Indie darling and genre delights aplenty as SXSW Film and Television Festival rings in 2024! Don’t miss out on the full range of festivities and countless gems as Josh and Allison cover this year’s festival for the fourth time. Our full coverage is listed after the jump.
Films
AUDREY
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) Meet the Lipsicks: Ronnie (Jackie van Beek), a former actress turned stage mom, her awkward construction contractor husband, Cormac (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor), and their daughters, Norah (Hanna Diviney) and Audrey (Josephine Blazier). Ronnie channels her regret of a career cut short by pushing Audrey into drama school, much to the teenager’s disdain, but her plans are disrupted when her daughter falls into a coma. Audrey’s injury changes the status quo for the whole family. Norah, wheelchair-bound and regularly ignored, receives more attention from her parents and classmates, including Audrey’s whiny boyfriend, Max (Fraser Anderson). Cormac finds a new connection with one of his clients, Bourke (Aaron Fa’aoso). As for Ronnie, she poses as Audrey for an acting masterclass taught by her idol, Lucinda (Gael Ballantyne), and gladly takes another chance on the stage. Boasting great comedic writing from screenwriter Lou Sanz, and delivered hilariously by the central cast, almost nothing is off-limits in this twist-filled story. Laugh out loud one-liners are accompanied with dips into rather sinister topics through dark humor. For example, Ronnie narcissistically exploits her daughters for personal gain, and Max’s demands of sexual gratification as “proof” of love encapsulates emotional coercion. Some of these subjects are treated with levity, which may not be for everyone’s taste. However, the ironic lack of seriousness leans more camp and self-aware than needlessly distasteful. While certain visual elements could use fine-tuning—looking at you, stock RGB split effects—director Natalie Bailey makes a bright and colorful picture to complement the Lipsicks’ absurd adventures. Several moments delve into serious drama, particularly towards the plot climax. Many films struggle with this execution, yet strong performances allow for most of the tone shifts to enhance the narrative’s texture. Some pacing and jumps between perspectives feels unbalanced at times, though this does not intrude upon the overall enjoyability. Bizarre and chaotic, this mature, family-centered comedy is nothing if not ridiculously entertaining.
BACKSPOT
Full review at the link.
Ben and Suzanne, A Reunion in 4 Parts
(Written by Intern, Logan Oplinger) Ben and Suzanne, a Reunion in Four Parts illustrates the elusive struggles of navigating a troubled relationship as an ageless tale of affection. After spending months apart, Ben (Sathya Sridharan) makes a long-awaited trip to Sri Lanka, hoping to spend some quality time with his girlfriend, Suzanne (Anastasia Olowin). In the ten days they spend together, the cracks in their relationship begin to show. Suzanne’s job, along with the numerous obstacles they face as tourists, push the two even further apart until the tension reaches a fever pitch. Writer/director Shaun Seneviratne appears to place a high value on the refinement of his characters. The first two parts are completely dedicated to showcasing the identities of Ben and Suzanne— and the many facets of their relationship— through a deeply nostalgic lens. Cinematographer Molly Scotti introduces a vintage touch, with scenes containing lengthy handheld shots—evoking documentary-style auteur films of yesteryear. This technique creates a sense of timelessness, which complements the clear magnetism between the star actors. At times, the two play off of each other so naturally, one would think they were looking at a genuine American couple. Though, perhaps Seneviratne’s intense examination of the young couple’s dynamic comes at its detriment. Even as a romantic dramedy, it leaves much to be desired. Humor was an afterthought for the writing department, and the few comedic opportunities presented are squandered. Viewers will find drama lacking as well, except for the sudden and rather unexpected climax, which subsides almost immediately. Additionally, though the film hints at topics of ethical ambiguity and the struggle of being a foreigner, it does not explore them to any meaningful degree. Instead, the ups and downs of Ben and Suzanne’s vacation take center stage, revealing how two lovers can become disconnected even when they are closer than ever. While Ben and Suzanne attempts to curb certain clichés of the genre, some may find that what it offers is not any more compelling than the more tried-and-true derivatives of the past.
BIRDEATER
Sharing much in common with the festival’s other toxic masculinity feature Hunting Daze, Birdeater is at least competently made, if frustrating on nearly every level. From writer/director Jack Clark and co-director Jim Weir comes a film that will assault the senses to an appalling degree. Irene (Shabana Azeez) suffers from anxiety so crippling she cannot drive, let alone possess a phone for fear of making it all worse. Her swimmer fiancé, Louie (Mackenzie Fernley), invites Irene to his bachelor party, against better judgment. Needless to say, what unfolds next involves involves bro chanting, rape jokes, weird games of “paranoia,” and full frontal female nudity. One can almost see what the creatives were going for here, but it doesn’t quite work. Spotty sound design distracts more than it helps, at times drowning out vital dialogue. The annoying editing does the film no favors either, coming off completely erratic and impenetrable. At least the cinematography impresses.
