Day Five | Sundance 2021

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Concise opinions about the films I watched during Day Five of Sundance 2021, including links to the respective reviews.

Movies present in this article:

  • Judas and the Black Messiah

  • The World to Come

Judas and the Black Messiah

Full Review

Judas and the Black Messiah deserves all the hype it’s been getting and some more. Shaka King and Will Berson deliver a film inspired by true events with all the qualities this type of movie needs: enlightening, inspirational, thought-provoking, and tremendously impactful. Boasting what I’m sure will end up as one of the year’s best performances (Daniel Kaluuya), the story of Fred Hampton and William O’Neal is told through an incredibly captivating narrative, filled to the brim with absolutely epic, riveting, chill-inducing speeches and dialogues that will leave no viewer indifferent. Both characters bring timely themes back to the spotlight, hopefully generating a critical discourse regarding freedom, human rights, and equality. Besides Kaluuya, Lakeith Stanfield deserves massive praise, and I can’t forget about the lingering, character-driven cinematography that elevates every single scene. Final shoutout to Mark Isham and Craig Harris’s unforgettable, addictive score that plays a significant role in the narrative.

The World to Tome

Full Review

The World to Come is yet another romantic drama set hundreds of years ago that unfortunately didn’t fully convince me. Mona Fastvold’s direction is quite strong, and she shows an excellent control of the purposefully slow pacing. However, Ron Hansen and Jim Shepard’s screenplay relies too much on detailed narration that, despite adding some layers to its characters, ultimately becomes repetitive, overwhelming, and tiresome. Katherine Waterston and Vanessa Kirby try to keep the narrative afloat with two remarkable performances, but they can’t compensate for the unsurprising, underwhelming storytelling. Gorgeous production/set/costume design elevate the film, but it’s the vital musical score without which I would struggle to stay captivated that saves the overall viewing. Story-wise, the best compliment I can offer is that it enlightens its viewers about how women were mistreated at the time and how homosexual relationships have as much or more chemistry as a heterosexual one. Since I’m not the target audience, I still recommend it to fans of the genre.