by Rosalie Kicks, Old Sport & Editor in Chief 

Time to climb into your lush robe and comfiest of slippers and start popping the corn, for it is the season of Sundance. 

Kicking off January 19th and running until 30th, this year’s festival will be available in person at Park City, Utah and online. This means that cinephiles from all across the globe can partake in discovering the first flicks that 2023 has to offer. With 101 feature films, I combed through this year’s program and provided below a few flicks that are on my radar. It should be noted: I did not neglect Infinity Pool; it is a corpse in my sights, but figured it is probably on many people's watch lists already. Instead, I tried to find some that may otherwise go missed. 

Make sure to follow right here for coverage during and after the fest. If you’re so inclined, I’ll also be giving an up to minute report on my twitter, @BonjourOldSport. Online ticket sales start January 12, available here. If you check out any of the flicks, make sure to get in touch, old sport! See ya at the movies. 

Bad Behaviour 
Written and Directed by Alice Englert 

Bad Behaviour is a feature debut from Alice Englert who also plays a supporting character in this dark comedy starring Jennifer Connelly. Lucy (Connelly) is a former child actor that is on a quest of finding herself and decides to attend a retreat hosted by her guiding light Elon Bello (Ben Whishaw). Before heading into a no-phone zone, Lucy reaches out to her daughter, Dylan (Alice Englert) who also finds herself in the Hollywood biz working in stunts. I’m intrigued to see how this story plays out and have found myself as a new fan of Ben Whishaw since catching him in the flick, Women Talking.

Bad Behaviour premieres at Sundance on January 21 and will be available to watch online January 24 until 30, tickets available here. 

Cat Person
Written by Michelle Ashford
Directed by Susanna Fogel 

This flick hooked me with the mention of the movie theater setting. It also landed on my radar after reading that the director, Susanna Fogel, was also on the writing team of the 2019 comedy, Booksmart. 

College student Margot (Emilia Jones) slings popcorn at an indie theater where she meets cinephile Robert (Nicholas Braun). Despite there being red flags, a relationship ensues causing pandemonium in their lives. Star of the flick Emilia Jones can be remembered for her lead performance in 2021 Sundance darling, Coda. However, the cast does not end there. Hope Davis and Isabella Rossellini also make appearances. 

Cat Person premieres at Sundance January 21 and is available to watch online January 24 until 30, tickets available here. 

Eileen
Written by Luke Goebel and Ottessa Moshfegh
Directed by William Oldroyd

Eileen was added to my watch list after learning that Thomasin McKenzie stars. I became a fan after her performance in Leave No Trace. 

Between being employed at a prison, living at her father’s shabby house, and having few friends, Eileen’s (Thomasin McKenzie) life is rather bleak. Things start to look up when she befriends a new coworker, Rebecca Saint John (Anne Hathaway). Unfortunately, sometimes thrills lead to chills and this friendship does not end well. 

Eileen premieres at Sundance on January 21 and will not be available online. 

Kim’s Video 
Written and Directed by David Redmon and Ashley Sabin 

I met my partner in crime at the esteemed movie rental establishment, West Coast Video while we were both employed there. Filmmakers David Redmon and Ashley Sabin attempt to uncover what happened to the lost collection of 55,000 video, whose previous owner rented the titles out of their dry-cleaning business in New York City. I adore physical media and look forward to going on this mysterious adventure. 

Kim’s Video premieres at Sundance on January 19 and is available to watch online January 24 until 30, tickets available here. 

Sometimes I Think About Dying
Written by Kevin Armento, Stefanie Abel Horowitz and Katy Wright-Mead 
Directed by Rachel Lambert 

In Rachel Lambert’s feature debut, she tells a story of a lost soul, Fran (Daisy Ridley), that isolates herself in every possible way. Suddenly, a new coworker, Robert (Dave Merheje), attempts to break down the walls she has built. This puts Fran in quite a predicament and leaves her to question if she should put herself out there. As someone that toils much of her life daydreaming from a cubicle and looking to embark on some ambitious changes, this film has the opportunity to be personally poignant. 

Sometimes I Think About Dying premieres at Sundance on January 19 and is available to watch online January 24 until 30, tickets available here. 

Onyx The Fortuitous and The Talisman of Souls 
Written and Directed by Andrew Bowser 

With the mention of conjuring spirits, I quickly added Andrew Bowser’s picture to my must-sees. Screening in the midnight section, it has the potential to get weird! No matter how it turns out, Jeffrey Combs shows up, which I am sure will lead to some thrills ‘n chills. 

Onyx The Fortuitous and The Talisman of Souls premieres at Sundance on January 23 and is available to watch online January 24 until 30, tickets available here. 

Landscape with Invisible Hand
Written and Directed by Corey Finley 

What interested me most about this film was that it is the latest from writer and director Corey Finley (Thoroughbreds). The fact that aliens are involved is just icing on the cake. When The Vuvv, an extraterrestrial species, bring astounding new technology to Earth, it changes the lives of the wealthy. This leaves the rest of humanity in quite the pickle as they find themselves under the alien thumb. The flick boasts a breakout performance from Assante Blackk as Adam, a teenage artist that attempts to break free from the terrifyingly new way of life.

Landscape with Invisible Hand premieres at Sundance on January 23 and is not available online.