5 most anticipated films at Sundance 2024

Explore the top 5 most anticipated films from the Sundance 2024 lineup this year: 

1. “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story” 

The Man of Steel returns to the screen in this heartfelt documentary, chronicling how Christopher Reeve rose from an unknown actor to the most beloved onscreen superhero of all time. Directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, “Super/Man” features never-before-seen archival footage and reveals how the actor endured after suffering the tragic accident that left him paralyzed. 

2. Kristen Stewart 

Sundance consistently draws a star-studded lineup, and this year, all eyes are on Kristen Stewart, who is set to receive the festival’s Visionary Award. A longtime presence at the fest, where she debuted projects like “Adventureland” and “The Runaways,” Stewart takes on a dual role this year with two premieres. In Rose Glass’s crime drama “Love Lies Bleeding,” she portrays a reclusive gym manager entangled in a romance with a bodybuilder (Katy O’Brian). Additionally, she shares the screen with Emmy winner Steven Yeun in Sam and Andy Zuchero’s enigmatic sci-fi film “Love Me,” a tale of love between a buoy and a satellite that unfolds years after humanity’s extinction. 

3. “Freaky Tales” 

Anna Boden and Ryan Fleck, directors of “Mississippi Grind” and “Captain Marvel,” make a comeback with an intriguing anthology narrative. Taking place in 1987 Oakland, “Freaky Tales” intertwines four interconnected stories, featuring a hip-hop duo striving for recognition and teenage punks confronting Nazi skinheads. The ensemble cast boasts names like Pedro Pascal, Jay Ellis, Dominique Thorne, and Ben Mendelsohn, a longtime partner of Boden and Fleck. 

4. “A Different Man” 

Sebastian Stan’s ability to undergo transformative roles has made him an admiral actor, with such roles as Tommy Lee in “Pam & Tommy” and his upcoming performance as a young Donald Trump in “The Apprentice.” The Marvel actor is immersing himself in a similarly challenging role with “A Different Man.” Written and directed by Aaron Schimberg, the film features Stan as Edward, an actor opting for a drastic medical procedure to transform his disfigured face. Edward loses the role he believes he was destined for, leading to an obsession with reclaiming what was lost. 

5. “A Real Pain” 

Jesse Eisenberg is joined by Kieran Culkin, making a big-screen comeback after the final season of Succession. In the roles of cousins David and Benji, they embark on a trip to Poland, a gift from their late grandmother—a Holocaust survivor—to explore her hometown. Against the backdrop of this tangible connection to their family’s past, old tensions resurface among the mismatched family members. “A Real Pain,” written by Eisenberg, marks his second directorial effort since 2022’s “When You Finish Saving the World.” 

With this lineup, it is hard to not get excited for the next few weeks at this year’s Sundance 2024 Film Festival. Be sure to read up in the upcoming weeks at uvureview.com for reviews of some of the festival’s more prominent films.