While 2025 marked one of the Sundance Festival’s final years in Park City, Utah, it was also my first time attending the festival. Sundance is in something of a transitional period, as organizers decide whether to make the move to Boulder, Colorado or Cincinnati. Alternatively, they may keep the festival nearby in Salt Lake City. Even in this state of limbo, Sundance still had plenty to offer, including 88 films, multiple episodic works and numerous talks and panels, all open to the public.
Among the 15 films I was able to see during my week in Utah, a few stood out. First was Plainclothes, directed by Carmen Emmi, a romantic thriller starring Tom Blyth as a closeted undercover police officer tasked with arresting gay men. Equal parts tense and romantic, Plainclothes balances its intense subject matter with a tender romance between the two leads that threatens the protagonist’s career and family life. I was drawn to the way Emmi portrays Lucas’s (Blyth) point of view — the camera takes on a grainy look that emulates bodycam footage whenever the film seeks to depict Lucas’s perspective. For his first feature, I was blown away by Emmi’s skill, and I hope to see this one released as soon as possible.
One of my favorite moments of the festival was seeing the world premiere of Lurker, directed by Alex Russell, in a packed theater. The film follows Matthew (Théodore Pellerin) as he works his way into the life of pop star Oliver (Archie Madekwe). While Lurker’s plot description doesn’t sound too different from films like Saltburn or The Talented Mr. Ripley, I was pleasantly surprised by how unique the movie is. Lurker uses a dark sense of humor to bring audiences into Oliver’s world, culminating in a uniquely poignant exploration of power dynamics and the cult of personality. Lurker has been purchased for distribution by Mubi, and based on the streaming service’s recent campaign for The Substance, I expect the film will enter the cultural zeitgeist this year.
Underrated among festival goers was Gala del Sol’s directorial debut, Rains Over Babel, an explosively colorful take on Dante’s Inferno set in a dive bar. Simultaneously a heartwarming story of queer acceptance and a chaotic race through the depths of Hell, Rains Over Babel manages to balance its numerous characters and plotlines with ease, culminating in an explosive final sequence that brings each character back to Babel. Most impressive is the beautiful cinematography that creates such a rich world. I was shocked to learn that it was Gala del Sol’s first feature. Rains Over Babel may never get a wide release, but I hope that when it does become available, viewers will take to it the way I have.
For me, the biggest disappointment of the festival was Opus, an A24-distributed thriller. The film stars Ayo Edebiri as an up-and-coming journalist, Ariel, covering the comeback of a legendary popstar (John Malkovich) who disappeared decades prior. Opus’s trailer induced a slew of discourse online, mostly accusing the film of rehashing other recent films like The Menu and Midsommar. Unfortunately, these early critiques turned out to be correct. The beginning of Opus will feel familiar to any viewer who has watched an A24 horror movie from the past five years. It’s only towards the end of the film that I felt the director and writer, Mark Anthony Green, had something new to add to the genre, when the tone veers into pure horror. Unfortunately, the film quickly pivots back to familiar territory, leaving audiences with a vastly unsatisfying conclusion. Opus is carried by its performances, particularly Ayo Edebiri’s, but they aren’t enough to save the film from its unoriginal and frankly boring script.
However, my favorite film ended up being Peter Hujar’s Day, directed by Ira Sachs, a follow-up to his beautiful 2023 film Passages. At a short 76 minutes, Sachs uses a recently unearthed transcript of an interview between the artist Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz as his screenplay, never straying from the words of the actual subjects. With Ben Whishaw portraying Hujar and Rebecca Hall as Rosenkrantz, Sachs simply imagines what this interview between two close friends might have looked like. Whishaw’s Hujar ruminates on a day spent amidst the New York art scene of the ’70s, including a photo shoot with Allen Ginsberg and a phone call with Susan Sontag. The film is languid and peaceful, with the camera becoming as comfortable with the two protagonists as they are with each other. Despite the beautiful film cinematography and short operatic interludes, I often felt like I was watching a real conversation between the famous photographer and his close friend. With a concept like this, Peter Hujar’s Day won’t be for everyone, but it has continued to stick with me long after viewing, and I cannot wait to see it again.
Despite only spending one week in Park City, I came away with the same sentiment as many long-time festival goers: Sundance should stay right where it is. As the Sundance Institute decides where it will move for 2027, it should consider the gem it already has. I had an incredible time meeting other movie lovers and seeing films in huge auditoriums, all while surrounded by the beautiful mountains. Even though this festival was a bit of an odd one, I had an amazing time, and hope to experience many more Sundances in Park City.
Nicholas York is a sophomore in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations. He can be reached at nyork@cornellsun.com
