Julianne Moore

The Sundance program showcases a unique array of stories spanning genre and perspective. At The Daily Californian, arts reporters Vincent Tran and Megha Ganapathy and arts editor Maya Thompson have stepped up to explore this vast selection.

The anxiously anticipated film adaptation of “Dear Evan Hansen'' entirely misses the mark, serving up a cringeworthy film that makes headlines for all the wrong reasons. 

Among other mental health struggles the movie hopes to address, “Dear Evan Hansen” highlights how grief can destroy a family while sparking revelations in one’s knowledge of themselves.

An overbearing soundscape tries to compensate for the film’s glum, inserting acoustic chaos when the drama doesn’t translate to the screen. 

It is delightful to feel the sizzling tension and power flashing off these women in bright, dynamic waves in scene after scene; their interactions are filled with the tingling awkwardness of class tension, an uncomfortably intertwined past and rare moments of understanding.

The subtlety in the film is admirable — Gloria’s character development is soft but significant. But the script leaves more to be desired.

Lelio was invigorated by the idea of a new “Gloria.” As he explained in an interview with The Daily Californian, his motivation came primarily from one source: Julianne Moore.

While entertaining in parts and visually appealing throughout, “Suburbicon” never becomes a thoroughly satisfying social satire.

This is a movie for anyone looking to feel uplifted by the adorable kids adventuring through New York, overcoming struggle.

And while Vaughn has packed plenty of ass-kicking into his 2-hour, 21-minute behemoth of a sequel, it’s Vaughn himself who's had his ass kicked this time around.