Sundance Film Festival is upon us again, shining a light on the best of the best in independent cinema.
For more than 40 years, Sundance, which kicks off Thursday (and runs through Feb. 3), has been the launching pad for iconic filmmakers (Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, David O. Russell and Wes Anderson, among others) as well as a ton of great indie movies. Out of Utah have come Oscar-ready films like “CODA” – the only Sundance movie to win best picture – plus cult oddities such as “Napoleon Dynamite” and a lot of horror fare, from the original “Saw” to the 2023 summer hit “Talk to Me.”
This year’s event features another crop of premieres trying to make their mark, from a musical remake of “Kiss of the Spider Woman” (starring Jennifer Lopez) and pop thriller “Opus” to high-profile documentaries including “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” “Sly Lives!” and “Pee-wee as Himself.”
Tickets for online screenings (beginning Jan. 30) are now available for movie lovers who want to partake from their couch. But if you also want to celebrate the fest’s long history, here are its 10 best all-time films to stream for your own greatest-hits Sundance:
‘Sex, Lies and Videotape’ (1989)
Before winning the Palme d’Or at Cannes, Steven Soderbergh’s directorial debut sizzled at Sundance with James Spader as a guy who videotapes women discussing their sexual fantasies and gets old college pals involved. The film helped kick-start an indie movie revolution that included another Sundance debut, Tarantino’s “Reservoir Dogs,” two years later.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon
‘Clerks’ (1994)
That year’s festival slate included heavyweights like “Hoop Dreams” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral,” though Kevin Smith’s first low-budget comedy stands out as a black-and-white story of two convenience store clerks (Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson) that’s timeless in its relatability for working stiffs everywhere.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Amazon, Pluto TV
‘The Blair Witch Project’ (1999)
Remember that whole found-footage phenomenon in the 2000s? Blame it all on the original. The creep-fest about filmmakers venturing into a Maryland forest to document a local legend freaked out a generation of horror fans with its shaky-cam antics and constant sense of dread.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Starz
‘American Psycho’ (2000)
Sorry, Batman, Christian Bale’s best role is Huey Lewis-loving yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman in director Mary Harron’s darkly comic, blood-drenched thriller. Not only is the cast outstanding (with Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Jared Leto and Reese Witherspoon) but the 1980s satire is as sharp as Bateman’s ax.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon, Hulu
‘Brick’ (2005)
Best known in the mainstream for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and the “Knives Out” films, writer/director Rian Johnson first made a splash in the indie scene with his masterful teen-movie spin on film noir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the hardboiled high-school detective navigating cliques and kid crime rings to find out who murdered his ex.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon
‘Little Miss Sunshine’ (2006)
Hilarious and heartfelt misadventure is afoot when a dysfunctional family piles into VW bus for a cross-country trip to get their youngest member (Abigail Breslin) into a beauty pageant. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette plays the bickering mom and dad, Steve Carell is the suicidal gay uncle, and Alan Arkin steals the movie as the coolest grandpa ever.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Hulu
‘Fruitvale Station’ (2013)
Before their sensational collaborations “Creed” and “Black Panther,” debuting director Ryan Coogler teamed with Michael B. Jordan for this biopic showing the final day of Oscar Grant (Jordan), a young Oakland man killed by police officers in 2009. It’s a powerful and affecting work that’s only grown more relevant over the years.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Max
‘Whiplash’ (2014)
Music is turned into a beautifully brutal art form in director Damien Chazelle’s pre-“La La Land” drama. Miles Teller is a freshman drummer at a major conservatory who wants to be the next Buddy Rich, and J.K. Simmons won an Oscar playing the kid’s abusive, perfectionist jazz band director from hell.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon, Netflix
‘Get Out’ (2017)
While scary movies have long had a socially conscious side, Jordan Peele brought it back to the fore in a big way with his first directorial outing, one of the best horror movies in recent memory. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a Black photographer visiting his white girlfriend’s parents and is terrified to discover the truly insidious reason for his invitation.
Where to watch: Apple TV, Fandango at Home, Amazon
‘CODA’ (2021)
The tear-jerking dramedy featured a breakthrough role for Emilia Jones, an Oscar-winning, scene-stealing turn by Troy Kotsur and a thoughtful narrative that took audiences into the personal lives of a deaf family with a single hearing member.
Where to watch: Apple TV+
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