The It List Tribeca Festival guide: The most charming, emotional and absurd movies we saw
The festival hosts hundreds of screenings every year. We named our seven favorites.
Hello friends! Welcome to the It List Tribeca Festival guide, where I’m sharing my picks for the best of the festival’s films. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases that we can't wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.
Tribeca Festival hosts hundreds of screenings every year in New York City. It frequently features independent films that haven’t yet picked up distribution, so they’re not currently in theaters or on streaming services — but attending is a great way to get a sense of what movies to have on your radar for the coming year.
I caught roughly 40 movies this year, but I assigned superlatives to seven of my favorites. I’ll walk you through them.
Most likely to charm your socks off: Griffin in Summer
What to know: Deeply serious 14-year-old playwright Griffin Nafly is spending his summer vacation staging his latest work when the handyman working on his parents’ house catches his attention.
Newcomer Everett Blunck stars as Griffin. Melanie Lynskey plays his mother, Owen Teague is the handyman and Kathryn Newton is the handyman’s girlfriend.
The film won the best U.S. narrative feature award at the festival, snagging honors for its screenplay and director as well.
Why I liked it: It’s a coming-of-age story about theater, crushes and processing parent drama that feels both wildly relatable and also completely bonkers. Did I mention the handyman is also a failed performance artist?
How to watch: Plans for distribution have not yet been announced.
Most quietly terrifying: How I Faked My Life With AI
What to know: Filmmaker Kyle Vorbach used cutting-edge artificial intelligence to create a digital persona that achieves his wildest dreams while raising questions about the ethics of technology.
It’s a documentary, not a horror movie, but the way Vorbach blends fiction and reality for his viewers and friends is existentially terrifying.
It was fascinating to see this featured in the festival lineup along with short films generated with text-to-video AI technology.
Why I liked it: Just when I thought I was onto Vorbach’s tricks, he pulled the rug out from under me again.
How to watch: Plans for distribution have not yet been announced.
Least likely to allow you to breathe normally for its entire runtime: The Knife
What to know: A Black family chasing the American dream has their lives upended by an intruder in their home.
The story unfolds over the course of a night. Nnamdi Asomugha and Aja Naomi King star as the parents of three young children, and Melissa Leo plays a detective hell-bent on figuring out what really happened.
Asomugha, a former NFL player, co-wrote and starred in the film. He also directed it, taking home Tribeca’s award for best new narrative director for his work.
Why I liked it: My jaw was clenched for 82 consecutive minutes, in part because of the film’s poignant social commentary. It’s a work of fiction, but the themes are very real.
When you can watch: Plans for distribution have not yet been announced.
Longest title: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer
What to know: Honestly, the whole premise is in the title.
Steve Buscemi plays a convincing serial killer. You might recognize the film’s other stars — Britt Lower from Severance and John Magaro from Past Lives.
Why I liked it: I have a thing for absurdity and annoying characters, but I know this won’t be for everyone.
When you can watch: Plans for distribution have not yet been announced.
Most unexpectedly emotional: Shelf Life
What to know: The documentary explores the making and celebration of cheese around the globe, drawing parallels between the food’s aging process and the journey of human life.
There are no big names involved — no bombshell reveals or appearances. Just a bunch of people, from cheesemongers to microbiologists, who are really passionate about cheese.
Why I liked it: A documentary about cheese made me tear up. Seriously. That’s something special.
When you can watch: Plans for distribution have not yet been announced.
Oddest couple: Between the Temples
What to know: As he struggles to process the grief of losing his wife, a cantor (Jason Schwartzman) gets a new lease on life, thanks to his grade school music teacher and current adult bat mitzvah student (Carol Kane).
The movie confronts Jewish stereotypes with screwball humor, zigging when you might expect it to zag.
Why I liked it: It’s weird. Characters often interrupt each other, and the plot goes to uncomfortable places. That’s the spirit of film festival movies, though: Chaos reigns.
When you can watch: Between the Temples will be in theaters Aug. 23.
Most memorable: Sacramento
What to know: A soon-to-be father (Michael Cera) goes on a road trip with his childhood best friend (Michael Angarano) to — you guessed it — Sacramento.
I want to avoid spoiling any of the plot, but Kristen Stewart (Angarano’s real-life ex-girlfriend) and Maya Erskine (Angarano’s real-life wife) also star.
Why I liked it: It’s a meaningful reflection on the transition to parenthood. It’s funny, but the quiet poignancy of its message is what I can’t stop thinking about.
When you can watch: It’s set to be released later this year, but the date hasn’t been announced yet.
Want more recommendations? Check out our guides to the best in summer entertainment.
Are there other things you’re excited about? Let us know in the comments below.
