The 2021 Sundance Film Festival kicks off today with a mainly virtual festival that we all can attend from the comfort of our homes. As you consider taking in a likely pre-awards contender, here are our picks for the 20 best movies from past 20 festivals that you can watch right now.

2020 - "Never Rarely Sometimes Always" - Last year's breakout hit features a powerful breakout performance from Sidney Flanigan, and is already taking the 2020 awards race by storm. Look for it on HBO Max and other VOD platforms.

Sidney Flanigan in "Never Rarely Sometimes Always."

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2019 - "The Farewell" - Multi-hyphenate Awkwafina stars in Lulu Wang's pseudo-biographical dramedy. The film screened in that year's Dramatic Competition and went on to win numerous awards, including a Golden Globe for Awkwafina, but it was ultimately snubbed at the Oscars. Look for it on Prime Video and other VOD platforms.

LU Hong ZHAO Shuzhen and Awkwafina in The Farewell

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2018 - "Eighth Grade" - YouTube comedian Bo Burnham draws on his own experiences with social media anxiety with this coming-of-age dramedy. Told through the lens of a young 8th grade girl, "Eighth Grade" was praised for its authenticity, without pandering to the target audience. Look for it on Kanopy and other VOD platforms.

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2017 - "Get Out" - Jordan Peele stepped away from comedy with this powerful directorial debut in an entirely different genre. First premiering at Sundance, the film went on to win numerous awards, ultimately being nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Daniel Kaluuya) and Best Original Screenplay at the 90th Academy Awards. Look for it on FuboTV, FXNow and other VOD platforms.

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2016 - "Captain Fantastic" - A fantastic Viggo Mortensen stars in this comedy-drama about a family that lives off the grid, but is forced to reconnect after the devastating loss of the family matriarch. After screening at Sundance the film also played at Cannes and Mortensen went on to be nominated for Best Actor at the Golden Globes and the Oscars. Look for it on Hulu, Kanopy and other VOD platforms.

Viggo Mortensen and Annalise Basso in "Captain Fantastic."

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2015 - "The Wolfpack' - Not to be confused with the guys from the "Hangover" movies, this stunning doc follows a clan of seven homeschooled siblings who were locked away in their family's apartment and their only view of the outside world was through the lens of popular movies. The doc won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year. Look for it on Hoopla, Kanopy and other VOD platforms.

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2014 - "Whiplash" - After watching "Soul" and "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," continue your cinematic blues and jazz fusion journey with this award winner from Damien Chazelle. After winning the top audience and grand jury prizes at Sundance, it went on to win numerous awards including Best Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons) at the Oscars. Look for it on Starz and other VOD platforms.

Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons in "Whiplash."

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2013 - "Fruitvale Station" - Before they teamed up for bigger pictures "Creed" and "Black Panther," director Ryan Coogler and actor Michael B. Jordan broke out with this still-timely, award-winning true story of a young man wrongfully shot by an Oakland transit police officer. Look for it on Netflix and other VOD platforms.

Michael B. Jordan and Melonie Diaz in "Fruitvale Station."

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2012 - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" - Director Benh Zeitlin broke out big with this fantasy drama following the story of a young girl (Quvenzhané Wallis) forced to find her own courage and seek her estranged mother. After winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the film was unstoppable, gathering more accolades including four Academy Awards, with Wallis becoming the youngest actress ever to be nominated for Best Actress. Look for it on HBO Max and other VOD platforms.

Quvenzhane Wallis in "Beasts of the Southern Wild."

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2011 - "Martha Marcy May Marlene" - Elizabeth Olsen might now be best known for her role as Wanda/Scarlet Witch in the MCU, but her breakout was here in this award-winning family drama, where she plays a young girl who suffers from paranoia after escaping an abusive cult. Look for it on HBO Max and other VOD platforms.

Elizabeth Olsen and Sarah Paulson in "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

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2010 - "Winter's Bone" - Before she led popular franchises like the X-Men and "The Hunger Games," Jennifer Lawrence broke through with a powerful performance in this rural drama from director Debra Granik. The film won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance that year and went on to nab four Oscar noms including Best Actress for Lawrence. Look for it on Hulu, Kanopy and other VOD platforms.

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2009 - "Sin nombre" -  While we wait, and wait, and wait for the release Cary Joji Fukunaga's Bond flick "No Time to Die," go back to his start with this adventure thriller about a young boy caught up in gang life, and the girl he's protecting, who looks to immigrate to the United States for a better life. The film screened in competition at Sundance that year with Fukunaga winning the directing award. Look for it on Prime Video and other VOD platforms.