BLACK BOX DIARIES
Full review at the link.
Brandy Hellville & The Cult Of Fast Fashion
Full review at the link.
THE GREATEST HITS
Full review at the link.
HIGH TIDE
Teeming with male nudity and beachy landscapes, Marco Calvani’s High Tide has all the makings of a queer classic. Lourenco (Marco Pigossi) faces issues regarding his undocumented immigrants status. Particularly, after having unprotected bareback sex, he debates how he will get tested for STDs. His troubles seem to vanish after meeting hunky lifeguard Maurice (James Bland). I enjoyed Bill Irwin as Lourenco’s catty gay pal, and occasionally, the romance elements simmer nicely. The performances are quite good for a low budget feature. Additionally, the cinematography from Oscar Ignacio Jimeneza is a beauty to behold. Maybe if Lourenco as a character wasn’t so frustrating, it would be easier to recommend High Tide. He never gets to the point of the lead in Passages, but he was still borderline unbearable. Drug use escalates progressively, and gender politics and pronoun issues linger uncomfortably within the framework of the narrative. Maybe I am just jaded by the queer excellence showering our screens as of late, but LGBT+ stories are being told far more interestingly and with more gusto and passion than anything in High Tide.
THE HOBBY
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) Ancient museum exhibits and triumphant heros’ journeys may not come to mind initially when thinking about board games as a leisure activity. However, The Hobby shows a different side to the world of tabletop play in this fun, down-to-earth documentary. Following a wide range of devotees, including creators, collectors, and competitors, director Simon Ennis explores how people of any background can find common ground over a shared passion. Most focused plotlines run separately from one another, and serve to demonstrate gradually growing diversity in the community. Eventually, these enthusiasts brush against each other as the story surrounds a few events, including playtesting conventions and the World Series of Board Gaming (WSBG). Genuine talking head interviews, authentic moments captured of family game nights, banter between long-time friends, or strangers bonding over a set of rules and pieces inspire an undeniable sense of joy from seeing unadulterated human excitement. At times getting philosophical, various people describe the importance of board games in their lives, and how the strength of social connection built over such hobbies should not be undervalued. Minimal representation for women and BIPOC in the sphere is addressed directly, and indirectly, through several subjects describing their own experiences in breaking into a largely white-male dominated space. A few narrated anecdotes are acted out like skits and heightened by nostalgic retro scoring (including a sick Black Sabbath track), which adds texture to an otherwise rather simple filmmaking structure. While there may not be a domineering central narrative, a smidge of dramatic tension and personal growth across the runtime keep the viewer engaged. The Hobby makes for an optimistic and relaxed peek at an oftentimes outcast population discovering solace in the like-minded, and appeals in its unapologetic sincerity and welcoming message.
HOW TO BUILD A TRUTH ENGINE
(Written by Intern, Sean Barry) In an era where humanity appears to only become more divided with each passing day, How to Build a Truth Engine is a cautionary tale about the threat of misinformation in the modern world. It shows multiple different world events from the past decade, and in nearly each one, experts and journalists were ignored in favor of media outlets and conspiracy theories. World tragedies have often been mishandled in the press, resulting in half-truths and gossip. This is a dangerous trend brought to the forefront through interviews with experts who reported the facts on the various incidents. Effective editing curates a wide array of perspectives on the matter at hand. A portion framed around the January 6th insurrection cuts between interviews, news clips, security footage, and recorded video from the rioters themselves to get a full view of what occurred. It gives the sense that the entire country was watching that day regardless of their viewpoint, whether physical or political. However, not enough context is given to the other side of the misinformation line and where these ideas originated. Writer/director Friedrich Moser goes into detail about what parts of the human brain are vulnerable to lies and how false belief systems get started, but only briefly. The underlying message that accepting news at face value is easier than confirming it to be factual could have been more effective if the intention behind the manipulation were better fleshed out. Similarly, many of the big points and themes are hit within the first forty-five minutes, which inevitably leads to redundancy with a two plus hour runtime. Nonetheless, How to Build a Truth Engine succeeds in its bleak endeavor to spread truth to a world refusing to listen.
HUNTING DAZE
Every so often, a movie comes along whose target audience seems questionable indeed. While watching drama/mystery/thriller Hunting Daze, I was left pondering just who would get proper enjoyment out of its many predictable elements. Nina (Nahema Ricci), an exotic dancer, ends up in a seriously wonky scenario with a hunting cabin full of recent customers. What starts as a generic exercise in Nina finding a weird sort of camaraderie in this male-dominant space quickly spirals out of control when a stranger arrives in the woods. I have a very low tolerance for the kind of drunken antics presented—which here include plenty of cursing, or slapping one another across the face for blinking—so perhaps that may be why I failed to connect with this material on any level. Introducing murky moral dilemmas, yet failing to do anything original or unique with their complexities, is simply unforgivable.
