Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons in “Whiplash,” which premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival.
By Lucy Spicer
At Sundance Institute, we’re always in awe of the power independent film has to bring people together. That’s why we love asking filmmakers to name their favorite Sundance Institute–supported projects, both in our “Give Me the Backstory” feature series and through surveys like the top 10 feature films from the first four decades of the Sundance Film Festival. When a single film resonates with many filmmakers — from different backgrounds and with varying life experiences and artistic styles — a bond is created, rooted in a common love for independent film and universal stories. To commemorate some of our most-mentioned titles over the years, we’ve compiled responses from filmmakers who want to share their love for their favorite Sundance Institute–supported films.
“No one wants to make a movie about a jazz drummer,” says writer-director Damien Chazelle as he accepts the second of two awards won by Whiplash at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. And although the story does revolve around a jazz drummer, anyone who sits down with Whiplash quickly finds that the film is something more: a kinetic, visceral cinematic experience about what someone is willing to endure to achieve greatness. Luckily, enough people envisioned how powerfully Chazelle’s story could translate to the screen, and the result was the filmmaker’s breakout feature, which would go on to win three Academy Awards among a slew of other accolades.
Named for the Hank Levy composition that features heavily in the film, Whiplash follows 19-year-old aspiring jazz drummer Andrew Neiman (a compelling Miles Teller, who did most of his own drumming) as he works to impress volatile jazz instructor Terence Fletcher (a terrifying J.K. Simmons in an Oscar-winning performance) at an elite conservatory in New York City. Andrew is willing to do whatever it takes to be one of the greats, but Fletcher’s methods push the young musician to the brink, and there’s no shortage of blood on the drum set.
Chazelle wrote Whiplash based on his own experiences as a jazz drummer, but selling others on the story proved to be a challenge. A key stepping stone in the film’s future was the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where Chazelle premiered a short film called Whiplash — a pivotal scene plucked from his feature’s screenplay, starring Simmons as Fletcher and Johnny Simmons as Andrew. The 18-minute short won the Festival’s Short Film Jury Award: U.S. Fiction.
Chazelle’s taut writing and direction are already on display in the short, but it’s gratifying to observe how the scene blossoms in the full-length feature. Gorgeous lighting underscores precise editing and cinematography, and skillful sound mixing does justice to Andrew’s desperate drumming. The film’s frenetic energy is relentless, creating an extraordinary mood that is both deeply uncomfortable and impossible to turn away from.
“The roar from the audience when Whiplash concluded was something I have never seen before or since,” remembers filmmaker Cole Webley (Omaha, 2025 Sundance Film Festival) of the feature’s premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. “It was magical.” Below, more Festival alumni who love Whiplash as much as we do describe in their own words why the film is so unforgettable. Beware, spoilers ahead!
“‘Were you rushing or were you dragging?’ I certainly had no idea and felt absolute fear. Whiplash is an unpredictable, unrelenting, nonstop emotional ride invoking every anxiety in the viewer with intelligent pace. It is cinema at its best, announcing the exciting arrival of a formidable young talent in director Damien Chazelle and his skilled team.” — Stephanie Black, H-2 Worker (1990 Sundance Film Festival), Life and Debt (supported by Sundance Institute’s Documentary Film Program)
“Whiplash was such an intense experience. The world it created felt so visceral, in my recollection even claustrophobic, but most of all very physical. Few films have left such a physical mark. Just thinking of Whiplash makes me tense and alert, as my body remembers how fierce it was musically, emotionally, and psychologically.” — Alli Haapasalo, Girl Picture (2022 Sundance Film Festival)
“When I discovered Whiplash, I felt like Chazelle had thrown me into icy water without warning. Then he pulled me out, put me in a sauna, and threw me back again in the ice.
I remember clearly that from the very first scenes, we discover young Andrew already caught in a frantic passion. A few minutes pass before the arrival of his antagonist, the so-called ‘genius’ professor Fletcher, admired by everyone. Fletcher catches him off guard and puts him down, while hinting that he’s special.
Chazelle gives us no before or after. From the start, we are inside a story driven by the desire to be exceptional, the need for recognition. And something in us already knows: This passion, pushed to the extreme, will lead to destruction. The tone is set, my heart beats a thousand miles an hour, Chazelle gives me no gentle progression, I’m in the burn from the very first minutes. Oh no.
The beauty and force of Whiplash is how Chazelle portrays abuse in the name of art with a precise brutality, yet also great finesse. Young Andrew turns Fletcher into a monstrous muse who inspires him through violence and cruelty. And this hurts my stomach. And Fletcher, in turn, needs Andrew, his student ‘ready for anything,’ to keep feeding his fantasy of being a demiurgic genius. The toxic bond between student and teacher, the loss of humanity in pursuit of perfection, it all collapses into that majestic ending, when Andrew goes beyond humiliation and clings to only one thing: his humanity.
I have to say, Whiplash remains one of the most sensory films I’ve ever seen.” — Klaudia Reynicke, Reinas (2024 Sundance Film Festival)
“Whiplash was a real shock for me. The intensity and rhythm of that film had a huge impact. The tension created by every department of the production led to an incredible result. Of course, the performance of t J.K. Simmons, the rhythmic and musical editing, the color grading, and of course the music all contributed to that tension. But it’s really the editing that impressed me the most, cut like a boxing match, like a fight between the two main characters, it leaves the viewer completely breathless by the end.” — Amel Guellaty, Where the Wind Comes From (2025 Sundance Film Festival)
“Whiplash was a true revelation for me. I was deeply inspired by the way Damien Chazelle built suspense and rhythm throughout the film. It was charged with raw energy and emotion, and I was completely captivated by the performances, where passion felt both exhilarating and destructive. It’s a master class in cinema, showing how to build intensity and drama with precision.” — Chloé Robichaud, Two Women (2025 Sundance Film Festival)
“It’s a film I can watch over and over again without ever getting bored. I know every beat, every line, every piece of dialogue, and every gesture. The film talks about obsession, about the ambition of someone who wants to become a professional drummer, and I feel a strong connection between the character’s obsession and the obsession I have within myself.” — Wregas Bhanuteja, Levitating (Para Perasuk) (2026 Sundance Film Festival)
Editor’s Note: This feature was published October 10, 2025. We will continue to add to this feature as more Sundance Institute–supported filmmakers contribute their thoughts about the film.