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2008 - "Man on Wire" - Playing like a heist movie, filmmaker James Marsh's documentary details French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's 1974 high-wire walk between the iconic Twin Towers in NYC. After winning the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance the doc went on to nab more awards including the Oscar for Best Documentary Film, and was later adapted into a full-length feature, "The Walk," starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Look for the doc on Kanopy and other VOD platforms.

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2007 - "Black Snake Moan" - Director Craig Brewer will soon be delivering some well-needed laughs with the anticipated Eddie Murphy sequel "Coming 2 America." But as you wait, take a trip back to Brewer's dark dramedy that premiered in 2007 at Sundance. Featuring a chained up Christina Ricci and a way-out-there Samuel L. Jackson, critics were not sure what to make of the film upon release, but filmmaker Kevin Smith, filling in for Roger Ebert on Ebert's TV review show, called it the best film of the year. Look for it on Prime Video and other VOD platforms.

Christina Ricci and Samuel L. Jackson in "Black Snake Moan."

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2006 - "Friends with Money" - Nicole Holofcener's comedy-drama opened Sundance that year. A look at economic disparity through the lens of four women friends, one of whom struggles to make ends meet, Holofcener's film can still feel relevant today, as it did when it first premiered. Look for it on all VOD platforms.

Joan Cusack, Catherine Keener, Jennifer Aniston, Frances McDormand in "Friends with Money."

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2005 - "Hustle & Flow" - Before director Craig Brewer confounded critics and audiences with "Black Snake Moan," he delivered this raw music drama about a hustler who aspires to become a rapper. After winning the Sundance Audience Award and the Cinematography award, the film went on to receive more accolades including an Oscar for original song "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp." Look for it on all VOD platforms.

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2004 - "Primer" - Got a lot of time to kill? Take out a pad and a pen and try to unravel the complicated timeline from this low-key, mind-bending time travel movie. Director Shane Carruth's indie sci-fi drama proves that you don't need a mega-budget to create a sci-fi film that can blow your mind. Look for it on all the major VOD platforms.

David Sullivan and Shane Carruth in "Primer."

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2003 - "American Splendor" - Documentarians Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini step away from non-fiction for this Grand Jury prize winner that's part comic book adaptation, part biopic, but also part actual documentary featuring real-life interviews about artist Harvey Pekar. It's a strange combination that works, especially if you know the source material. Look for it on HBO Max and other VOD platforms.

Hope Davis and Paul Giamatti in "American Splendor."

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2002 - "Better Luck Tomorrow" - Justin Lin's breakout crime drama is technically a part of the "Fast & Furious" franchise. The connection comes via smoking and snack loving criminal Han (Sung Kang), who crossed over to make his first "F&F" appearance in Lin's "Tokyo Drift." Due to fan popularity he has appeared in five more "F&F" films and the short "Los Bandoleros," and was even hinted at coming back in the upcoming "F9." Look for it on CBS All Access, Crackle, PopcornFlix and other VOD platforms.

Sung Kang, Jason Tobin, Parry Shen in "Better Luck Tomorrow."

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2001 - "Memento" - Christopher Nolan was pretty unknown when his mind-bending neo-noir thriller played the festival circuit. "Memento" started its tour at Venice in 2000 and finished its rounds in 2001 at Sundance, impressing critics along the way. It wouldn't be long before Nolan amassed a huge cult following, eager to watch any of his films whenever they release. Look for it on the Roku Channel, Hoopla and other VOD platforms.

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Instant 20: Best Sundance Movies to Watch

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Chris Rock is a man of many talents. Certainly, the most famous is his stand-up comedy. Rock got his big breakthrough when he joined the cast of "Saturday Night Live" in 1990. This cast of not-yet-ready-for-Primetime-players included such future comedy greats as Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, and David Spade. A year after he joined "SNL," Rock would take his first dramatic turn, playing a crack addict in Mario Van Peebles' 1991 crime drama "New Jack City." Rock starred alongside Wesley Snipes and Ice-T and proved his acting chops were just as sharp as his comedic timing.

This weekend, Rock returns to crime drama and suspense in "Spiral," a movie that has connections to the "Saw" franchise. Rock plays a brash detective who investigates a series of copy-cat murders inspired by "Saw" psycho killer Jigsaw. It's definitely a change of pace for the comedian. And doubly so for a generation who has grown used to Rock as the zany zebra from "Madagascar." As we get ready to jump from our seats once again, let's take a look at nine more "SNL" players who took a dramatic turn to great and surprising effect.