KRZYK – LOSING CONTROL
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) What starts as an eerie mystery, slowly, but surely, turns into a tale of identity crisis in surreal drama, Krzyk: Losing Control. Krzyk, translated from Polish to Scream, follows Lena (Gina Henkel), a German scientist working in Poland, who witnesses a terrible incident on the highway. As she investigates further into the situation, she becomes entangled in the past of a woman named Nina (Natalia Mateo), an architect who has an idealistic life to Lena. The closer she gets to Nina through her widowed husband, Viktor (Paweł Deląg), their young son, Antek (Noah Szendel), and a mysterious friend, Vera (Wiktoria Gorodeckaja), the more Lena discovers about herself in the process. Writer/director Ewa Wikiel focuses on themes of motherhood linked to trauma, through artistic imagery and intense flashbacks. Discordant strings and trippy fish-eye lens shots place the viewer in Lena’s mind, as she descends into a limbo of dream and reality. Engaging cinematography and camera work demonstrate Wikiel’s filmmaking style, and blend in horror elements including grainy surveillance footage and visual metaphors. Yet, the story’s core does not seem quite as polished. Minimal establishment of characters makes it difficult to connect to their arcs, and motivation for sudden developments in Lena’s change are vaguely explained. There are certainly highlight moments and formidable acting from Henkel as the central protagonist. However, in comparison to other psychological dramas, Krzyk barely strikes a distinct chord with negligible setups and lackluster payoffs. While initially presented as an examination of grief and coping mechanisms, some threads along the emotional narrative feel absent, and ultimately resolve with less impact on the viewer than desired. Despite a strong start and interesting premise, the film loses steam too quickly to make for an exceptionally worthwhile watch.
NATATORIUM
Full review at the link.
ROLEPLAY
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) Sensitive content ahead, Roleplay foreshadows with an on-screen trigger warning. Centered around New Orlean’s Tulane University, this documentary follows a group of co-eds tasked with creating a play to address sexual assault, student safety, and bigotry. We follow select members of the cast, blending voice-over anecdotes and upper education slice-of-life footage. With a diverse range of identities, those spotlighted use their personal experiences to inform and create characters and scenarios for their stage production. Hannah, a self-described party girl, describes the complexity of sobriety and drunk hookups. Miranda, an introverted sophomore, struggles with her religious family’s view of her sexuality, while processing trauma. Alexandra recounts her isolation and difficulty opening up to others, as one of the few black undergraduates attending Tulane. Aaron describes himself as a well-meaning guy, yet reflects on his hesitation to call out others’ harmful behavior. Lines between reality and art are crossed, from examinations of navigating triggering material to interesting intergroup tension. Lucy, a white sorority girl, faces her real-world habit of turning a blind eye, as she and Alex conjure up two friends who come to blows over on-campus racism. Some clear observations can be made of gender disparities, as several women in the cast talk about being assaulted or anxiety after blacking out at parties, and the men lean in more on toxic masculinity and enabling rape-culture. Director Kate Lyn Mathews dials in close with the lens, and sits the viewer directly inside painful conversations about healing, or in the middle of actors fleshing out intense scenes. Generally, tone remains rather lowkey, with less of a structured narrative, and more of a coast alongside the development of the show. For some, subdued dramatic action may not effectively sustain attention. For others, unembellished discussion about mental health and slower moments of serenity help balance out heavier topics. Roleplay may not address all problems with college safety, yet connection to real-life stories helps cement the messages portrayed. Although the subject matter is bleak, watching young creatives full of determination make a stand certainly inspires hope for change. The end-screen boasts a sold-out run of the subsequent performance, though viewers can still catch an introspective glimpse behind the curtain in this intimate and impactful feature.
THINGS WILL BE DIFFERENT
Time and time again, an exciting sci-fi title will skirt across the metaphorical desk of my inbox. Almost without fail, these promising projects only disappoint, failing to do anything unique with their engaging premises. Things Will Be Different, as its title would imply, is thankfully noticeably different in that the film at least attempts to change up the formula. A pair of siblings (Adam David Thompson, Riley Dandy) pull off a thrilling robbery, which the audience unfortunately does not get to see. They need two weeks to lay low before they can really enjoy the spoils of their labor. Where better to go than an eerie farmhouse that has more clues lying about than an average game of Clue? The setup quickly plays out during the credits as a simple phone call, leaving the rest of the lengthy runtime every opportunity to pull out all the stops. Though brother and sister are initially warm to one another, tensions run very high given the weight of their situation. When it becomes clear the two are stuck within the confines of the farmhouse, there is no telling what either of them will try to do to escape. Needless to say, many shenanigans occur, and I am not entirely convinced that all of it makes sense. Its lead actors are quite strong, but even they tend to falter under the weight of the grander moments within Things Will Be Different. Admirably, this genre flick does swing for the fences in its final act. I just wish it was even more different than one’s average sci-fi mind bender.
