The 31st edition of SXSW hits Austin, March 8th-16th
The venerable institution that is SXSW is back. A convergence of education, tech, music, film, TV, and more, descending upon Austin for the 31st year. Cinapse has it’s home base in Austin, and has covered SXSW for over a decade, and 2024 is no different. The film lineup this year looks outstanding and our team attending has put down some thoughts on their most anticipated features. Read on, and be sure to check in during the fest as we look to cover these and other films that deserve your attention.
I know many a festival goer who take the admirable attitude that they don’t need to see bigger movies that are guaranteed a release at festivals. They like to find the small obscure titles that no one in the USA might ever get to see again if they aren’t picked up for distribution, etc. I actually love and respect that approach and also absolutely never adhere to it. I can’t help being excited about the releases I’ve heard of, from the filmmakers I dig, and from the stars I enjoy. I can’t deny the joy of experiencing a world premiere at the Paramount in downtown Austin with 1200 other human beings. So my most anticipated titles of the fest are largely what some might consider “basic”. And I’m okay with that. What I do commit to, however, is checking out a bunch of smaller, word-of-mouth-ier, under the radar titles as I wade through the festival. And I’m sure on the other side I’ll have some recommendations for titles like that that may need the attention a little more than, say, the newest Ryan Gosling film. So with that spirit in mind, here are a few higher profile titles I’m excited about, and a couple of the smaller films as well.
Monkey Man: There’s no doubt this is my most anticipated movie of the festival. I’m an action cinema addict and have been so for decades, so Dev Patel directing himself in an action vehicle produced by Jordan Peele couldn’t be more thrilling to me.
Civil War: I’ve spoken to many people who are trepidatious about seeing a modern day, albeit fictionalized, civil war play out in a thriller-style movie. And while I get that perspective… feed this fictionalized civil war directly into my corneas. I really enjoy Alex Garland as a filmmaker and this cast he’s assembled to tell this cautionary tale looks highly tantalizing to me.
The Fall Guy: I am the absolute target demographic for The Fall Guy. I’m old enough to have grown up watching the original Lee Majors TV show, though I wasn’t precisely dying to see it become an IP that needed to be updated for a new generation if I’m being totally honest. That said, I am absolutely all in on Ryan Gosling’s career trajectory, not to mention Emily Blunt’s. And as a die hard action cinephile I very much appreciate the efforts and work of David Leitch. I’ve got a hunch The Fall Guy is going to add up to more than the sum of its (considerably talented) parts and nail the action rom com formula.
Roadhouse: I’d be lying if I didn’t include this remake of the Patrick Swayze action classic among my most anticipated films. That said, I am not sure I’ve got a lot of confidence that it can compete with that original film. I’m simultaneously skeptical, and absolutely couldn’t be talked out of being there opening night to experience this world premiere for myself.
Sasquatch Sunset: I appreciate the career of the Zellner Brothers and have enjoyed some of their past work, so when I heard that an intimate portrait of a sasquatch family was coming from them, featured enormous amounts of primal behavior that caused massive walkouts at Sundance, I absolutely added this film to my must watch list.
Secret Mall Apartment: I read a viral news story once about the people who literally built an apartment inside and mall and lived in it. I don’t remember it much beyond a fascinating article that occupied my attention for a time and then disappeared to make new room for new internet garbage to fill. But I’m drawn to malls and weird social experiments like this and I want to know more just enough to definitely check out the film about this strange thing that happened.
Arcadian: Oh, a post-apocalyptic film starring Nicolas Cage? Say no more. I’ll see you at the theater.
Let’s get the heavy hitters out of the way. Immaculate , the Neon horror sees star (and producer) Sydney Sweeney reunite with director Michael Mohan (The Voyeurs). It has all the trappings of a gloriously off-kilter entry to the Catholic horror genre. While Dev Patel (The Green Man) looks to deliver a flex (literally it seems) both in front of and behind the camera with action romp Monkey Man. The sheer rush the trailer gives, suggests watching this one with 1400 people during SXSW, could blow the roof off the Paramount theater.
Back in 2017, Alice Lowe (Sightseers, Garth Marenghi’s Darkplace) delivered unto SXSW Prevenge, a slasher driven by the melancholic brooding and anger that consumed a prenatal woman. Lowe served as writer, director, and star of the film, and if that wasn’t impressive enough, she was actually pregnant during the shoot. Lowe is back with her particular brand of dark and dry humor with a love-story of sorts. A fantastical feature where two lovers, played by Lowe and Aneurin Barnard (1899, The Goldfinch), are destined to meet through the ages, and die gruesomely. Descriptions suggest a weaving together of reincarnation and romance, as well as a core of horror, right through England’s past, present, and future.
Finally, I’m loathe to see a TV show at a film festival, but as an unabashed fan of Star Trek Discovery, the chance to see the final season premiere on the big screen is one I’ll be taking as the visuals in this show are often breathtaking. Considering Disco is responsible for kickstarting this current golden age of Trek, here’s hoping they send off the show in style.
There are a ton of exciting big-name projects this year at SXSW, but perhaps my dark horse for the most interesting is Y2K. During his time on Saturday Night Live, Kyle Mooney was always amongst the most idiosyncratic voices on the show, both as a performer and a writer. His script for Brigsby Bear, an offbeat and strange film, was equally him, and so to see his directorial debut is promising. Add the fact that it has a premise that appeals to my elder millennial heart (a disaster teen comedy set against the backdrop of the turn of millennium) and it stars Rachel Zegler, and you have a film that feels almost directly targeted at my sensibilities. In the documentary space, I am also fascinated by Grand Theft Hamlet, which explores the story of two actors during the pandemic attempting to mount a performance of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy completely within the framework of the video game Grand Theft Auto, which the movie uses as its primary avenue for storytelling as well
I’m extremely excited for Y2K which Jay went over – I loved Brigsby Bear so I’m excited to see what he does next. I’m also extremely excited for most of the big premieres, like Monkey Man, Road House, I Saw the TV Glow, The Fall Guy, and Civil War, among others. That said, when I dug into the schedule, there’s some smaller movies that I think should be getting more buzz. For example, Azrael from director E.L. Katz of the excellent Cheap Thrills, starring the also excellent Samara Weaving, which looks to be a post-apocalyptic horror thriller and if Katz’s previous work is any indication should be a blast. Timestalker from Alice Lowe also looks fun, with a heroine stuck in a time loop trying to learn love.
Normally I avoid TV at film festivals like the plague (it’s a misguided idea of the purity of a film fest etc.) but 3 Body Problem is one of my favorite book series of all time and it’s adapted by Benioff and Weiss. When these Game of Thrones show runners were sticking to straight adaptation they were putting out one of the all time great TV shows, so I’m hoping those same skills will apply to this series based on finished source material.
About SXSW Film & TV Festival
Now in its 31st year, SXSW Film & TV Festival brings together creatives of all stripes over nine days to experience a diverse lineup and access to the SXSW Music and Comedy Festivals plus SXSW Conference sessions with visionaries from all corners of the entertainment, media, and technology industries.
About SXSW
SXSW dedicates itself to helping creative people achieve their goals. Founded in 1987 in Austin, Texas, SXSW is best known for its conference and festivals that celebrate the convergence of tech, film and television, music, education, and culture. An essential destination for global professionals, the annual March event features sessions, music, and comedy showcases, film and television screenings, exhibitions, professional development, and a variety of networking opportunities. SXSW proves that the most unexpected discoveries happen when diverse topics and people come together. SXSW 2024 will take place March 8–16 in Austin. Learn more at sxsw.com. To register for the event, please visit sxsw.com/attend.
