Set in the Gaeltacht Quarter of West Belfast in 2019, Kneecap depicts how the hip-hip group came to be formed and created their sound. Calling upon their own life stories and encounters in their Northern Irish upbringing, the band members each tell their own tale of hardship, particularly Móglaí Bap, whose family has been torn apart by his radical Republican father Arlo (Michael Fassbender). But with fame comes responsibility, and before long the Kneecap members find themselves facing life threatening hostility towards them and their music.

While the movie may not be 100% factual, but director Rich Peppiatt delivers a feature film that could well be a reality show. Every inch of the drama oozes authenticity and honesty. Given the Kneecap boys have never acted before in their lives, each of their performances is nothing short of astonishing. Peppiatt has previously stated that it wasn’t that the musicians couldn’t act, just that they didn’t know how to, and the rappers underwent an acting crash course in the build-up to shooting the project.

Evidently, the hard graft paid off because the result is an exemplary example of storytelling that is brilliantly executed. What truly makes Kneecap pop is the truthfulness of its cast. Sure, Fassbender is a name that adds a bit of Hollywood glamour to the cast list, but it could be argued that he isn’t required to make this film a success. The cinematography is explosive and imaginative, matching the vibrancy of the soundtrack, made up of the band’s best hits. The movie is also loaded with wit and humour, but just the right amount so that it doesn’t take the emphasis off the more serious undertones.

It hardly comes as a surprise that the Kneecap won the NEXT Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film will without doubt become a cult classic amongst certain audiences, but it is important to acknowledge that Kneecap proves to be an educational experience as well as a dramatisation. Through all the fun and games the political arguments remain very real and look certain to continue to be so in the distant future.

Guy Lambert

Kneecap is released nationwide on 23^rd August 2024.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Kneecap here:

The strands of sibling chaos and fights, the need for independence, and the generational divide exemplified by the ever-changing world of technology with social media give this film heart and relatability. Wang ensures authenticity by employing a majority cast of first-time actors that give it that sense of reality, whilst the storytelling aspect covers a wider community, immersing audiences in the deeper layers of Izaac’s world.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of interviewing the cast and creatives of this film on the red carpet at Sundance London 2024. Sean Wang, Carlos Lopez and Valerie Bush came together to jest about their time on set together, the story behind the feature and what they felt most proud of developing this film.

Executive producer Valerie Bush talked about the collaborative process with Wang, the costume and set design that uniquely explored the past and the emotional depth of the story.

Ezelle Alblas

Dìdi does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Dìdi here:

The musical trio are made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí who all play themselves in the film, whilst award-winning actor Michael Fassbender comes on board in a supporting role to play one of the musician’s dad Arlo Ó Cairealláin. The movie has already garnered success, winning the prestigious Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, being the first-ever Irish language film to premiere there.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the writer and director Rich Peppiatt about how he managed to persuade the band to let him bring their story to life and the importance of some of the bigger themes within the story.

We spoke to Michael Fassbender about what drew him to the script, his role in the feature and what it was like being on set with Kneecap.

Kneecap spoke about how they all met, the controversial side to their work but also the importance of keeping the native Irish language alive.

We spoke to Jessica Reynolds and Fionnula Flaherty about heading into this story, what it meant to them and what they liked about the context of the film.

Ezelle Alblas

Kneecap does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Kneecap here:

As part of the celebrations, Sundance London in collaboration with Picturehouse curated a selection of previously successful shorts and screened Careful How You Go as part of these repertory screenings. The film is a psychologically dark comedy film about three vengeful women filmed in London and starring Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Daniel Rigby and Linda Bassett.

With Fennell now noted as an established filmmaker with numerous accolades behind her and after her huge success with the 2023 film Saltburn, The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to her on the red carpet as she discussed her support for the festival, the platform it offers to budding directors and creatives and the starting point it offered her in her own career starting out as a filmmaker.

Ezelle Alblas

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

When 18-year-old Elliot (Maisy Stella) decides to take magic mushrooms with two of her best friends, she conjures up a 38-year-old version of herself (Aubrey Plaza) who offers her some advice from the future. Faced with the bright light of day, she passes it off as part of the hallucinogenic trip, until she spots a piece of paper with a phone number that still links her to her older self.

The ongoing conversations with her older self encourage her to forge better relationships with her family and especially poignant is the delicate balance of the relationship with her mother (Maria Dizzia) and how that can deepen and change with the acceptance of Elliot moving towards adulthood. There’s also the foreboding advice to stay away from a guy called Chad (Percy Hynes White), who provides a path of chaos and danger that adds grit and emotional layers to the narrative. 

