Sundance 2018 Movies by Tomatometer
Nic Cage acid trip Mandy, directorial debuts from Paul Dano and Bo Burnham (Wildlife, Eighth Grade respectively), and atmospheric haunter Hereditary were the standouts at this year Sundance. See the full list of movies that got Tomatometers here! —Alex Vo
99%
Critics Consensus: Eighth Grade takes a look at its titular time period that offers a rare and resounding ring of truth while heralding breakthroughs for writer-director Bo Burnham and captivating star Elsie Fisher.
Synopsis: Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school -- the end... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elsie Fisher, Daniel Zolghadri, Fred Hechinger, Imani Lewis
Directed By: Bo Burnham
91%
Critics Consensus: Mandy's gonzo violence is fueled by a gripping performance by Nicolas Cage -- and anchored with palpable emotion conveyed between his volcanic outbursts.
Synopsis: In the Pacific Northwest in 1983, outsiders Red Miller and Mandy Bloom lead a loving and peaceful existence. When their pine-scented haven is savagely destroyed... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nicolas Cage, Andrea Riseborough, Linus Roache, Ned Dennehy
Directed By: Panos Cosmatos
99%
Critics Consensus: The Tale handles its extraordinarily challenging subject matter with sensitivity, grace, and the power of some standout performances led by a remarkable Laura Dern.
Synopsis: Jennifer has it all, with a loving boyfriend and a great career as a journalist and professor. But when her mother discovers a story -... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Laura Dern, Elizabeth Debicki, Laura Allen, Jason Ritter
Directed By: Jennifer Fox
90%
Critics Consensus: Hereditary uses its classic setup as the framework for a harrowing, uncommonly unsettling horror film whose cold touch lingers long beyond the closing credits.
Synopsis: When the matriarch of the Graham family passes away, her daughter and grandchildren begin to unravel cryptic and increasingly terrifying secrets about their ancestry, trying... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Toni Collette, Gabriel Byrne, Alex Wolff, Ann Dowd
Directed By: Ari Aster
94%
Critics Consensus: Wildlife's portrait of a family in crisis is beautifully composed by director Paul Dano -- and brought brilliantly to life by a career-best performance from Carey Mulligan.
Synopsis: Fourteen-year-old Joe is the only child of Jeanette and Jerry -- a housewife and a golf pro -- in a small town in the 1960s... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Carey Mulligan, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ed Oxenbould, Bill Camp
Directed By: Paul Dano
98%
Critics Consensus: Sleek, well-acted, and intelligently crafted, The Guilty is a high-concept thriller that wrings maximum impact out of a handful of basic - and effective - ingredients.
Synopsis: Alarm dispatcher and former police officer Asger Holm answers an emergency call from a kidnapped woman. When the call is suddenly disconnected, the search for... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jakob Cedergren, Jessica Dinnage, Omar Shargawi, Johan Olsen
Directed By: Gustav Möller
87%
Critics Consensus: Formally familiar but a brilliant match for its lead, Colette is a thoroughly entertaining biopic and an overdue testament to Keira Knightley's underrated gifts.
Synopsis: After moving to Paris, author Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette agrees to ghostwrite a semi-autobiographical novel for her husband. Its success soon inspires her to fight for creative... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Denise Gough, Fiona Shaw
Directed By: Wash Westmoreland
100%
Critics Consensus: Minding the Gap draws on more than a decade of documentary footage to assemble a poignant picture of young American lives that resonates far beyond its onscreen subjects.
Synopsis: Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.
Starring: Bing Liu
Directed By: Bing Liu
97%
Critics Consensus: Dead Pigs casts a sharp critical and satirical eye toward late-stage capitalism in China and the world beyond, establishing writer-director Cathy Yan as a filmmaker to watch.
Synopsis: The fates of an unlucky pig farmer, a feisty home-owner defending her property, a lovestruck busboy, a disenchanted rich girl, and an American expat pursuing... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Zazie Beetz, Mason Lee, Li Meng, David Rysdahl
Directed By: Cathy Yan
99%
Critics Consensus: Shirkers uses one woman's interrogation of a pivotal personal disappointment to offer affecting observations on creativity, lost opportunity, and coming to terms with the past.
