First weekend of SXSW 2024 has been so much fun! I’ve gotten to see some amazing films and hear some incredibly talented people speak. Film festival weeks are always my favorites, and each day is somehow so long and filled with so much, yet also passes by way too quickly! I don’t want the week to end, yet am already looking forward to catching up on some of the sleep I’ve been missing, lol.

To start off, here’s a recap of the films I’ve seen so far:

Backspot dir. D.W. Waterson

A film that kind of does for cheer what Black Swan did for dance, Backspot follows Riley (Devery Jacobs) through her time preparing for the biggest cheer competition of her life so far. She’s feeling a lot of pressure from her coach, but that’s nothing compared to the pressure she’s feeling from herself. The film doesn’t hold back from showing the most intense parts of cheer, depicting the hardcore athleticism of the sport complete with blood, sweat, and vomit. While maybe not as intense as Black Swan itself, considering Riley’s relationship with her girlfriend is stable and healthy and she doesn’t suffer mental breaks from reality, Riley’s struggles with her anxiety and her relationship with her mother puts her in a place of relying a little too heavily on her emotionally unavailable and abrasive cheer coach Eileen (Evan Rachel Wood). Riley clearly sees something in Eileen she desperately wants, which is a chance to feel understood that she has been severely lacking from her mother. Eileen is already no-nonsense and takes cheer very seriously, but when she mentions an ex-wife, Riley latches on hard. Things start falling apart for her as she loses more and more control over her mental illness. Waterson and Jacobs depict this in a very empathetic way, with a lot of nuance involved in the depiction of Riley’s breakdowns. There is one specifically touching scene in which Riley is at an exceptionally low place, and her assistant cheer coach finds her and offers the tenderness and comfort she had been desperately craving from the adults in her life and seeking in all the wrong places. The film acts as a vignette into a short time period of Riley’s life, and while not everything is wrapped into a perfect bow by the end, leaves the audience feeling satisfied in the knowledge that Riley has a whole life ahead of her to continue to grow and change.

I Love You Forever dir. Cazzie David & Elisa Kalani

I love watching films made by women, so when I saw this was written & directed by two first-time feature filmmakers and produced by Diablo Cody, I was sold. Incredibly funny and simultaneously anxiety inducing, I Love You Forever captures perfectly how the romantic, over-the-top grand gestures from romcoms tend to actually play out in real life. When unlucky-in-love Mackenzie (Sofia Black-D’elia) meets too-good-to-be-true Finn (Ray Nicholson), she falls fast. Similar to Blue Valentine, we see the red flags as they pop up, in ways that other films ignore. Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani illustrate the story of a picture-perfect dreamy romance devolving into an emotionally abusive cage with so much intelligence and nuance. The words “love-bombing,” “narcissist,” “gaslighting,” “toxic,” and “manipulation” aren’t used at all in the dialogue, but every scene further reveals the dynamic and dark truth at the core of Mackenzie and Finn’s dysfunctional attachment. The red flags are always there, but plausible deniability exists for a certain time period, until all of a sudden he’s completely out of control, and then the out of control behavior is gone as soon as it began. The “logic” that Finn uses and the way he twists situations (gaslights) Mackenzie is frustrating to witness, and at the same time, easy to see why she’s the perfect target to fall for it. The film is also extremely funny, Cazzie David plays Mackenzie’s roommate/best friend, who, along with Jon Rudnitsky as Lucas, diffuse the atmosphere brilliantly and deliver some amazing comedic moments. A film like this with a general air of comedy while telling a tragic story might be difficult to balance for a different filmmaker, but David and Kalani make it look easy, effortlessly blending the elements together. I Love You Forever is truly a defining anti-romcom of the 2020s, and I really look forward to seeing its wide release.

My Dead Friend Zoe dir. Kyle Hausmann Stokes

A film that would be nothing if not for the amazing performances at its center, My Dead Friend Zoe is based on a true story and a tribute to the mental health issues suffered by veterans upon their return home from deployment. Sonequa Martin-Green leads the cast as Merit, a veteran who is having hallucinations of her dead best friend from the army after moving back home. Natalie Morales is a great casting choice for Zoe, and is able to infuse each scene with layers of dark comedy. Merit tries to attend group therapy, speak to her mother, visits her grandfather (Ed Harris) with the intention of moving him into a retirement facility, but every interaction she has is impacted by the debilitating presence of Zoe, who is really a manifestation of her own guilt. I don’t know that I really had any specific expectations going in, but I found that the story meandered in such a way that certain parts dragged on too long, and with the flashbacks cutting in and out, was overall paced poorly. Certain subplots (Merit’s budding romance with the manager of the retirement facility, for example) seemed really out of place, and when holding the “reveal” of the events hinted at in the flashback over the audience’s head for so long, dragging out the current-day events feels painful and exhausting. The performances were very emotionally grounded, and I heard many sniffles around me by the end of the film, so clearly it landed better with some other audience members than it did for me. I think PTSD and suicide are hugely important topics to focus on and I liked the cards at the end of the credits that invited the audience to donate to various nonprofits with goals aligned with the story.

