The Sundance Film Festival is fast approaching, and Nerdbot is on the ground this year, bringing you the latest from independent voices from all over the world. With over 90 films to see over roughly 11 days, even for someone like me who tries to see everything simply cannot. There’s so many great films this year, and I’ve got a few I want to highlight and to put on your list and we head into Park City! So here are a few feature films I recommend checking out when you can!
“Touch Me“
Back at Sundance with her second feature, writer/director Addison Heimann returns with “Touch Me,” a psychosexual horror/comedy with a 60s/70s Japanese cinema styling. Fans of absurdity and weirdness are in for a treat, as “Touch Me” goes for broke with both while also exploring toxic relationships and trauma. It follows two friends Craig and Joey who are down on their luck and rendered homeless, which is when Joey’s super hot and eccentric ex shows back up and invites them both to his compound for the weekend. Her ex happens to be an alien who’s touch can cure anxiety and depression, making it an almost heroin like addiction for the two friends who have a lot of both and want to be cured. but Brian may be more sinister beneath the surface, and two co-dependent friends will have to both heal and survive as things go from bad to worse. Artfully crafted and laugh out loud funny, “Touch Me” is the perfect Sundance Midnighter, with Heimann examining dark traumas through hyper stylized violence and absurdist humor. It’s why we come for the midnight slate, and “Touch Me” is one to watch in Park City!
“The Virgin of the Quarry Lake“
I’m a sucker for films that make me sit with them for a bit after they conclude, especially ones like “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake,” in which even the one sentence synopsis doesn’t come close to describing what it has in store for you. Adapted from two short stories by acclaimed author Mariana Enríquez, it is directed by Laura Casabé from a screenplay by Benjamín Naishtat. It follows 3 young girls who are all in love with Diego, Natalia the most infactuated of the three. When Diego begins a relationship with a much older woman Sylvia, jealously all but consumes Natalia and she do anything to have Diego herself – even if it means casting spells using witchcraft. There’s plenty more to chew on beyond that, as “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” draws from its source material a lot of the mythology and folklore of South American culture, and is quite rich thematically beyond 3 girls pining for a boys affection. Dolores Oliverio is terrific as Natalia, an alluring young girl coming into her own but always on the verge of something darker in her eyes and actions. She’s the crux of “The Virgin of the Quarry Lake” and though she is asked to do a lot often, she is consistently captivating throughout. It’s a film you have to see to really talk about, but one I recommend you don’t miss!
“Didn’t Die“
You had me at podcast during the zombie apocalypse. A stunning black and white homage to old school George Romero horror films – in which the focus is the humanity living among the dead and not so much the dead themselves, “Didn’t Die” combines sharp wit and humor with the toll of survival. Powered by an incredible performance from Kiran Deol, the film follows Vintra as a traveling podcast host as biters roam the world. While her audience dwindles and her family in quarantine struggles to deal with the anxiety that comes with survival, her ex shows up unexpectedly with an abandon baby, an arrival that begins to crack Vintra’s armor as she uses indifference and humor to keep her head above water. “Didn’t Die” has spurts of well crafted zombie violence, is elevated by its stellar cinematography, and keeps you chuckling and laughing with its dark, sarcastic humor. It is intrinsically tied to the lockdowns and the pandemic, masking more direct comparisons under the genre horror vale. “Didn’t Die” is a bit of a slow burn, but delivers a rewarding payoff as things begin to change for the worst and the fight for survival becomes more and more difficult. It’s smart and well crafted, and one I highly recommend you put on your list for Sundance!
There are so many more films we are excited to check out, and I hope you get a chance to see these ones. Keep an eye out for more coverage from this year’s film festival.