Synopsis: In 1992 teenager Sandi Tan shoots Singapore's first road movie with her enigmatic American mentor, Georges, who then absconded with all of the footage. The... View Full Synopsis
Directed By: Sandi Tan
96%
Critics Consensus: On Her Shoulders traces one woman's incredible journey to offer an inside look at modern political advocacy - and a challenge to viewers yearning to effect their own change.
Synopsis: Nadia Murad, a 23-year-old Yazidi genocide and ISIS sexual slavery survivor, is determined to tell her story. As her journey leads down paths of advocacy... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nadia Murad, Amal Clooney
Directed By: Alexandria Bombach
92%
Critics Consensus: Thoroughly sweet, comfortably familiar, and elevated by the chemistry between Nick Offerman and Kiersey Clemons, Hearts Beat Loud offers feel-good father-daughter drama.
Synopsis: In the hip Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, single dad and record store owner Frank is preparing to send his hard-working daughter Sam off to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nick Offerman, Kiersey Clemons, Ted Danson, Sasha Lane
Directed By: Brett Haley
95%
Critics Consensus: As lyrical and bittersweet as the music its subject left behind, Blaze takes a decidedly unconventional -- yet richly rewarding -- approach to the musical biopic.
Synopsis: A reimagining of the life and times of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas Outlaw Music movement.
Starring: Ben Dickey, Alia Shawkat, Charlie Sexton, Josh Hamilton
Directed By: Ethan Hawke
93%
Critics Consensus: Bisbee '17 offers one town's reckoning with its own history as a compelling argument that the mistakes of the past are truly corrected only when they're faced head on.
Synopsis: Locals stage re-creations of the town's controversial past.
Directed By: Robert Greene
90%
Critics Consensus: Hal pays affectionate tribute to a filmmaker whose offscreen life proves as engaging as his best work.
Synopsis: Filmmaker Hal Ashby's obsessive genius leads to an unprecedented string of Oscar-winning classics, including "Harold and Maude," "Shampoo" and "Being There." But as contemporaries Francis... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Voight, Rosanna Arquette, Beau Bridges, Robert Towne
Directed By: Amy Scott
94%
Critics Consensus: Private Life uses one couple's bumpy journey to take an affecting look at an easily identifiable - and too rarely dramatized - rite of adult passage.
Synopsis: A couple coping with infertility struggle to keep their marriage going as they navigate through the world of adoption and assisted reproduction.
Starring: Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Kayli Carter, Molly Shannon
Directed By: Tamara Jenkins
96%
Critics Consensus: Surreal and surprising, Three Identical Strangers effectively questions the nature of reality and identity.
Synopsis: Identical triplets become separated at birth and adopted by three different families. Years later, their amazing reunion becomes a global sensation but also unearths an... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Shafran, David Kellman, Lawrence Wright, Will Ennis
Directed By: Tim Wardle
90%
Critics Consensus: Elevated by a bravura performance from Maggie Gyllenhaal, The Kindergarten Teacher is one American remake that retains its impact the second time around.
Synopsis: A teacher sees such great promise in her 5-year-old student that she goes to unreasonable lengths to protect his talent.
Starring: Maggie Gyllenhaal, Gael García Bernal, Michael Chernus, Anna Baryshnikov
Directed By: Sara Colangelo
84%
Critics Consensus: Well-acted and visually stylish, Monsters and Men tells its timely story with enough compassion and complexity to make up for occasionally uneven execution.
Synopsis: Tensions rise when a young man records a police officer shooting a black motorist in a Brooklyn, N.Y., neighborhood.
Starring: John David Washington, Anthony Ramos, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Chanté Adams
Directed By: Reinaldo Marcus Green
94%
Critics Consensus: As timely as it is overall impactful, Blindspotting blends buddy comedy with seething social commentary, and rises on the strength of Daveed Diggs' powerful performance.
