By Carly Bayroff
Sundance Film Festival: London 2017 is right around the corner. The event running from 1-4 June at Picturehouse Central will be packed with so many great films to choose from. While we’d love to watch them all (and will try to see as many as we can), here are just a few screenings we’re counting down the days to see! For more information, you can visit the BATD article that gives you all of the festival’s details in addition to Picturehouse Central’s website.
Wilson: Director Craig Johnson, puts out a film that is hilarious and dark at the same time. Wilson (Woody Harrelson) is a lonely, neurotic, brutally honest yet funny middle-aged dog lover who reunites with his distant wife (Laura Dern). Harrelson’s character finally gets another shot at happiness when he learns that he has a teenage daughter he’s never met. Wilson sets out to connect with her in hopes of having a family and although he’s a bit of a jerk at times, we’re rooting for him!
Marjorie Prime: Anything with John Hamm is sure to be a success, and Marjorie Prime is no different. Written and directed by Michael Almereyda, this film is based on Jordan Harrison’s play. It tells the story of 86 year old widow Marjorie (Lois Smith) who forms a relationship with a computerized recreation of her husband (John Hamm). After using a service that creates holographic projections of deceased family members, Hamm’s presence forces the rest of the family to reflect on their lives and Marjorie to spend the rest of her time alive with a younger version of her husband. This sci-fi story gives us a film that is futuristic, mysterious and touching all in one making Marjorie Prime unlike any film we’ve seen before.
The Incredible Jessica James: This film is all too relatable and we can’t wait to see it. Director Jim Strouse tells the story of Jessica James (Jessica Williams), a hopeful playwright in NYC who is desperately trying to get over a breakup. She meets Boone (Chris O’Dowd), an Irishman who also happens to be recovering from a tough breakup. The film chronicles the journey of these two as they navigate their lives through this unfortunate time while falling for each other. This will be the European premiere of this film and we’re really looking forward to it because let’s be honest – who doesn’t love a romcom?
Walking Out: Get your tissues ready, this one might lead to some wet eyes. Sometimes you just need to watch a film that tugs at your heart strings and we’re thinking this wilderness survival/strained father-son relationship story will do just that. Directed by Alex and Andrew Smith, Matt Bomer plays Cal who is the father of fourteen-year-old David, played by Josh Wiggins. Wiggins’ character travels to Montana to visit his dad who’s not really in his life for a weekend of hunting. The film shows the two trying to connect which gets interrupted by an unlucky encounter with a bear that quickly changes their weekend completely. If this work by the Smith’s is all it appears to be, Walking Out will be emotional, dramatic and action packed.