 summit. But then it gets misty and creepy in the woods around the gazebo under which they are meeting. After they discover the château they are supposed to stay in is abandoned, things only get more bizarre as zombies and a giant brain appear. Part comedy, part apocalyptic horror, Rumours stars Cate Blanchett, Alicia Vikander, Charles Dance, and more. Releases October 18.
…WATCH THE FORBIDDEN ROOM
Maddin and Evan Johnson pay homage to lost films of the silent era in The Forbidden Room, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival in the New Frontier Films section. Maddin injected his twisted, erotic, and dreamy style into a nonlinear tale that finds submarine crewmen, a woodsman, bandits, a surgeon, and a crew of child soldiers coursing through a whimsical journey full of lessons on life and love. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE ANORA…
Written and directed by Sean Baker, Anora follows a young, Brooklyn-bred sex worker (Mikey Madison) who has a quickie wedding to the son of a Russian oligarch. But when the groom’s parents find out about the union, they visit the couple in New York with plans to get the marriage annulled. Releases October 18.
…WATCH TANGERINE
Shot entirely on three iPhone 5S smartphones, Baker’s Tangerine, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, takes place in Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. After getting out of jail following being locked up for 28 days, Sin-Dee (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is on the hunt for her pimp boyfriend, whom she heard has been unfaithful. She enlists her best friend and fellow working girl, Alexandra (Mya Taylor), to help track him down, and the two embark on a wild quest through Hollywood. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE MEMOIR OF A SNAIL…
In this stop-motion feature from Australian filmmaker Adam Elliot, the book-loving, snail-collecting outsider Grace Pudel (voiced by Run Rabbit Run’s Sarah Snook) finds herself separated from her twin brother. After a series of hardships, she strikes a friendship with an inspiring older woman and begins to feel hopeful again. Releases October 25.
…WATCH MARY AND MAX
Elliot’s insightful and sweet stop-motion film Mary and Max depicts a 20-year pen-pal friendship between a chubby, lonely 8-year-old girl living in the suburbs of Melbourne and a severely obese 44-year-old Jewish man who suffers from Asperger’s syndrome and lives an isolated life in New York City. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE NICKEL BOYS…
Based on Pulitzer Prize–winning author Colson Whitehead’s novel, Nickel Boys, directed and co-adapted by RaMell Ross, tells the story of the dynamic friendship between two young Black men as they navigate the disturbing struggles that come with reform school in Florida. Releases October 25.
…WATCH HALE COUNTY THIS MORNING, THIS EVENING
Supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, Ross’s experimental film, which won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Creative Vision award at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival, offers a glimpse at life in the Black community in Hale County, Alabama. We experience doses of the daily lives of those in the doc, from work to school, and hear about some of their hopes and dreams. But Ross’ focus on the town’s landscape and visual depth command the most attention. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE EMILIA PÉREZ…
Part musical, drama, action movie, and comedy, Emilia Pérez comes from the mind of writer-director Jacques Audiard, who tells the story of Rita (Zoe Saldaña), a high-powered lawyer who helps the leader of a Mexican cartel (Karla Sofía Gascón) start a new life. Releases November 1.
…WATCH A PROPHET
In this French crime drama written and directed by Audiard, a dominant Corsican mob boss (Niels Arestrup) takes Malik (Tahar Rahim), an Arab prisoner, under his wing. But as Malik gains power, he ultimately causes the kingpin’s downfall and matures into a criminal mastermind. The film screened in the Spotlight section at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE SPELLBOUND…
In this animated tale from Shrek co-director Vicky Jenson, a princess, voiced by Rachel Zegler, must embark on a journey to save her kingdom and transform her family back to their original selves after a spell turns her parents into monsters. Releases November 22.
…WATCH FAMILY TREE
This Jenson-directed short, which screened at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival, sees a man attempt to deal with his demanding in-laws by looking to his wife’s estranged, troubled brother for help. Watch the short here.
