Aspiring actor Laura (Melissa Barrera) contends with a peculiar houseguest in writer-director Caroline Lindy’s “Your Monster.”
By Lucy Spicer
It’s a good thing October has 31 days, because we’ve got an impressive list of Sundance-supported projects ready for your fall watchlists. A whopping 15 titles are reaching wider audiences this month, and with the list split almost evenly between fiction and nonfiction projects, there’s something for everyone (including a handful of frightening films for fans of spooky season).
Devotees of the big screen can choose from a wide variety of films coming to theaters, including an animated feature about a pampered cat on a mission, a documentary about Staten Island’s Amazon Labor Union, and the genre-bending tale of a woman and the somewhat charming monster living in her closet. For those who prefer to be entertained at home, Sundance-supported projects available to stream this month range from a Dust Bowl horror feature to an innovative film-turned-podcast exploring the intersection of immigration and disability.
Food and Country — Moved by the profound and immediate effect that COVID-19 had on America’s food industry, acclaimed food writer Ruth Reichl reaches out to chefs, ranchers, and farmers around the U.S. to discuss the broken system that has led us to this point, where independent purveyors struggle against a machine that only cares about producing food cheaply and quickly. Through her series of virtual interviews, Reichl gets to know the faces behind the food, forming real friendships in the process. Directed by Laura Gabbert, this insightful documentary premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to select theaters October 2.
Hold Your Breath — Written by Karrie Crouse and co-directed by Crouse and Will Joines, Hold Your Breath stars Sarah Paulson as Margaret Bellum, a mother doing her best to raise her daughters in 1930s rural Oklahoma. As the area’s debilitating dust storms worsen, Margaret begins to suspect that a sinister figure is lurking just out of sight, intent on terrorizing her family. Crouse and Joines’ historical horror was supported by Sundance Institute’s Screenwriters Lab. Streaming on Hulu October 3.
It’s What’s Inside — If you had the chance to live in someone else’s body for a bit, would you do it? A group of friends are met with this opportunity at a pre-wedding gathering when their estranged acquaintance Forbes (David W. Thompson) shows up with a mysterious suitcase. What begins as a trippy party game devolves into a dangerous debacle, with every twist and turn leaving the group questioning whom they can trust. Writer-director Greg Jardin’s feature debut premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and features an ensemble cast that includes Brittany O’Grady, Alycia Debnam-Carey, James Morosini, Nina Bloomgarden, and more. Streaming on Netflix October 4.
Leap of Faith — In an effort to find common ground and fellowship in polarized times, 12 Christian leaders from different denominations, ethnicities, and social backgrounds gather together for a series of retreats in this documentary. Over the course of a year, these diverse individuals discuss where their diverging beliefs fit — or don’t — in some of today’s most talked-about social issues. Directed by Nicholas Ma, this thought-provoking project was supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program. Coming to select theaters October 4.
Krazy House — Don’t let its corny trappings fool you: There’s nothing mainstream or sanitized about this wild ride of a film. Nick Frost stars as Bernie Christian, an aptly named ’90s sitcom father just trying his best with his wife, Eva (Alicia Silverstone), and children by his side. When Russian criminals disguised as renovators infiltrate Bernie’s home, he takes some drastic steps to save his family. Not for the faint of heart, Steffen Haars and Flip van der Kuil’s English-language debut premiered in the Midnight section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Available to watch online October 4.
The Outrun — Based on Amy Liptrot’s moving 2016 memoir of the same name, The Outrun follows Rona (Saoirse Ronan) as she returns to her childhood home in the Orkney Islands in Scotland after her alcohol addiction causes her life in London to spiral out of control. Surrounded by a harsh but beautiful natural landscape and faced with the difficult familial relationships she had left behind, Rona chases peace and recovery. Director Nora Fingscheidt’s poignant film — which she co-wrote with Liptrot — premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to theaters October 4.
unseen — Directed by Set Hernandez and supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program, unseen follows Pedro, a blind immigrant striving to provide for his family while balancing uncertain ambitions of obtaining a college degree and becoming a social worker. Hernandez’s perceptive documentary had its broadcast premiere on PBS’ POV in March, and now the film will be released as a four-part immersive podcast titled unseen: Life as a Blind Immigrant throughout October — World Blindness Awareness Month — to maximize its accessibility for blind audiences. Episode 1 available October 8.