Synopsis: Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning in his Oakland, Calif., neighborhood. His bond... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daveed Diggs, Rafael Casal, Janina Gavankar, Jasmine Cephas Jones
Directed By: Carlos López Estrada
83%
Critics Consensus: Sharp, funny, and delightfully dark, Time Share (Tiempo Compartido) offers genre fans a complex thriller that sinks its hooks in fast and doesn't let go until the closing credits.
Synopsis: Two haunted family men join forces in a destructive crusade to rescue their families from a tropical paradise after becoming convinced that an American timeshare... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Luis Gerardo Méndez, Miguel Rodarte, RJ Mitte, Cassandra Ciangherotti
Directed By: Sebastian Hofmann
75%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When his wife re-emerges from a long-lasting coma, a middle-aged lawyer concocts increasingly elaborate ways to try to regain what he misses most: the pity... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Giannis Drakopoulos, Evdoxia Androulidaki, Georgina Chryskioti, Makis Papadimitriou
Directed By: Babis Makridis
81%
Critics Consensus: Beirut tells a complex, tightly plotted tale of international intrigue, further elevated by strong central performances from Jon Hamm and Rosamund Pike.
Synopsis: In 1980s Beirut, Mason Skiles is a former U.S. diplomat who is called back into service to save a colleague from the group that is... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Mark Pellegrino
Directed By: Brad Anderson
95%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Irene and Klaus live with their four children on the outskirts of Rio de Janiero. Their teenage son Fernando has had a great season in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Karine Teles, Otávio Muller, Adriana Esteves, Konstantinos Sarris
Directed By: Gustavo Pizzi
63%
Critics Consensus: I Think We're Alone Now benefits from an absorbing aesthetic and solid work from its leads, although it's still somewhat less than the sum of its post-apocalyptic parts.
Synopsis: Del is alone in the world. After the human race is wiped out, he lives in his small, empty town, content in his solitude and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Peter Dinklage, Elle Fanning, Paul Giamatti, Charlotte Gainsbourg
Directed By: Reed Morano
67%
Critics Consensus: The beautifully filmed Damsel injects the western genre with a welcome dose of humor and some unexpected twists, although its stately pace may frustrate impatient viewers.
Synopsis: Samuel Alabaster, an affluent pioneer, ventures across the American frontier to marry the love of his life, Penelope. As his group traverses the West, the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert Pattinson, Mia Wasikowska, David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Directed By: David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
88%
Critics Consensus: American Animals tangles with a number of weighty themes, but never at the expense of delivering a queasily compelling true crime thriller.
Synopsis: Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk and Chas Allen are four friends who live an ordinary existence in Kentucky. After a visit to Transylvania University,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Barry Keoghan, Evan Peters, Jared Abrahamson, Blake Jenner
Directed By: Bart Layton
72%
Critics Consensus: Stylish with a sadistic streak, Piercing pairs gripping lead performances with a smartly macabre story that delivers unpredictable thrills.
Synopsis: After kissing his wife and baby goodbye for a seemingly normal business trip, Reed checks himself into a hotel room to accomplish something he's always... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Christopher Abbott, Mia Wasikowska, Laia Costa, Marin Ireland
Directed By: Nicolas Pesce
74%
Critics Consensus: Assassination Nation juggles exploitation and socially aware elements with mixed results, but genre fans may find it too stylish and viscerally energetic to ignore.
Synopsis: High school senior Lily and her three best friends live in a haze of texts, posts, selfies and chats -- just like the rest of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Odessa Young, Suki Waterhouse, Hari Nef, Abra
Directed By: Sam Levinson
59%
Critics Consensus: Tyrel uses its seemingly innocuous setup to take an admirably uncomfortable -- albeit occasionally somewhat diffuse -- look at modern American race relations.
Synopsis: Tyler spirals out of control when he realizes he's the only black person attending a weekend birthday party in a secluded cabin.
Starring: Jason Mitchell, Christopher Abbott, Michael Cera, Caleb Landry Jones
Directed By: Sebastián Silva
86%
Critics Consensus: Nancy is an uncomfortable watch, but worth the effort thanks to Andrea Riseborough's central performance -- and writer-director Christina Choe's powerful empathy for her character's dangerously misguided choices.