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to Stella on the red carpet at Sundance London 2024 to talk about coming on board with this role as her first feature film, working alongside Plaza to replicate each other’s versions of themselves and the delightful modern take on a teen drama like 13 Going on 30.

Ezelle Alblas

My Old Ass does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for My Old Ass here:

Quite accidentally, Jeff Zimbalist and Maria Bukhonina’s Netflix-bound documentary proves to be a perceptive portrait of the ways in which tight-knit influencer couples such as Nikolau and Beerkus carefully curate their online image. It’s altogether less insightful on the matter of the daredevil activity to which they have committed themselves, and the psychology driving their commitment. Skywalkers: A Love Story offers neither the genuine curiosity regarding its subjects nor the breath-catching immediacy of Free Solo, the most obvious of its forebears. Instead, the result feels so steeped in its subjects’ self-mythologization as to have been streamed directly from their socials into the theatre (or, for the lion’s share of audiences, their laptop and phone screens, a final destination that feels fitting). There is little doubt that a documentary’s subjects should drive both the action and the core interest of the movie around them, but whether they should feel like the film’s primary authors is a different matter.

The synthetic flavour suffusing Skywalkers sets in early, as Nikolau lays out her philosophy. “Limits only exist in our mind,” she declares, in what becomes a steady stream of platitudinal soundbites. “Our strength is in our femininity,” she intones shortly thereafter. It will be little surprise to audiences when she finally concludes that the art of rooftopping has, in fact, taught her to love. However, come that point they may still feel the frustrated sense that Skywalkers has yet to truly start. As Nikolau and Beerkus’s voiceovers coalesce with Jacques Brautbar’s equally omnipresent score, there is the unmistakable sense of a lengthy advertisement for a film instead of the film itself. After all, were this the genuine article, would the filmmakers not be interested in hearing from the two’s friends and family, instead only seen dispensing support by way of FaceTime?

Still, Nikolau, Beerkus, Zimbalist and Bukhonina make sure that if you’re going to spin a yarn, framing it against a mighty canvas won’t hurt. When viewed as purely vicarious experience of some of our most vertigo-inducing heights, Skywalkers proves a more satisfying experience. If there is one thing of which the documentary leaves you in little doubt, it’s their ability to make all the derring-do look easy.

Thomas Messner

Skywalkers: A Love Story does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Talati’s film is resolutely feminist and challenges misogynistic ideation head-on – both the old-fashioned phallocentric variety and the scourge of internalised misogyny. When it becomes apparent that several of her male schoolmates are responsible for upskirting, headstrong Mira takes the matter to the schoolmarm. After initially chastising the girls for their hem length, insinuating that it’s their fault if they encounter predatory boys, the schoolmarm is swayed by Mira’s protestations and she’s able to bring about real change at her school. 

Sexual exploration is also central to Mira’s rebellious identity. Together, she and Sri map out the mechanics of sex in preparation for consummating their relationship. There’s a particularly wholesome scene in which Sri researches the nerve endings of the clitoris, while Mira assigns herself with uncovering male anatomy. It’s a refreshing take on the coming-of-age drama, a subgenre that rarely tackles themes of consent or the logistics of intercourse. More often than not, Hollywood depicts an unrealistically seamless fantasy of first-time sex. Such depictions are a symptom, perhaps, of the increasing pornification of sex; Girls Will Be Girls, meanwhile, is an antidote to the harmful endurance of the male gaze in cinema. Panigrahi and Kiron, both making their acting debuts, are outstanding in their navigation of these often challenging themes.

With meditative performances and naturalistic dialogue, Talati’s debut offering is a triumph; both the director and her young leads are undoubtedly stars in the making. Much like Mira’s transition out of that aforementioned gloom, Girls Will Be Girls is a slow burn with a thought-provoking payoff that’s worth waiting for.

Antonia Georgiou

Girls Will Be Girls is released in select cinemas on 20^th September 2024.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Girls Will Be Girls here:

The latest feature of brothers David and Nathan Zellner (no relation to The Father director Florian Zellner), who recently also directed a number of episodes of The Curse, feels like it is downright made to divide audiences. The plot itself is rather simple: four of the creatures perhaps more commonly known as “Bigfoots” traverse the North American wilderness over four seasons, fighting for their survival. What you see is what you get – and yet, the film had one of the highest walkout rates in both its Sundance and Berlin screenings.

While several scenes are played for laughs, the sincere and dedicated cinematography and sound design prove that Sunset is earnestly invested in the fate of these creatures. Those remaining in their seats and following the Bigfoots’ journey, will likely be moved by their story.

