Pictured: John Carney’s “Sing Street,” which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.
By Lucy Spicer
Summer is a special time for film lovers — and not just because movie theaters have been cooling us down with air conditioning for about 100 years now. We can always count on the summer slate of new releases to be plentiful, diverse, and — here’s the especially exciting part for us — full of films by Sundance Institute–supported alumni. And this year is certainly no exception, with at least 18 films directed by Sundance Film Festival alumni coming to theaters or streaming services, including titles by Christopher Nolan, Jane Schoenbrun, Boots Riley, John Carney, and Eli Roth.
So before you check out these filmmakers’ newest fare — which includes a superhero adventure, a splatter film, a raunchy comedy, a Homeric epic, and much more — why not stroll back through recent cinema history and discover the projects they brought to the Sundance Film Festival first? Excuse us if we get a little misty-eyed at how far some storytellers have come, but hey, a lot of people cry during movies. Read on to learn more about this summer’s new releases by Sundance Film Festival alumni, as well as some of the titles they screened at the Festival years before.
BEFORE YOU SEE IN THE GREY…
Writer-director Guy Ritchie delivers on his signature style with In the Grey. When unscrupulous tycoon Manny Salazar (Carlos Bardem) defaults on a billion dollar debt, unflappable lawyer Rachel Wild (Eiza González) enlists extraction specialists Bronco (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Sid (Henry Cavill) to help her retrieve the money — a plot that will involve sabotage, muscle, and some legal gray areas. Coming to theaters May 15.
… WATCH LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS
Small-time criminals Eddie (Nick Moran), Tom (Jason Flemyng), Soap (Dexter Fletcher), and Bacon (Jason Statham) pool together their money so that Eddie can win big at a card game organized by “Hatchet” Harry Lonsdale (P. H. Moriarty). But the game is rigged, and Eddie walks away owing £500,000 instead. And payment is due to Harry in a week. When Eddie discovers that his neighbors have a heist in the works, he and his friends plan to rob them of their spoils. But for every part of the plan that goes right, something else goes wrong, and every new party involved is another chance at comically bad luck. Ritchie’s darkly funny neo-noir feature debut had its U.S. premiere at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE MAGIC HOUR…
In an effort to navigate a difficult period in their marriage, Erin (Katie Aselton) and Charlie (Daveed Diggs) decide to go stay at their friend’s home in Joshua Tree for a while, hoping that the new environment will help them heal. In addition to starring in the film, Aselton directed Magic Hour as well as co-writing the script with husband Mark Duplass. Coming to select theaters May 15.
… WATCH THE FREEBIE
Darren (Dax Shepard) and Annie (Katie Aselton) have a great marriage. They love and trust each other, and there’s still ample laughter between them. They just can’t remember the last time they had sex. While thinking of ways they could spice up their relationship, they agree to each have a one-night stand. Written and directed by Aselton, The Freebie premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE I LOVE BOOSTERS…
In writer-director Boots Riley’s color-soaked sophomore feature, Keke Palmer plays Corvette, an aspiring San Francisco fashion designer who shoplifts couture and sells it at a discount on the street. She and her fellow “boosters” particularly like the high-end stores owned by designer Christie Smith (Demi Moore). When Corvette discovers that Christie Smith somehow stole one of her own designs, the boosters enact their most elaborate plan yet. Coming to theaters May 22.
…WATCH SORRY TO BOTHER YOU
In a society not so different from our own, Cassius “Cash” Green (LaKeith Stanfield) lives with his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), in his uncle’s garage, struggling to make ends meet. He takes a job as a telemarketer out of desperation, but one of his new co-workers lets him in on a secret: You make a lot more money if you use your “white voice” (in Cash’s case, it sounds like David Cross) on the phone. Cash quickly becomes a star employee, but the more money he makes and the closer he gets to the inner circle, the harder it is to ignore that the company he works for is involved in some extremely shady business. Riley’s directorial debut was supported by Sundance Institute’s Feature Film Program before premiering at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE PASSENGER…
In André Øvredal’s new spine-chilling horror film, engaged couple Tyler (Jacob Scipio) and Maddie (Lou Llobell) abandon the big city to try their hand at living the van life. When they see a deadly accident on the road, they’re left shaken — and haunted. A demonic being known as The Passenger (Joseph Lopez) is not far behind. Coming to theaters May 22.
