Here Are the Top 15 Stories from Sundance 2022 That Readers Loved Most, Ranked

This year’s Sundance Film Festival abandoned its plans for an in-person event due to rising COVID cases, but the latest edition still provided a rich selection of new films, television series, VR projects, and much more. And while IndieWire would have loved to be (literally) on the ground, we covered the festival from reviews to interviews, features to breaking news, and a truly delightful array of “in-studio” visits with some of our favorite talents.

For everything Sundance we’ve published over the past few days (and the weeks leading up to the festival) check this out,, but what did you really want to see out of Sundance? We’ve got a pretty good idea.

Our preview of hot sales titles (heavy on the genre films and documentaries) was of big interest and our top pick, Cooper Raiff’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth” sold to Apple for a hefty $15 million.

Also of interest: a look at why Jesse Eisenberg’s long-time friend and frequent co-star Emma Stone got into the producing fray to make his directorial debut, “When You Finish Saving the World.” The film premiered opening weekend and A24 will release it later this year.

When it came to reviews, the variety of films that people wanted to read about was thrilling. The number-one story of the festival is about as Sundance as it gets: a review of the Aubrey Plaza-starring crime thriller “Emily the Criminal,” which arrived at the festival with a ton of buzz and earned raves along the way. It’s still looking for distribution as of this writing, but we’re guessing not for long.

Other breakouts included the Rebecca Hall-starring “Resurrection,” Eisenberg’s “When You Finish Saving the World,” megachurch satire “Honk for Jesus, Save Your Soul,” and Lena Dunham’s “secret” third film “Sharp Stick.”

“Emily the Criminal”

Courtesy of Sundance Institute

Also popping: Reviews of two Searchlight titles, Mimi Cave’s “Fresh” and “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande” starring Emma Thompson; Shudder buy “Speak No Evil,” and Raiff’s “Cha Cha Real Smooth.”

Readers were also attracted to documentary reviews, including Amy Poehler’s Amazon Studios doc “Lucy and Desi,” as well a Ramin Bahrani’s “2nd Chance” and Nina Menke’s “Brainwashed”; both are seeking distribution.

At our virtual Sundance studio, the number-one chat was with the filmmakers behind Netflix Kanye West documentary “jeen-yuhs,” as they addressed swirling questions around the rapper and his demand for final cut. You can watch the rest of our studio interviews right here. Till next year!