The 2024 Sundance Film Festival has come to an end and I decided that today I would rank my top 10 films of the festival. This year’s biggest theme in the features that I was able to watch was grief and secondarily, forgiveness. There were so many beautiful, heartbreaking stories about families, relationships, underdogs and dreams. I only got to see a small portion of what this year’s program had to offer, but in the end I left with a sense that I saw some of the best that this year had to offer in Park City. I have no doubt that some of these films will end up on my end of year list in some way, shape or form.

#10: Sujo – Directed By Fernanda Valadez, Astrid Rondero

Sujo was the first film I watched during the fest and it is a haunting and bleak look at the drug war and the carnage and chaos it leaves behind. This is a coming-of-age film that takes a lot of time to simmer and burn, but when you make it to the end you are left hopeful for the future. It’s a very daring directorial effort from Valadez and Rondero and has a really impressive performance from Juan Jesús Varela. This being from the perspective of the families that are left behind is a fresh perspective that I have never seen before in a movie about this subject matter. I thought that worked really really well.

My Score: 75/100

#9: In The Summers – Directed By Alessandra Lacorazza

In The Summers was a film that lingered with me for a long time after I watched it. It’s a very slow and meditative look at the relationship between two daughters and their fiery father. There’s no real narrative structure here. It is a fly-on-the-wall approach to filmmaking and I liked that. The performances from the entire cast are to die for and the writing, while not narratively strong is still very intriguing. The Boyhood structure is a strength and adds much-needed weight and emotion to an otherwise boring story. Without it, this might have been a snoozefest by the time the runtime ended.

My Score: 77/100

#8: Ponyboi – Directed By Esteban Arango

I will die on the hill that Ponyboi lives and dies with the performances from River Gallo and Dylan O’Brien. Gallo is an absolute star that deserves to be in more roles in the future and O’Brien is the sleezebag that I didn’t know I needed in a film this year. This is such a vibrant film from Esteban Arango that takes so little and makes it feel so big and bold. It’s a film that tackles identity and familial trauma and throws those themes directly in the center of a mob movie. This is one of the films to look out for when it is released.

My Score: 78/100

#7: Rob Peace – Directed By Chiwetel Ejiofor

Rob Peace gets the job done. A relatively impressive directorial effort from Chiwetel Ejiofor with a story that you have to see to believe. I wish it was done in a more interesting way thought. I follows a rather cookie-cutter structure that I think could have been executed better. That doesn’t mean I didn’t like it though. It has a breakout performance from Jay Will and tackles the story of a brilliant man tormented by trauma, heartbreak and incredible amounts of pressure. There are redeeming factors to save this film from the structure and some lackluster performances. People will like this film a lot and I can understand why.

My Score: 79/100

#6: Love Me – Directed By Andrew Zuchero, Sam Zuchero

Love Me is one of the biggest swings that you will see this year in terms of both narrative and technical filmmaking. The performances from Kristen Stewart and Steven Yeun are the backbone of this rather empty story about humanity. It will end up being one of the more divisive films of the year, but in the end, most of what they were trying to do worked for me. Most will charm it for the swings it take and others will criticize for the hollowness of the writing. I would recommend everyone give it a try purely for the big swings this project takes.

My Score: 80/100

#5: Brief History of a Family – Directed By Jianjie Lin

The word that I associate the most with this film is fascinating. Brief History of a Family is another Saltburn like story that fans of that film will absolutely love. The technical elements of this project are very impressive and I thought the writing was very well thought-out. The tension is just so great. I was on the edge of my seat from start to finish. It’s an interesting look at the consequences of China’s birth laws and how they affected the very fragile dynamics of families. From a sheer technical and structural standpoint this is one of the strongest projects of the festival. 

My Score: 85/100

 #4: Thelma – Directed By Josh Margolin

Thelma is an absolute hoot. Funny, heartwarming and emotional all at once. June Squibb has never been better and the story, while simple, is packed full of life. A look at aging and trying to hold on to your independence. It takes an absurd story and adds so much heart that will make it one of the biggest crowd-pleasers of the year. The entire cast is working on all cylinders in this film, bringing a sense of charm that I haven’t seen in quite some time. There is nothing to hate about this film. I see a lot of people absolutely loving this. One of my favorites of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival.

My Score: 85/100

#3: A Real Pain – Directed By Jesse Eisenberg

A Real Pain is a fantastic look at grief, mental health and how each person deals with loss differently. Eisenberg is really good, but Culkin’s performance is truly special. The direction and writing from Eisenberg has taken a huge step up from his first effort and everything works together to make one of the more emotional efforts of the fest. This film is far more delicate that his first and you can tell that he has made massive adjustments that worked for me. This will go down as one of my favorite films of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and I highly recommend everyone check out this film whenever it comes out.

My Score: 86/100

#2: Kneecap – Directed By Rich Peppiatt

Kneecap will be on of the biggest crowdpleasers from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. The performances are raw and real, the direction is awesome and the story is important and impactful. This is a story that transcends both the rap genre and the docudrama format that it holds. The balance of drama and comedy is perfect. It has a real voice and message that everyone should listen to. Having the group play themselves was the best possible decision and no one could replicate that. This will come off as a divisive film, but most will love it in the end.

My Score: 87/100

#1: Exhibiting Forgiveness – Directed By Titus Kaphar

Exhibiting Forgiveness is my favorite film of the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. It stands alone when examining familial grief and how artists deal with it. The performances are fantastic with Andre Holland delivering one of the best performances of the fest and the ensemble cast is absolutely dynamite. The writing and direction are intimate and dive deep into stages of grief and forgiveness. It really resonated with me from start to finish and the emotions stuck with me. This one needs to be watched by everyone whenever it decides to come out and I think a lot of people are really going to love this.

My Score: 91/100

Jack Lautaret is a film critic, host of the Jack Lautaret YouTube channel and writer for Music City Drive-In. He is a member of the Online Film and Television Association. Twitter: @JackLautaret