… WATCH TROLL HUNTER
Norwegian college students Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna Mørck), and Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen) set out to make a documentary about a suspected bear poacher named Hans (Otto Jespersen). But when they get to the woods, they find that Hans has been tasked by the government to hunt something much more dangerous, a creature that most people have relegated to myth: trolls. Øvredal’s found footage–style dark adventure screened in the Park City at Midnight section of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE LAST VIKING…
In writer-director Anders Thomas Jensen’s new black comedy, Anker (Nikolaj Lie Kaas) serves a 15-year prison sentence for bank robbery then immediately seeks out his brother, Manfred (Mads Mikkelsen), whom he had instructed to bury the heist money prior to his incarceration. But there’s a problem — Manfred has developed dissociative identity disorder, and his multiple personalities can’t say where the money is hidden. Thinking he might be able to break Manfred out of one of his stronger delusions — that he’s the actual John Lennon — Anker recruits psychiatrist Lothar (Lars Brygmann) to gather some other psychiatric patients to form the rest of The Beatles. Meanwhile, Anker starts digging for the money. Coming to theaters and available for digital rental May 29.
… WATCH ADAM’S APPLES
Neo-Nazi Adam (Ulrich Thomsen) is paroled from prison on condition that does community service at a church. Helmed by a priest named Ivan (Mads Mikkelsen) with seemingly infinite patience and faith, the program is populated with several unsavory participants who are told to choose a goal for their rehabilitation; Adam says he wants to bake an apple pie from the church’s apple tree. The task proves far from simple as the tree gets attacked by crows and worms, and a bitter Adam does his best to wear down Ivan’s spirit in the meantime. Inspired by the trials of Job, Jensen’s film screened at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE POWER BALLAD…
In John Carney’s latest musical comedy drama, Rick Power (Paul Rudd) is a wedding singer who once had a dream of playing music to stadium-sized audiences. Meanwhile, Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas) is a former boy band member who missed his window to make it big as a solo artist. When the two meet at a wedding, they hit it off over a jam session. But Danny secretly takes off with one of Rick’s songs, which he later records as his own — and it’s a hit. When a distraught Rick finds out, he goes to great lengths to set the record straight. Coming to select theaters May 29; expanding wide on June 5.
… WATCH SING STREET
Inspired by Carney’s own childhood in Dublin, Sing Street stars Ferdia Walsh-Peelo as Conor, a 15-year-old who is removed from his private school and made to attend a rough public Christian Brothers school when his family faces financial difficulties amid Ireland’s economic recession in the 1980s. But there’s a beautiful aspiring model named Raphina (Lucy Boynton) across the road from campus, and budding songwriter Conor says he’s in a band in an effort to impress her. Luckily, some of his new classmates are musically inclined, and in throwing together a group, Conor unexpectedly ends up finding his voice, both as a musician and as someone coming of age amid chaos. Featuring a lot of heart and a stellar soundtrack, Sing Street premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE CAROLINA CAROLINE…
Director Adam Carter Rehmeier’s newest foray into on-screen Americana stars Samara Weaving as Caroline, a young woman stuck working at a Texas gas station, wishing she could see more of the world. Salvation comes in the form of the alluring Oliver (Kyle Gallner), a con artist who scams Caroline’s boss as he’s passing through town. Clocking his scheme, Caroline gets Oliver to show her the tricks of the trade. As their romance heats up, so too does their criminal activity, which takes them farther across the map than she’s ever been. Soon enough they’ve got bank robberies on the brain. Coming to theaters June 5.
