The first Sundance Film Festival was held in 1978, which means the festival has been around for over 40 years now. That's a lot of festivals and even more movies. It's the preeminent festival in the United States where indie darlings can make the jump to box office sensations.
There are many successes every year, some that make the jump not only in of box office take but to award season accolades as well. It's incredibly difficult to cut through all of the talent and artistry of the past forty years and land on only ten films, but here are ten that proved hits at the festival and have shown staying power in the cinematic subconscious for many years after.
Napoleon Dynamite - 71%
This darling of an awkward duck comedy was a pop culture phenomenon in 2004. 'Vote for Pedro' shirts are still sold in stores, and few movies have embraced such memorable dance scenes as Napoleon. For the weirdo in all of us, Napoleon and co are heroes. And who doesn't love a pet llama? The offbeat style makes the film a clear Sundance favorite, and the fact that it is still talked about, and seen, by viewers the world over, makes Napoleon a standout even now.
500 Days of Summer - 85%
In 2009 director Mark Webb thrilled Sundance Festival audiences with his romantic comedy, 500 Days of Summer, starring Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gorden-Levitt. The film went on to earn over $32 million at the box office and is a movie that, over ten years later, is still recommended and watched on its own merits rather than any history or particular change it brought to the industry itself. Sometimes a feel-good movie is exactly what the doctor ordered.
Garden State - 86%
Garden State is very much the independent type of film that Sundance has become known for. On a low budget, but not a shoestring, starring known faces, but not necessarily timely superstars, and playing with script and style in an obvious, but not overbearing way, Garden State settled into the quirky hearts of a particular audience. It was the debut feature of actor/director Zach Braff and included one of the best modern soundtracks anywhere (the soundtrack may stand up over time even better than the film). Infinitely quotable, "good luck exploring the infinite abyss."
The Blair Witch Project - 87%
While The Blair Witch Project may seem low budget to viewers today, that's because it was. For only $60,000 the now-classic horror movie changed the way people see, and make, films today.
Forever known for its budget, its ending, and the tricky question at the time of whether it "really happened" have all kept The Blair Witch Project in the back of the minds of scary movie fans for over twenty years.
The Usual Suspects - 89%
There were some well-known actors in The Usual Suspects, even at the time, and it got Kevin Spacey his first Oscar, as best ing actor. The film may be even more well known now for the public downfall of its stars, Spacey, and director Bryan Singer, but at the time it catapulted them both to new high paying projects (Singer taking over the original X-Men franchise). Ther performances were impeccable. The film also introduced the wider world to Benicio del Toro, which we can still appreciate.
Reservoir Dogs - 91%
In 1992 Quentin Tarantino entered a larger industry world. The previously obscure filmmaker (who was again nominated this year, for a number of Academy Awards, for his most recent project, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) may be a household name now, but that wasn't the case when Reservoir Dogs hit the festival circuit. He may be better known for his 1994 masterpiece, Pulp Fiction, but the 90s were Tarantino's time. Everyone was into hearing about what happened before and after a jewelry store robbery, though no one ever saw the robbery itself. Still, Tarantino kept all eyes glued to the screen.
Little Miss Sunshine - 91%
The cast, the comedy, the dance routine (it certainly gave Napoleon Dynamite a run for its money)... there was very little not to love about this film focusing on a dysfunctional family trying to get their daughter to a beauty pageant.
With the dreams of the adults crashing around her, it's a heartbreaking and hysterical look at the way families do and cannot help one another. It's an amazing example of ensemble acting, everyone is at their very best. It's also one of the funnies Alan Arkin performances anywhere and started Paul Dano on his rise in the mainstream.
Memento - 92%
Memento is one of those rare movies where the simplicity behind the scenes hid the mind-bending effect its structure and release would have on audiences in Utah and beyond. The greater effect the film had on audiences and the film industry as a whole? It introduced one Christopher Nolan, future director of movies the likes of Batman Begins, Inception, and Dunkirk. If that's not a lasting legacy we don't know what is.
Four Weddings and a Funeral - 96%
Let's hear it for the United Kingdom. In 1994 Hugh Grant and Andie MacDowell hurtled into the Utah Sundance Festival and left this R rated comedy a favorite for over fifteen years. Four Weddings and a Funeral was one of the earlier Sundance hits to go onto great mainstream success and prove it was possible for other filmmakers. A best picture nominee in 1995, earning $250 million at the box office, it was a great showing for British comedy and a very young Hugh Grant, who is still a household name, even all these years later.
Get Out - 98%
A surprise midnight premiere at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival put Get Out on movie screens and the industry on notice. Jordan Peele was more than a comedian, he was an original director with a vision and a voice. Get Out is one of the newer films on this list but no one doubts its staying power or its cultural significance. As both a horror film and skillful social commentary the movie has every right to outlast many of its competitors (if there are any).