Will Ferrell

Kristen Wiig

Mike Myers

Billy Crystal

Maya Rudolph

Will Forte

Bill Murray

Eddie Murphy

Adam Sandler

SNL Players Go Dramatic - Chris Rock in poster art for "Spiral."

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Noovie 9: 'SNL' Players Go Dramatic

The age-old question that we've been hearing over the last couple of decades is being asked again. Do you want to play a game? If you're not familiar with the movies from the Saw franchise we would caution you to think tread lightly before answering this question. Just when we thought this house of horror was coming to an end, Chris Rock came to the rescue and revived this savage film series with his new film "Spiral: From the Book of Saw." 

The new direction for this film is going to incorporate the inventively inhuman blueprint of blood that we've all come expect from these types of films, and he's adding some star-power. Who thought we'd ever see the day when Chris Rock and Samuel L. Jackson would be helming one of the new Saw movies? Not us. Anyways, in preparation for this new flick, we decided to find and rank all of the Saw movies, not including "Spiral," from horrific to borific. In our opinion, these films should be watch in chronological order to understand the full story and how it progresses, but for our purposes today, we're just ranking them.

Spiral

Samuel L. Jackson: 20 Can't-Miss Performances

Saw VI

Saw II

Jigsaw

Saw III

Saw IV

Saw V

Saw: The Final Chapter

saw-movies-ranked

Saw Movies Ranked: From Horrifying to Snorifying

Korean filmmaker Bong Joon-ho is celebrated by the AAPI community and movie lovers around the world. His 2019 film "Parasite" won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best International Feature Film. But that's just the beginning.

His films represent a cinema lover's dream. "Parasite" is his latest genre bender. It combines elements of the surreal with black comedy, social themes and heightened drama. It's his most acclaimed work. But he's also well-known for fantasy-adventure "Okja" (2017); sci-fi thriller "Snowpiercer (2013); and monster movie "The Host" (2006).

"Parasite" won the "Palme d'Or, top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. It was also the first film not in English to win Best Picture at the Oscars. Technically, Bong Joon-ho is Asian, not Asian American or Pacific Islander. However, he's a true inspiration for AAPIs. His acclaim has led to millions learning more about Bong's Korean roots.

Bong was born in Daegu, South Korea, in 1969. His father taught design, and his mother raised Bong and his three older siblings. After a compulsory two-year service in the military, young Bong returned to college in 1992, and started a film club.

Bong completed a two-year program at the Korean Academy of Film Arts. He then spent a lot of the '90s working in various roles on other filmmakers' works.

He debuted as a director with "Barking Dogs Never Bite" (2000). The film's about a university lecturer who kidnaps his neighbor's dog. It received some acclaim, and led to Bong's second film, "Memories of Murder" (2003). "Murder" tells the real-life story of a serial killer who terrorized a rural town in the 1980s.

Bong's next film "The Host" (2006) launched the filmmaker to international acclaim. The story involves a monster rising out of the Han River to attack the citizens of Seoul and even more so one family. The movie was a major hit in South Korea, and created world-wide buzz for the director.

Bong's fourth film "Mother" (2009) also won widespread acclaim. Subsequently, he started work on his first English-language film, "Snowpiercer" (2013). The sci-fi thriller stars Chris Evans, Tilda Swinton, and Ed Harris. It's a tale about the last members of humanity who survive a climate change catastrophe. After that, they all live together on a fast-moving train circling the globe. Action and social drama co-mingle in this commercial and critical hit.

Next, Bong made "Okja" (2017), an original story about a young girl who raises a genetically modified super pig. Themes of environmentalism mix with fantasy to winning affect. "Okja" debuted on Netflix and was another success which expanded Bong's global fanbase.

"Parasite" (watch the trailer here) is a culmination of the director's filmography, combining his storytelling talent with a unique movie about social class. It's a drama. But it's funny. It's grounded in reality. Yet it takes flights of fancy. Above all, it's an incredible motion picture made by an incredible filmmaker.

The filmmaker is currently working on two scripts. One is an action-horror set in Seoul. Another is an English film based on a real 2016 event. He'll also helm a dramatic Korean animation. That one involves humans and deep-sea animals. Per usual, original filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, icon for AAPI artists, continues to expand his boundaries.

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