… WATCH DINNER IN AMERICA
Anarchist Simon (Kyle Gallner) is on the run from the law. When he comes across awkward Patty (Emily Skeggs), who recognizes him from a music appreciation class, she says he can lie low at her family’s house. Things get a bit more complicated when Simon discovers that Patty is the superfan who has been sending him photos and compelling original love song lyrics, oblivious to the fact that he is the face behind the masked punk rocker alter ego John Q. Two messy misfits smash their way through suburbia in Rehmeier’s cult comedy with a side of sweetness, which premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE FLAG DAY…
In Andrew and Melissa Shea’s new vérité documentary, the small community of Three Oaks, Michigan, devotes one weekend in June to celebrating Flag Day, including the much anticipated Flag Day parade — the largest in the country. Amid deeply polarized times, folks from every corner of the community attend the festivities to reflect on what the American flag means to them. Coming to select theaters June 12.
… WATCH THE CORNDOG MAN
Ace Barker, South Carolina boat salesman. He’s greedy, he’s unpleasant, he’s a bigot. And he’s about to get what’s coming to him. Played by Noble Willingham, Ace is a sucker for the promise of a lucrative boat sale from a mysterious stranger on a telephone call one day. But then the caller claims to be Ace’s illegitimate son. Ace’s past has circled back to haunt him, and it starts by harassing him over the phone. Directed by Andrew Shea, The Corndog Man screened at the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE TOY STORY 5…
Pixar’s toys are back, and they’ve got a new intruder to contend with: tech. While Jessie (Joan Cusack) and Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) try to keep things fresh for 8-year-old Bonnie (Scarlett Spears), the girl seems to have lost interest in her toys, preferring instead to spend all her time with her new device called Lilypad (Greta Lee). She’s traded playtime for screen time, and the toys may have to call in reinforcements to help bring her back from the brink. Directed by Andrew Stanton, Toy Story 5 will also see Tom Hanks, John Ratzenberger, Wallace Shawn, Annie Potts, and more reprise their roles from the franchise. Coming to theaters June 19.
… WATCH IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE
Stanton’s sweeping sci-fi feature follows three stories that span thousands of years, tracing an arc that reveals the interconnectedness of all humanity. In the distant past, a family of Neanderthals works to survive after being displaced from their home. Meanwhile, a present-day anthropologist (Rashida Jones) studies protohuman remains and contemplates a new relationship. Centuries into the future, a scientist (Kate McKinnon) and her sentient computer make their way to another planet. In The Blink of An Eye premiered at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival and is the winner of the 2026 Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE UNIDENTIFIED…
In Haifaa Al Mansour’s new thriller, recently divorced admin assistant Noelle (Mila Al Zahrani) is still grieving the loss of a child when she is asked to unofficially attend a crime scene — a teenage girl’s body has been found in the desert. When no one claims the girl’s body, Noelle, who is no stranger to true crime podcasts, becomes obsessed with the case, determined to discover her identity and the truth behind what happened to her. Coming to select theaters June 19.
… WATCH THE PERFECT CANDIDATE
In Al Mansour’s fourth narrative feature, Mila Al Zahrani plays Maryam, a young doctor working in a Saudi Arabian hospital. When a chance to attend a medical conference in Dubai pops up, Maryam needs a male family member to sign her travel permit, so she turns to her cousin, since he’s got political connections. But the only way her cousin’s secretary will grant her an appointment is if Maryam is standing for office on the municipal council. So Maryam becomes an unlikely candidate. Not one to do things by halves, she campaigns in earnest, determined to defy sexist attitudes that assume she does not belong at a podium or in a doctor’s office. The Perfect Candidate premiered at the 2019 Venice International Film Festival before screening in the Spotlight section at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE LUCKY STRIKE…
Inspired by true events, Rod Lurie’s new World War II drama, Lucky Strike, follows an injured American soldier (played by Scott Eastwood) who finds himself alone behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge. With only his radio on hand, he must use his wits to make his way back to safety. Colin Hanks and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor also feature in the film’s cast. Coming to select theaters June 26.
