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As I write this article, the Sundance Film Festival is wrapping up over in Utah, which means there’s no better time to celebrate the five best films that have come of out of indie comedy.
The venerable Utah festival, which recently got underway, officially launched in 1984, and is now in its 41st year of saluting all things independent cinema. The history of Sundance is littered with future classics that had their premiere there, turning emerging directors like Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith into overnight sensations. And as recent history has shown with last year’s A Real Pain, nothing has changed, Sundance is still able to break the next big thing.
To celebrate all things Sundance, I’ve put together a list of the 5 best comedies that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The process of whittling down this list which started at fifty films was definitely arduous, but it also made me take a closer look at how many major names got their start at Park City; names like Jordan Peele, David O. Russell, and Amy Adams, just to highlight a few.
So, as journalists, critics, and filmmakers are in snowy Utah for the 41st edition, shall we take a moment to salute the films that made us laugh, and are still making us laugh.
5. Palm Springs (2020)
Brilliantly using the film Groundhog Day as inspiration, Palm Springs, was the talk of 2020 Sundance. The dreamed up scenario from director Max Barbakow and screenwriter Andy Siara sees two wedding attendees (played by Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti) trapped in a time loop, and forced to hang out together for what they sense could be all of eternity. Palm Springs certainly finds it strength and energy in the charisma of the two stars, Samberg and Milioti have wonderful chemistry, but the film also finds inventive ways to rework the premise of the Harold Ramis classic. Also, who doesn’t love Nana played by comic June Squibb? She is excellent here, and I’m pretty certain (spoiler alert) she’s stuck in the time loop with them.
Palm Springs has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 7.7/10 and is currently streaming on Hulu.
4. 500 Days of Summer (2009)
The film that makes people draw a line in the sand was the talk of the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. That line or debate, shall we say, is whether this Joseph Gordon-Levitt – Zooey Deschanel starring romantic comedy is a smart reimagining of the usual genre tropes or is just a mean-spirited, self-pitying look at a guy who should just let go and move on from his broken heart? Whatever side you fall on, just know you are in good company, as that has been the debate for 500 Days of Summer since its premiere at Sundance. And while some of Gordon-Levitt’s man-child character’s whining hasn’t aged well, the film remains a funny, cutting cautionary tale about how we can work so hard sometimes to make our significant other our dream companion that we never bother to learn who they actually are.
500 Days of Summer has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.0/10 and is currently streaming on Hulu. It is also available to rent or purchase through Amazon Prime here.
3. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Little Miss Sunshine, the 2006 Sundance darling, went on to win two Oscars and created a template for the crowd-pleasing mainstream-indie comedy along the way. The film filled with likable, acclaimed actors the likes of Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Paul Dano, and Alan Arkin explores a dysfunctional family with tenderness and laughs as they embark on a fraught road trip. Ultimately, the charm of Little Miss Sunshine lies in the cast’s snappy chemistry and the genuineness of their emotions displayed on screen.
Little Miss Sunshine has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.1/10 and is currently streaming on Hulu. It is also available to rent or purchase through Amazon Prime here.
2. Get Out (2017)
In 2017, writer-director Jordon Peele brought his feature debut to Sundance with a secret screening that was quickly the buzz film of the festival, being hailed as a horror-comedy like no other. Get Out went on to become a box office sensation and an Oscar winner, and is now hailed rightfully so as a landmark satire. Peele has continued to take big risks with films that have followed, but the clarity and wit displayed in Get Out is a tough act to follow.
Get Out has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.1/10 and is currently available to buy or rent through Amazon Prime Video here.
1. In Bruges (2008)
Writer-director Martin McDonagh showed up at 2008 Sundance with a delightful sardonic crime thriller about two hitmen on hiatus in the Belgian town of Bruges starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson. In Bruges runs high and funny on back-and-forth insults, and the laughs are enhanced by the shocking violence and soulful interludes. Plus, you get Ralph Fiennes in his funniest role, (no it’s not The Grand Budapest Hotel), it’s right here as Harry in In Bruges.
In Bruges has an A Cute Film Addictive Rating of 8.2/10 and is currently streaming on Peacock. It is also available to rent or purchase through Amazon Prime here.
The Final Word:
“There’s a Christmas tree somewhere in London with a bunch of presents underneath it that’ll never be opened. And I thought, if I survive all of this, I’d go to that house, apologize to the mother there, and accept whatever punishment she chose for me.”
Until next time, enjoy your time at the movies! As always, your thoughts are welcome in the comments section below. If you would like to get my posts delivered to your inbox, please subscribe below as well.
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