Sundance Film Festival

This year’s festival offered plenty of devilishly dark delights within its raucous Midnight strand.

Lizzie – first look review

Chloë Sevigny plays infamous axe killer Lizzie Borden in director Craig William Macneill’s chilling drama.

Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist – first look review

Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood proves a spiky and evasive presence in this entertaining docu-portrait.

Mandy – first look review

This ultra-violent Nic Cage revenge flick is the stuff midnight movie legend is made of.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post – first look review

Desiree Akhavan delivers a bold and poignant queer drama about teen survivors of gay conversion therapy.

Our New President – first look review

This frequently confounding collage doc explores the cult of Donald Trump through fake news and viral footage.

On Her Shoulders – first look review

A compelling look at the global campaigning of sex slave survivor turned reluctant Yazidi activist, Nadia Murad.

The Force – first look review

This timely, well-intentioned doc offers a revealing look at the inner workings of the Oakland PD.

A Ghost Story – first look review

Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara reunite for David Lowery’s slow-burn meditation on loss and grief.

Manifesto – first look review

Cate Blanchett goes hell for leather in this unapologetically arty film about art.

Killing Ground – first look review

There’s shades of Straw Dogs and Deliverance in this effective Aussie backwoods horror.

The Discovery – first look review

Jason Segel and Rooney Mara are an unlikely central pairing in this low-key sci-fi about the discovery of an afterlife.

The Eyes of My Mother – first look review

By Ed Frankl

First-time director Nicolas Pesce takes audiences on a nightmarish journey with this impressive American Gothic.

The Birth of a Nation – first look review

The buzz film from this year’s Sundance is a stirring, historical tale of racial injustice that feels more vital now than ever.

Christine – first look review

By Ed Frankl

A stunning central turn from Rebecca Hall grounds Antonio Campos’ dramatisation of TV reporter Christine Chubbuck’s on-air suicide.

Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall – first look review

Spike Lee’s follow-up to Bad 25 shines a light on the King of Pop’s indisputable talents, but is otherwise alarmingly lightweight.

Wiener Dog – first look review

Todd Solondz’s typically bleak ensemble piece serves up a fresh ingredient for an otherwise familiarly grim trek across America.