… WATCH RESURRECTING THE CHAMP
Journalist Erik Kernan Jr. (Josh Hartnett) needs a win. His articles aren’t impressing his editor (Alan Alda) at The Denver Times, he’s recently separated from his wife (Kathryn Morris), and he worries that his son doesn’t look up to him. After he comes to the aid of a homeless man (Samuel L. Jackson) in an alleyway scuffle, he’s shocked when the man (whom most know as “Champ”) tells him his name — Bob Satterfield, the former heavyweight boxer, thought to be dead for years. Erik interviews him, knowing this is his big shot. But there are two sides to every story. Lurie’s Resurrecting the Champ premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE ODYSSEY…
Writer-director Christopher Nolan takes on Homer’s ancient Greek masterpiece, The Odyssey, for his next sweeping epic. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, the film follows the Greek king of Ithaca as he attempts to return home to his wife, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), and son, Telemachus (Tom Holland), after the Trojan War. The yearslong journey is fraught with danger as mythical creatures and the gods themselves intervene. The film’s ensemble cast also features Robert Pattinson, Lupita Nyong’o, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, Himesh Patel, Samantha Morton, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Mia Goth, and more. Coming to theaters July 17.
… WATCH MEMENTO
In Nolan’s breakout film, the audience knows as much about recent plot events as the protagonist, Leonard Shelby (Guy Pearce) does — which is to say, very little. Leonard has anterograde amnesia and cannot form new memories, but it seems he’s been working on a project, because he’s surrounded himself with notes and photos, not to mention the reminders he’s had tattooed on his person. What he determines is that the injury that caused his memory loss also resulted in the murder of his wife, and apparently he’s on her killer’s trail. Nolan’s nonlinear neo-noir follows Leonard as he repeatedly tries to add pieces to the puzzle before his memory “resets,” and all the while he can’t be sure if the characters he encounters (in memorable performances by Carrie-Anne Moss and Joe Pantoliano) who claim to have met him beforehand are helping or harming him. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE DINK…
In Josh Greenbaum’s new underdog comedy, Jake Johnson stars as Dusty Boyd, a former tennis prodigy who now spends his days teaching kids at his father’s (Ed Harris) country club. Dusty has inherited an irrational hatred of pickleball from his father, but an injury flare-up that makes tennis temporarily difficult tempts him to wade into enemy territory with a charming new partner (Mary Steenburgen). Torn between wanting his father’s approval and enjoying the frowned-upon sport, Dusty is faced with an identity crisis as the future of the club hangs in the balance. Streaming on Apple TV July 24.
… WATCH WILL & HARPER
This buddy pic directed by Greenbaum may not be the typical fare you’d expect to see with Will Ferrell, but Will & Harper is full of humor and heart nonetheless. When Ferrell learns that his close friend — whom he has known since their work together on Saturday Night Live starting in the ’90s — has come out as a trans woman, the two decide to take a road trip to commemorate this stage of their friendship and revisit some of their old haunts with a new perspective. Greenbaum’s funny and insightful documentary premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE SPIDER-MAN: BRAND NEW DAY…
After directing Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021), Destin Daniel Cretton returns to the Marvel Cinematic Universe to take on its fourth Spider-Man film. Set four years after Spider-Man: No Way Home, this newest installment finds Peter Parker (Tom Holland) adjusting to life in a world that doesn’t know him after Dr. Strange erased him from everyone’s memory — including that of his girlfriend, MJ (Zendaya), and best friend, Ned (Jacob Batalon). Still fighting crime anonymously at street level, Spider-Man faces yet another challenge when his superpowers begin to evolve. Coming to theaters July 31.
… WATCH I AM NOT A HIPSTER
San Diego indie musician Brook Hyde (Dominic Bogart) is gaining recognition for his DIY recordings and compelling performances, but he can’t seem to stop getting in the way of his own success. Bitter, isolated, and still grieving his mother’s death, he rebuffs friends and fellow artists who try to pull him out of his self-destructive cycles. But a visit from his three younger sisters (Tammy Minoff, Lauren Coleman, and Kandis Erickson) and father (Michael Harding) could be a welcome change. Cretton’s feature directorial debut premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE ICE CREAM MAN…
I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Directed and co-written by splatter master Eli Roth, Ice Cream Man is sure to deliver a double scoop of terror. Everything seems perfect in the suburban town of Bayleen Bay, but there’s something strange about the new ice cream man (Ari Millen). Namely, his frozen treats are turning the neighborhood children into monstrous killers. Coming to theaters August 7.