WAKHRI
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) Wakhri comes out the gates with a strong story about LGBTQ+ rights and the feminist movement in Pakistan, inspired by true events. Noor (Faryal Mehmood), a widowed mother to Sulay (Shees Sajjad Gul), and her best friend, Guchhi (Gulshan Majeed), a genderqueer party promoter, endeavor against traditional norms and a society that shames them both. Amidst sudden budget cuts for the all-girl’s school where Noor teaches, and a prolonged custody battle over Sulay, she reaches a boiling point when her son leaves for vacation with her sister-in-law, Tehmina (Tooba Siddiqui). Noor takes to the stage at one of Guchhi’s shows in drag, and monologues to an enraptured—and recording—audience about the mistreatment of women: mothers, and daughters of Pakistan. Thus a new persona, Wakhri is born, and quickly becomes a viral sensation. Guchhi and Noor capitalize on the event by taking to social media, directing proceeds towards Noor’s school while stirring political, and emotional campaigns among fans and detractors. Chemistry between characters, especially Noor and Guchhi, bring a sense of authenticity to an at times melodramatic narrative. Wakhri covers various subjects, from arranged marriages of children to morality laws, and does an imperfect, but decent job at incorporating everything without becoming a mess. Some flaws in pacing, on-the-nose speeches that occasionally veer into one-note lectures, and surface-level threads regarding online culture at times bog down deeper emotional moments. However, the point throughout is unmistakable. An end-screen tribute to Pakistani influencer and activist, Qandeel Baloch, who was murdered by her brother in an honor killing, connects the impactful message to the real world. Writer/director Iram Parveen Bilal may not be changing technical boundaries in visual storytelling. Nevertheless, Bilal certainly breaks down barriers by discussing marginalization of women and the queer community intersecting with the modern power of the internet to spread awareness of their struggles. Though some may feel preached at by fade out, undeniably important issues do deserve time on a platform, and Wakhri succeeds in shining a light on the continued fight for equality.
WE STRANGERS
Full review at the link.
WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE
What would you do if a giant alien spike that randomly teleports—causing mass casualties and destruction—tore its way across your neighborhood? We’re All Gonna Die poses this question, yet instead of focusing on the most interesting angle, flashes forward twelve years into a theoretical future. With opening credits that breeze through interesting theories on what this giant spike may actually be, We’re All Gonna Die chooses instead to be an underwhelming road trip movie. Nary an alien nor any semblance of an explanation awaits during the course of this overlong, meandering movie. A rogue beekeeper and a wandering man with car trouble bond over shared family traumas. Is anyone surprised that a romance between the duo begins to form? At one point, a random side character proclaims, “that big dick in the sky could nut us any sec.” The premise seems far more exciting than what we actually get, which is a real shame considering its potential.
YASMEEN’S ELEMENT
(Written by Intern, Shaun E) Like a mini odyssey, Yasmeen’s Element shows the journey of a young Pakistani girl through a picturesque mountainside community. Yasmeen (Eshal Fatima) and her peers are given an assignment by Professor Ayaz (Nazir Ahmed Bulbul) to create presentations on different elements. At the arrival of soldiers, their professor ends class early, and the oblivious girls gladly take advantage of the short school day to play. An unaware Yasmeen loses the note with her topic, and only discovers it upon returning home. In order to finish her homework, Yasmeen follows various trails and encounters strange obstacles on her hunt for Ayaz’s house. Writer/director Amman Abbasi crafts a dreamy visual, with softly blurred shots and gorgeously colorful landscapes. Continuous uncut scenes highlight young Fatima’s natural acting, and fun camera movement around roads and sets like a stage-play. Beyond a beautiful backdrop of rocky ranges and stylish cinematography, much of the story feels like a wild goose chase with minimal stakes or conclusive meaning. Like a children’s book, or video game adventure, Yasmeen’s world is populated with one-dimensional characters who exposit without prompt, then conveniently provide directions for the girl to continue her trek. The liveliness of the village is pleasant, and shows an interesting world that may not often be seen on screen. However, lack of a strong core in the central narrative besides “kid looks for teacher” ultimately pushes introduced themes about women’s educational inequality to the literal background. A lukewarm watch overall, Yasmeen’s Element culminates in a more casual exploration of her environment rather than cultural commentary or a dramatic hero’s tale.
Television
3 BODY PROBLEM
Full review at the link.
Allison’s Favorite Films of 2024’s SXSW
Josh’s favorite film of the festival was The Greatest Hits, with nothing else coming close. For more information about this year’s festival or to purchase tickets, please head over to the official website.