Synopsis: Craving connection with others, Nancy creates elaborate identities and hoaxes under pseudonyms on the internet. When she meets a couple whose daughter went missing 30... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Andrea Riseborough, J. Smith-Cameron, Steve Buscemi, Ann Dowd
Directed By: Christina Choe
67%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The story of Donald Trump's election is told through Russian propaganda.
Starring: Emin Agalarov, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton
Directed By: Maxim Pozdorovkin
77%
Critics Consensus: Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot avoids inspirational biopic clichés thanks to sensitive work from writer-director Gus Van Sant and the admirable efforts of a well-chosen cast.
Synopsis: After nearly dying in a car accident, the last thing Oregon slacker John Callahan intends to do is give up alcohol. Encouraged by his girlfriend... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Jonah Hill, Rooney Mara, Jack Black
Directed By: Gus Van Sant
66%
Critics Consensus: Lizzie forces audiences to take a new look at a widely known true-crime story -- even if the well-acted end result is never quite as gripping as it could be.
Synopsis: In 1892 Lizzie Borden lives a quiet life in Massachusetts under the strict rules established by her father. Lizzie finds a kindred spirit in the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chloë Sevigny, Kristen Stewart, Jamey Sheridan, Fiona Shaw
Directed By: Craig William Macneill
71%
Critics Consensus: Summer of '84 suffers from an overreliance on nostalgia for its titular decade, but a number of effective jolts may still satisfy genre enthusiasts.
Synopsis: Teenager Davey Armstrong is a conspiracy theorist who begins to suspect that a neighboring police officer is a serial killer. With help from three friends,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Graham Verchere, Judah Lewis, Caleb Emery, Cory Gruter-Andrew
Directed By: François Simard, Anouk Whissell, Yoann-Karl Whissell
82%
Critics Consensus: Juliet, Naked's somewhat familiar narrative arc is elevated by standout work from a charming cast led by a well-matched Rose Byrne and Ethan Hawke.
Synopsis: Annie breaks up with her longtime boyfriend Duncan -- a teacher who's obsessed with former 1990s rocker Tucker Crowe. She soon develops an unexpected bond... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd, Megan Dodds
Directed By: Jesse Peretz
32%
Critics Consensus: The Catcher Was a Spy loses sight of the most interesting elements of its fact-based story, dropping the ball and leaving likable lead Paul Rudd stranded.
Synopsis: Major League Baseball player Moe Berg lives a double life as a spy for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.
Starring: Paul Rudd, Mark Strong, Guy Pearce, Paul Giamatti
Directed By: Ben Lewin
71%
Critics Consensus: A passion project for writer, director, and star Rupert Everett, The Happy Prince pays effective tribute to Oscar Wilde with a poignant look at his tragic final days.
Synopsis: His body ailing, Oscar Wilde lives in exile, surviving on the flamboyant irony and brilliant wit that defined him.
Starring: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Emily Watson, Colin Morgan
Directed By: Rupert Everett
67%
Critics Consensus: A Futile and Stupid Gesture entertainingly recreates the birth of an influential comedic movement, even if it struggles to cover its creative ground.
Synopsis: Writer Doug Kenney co-founds National Lampoon magazine in 1970.
Starring: Will Forte, Emmy Rossum, Domhnall Gleeson, Seth Green
Directed By: David Wain
69%
Critics Consensus: Come Sunday benefits greatly from Chiwetel Ejiofor's central performance, which is often enough to lift an otherwise uneven drama.
Synopsis: Internationally-renowned pastor Carlton Pearson risks his church, family and future when he questions church doctrine and finds himself branded a heretic.
Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martin Sheen, Jason Segel, Dola Rashad
Directed By: Joshua Marston
53%
Critics Consensus: Yardie proves debuting director Idris Elba has a distinctive eye that benefits from a strong personal connection to his material, even if the end results are somewhat uneven.
Synopsis: A man's quest for retribution brings him into conflict with a vicious London gangster.
Starring: Aml Ameen, Stephen Graham, Shantol Jackson, Mark Rhino Smith
Directed By: Idris Elba