10 Lives — Director Christopher Jenkins’ funny and heartwarming animated feature finds a cat named Beckett in front of the pearly gates at the end of his nine lives. When a celestial worker helps him realize that he took his pampered life for granted after he was rescued by the kindhearted Rose, fate gives Beckett another chance to prove himself back on Earth. Featuring a voice cast that includes Mo Gilligan, Simone Ashley, Zayn Malik, Sophie Okonedo, and Bill Nighy, 10 Lives screened in the Family Matinee section at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to select theaters October 11.
Twice Colonized — Greenlandic Inuit lawyer and activist Aaju Peter has spent her career defending the rights of Indigenous peoples, drawing on her experiences of living through the effects of colonization — at the hands of both Denmark and southern Canada. In her revelatory documentary, director Lin Alluna captures Peter in moments of professional triumph and personal hardship, shining a light on the enduring spirit of an extraordinary individual. Alluna’s feature-length directorial debut premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Making its national broadcast premiere on PBS’ “POV” October 14.
Exhibiting Forgiveness — Renowned painter Titus Kaphar made his feature directorial debut at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival with Exhibiting Forgiveness, starring André Holland as Tarrell, an artist whose estranged father (John Earl Jelks) reappears just as Tarrell finds success through his paintings. Reckoning with the memories of abuse in his childhood, Tarrell leans on his family and his art as he navigates the possibility of forgiving his father, who is recovering from addiction. Coming to theaters October 18.
Nocturnes — Filmmakers Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan teamed up to reveal a wondrous corner of the natural world found deep in the forests of the Eastern Himalayas. In this unique documentary, researchers wait for an illuminated piece of canvas to draw hundreds of moths to its surface. The film’s stunning visuals recall the infinite beauty of nature, while thoughtful voiceovers remind us of the interconnectedness of it all. Nocturnes premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Craft. Coming to select theaters October 18.
Union — Co-directors Stephen Maing and Brett Story capture the daunting fight between a group of individuals and a corporate behemoth in Union, which won the U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for the Art of Change at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The documentary chronicles the uphill battle waged by the Amazon Labor Union — comprising current and former Amazon workers in Staten Island — as they seek to grow their movement, led by charismatic union leaders like Chris Smalls. Coming to select theaters October 18.
Black Box Diaries — When journalist Shiori Ito was sexually assaulted by a high-profile individual in Japan, the case was swept under the rug by the country’s judicial system. After receiving little to no coverage by the media, Ito decided to tell her own story. Acting as the director of her own film, Ito collected secret recordings and vérité footage to document her case and to prove to a society intent on brushing her aside that she cannot be silenced. Ito’s courageous documentary premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Coming to select theaters October 25.
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin — When Norwegian gamer Mats Steen died at 25 from a degenerative muscular disease, his parents had spent years believing that his condition had isolated him, rendering him unable to make friends and build social relationships. After Mats passed, his parents started receiving messages from World of Warcraft players around the globe — players who knew Mats as his online character Ibelin and who revealed that Mats had rich experiences and a real impact on others through this virtual medium. Director Benjamin Ree’s innovative and emotional documentary premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival (under its original title, Ibelin), where it won the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary and the Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary. Streaming on Netflix October 25.
Your Monster — Actor Laura Franco (Melissa Barrera) is having a rough time: She’s recovering from a medical procedure, she’s back in her childhood home, and her longtime boyfriend has just broken up with her. To make matters worse, there appears to be a monster (Tommy Dewey) living in her closet, and he’s not keen on cohabiting. But it’s hard not to get to know someone in close quarters, and Laura and the monster soon discover each other’s hidden depths. Writer-director Caroline Lindy’s genre-bending story premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and went on to win the Audience Favourite Award at Sundance Film Festival: London in June. Coming to theaters October 25.
The 2024 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour is underway! Traveling to all corners of the United States and beyond in the following months, the 110-minute program features seven short films selected from the 2024 Festival, including three Festival Award–winning titles. Check here for dates and venues; see below for dates in October.
- Ithaca, New York, September 22–October 10, Cornell Cinema
- Los Angeles, California, September 27–October 2, Vidiots
- Howell, Michigan, September 27–October 3, Historic Howell Theater
- Waldoboro, Maine, October 18, The Waldo Theatre
