SXSW 2016 Film Festival Preview Part One: Narrative Movies

Though SXSW continues being known for its wild week of music, the festival has been steadily curating one of the finest film festivals on the circuit for years. This year, as ever, the SXSW team has put together an amazing and overwhelming lineup of films that are enough for even the most jaded cinephile to drool helplessly over. Featuring a wide array of world premieres, national premieres, and regional premieres, SXSW 2016 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting film festivals in recent memory. While no one could possibly take in everything the festival has to offer, there are a few selections that show genuine promise. As you go about planning your schedule, try to keep these films in mind.

collective:unconscious: SXSW is nothing if not a place for the weird and the offbeat, and collective:unconscious certainly fits that bill. A series of shorts from the rising stars of the indie film community, the film finds directors bringing the literal dreams of their collaborators to life. It’s an interesting premise that promises a surreal and ephemeral cinematic experience.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Born to be Blue: One of two jazz biopics slated to roll through SXSW, Born to Be Blue stars Ethan Hawke as trumpeter Chet Baker as he attempts a comeback in the 60’s following years of drug abuse and addiction. Buzz about Hawke’s performance has been building for months, making Born to Be Blue one of the hottest tickets in town.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Miles Ahead: Don Cheadle makes his directorial debut with this long gestating passion project about the life of Miles Davis. It’d be tempting to draw comparisons between Miles Ahead and Born to be Blue, and you can no doubt expect a plethora of think pieces along those lines in the coming weeks and months, but the similarities stop and end with “jazz biopic.” Cheadle, who also stars as the coolest man who ever lived, will no doubt infuse this fictionalized recounting of Davis’ career with charm and charisma.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Don’t Think Twice: Comedian Mike Birbiglia returns to the director’s chair with this comedy about a tight-knit group of improv comedians whose friendship is tested when one of them lands a role in a new TV show. Birbiglia has always been a fantastic storyteller whose standup acts are more akin to one man shows than traditional routines. His eye for detail and emotional sets him apart, and with a cast that includes Keegan-Michael Key, Gillian Jacobs, and Birbiglia himself, Don’t Think Twice has the makings for comedic gold and human poignancy.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Demolition: Jake Gyllenhaal plays a man struggling to move on after the sudden death of his wife who begins exorcising his emotional demons in the form of complaint letters to a vending machine company. Gyllenhaal is one of the more emotive actors working today and director Jean-Marc Vallee (Dallas Buyers Club, Wild) knows how to pull the heartstrings with shocking deliberation. This is one of the must see films of the festival.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Everybody Wants Some: Long touted as the “spiritual sequel” to Dazed and Confused, director Richard Linklater follows a close-knit group of college friends as they embark on a final, wild weekend of partying in the 1980’s. This one is either going to be hit or miss, and it seems unlikely that anything could ever match the resonance of Dazed, but as a native of Austin, Linklater has long been one of the darlings of the SXSW scene and his movies are sure to draw the crowds.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Hardcore Henry: Shot entirely in first person, this action thriller has the unusual distinction of casting you as its star. You’re dead and gone until your wife resurrects you, next thing you know you’re being shot at and chased by a gang of bloodthirsty warlords in the city of Moscow. The premise is wild and it has potential to be one of the greatest action thrillers of the year. If it’s not, then at least it was a unique ride.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

I Am Not a Serial Killer: The formula recalls Dexter. Teenager John Cleaver is a disturbed young man with an obsession with serial killers and uncontrollable urges for blood does what he can to quell his dark desires. He mostly succeeds at hiding his true nature until a supernatural murderer begins stalking the citizens of his town. John is forced to draw upon his evil nature to stop the beast, but can he stop himself once he lets himself out? Is he more dangerous than the evil he’s trying to stop?

For venues and showtimes, click here.

American Fable: Set in the American Midwest during the 1980’s, American Fable follows the young Gitty as she discovers her father holding a hostage in the silo of their family farm. Buzz has been largely positive for this weird, magic infused tale that reimagines 80’s living as a modern parable of good and evil.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Spaceship: A young “cyber-goth” whose increasingly detached father can’t get over his wife’s death fakes an alien abduction forcing the broken man to enter her world in an attempt to find her. This is one of those bizarre little indies that is best viewed in the festival setting, and it’s sure to be packed with emotional resonance as the father and daughter learn more about each other and about life.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Hush: Small confession: I love a good home invasion thriller. Hush is the latest entry into this subgenre of horror, with the added twist of its main character being a deaf shut in who’s shunned the world in favor of her secluded home. That adds a new level of horror to the concept, which gives Hush the potential to be a fantastic entry into the Midnighters category.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Under the Shadow: A woman in war torn Tehran during the Iran-Iraq war of the 80’s struggles to take care of her family while her husband is at war. Also, her apartment building might be cursed by a Djinn. Blending politics with subtle horror, Under the Shadow is one of the horror movies at this year’s SXSW I’m most excited to see.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Untitled Fede Alvarez/Ghost House Thriller: Teens break into an eccentric old blind man’s house for the ever elusive perfect crime and get more than they bargain for. This may be lacking a proper title at this moment, but it comes to us from the man who brought us the better-than-anyone-expected remake of Evil Dead, Fede Alvarez, and produced by Sam Raimi. Title or no, I’m in.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Carnage Park: A group of bank robbers make their way from the police during a heist, only to find themselves being hunted by a psychopathic ex-sniper who doesn’t appreciate outsiders. If done right, Carnage Park could be an amazing, blood soaked thriller that offers the perfect twist on the The Most Dangerous Game trope.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

Operator: Martin Starr plays a data-obsessed programmer who attempts to replicate his wife’s voice for his latest project. As he becomes more and more obsessed with the process, tensions between he and his real wife grow in this tale about relationships in the modern world.

For venues and showtimes, click here.

To check out our picks of documentaries to catch, click here!

SXSW Film begins Friday, March 11 and runs through Saturday March 19, in Austin, Texas. For full lineup of films, click here. For up to the minute coverage of SXSW Film follow Christian Long (@cuneform) and Danielle Houtkooper (@DaniYellee), as well as Glide Magazine (@glidemag) on Twitter.




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