Buoyed by the generosity of the Hamel family and of the festival itself, for the last ten years, a professor and a small group of grad students have been welcomed to the Telluride Film Festival. Infamously, Telluride keeps its screenings secret until the last minute, but is home to many US, North American, and even world premieres of films. Many of its films are usually lead contenders for Oscars (last year, Anora, Emilia Pérez, Nickel Boys, Saturday Night, and Will and Harper all played there, for instance), and several arrive already fêted (as with this year’s Sentimental Value, Grand Prix winner at Cannes). For four days over Labor Day weekend, the stunningly gorgeous small Colorado mountain town of Telluride is transformed into a hub of discussions over what everyone’s seen or about to see, and Hollywood floods in, with most films introduced by lead actors and director. For those who attend, it’s a wonderful chance to dive deep into contemporary film culture(s), and to witness the near future of film … all while bumping into the likes of Paul Mescal, Jessie Buckley, Bruce Springsteen, Jafar Panahi, Oprah Winfrey, Adam Sandler, Ken Burns, or Emma Stone.
This year’s group consisted of Professor Jonathan Gray and Film or Media and Cultural Studies graduate students Madison Barnes-Nelson, Minh Bui, Max Kaplan, Josh Martin, and David Martinez. We asked each to report back on their favorite film, to offer you a short list of films you must watch in the coming months.
Bugonia, Max Kaplan
At this point, every Yorgos Lanthimos film is starting to feel like a special event. Bugonia may be his funniest and most outrageous one to date. It may seem redundant to praise an Emma Stone/Yorgos collab, but both her and Jesse Plemons’ performances brought some serious heat that will likely draw some Oscar buzz. I can’t say much about the ending here, but good lord, what a treat.
Hamnet, Minh Bui
I’ve been a fan of Jessie Buckley since I’m Thinking of Ending Things, so needless to say, I was full of anticipation for the world premiere of Hamnet at Telluride. We showed up outside the theater hours early to long lines, but it was pure excitement when we found out we’d secured seats for the screening. Based on the novel Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, Chloe Zhao’s film tells the imagined story of William Shakespeare and his wife, Agnes, as they grapple with the death of their 11-year-old son, which then inspires the play, Hamlet. I was particularly struck by the detailed yet restrained sound design that places emphasis on the elements of nature, which brings out a special tenderness in the atmosphere of the film. Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal’s excellent performances add to this already devastating story about family, love, and grief. Sniffles were heard around the room, and I was no exception, leaving the theater with tears in my eyes.
If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, Josh Martin
Can one of the most viscerally unpleasant viewing experiences you’ll ever have in a theater also be one of the most rewarding? The question emerged in my mind after viewing Mary Bronstein’s extraordinary If I Had Legs, I’d Kick You, a nerve-shredding portrait of a woman (a brilliant Rose Byrne) dealing with the overwhelming, often surreal tumult of motherhood, work, and mental health. Before the film, Bronstein asked Telluride audience members to imagine the worst thing that had happened to them that day—and the worst thing that had ever happened in their lives. Employing a litany of close-up shots and a sound mix that packs a punch, If I Had Legs weaves its way through this anxiety-ridden, often darkly funny intersection of miseries, boldly engaging the viewer’s senses as we encounter these mundane and existential woes alongside Byrne and Bronstein. The experience is intensely absurd, almost physically assaultive, and ultimately unforgettable.
Sentimental Value, David Martinez
Of all the films I screened at the 2025 Telluride Film Festival, Sentimental Value left the greatest impression on me. The strength of the film lies in its ability to convey and balance the pain of complex family relationships, surprising moments of humor that cut sharply through tense situations, and a self-aware critique of modern filmmaking and the pressure placed on aging filmmakers. As Norway’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at next year’s Academy Awards, I have no doubt it will also be in the conversation for Best Picture, Best Director (Joachim Trier), Best Actress (Renate Reinsve), and Best Supporting Actor (Stellan Skarsgård) nominations.
Sentimental Value, Jonathan Gray
I loved how (paradoxically) this was both the deepest film I watched at the festival (about ageing, family, old wounds, depression) and the lightest (playfully meta, full of gentle humor). Stellan Skarsgård is always superb, and no exception here, but Renate Reinsve is similarly fantastic, with relative newcomer Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas holding her own between them. I didn’t see a single clunker at the festival, but this beautifully written, shot, directed, and edited story about family scars jumped out as an easy favorite for me, even amidst heady competition.
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, Madison Barnes-Nelson
The Bear star Jeremy Allen White is convincing in this musical biopic about how “The Boss went folk.” Deliver Me from Nowhere is based on the Warren Zanes book of the same name and depicts the writing and production of Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska, which he recorded on a 4-track cassette in his Colts Neck, New Jersey home after a blockbuster tour. The film shows us the introspective side of the rock icon as he drew from dark childhood memories and blue-collar life to craft one of his most influential records.