BEFORE YOU SEE NIGHTBITCH…
In writer-director Marielle Heller’s Nightbitch, a woman (Amy Adams) leaves her job to become a stay-at-home mom and is left isolated and rageful. After feeling like she’s lost her true identity, the woman’s life takes a surreal turn as she attempts to regain her sense of self. Releases December 6.
…WATCH THE DIARY OF A TEENAGE GIRL
The Diary of a Teenage Girl, which premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and was supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program and Producers Program, portrays a teenage artist (Bel Powley) in 1970s San Francisco who has an affair with her mom’s boyfriend, played by Alexander Skarsgård. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE KRAVEN THE HUNTER…
The backstory of iconic villain Kraven the Hunter is unveiled, as Aaron Taylor-Johnson stars as Kraven, whose relationship with his volatile father, played by Russell Crowe, leads him to seek vengeance and become a skilled and feared hunter. Academy Award nominee J.C. Chandor directs. Releases December 13.
…WATCH MARGIN CALL
Writer-director Chandor’s feature debut, Margin Call, stars Zachary Quinto, Paul Bettany, Jeremy Irons, Stanley Tucci, Demi Moore, and more. The thriller, which premiered at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, delves into the financial industry, focusing on an investment firm and the chaotic 24 hours at the onset of the 2008 financial crisis. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE ROOM NEXT DOOR…
For Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar’s first English language feature, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton star as friends who reconnect after losing touch for years. After becoming close while working at a magazine, Ingrid (Moore) and Martha (Swinton) separate when Ingrid becomes an autofiction novelist and Martha becomes a war reporter. But, an extreme circumstance brings them back together. Releases December 20.
…WATCH THE FLOWER OF MY SECRET
Almodóvar’s drama The Flower of My Secret, which screened at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival, follows romance novelist Leo (Marisa Paredes), whose world is turned upside down after her husband leaves her. She is riddled with despair, leading her writing to suffer. But when she refuses to fall victim to her circumstances, she finds beauty in being alone. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE A COMPLETE UNKNOWN…
Timothée Chalamet embodies Bob Dylan in the ’60s for James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown, which follows the musician’s ascent from teenage songwriter to the folk-singing, chart-topping icon who went on to perform his trailblazing electric set at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. The film also stars Edward Norton and Elle Fanning. Releases December 25.
…WATCH COP LAND
Supported by the Sundance Institute’s Directors and Screenwriters Labs, Mangold’s 1997 neo-noir crime drama, Cop Land, about a New Jersey sheriff who discovers the suburban town he patrols is a front for the mob, stars Sylvester Stallone, Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, and Ray Liotta. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE NOSFERATU…
Robert Eggers’ take on the 1922 classic Nosferatu tells the eerie story of a horrific vampire who haunts a young woman, with whom he is obsessed. The film features Bill Skarsgård as vampire Count Orlok and also includes performances by Nicholas Hoult, Lily-Rose Depp, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Emma Corrin, and Willem Dafoe. Releases December 25.
…WATCH THE WITCH
Supported by Sundance Institute’s Producers Program and Catalyst program, Eggers’ debut feature premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival and won the U.S. Dramatic Directing Award. The film, which stars Anya Taylor-Joy, follows a colonial family in the 1630s as they leave plantation life and move to the edge of the New England forest in hopes of a plentiful future. But soon, the lack of food and the ominous presence that seems to haunt them from within the woods stands to threaten their happiness and sanity. Check viewing options here.
BEFORE YOU SEE ON BECOMING A GUINEA FOWL…
In Zambian Welsh filmmaker Rungano Nyoni’s comedic drama On Becoming a Guinea Fowl, a group of young women in a Zambian family attend a funeral and reckon with the death of a middle-aged family member. Coming soon.
…WATCH I AM NOT A WITCH
In Nyoni’s provocative feature debut, 9-year-old Shula (Maggie Mulubwa) is sentenced to exile in a camp away from her family after her village accuses her of being a witch. While there, she is tied to a long white ribbon and told she must perform miracles. Nyoni’s powerful and satirical film, full of acute cultural critiques and strong performances, screened in the Spotlight section at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Check viewing options here.
