The 2024 Telluride Film Festival kicked off August 30 and runs through September 2 in the Colorado mountains. Deadline is on the ground to watch all the key films.
Among the films appearing in the mountains for the first time anywhere are director Saturday Night, Jason Reitman’s tale of the 1975 first episode of SNL; the film version of August Wilson’s acclaimed stage play The Piano Lesson, a Washington family affair with producer Denzel, director Malcolm and star John David; Oscar winner Edward Berger’s papal thriller The Conclave; Scott Magehee and David Siegel’s heartwarming The Friend, starring Naomi Watts, Bill Murray and a scene-stealing Great Dane Bing; and MGM, Orion and Plan B’s Nickel Boys, an adaptation of Colson Whitehead’s Pulitzer-winning novel.
Below is a compilation of our reviews from the fest. Click on the movie’s title to read our full take.
The Friend
‘The Friend’
Telluride Film Festival
Directors: Scott McGehee & David Siegel
Cast: Naomi Watts, Bill Murray, Carla Gugino, Constance Wu, Noma Dumezweni, Sarah Pidgeon, Chloe Xhauflaire, Ann Dowd, Felix Solis, Tom McCarthy, Owen Teague, Josh Pais, Apollo
Deadline’s takeaway: Scott McGehee and David Siegel have crafted a wonderfully human, quintessential New York movie that makes you realize Hollywood so rarely does this kind of thing anymore. One line pops up throughout the dramedy: “What happens to the dog?” Answer: His own morose heartbreak will also break yours.
Piece by Piece
‘Piece by Piece’
Focus Features
Director: Morgan Neville
Distributor: Focus Features
Cast: Pharrell Williams, Snoop Dogg, Gwen Stefani, Jay Z, Missy Elliott, Pusha T, Justin Timberlake, Teddy Riley
Deadline’s takeaway: Piece By Piece leaves you with hope and a whole bunch of songs you will not be able to get out of your head. Is it a documentary? A biopic? An animated movie? A musical? A character study? You bet — and more. Williams and Neville have taken it apart and put it all back together to perfection.