Rarely has a film able to forgo human representation entirely, been so deeply human in its nature. The depicted beings display relatable primate behaviours, practically yielding to our understanding of evolution. It is difficult to describe the language component of the film, as the Sasquatches have their own verbal and non-verbal forms of communication, all of which are completely understandable to the audience’s human ears. Viewers able to engulf themselves in the narrative may even be prone to forget that these are not our closest animal relatives, but that their existence is one of myths and folklore.

Selina Sondermann

Sasquatch Sunset is released nationwide on 14^th June 2024.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Sasquatch Sunset here:

Like a modern Catcher in the Rye through the lens of 13-year-old Chris, this coming-of-age feature starring Izaac Wang follows Chris the summer before the start of his high school years. His social awkwardness and constant attempts to fit in with his friends result in several lies and mishaps that cause a rift between him and those he loves. As he struggles through teen angst and connecting with new people, he ignores friends, takes for granted his mother’s efforts to build a home in the stead of an absent father, and fights with his sister who is leaving for college. Izaac’s performance as Chris perfectly captures the essence of an adolescent juggling his first puppy love, the struggle for genuine self-acceptance, and the innate selfishness of a teen who can’t see past their own problems.

The young actor affords his character – who’s extremely flawed and constantly presents reasons to be annoyed at him or suffer second-hand embarrassment on his behalf – a very charming innocence and loneliness that draws viewers to root for him. Sean’s writing paired with Izaac’s charismatic performance evokes a genuine relatability to Chris; the audience can easily see themselves in his shoes and understand where he’s coming from despite all the deceits and careless decisions. The world-building is also extremely effective in setting up the nostalgia of living in the late 2000s and going through these same teen dilemmas. Viewers will remember similar situations Chris is facing in their own experiences; Dìdi is immersive in a way that it’s truly like a time capsule, not just for that era, but also for anyone who lived through it as a teenager.

Still, the highlight of Dìdi goes beyond just Chris as a protagonist and the familiar environment curated by the film. It’s the relationships and the core characters surrounding him that truly make this picture such a fulfilling experience. Seeing glimpses of his mother’s story, but never truly tapping into it, is an effective method of providing the character depth but maintaining the sanctity of Chris’s perspective. Then there’s the sibling dynamic between Chris and Vivienne. Elucidating how easily sibling pranks and petty fights can result in emotional damage, and then showing the arc of the two of them working to reconcile, is one of the most heartwarming moments throughout the film. Most of all, the feature ends without truly resolving any significant break in Chris’s relationships: there are no easy apologies or forgiveness, and some friendships may never be repaired. But that is the point of childhood – it’s uncertain, indefinite and temporary.

Dìdi is a beautiful feature. There are moments of light-hearted fun and chaotic misadventures that will get people laughing with tears in their eyes. But at the core of it is a nuanced exploration of teenage anxiety, the culture clash that surrounds immigrant children, and more importantly, it’s a story of a young boy just trying to find his place in a world he perceives is set to ridicule, pressure and isolate him.

Mae Trumata

Dìdi does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Dìdi here:

It’s hardly a spoiler to disclose that the presence in Laura’s house proves to not be so malignant. Instead, he arrives in the form of a shaggy monster man (Casual’s Tommy Dewey), though his monstrousness largely extends to the poor manners and unwashed appearance of your average bad roommate. What begins as tense soon unfurls into a comfortable domestic balance. He makes the messes until she learns to stop cleaning them up, effectively freed by her monster’s counsel to embrace and pursue her own self-worth. That’s all well and good, on the face of it. Laura and her monster curl up and cry to Golden Age musicals, recite Shakespeare and carry out an impromptu performance of Leon Russell’s A Song for You, which may have felt like a cheat code were it not for that song’s irresistible emotional shimmer. Yet something feels lost whenever the Beast to Laura’s Beauty takes the stage. Your Monster becomes more predictable, not less.

Where Lindy’s film works best is as a showcase for Barrera. Afforded a wider emotional range than the Scream franchise could ever claim, the actress proves a winning comic lead, and Your Monster is never more at ease than in simply letting her be. Whether indulging in some well-earned private wallowing over heartbreak (“He loves her so much!” she sobs over her copy of Frankenstein) or letting loose a long-restrained torrent of fury, Barrera makes Your Monster featherlight yet grounded; sweet, but just on the right side of sugary. Whenever her hairy sounding board returns, one feels Your Monster’s twee gears turning. The monster’s edges are simply too soft, their romance too neatly arranged. This promising debut feels most alive with a sting in its sweetness.

Thomas Messner

Your Monster does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.