OUR TOP 10 LISTS

10. RED LIGHTS

Going into the festival, lots of people were talking about RED LIGHTS, a psychological thriller from director Rodrigo Cortés, whose last film, BURIED, sparked a massive bidding war. With an all-star cast including Robert De Niro, Sigourney Weaver, Cillian Murphy and last year’s Sundance ‘it girl’ Elizabeth Olsen, it looked great on paper, but turned out to be neither intellectually stimulating nor thrilling, and as the film goes on, regresses further and further into utter caricature.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney, SUNfiltered Editor

9. FILLY BROWN

There were high expectations for this gritty, hip-hop coming of age story featuring Edward J. Olmos, Lou Diamond Philips and Jenni Rivera. Critics wound up evenly split on loving and, well, not loving, the film. The one thing everyone seemed to agree on, however, was how much breakout star Gina Rodriguez rocked.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

8. BACHELORETTE

Bad girls were a big theme of Sundance 2012 and BACHELORETTE certainly had more of them per screen inch than any other film.

And for the most part, people loved laughing along with Kirsten Dunst and Lizzy Caplan’s misdeeds, but the inevitable comparisons to BRIDESMAIDS and a questionable third act dampened a bit of the film’s buzz factor.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

7. RED HOOK SUMMER

Everybody was waiting for baited breath for the next Spike Lee joint. The director continued his heated relationship with both the press, and Hollywood, at the Q&A after his premiere by telling everyone, “This is not a motherfucking sequel to DO THE RIGHT THING!”

So, we guess it wasn’t. It also wasn’t the recipient of that many positive reviews. Critics called it disorganized and messy. There was also a lot of complaining about the ending, but something tells us Spike doesn’t care about that.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

6. THE RAID

This Indonesian action flick actually premiered at Toronto, and the few critics who saw it there spread fostered enough hype to make it one of the most talked about premieres at Sundance 2012. And guess what, it lived up to the hype. A brand new soundtrack from Mike Shinoda helped make this film so popular, we heard of people going to see it twice while out in Park City.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

5. ROOM 237

Film lovers love films about film, and ROOM 237 dug deep into a class: Stanley Kubrick’s THE SHINING. The critic-made movie delighted critics and fans alike with its madcap exploration of the conspiracy theories behind the film.

Was it really Kubrick’s apology for faking the moon landing? Or was it a critique of the Native American genocide. You’ll have to decide for yourself.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

4. SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED

One of the big trends at Sundance this year was disappointing endings. Lots of films with pre-fest hype were felled by their lackluster conclusions, but SAFETY NOT GUARANTEED was not one of them. Not only did the cast, filled with indie faves like Aubrey Plaza, charm the critics, but it had a surprise ending that everybody loved.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

3. LIBERAL ARTS

Triple threat Josh Radnor’s second feature is one Sundance film that actually exceeded expectations and hype. Lizzie Olsen, Allison Janney and Richard Jenkins rounded out a cast (link to Festival Insider) that charmed just about everyone who saw the film. A lot of people were expecting this one to be too sentimental and predictable, but the reviews are in and we’re hard pressed to find someone who didn’t like LIBERAL ARTS.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

2. THE SURROGATE

THE SURROGATE lived up to the considerable hype generated by it’s $6m acquisition by Fox Searchlight. A touching tale about the polio-crippled poet Mark O’Brien’s attempt to lose his virginity to a sex surrogate, played by a very nude Helen Hunt, you’ll laugh even though you probably shouldn’t. The film is anchored by a very charming John Hawkes as O’Brien; it’s a far cry from his menacing roles in WINTER’S BONE and MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney

1. BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD

Director Behn Zeitlin’s wondrous debut BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD turned out to be the hottest ticket in town. A visually resplendent fairy tale for post-Katrina America, it’s like a cross between MAD MAX and THE NEVERENDING STORY. But perhaps the best part about this film is one of the greatest performances of all-time by newcomer, and Louisiana native, Quvenzhané Wallis.

Author: Michelle Byrnes-Carney