SXSW 2015 Films: Ten You Definitely Need To See

Posted By Becket Morgan in Explore, Features, Media, Movies, Tech

BreakingModern — The film lineup for SXSW 2015 truly has something for everyone. There are more than 100 films screening at the festival this year, from big budget blockbusters to independent features and documentaries. Because you’ll need to make some tough choices about which films to see, here’s a handy list of 10 films to catch while at SXSW 2015.

SXSW 2015 Big Films

A. One of this year’s headliners, make sure to catch the world premiere of Etan Cohen’s Get Hard, starring Will Ferrell and Kevin Hart. Ferrell stars as a millionaire hedge fund manager who has 30 days before he’ll be locked up in San Quentin and hires Hart to prep him for life behind bars.

B. Another must-see is Paul Feig’s Spy. The film stars Melissa McCarthy as a desk-bound CIA agent who must don a disguise and enter the field to save her globetrotting partner, Jude Law, when he runs into trouble with a Bulgarian cartel. Also starring Jason Statham, Rose Byrne and Miranda Hart.

C. To meet your comedic needs, check out Jamie Babbit’s Fresno, starring Natasha Lyonne as a lonely but stoic lesbian whose sister winds up back in Fresno cleaning hotel rooms with her.

D. For a laugh with a touch of horror, check out The Final Girls from director Todd Strauss-Schulson. A group of girls are mysteriously transported into a famous 1980s horror movie and must escape to survive.

Narrative Feature Competition

Every year at SXSW the Narrative Feature Competition highlights “10 world premieres, 10 unique ways to celebrate the art of storytelling.” This year’s highly anticipated films were selected out of 1,372 entries in the competition.

E. One feature to watch for is Craig Macneill’s THE BOY, a dark tale of a boy with unnerving secrets.

F. We also recommend checking out Creative Control, a tale of augmented reality tech and romance gone wrong.

G. Another tale of futuristic tech, Ex Machina is the directorial debut of screenwriter Alex Garland (28 Days and Sunshine). The film is a stylish and cerebral thriller exploring the limits and potentially lethal sophistication of artificial intelligence.

H. If you’re in the mood for a documentary, check out Brand: A Second Coming, which follows the rise, fall and rise again of English comedian Russell Brand.

I. You could also opt for the world premiere of Steve Jobs: The Man in the Machine, directed by Oscar-winner Alex Gibney and starring Steve Jobs himself.

J. The list of must-see documentaries continues with A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story, which follows the journey of 25-year-old, 58-pound Lizzie from cyber-bullying victim to anti-bullying activist.

And a bonus movie: Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the 30th anniversary remastered version of The Breakfast Club, which celebrates its theatrical release at SXSW 2015.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be on site for the festival, let’s hope many of these films are also offered in wide release.

For BMod, I’m  Becket Morgan.

First image credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros.

Second image credit: Courtesy of A24 Films

Featured Image Credit: Austin SXSW by Nate Bolt via Flickr Creative Commons