A towering achievement of both animation and imagination, The Boy and the Heron was expected to be Miyazaki’s swan song, a fitting send-off for the auteur whom many see as the world’s greatest living animator. His choice of the somewhat ambiguous question “How Do You Live?” is especially poignant given the circumstances.

Set during the final years of the war in Afghanistan, anchored by standout performances from Dar Salim and Jake Gyllenhaal, Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant balances less successful action clichés with suspenseful character drama that speaks directly to the viewer’s sense of justice.

Bing Liu’s documentary Minding The Gap contains more entertainment—and more authenticity—than most narrative features achieve in their very best moments. First-time director, DP, co-star and co-editor Liu explores the down-and-out world he shares with his two best friends in Rockford, Illinois: all three have tumultuous family lives; all three survive by skateboarding.

Here’s a list of ten standout films—nine narrative and one documentary—that I reviewed during the 2022 Sundance Film Festival. In addition to my reasons why you should watch each film, I’ve included where to stream them now (or when and where to anticipate their wide release).