Magpie dir. Sam Yates

Based on an original idea from Daisy Ridley that her husband Tom Bateman turned into a full-length screenplay, Magpie tells the story of a young couple, Anette (Ridley) and Ben (Shazad Latif) and how their lives get turned upside down when their daughter is cast in a film—alongside a beautiful movie star. Ben is immediately drawn to Alicia, played by the ever-alluring Matilda Lutz, telling her about his “troubled” wife and how lonely he is, finding solace in their secret text conversations. While Anette is struggling, Ben’s complaints are difficult to sympathize with, considering he is very much the root of all of her issues. Ridley’s performance is incredibly captivating, with her emotional turmoil clear on her face and every move calculated and precise. The buildup is masterful, and as the mounting of the tension and timeline of events progresses, so do all the technical aspects like sound, visuals, etc. The noir influence was prevalent as well, and I wasn’t surprised to hear the filmmakers mention that in the Q&A. The gender roles were really interesting, as women weren’t ever the protagonists of the noir era, but the suspense and domestic tension, as well as Lutz’s beauty mirroring that of a classic femme fatale, all point to the dark and paranoid noir era. Several noirs, neo-noirs, and domestic dramas with noir influences come to mind, namely Laura, The Killers, Gone Girl, and Closer. As the tension mounts, the dynamics unravel further and characters begin to shed their outer layers, revealing their true selves. The ending of the film balances abruptness with a satisfying sense of a conclusion well, not overstaying its welcome and leaving the audience with a visceral image. Ridley and Lutz both turned in amazing performances, the kinds that one would need to go back and rewatch the film knowing the ending to fully enjoy every single nuance. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and look forward to seeing how this one lands on social media if given the opportunity.

Y2K dir. Kyle Mooney

The American humor and structure of Superbad meets an Edgar Wright Cornetto trilogy absurdist apocalypse in Kyle Mooney’s Y2K. The journey this film takes from start to finish is nothing short of spectacular, as each character is changed or changes those around them in significant, life-altering ways. Stuffed chock full of late 90s/early 00s references, this one had every millennial in the audience transported directly back to the awkward adolescence of their childhood. Once the film moves past being a “high school party” and into being a fight for their lives, the pop culture references slowed down a bit, but they returned in FULL force for the third act and finale. I’m not sure how the film is to be marketed and what’s supposed to be a reveal, so I won’t say any details, but with the pure joy that arose from the people around me I couldn’t help but smile. The ensemble cast, led by Jaeden Martell, have such infectious chemistry, and it’s clear the cast had a lot of fun filming this which is apparent in how fun it is to watch. Rachel Zegler and Lachlan Watson are delightful, bringing a refreshing take and new depth to character types we’ve seen before. The practical special effects were also excellent, probably my favorite part. The film doesn’t overstay its welcome, clocking in at 93 minutes and leaving the audience feeling like they lived the night along with the characters. An end-of-the-world coming-of-age story for the books!

Azrael dir. E.L. Katz

For the last few years, it’s become apparently clear that even the most mediocre of source material can be elevated to the top solely by casting Samara Weaving in the lead role. Azrael does not need the boost, but it definitely benefits from how masterfully Weaving committed to her character and the world building involved. I really loved the choice to make all the characters mute, I think films often can rely too hard on narration or dialogue and film is first and foremost a visual medium, so it’s refreshing to see something commit so fully to visual storytelling. The sound design was excellent though, in the absence of dialogue sound was hugely important to the story and I was really impressed by how it was used. The entire film is shrouded with an air of mystery, something I really enjoyed. There’s very little exposition, but being tossed directly into the action is really exciting and the film is better for it. The gore is really great too, it’s not consistent throughout the runtime but there are some truly epic moments that stand out a lot. The final act was amazing—why lie, Samara Weaving covered in blood setting things on fire & kicking ass will always always always be a good experience. This is definitely on the more artistic/experimental side of low budget horror since it takes such a big leap with no dialogue, but it never feels lacking or contrived. I look forward to seeing what people have to say about Azrael upon its wide release!