… WATCH KNOCK KNOCK
Evan (Keanu Reeves), a successful architect and happily married husband and father, has it all figured out. He’s alone at his home one stormy weekend when two young women (Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo) knock on his door asking for help, claiming to be stranded. Evan kindly lets them inside, oblivious to the catastrophe soon to follow. Roth’s psychological horror-thriller premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE SUPER TROOPERS 3…
Director Jay Chandrasekhar and the troopers are back for round three, the latter a bit older and predictably none the wiser. And this time, some of the schemes feel pretty personal. In addition to going after a new drug ring, the troopers are dealing with Thorny’s efforts to break off his sister’s (Hannah Simone) engagement — to Farva. Coming to theaters August 7.
… WATCH SUPER TROOPERS
Hearken back to Chandrasekhar and comedy team Broken Lizard’s first installment, which premiered in the Midnight section of the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. In the fictional town of Spurbury, a group of Vermont state troopers known as “Thorny” (Jay Chandrasekhar), “Rabbit” (Erik Stolhanske), “Mac” (Steve Lemme), and Carl Foster (Paul Soter) are usually too busy playing pranks and needling fellow trooper Farva (Kevin Heffernan) to do much work, so their station is probably going to be shut down. But when an intriguing murder case with a possible drug trafficking link comes up, the troopers think they’ve got an edge over the local police when it comes to solving the crime. Naturally, there are countless shenanigans before anything is figured out. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA…
Writer-director Jane Schoenbrun is back with more genre-bending explorations of gender and media, this time with a romantic meta-slasher. Queer filmmaker Kris (Hannah Einbinder) is hired to helm a reboot of the Camp Miasma slasher franchise, a dream assignment for a director who’s loved the series since she was a kid. But the franchise declined with every sequel and spin-off, so there’s a lot at stake. Kris thinks the project will work if she can cast the original movie’s final girl, reclusive former actress Billy Preston (Gillian Anderson). When Kris travels to make her case in person, she’s unnerved to discover that Billy lives at the camp used for the first movie’s set. Coming to theaters August 7.
… WATCH I SAW THE TV GLOW
We joke about pieces of media “becoming our whole personality” during our youth, but how often do we consider the identity-shaping consequences of immersing ourselves in a fictional world? The unsettling power of fandom and nostalgia drives Schoenbrun’s decade-spanning I Saw the TV Glow, which premiered in the Midnight section of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. Owen (portrayed by Ian Foreman and Justice Smith) is trudging through childhood in suburbia when older classmate Maddy (Jack Haven) introduces him to a late-night supernatural TV show that changes his life. In the years that follow, Owen’s and Maddy’s memories of the show bring up questions about what was real and what was fiction. Check here for viewing options.
BEFORE YOU SEE THE END OF OAK STREET…
In writer-director David Robert Mitchell’s new science fiction feature, the Platt family (played by Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella, and Christian Convery) enjoy a normal suburban life on Oak Street until an inexplicable cosmic event takes their neighborhood and puts it… somewhere else. Completely out of their depth, the family must work together to survive an unfamiliar — and potentially hostile — new environment. Coming to theaters August 14.
… WATCH IT FOLLOWS
College student Jay (Maika Monroe) goes on a date with her new boyfriend, Hugh (Jake Weary), only to wake up tied to a wheelchair sometime after they’ve had sex. Hugh — though that’s not even his real name — informs Jay he has passed a malevolent presence on to her now that they’ve slept together, and it will follow her in any human form, familiar or unfamiliar, with intent to kill, unless she has sex with someone else soon. Noticing that she is indeed being followed, Jay recruits a group of friends to find a way to get rid of the evil presence once and for all. Mitchell’s acclaimed horror feature premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival before screening in the Park City at Midnight section at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Check here for viewing options.