Arcadian dir. Benjamin Brewer

I’m not sure how I ended up catching three apocalypse films back to back, but each one managed to bring its own charm and stand out amongst the crowd in one way or another. For Arcadian, the charm was primarily in the casting of Nic Cage as a father of two twin boys trying to keep himself and his family safe from the nocturnal monsters that have taken over the land. The creatures are straight out of an 80s sci-fi, but the heart of the film is focused on this family and how their dynamic changes and is challenged by their circumstances. The camera that follows the characters around is never steady, and the constant shaking definitely allowed for the audience to feel more connected to the drama, though I think it got old at a couple points. Some of the plot direction meandered a bit, but overall it was steady and the performances all around captured the essence of their existence in the post-apocalyptic world really well. I think this will do well within its niche, though I’m not sure it’ll blow up any more than that. But, I’m glad the question, “what would happen if Nic Cage had two sons and was trying to survive after the apocalypse?” has now been answered, I personally was on the edge of my seat.

Dandelion dir. Nicole Riegel

It’s hard not to open with comparisons to Lady Bird, so I just will. Dandelion follows a young woman who has a complicated relationship with her mother and is desperate to realize her dreams of success. She calls herself by a new name, in this case Dandelion, to represent how she sees herself. She goes on a journey of self-discovery, meets a less-than-impressive love interest, and by the end is closer than ever before to her goals. The primary departure is that she’s a singer/songwriter, and the film is filled with original music written by Aaron and Bryce Dessner. Aaron Dessner is a longtime collaborator of Taylor Swift, so some of the music might sound a little familiar! Perhaps this is nitpicky, but Dandelion (Kiki Layne) didn’t feel completely believable as a songwriter to me, but I think that’s just because there was one lyric she kept repeating that sounded very grating to me. The cinematography was beautiful, but I often have a hard time with voice-overs and I felt like the film overused a montage + voice-over convention too often, which is probably part of why the pacing had issues too. The chemistry between Layne and her costar Thomas Doherty (playing Casey) was definitely there, and I believe their relationship is probably the strongest point of the film, even though the takeaway is more about her relationship with herself. Besides Casey and Dandelion’s mom, and sometimes including them, I felt like the supporting characters were all very underdeveloped. Maybe that’s because it’s Dandelion’s perspective and she doesn’t care about anyone’s life but her own, but I don’t think she would be as sympathetic if that were true so I don’t think that’s it. The film has great bones, an interesting premise, and a talented ensemble– I think my main takeaway is that one more pass through the editing room could improve it drastically. I hope this film can find its audience and home somewhere, even if that means making a couple changes.

Monkey Man dir. Dev Patel

Dev Patel’s directorial debut is extremely impressive. Cohesive, stylish, and culturally meaningful, Monkey Man is an ambitious piece of work that somehow manages to check every single box that it promises. Getting to see Patel in a John Wick (or Bruce Lee)-style role is exhilarating, and I want about six more movies made immediately. Patel’s character’s motivations begin a little murky, but we start the film on his side and as we get more context, we only cheer for him more. So many amazing visual and thematic references, from Old Boy to the aforementioned John Wick as well as many classic kung-fu films. The action sequences were truly sublime. I don’t think I have ever seen a human (re: non-vampire) bite their enemies so much during fights, but it was honestly extremely awesome and I applaud that decision. The audience was ecstatic with every move made, and the last act of the film was masterful. The break in tension followed by nonstop action is the most exciting part of a movie of this caliber, and it delivered perfectly on engagement. I am really excited for this one to come out, I think people are really going to enjoy it and hopefully it’ll be a box office hit, too. The way that Patel ties together pop culture references, Indian mythology, his own style, and the character’s motivations is truly a masterclass in storytelling. I am dying to read how he described those fight scenes in words prior to filming! For fans of John Wick, Die Hard, Mission: Impossible and more, Dev Patel is definitely one to watch out for on the action film scene.

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It’s been so cool getting to attend these premieres and screenings, and often hear a Q&A from some of the filmmakers afterwards. I feel so lucky to be able to have this opportunity, and I just want to share it as best as I can! I’m so excited for what the rest of the week has in store.

A lot of these already have release dates attached, and ideally the ones that don’t have a distributor yet will get picked up soon, too. I hope this was helpful and/or interesting for you–Maybe your watchlist even grew in size a little bit. 2024 is already shaping up to be a brilliant year for film, though 2023 was excessively impressive and not likely to be outdone any time soon.

I’ve been so busy with this stuff I didn’t even post or say anything on here about the Academy Awards– Ryan Gosling’s performance was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my life, he is so dedicated to anything & everything he does. I admire him so much and I love seeing how much (well-deserved) praise he’s getting for it!!! And Anatomy of a Fall for Best Original Screenplay was such an inspired choice, I’m so happy Justine Triet won! Overall I was pleased with the outcomes, even if a few categories I would’ve preferred to have tilted in a slightly different direction. I love any night where everyone can come together and celebrate this amazing amazing art form.

As always, if you made it this far, thank you! I’ll be back with more SXSW watches & thoughts very soon 🙂

xx
kendall