SXSW 2021: The 12 Most Anticipated Films and TV Shows at This Year’s Festival
SXSW will, once again, roll out in a virtual fashion, but this year boasts even more new work, an easy ticketing system, and a fresh platform. Plus: these dozen projects.
You can buy tickets for the festival ($325) here:
https://www.sxsw.com/attend/
“The Spine of Night”
In the wake of Sundance hits “Flee” and “Cryptozoo,” grassroots 2-D animation may be on the verge of a comeback in the feature realm. Three’s a trend, and “The Spine of Night,” which premieres in SXSW’s midnight section, confirms this one on a roll: The zany-looking fantasy saga uses rotoscope technology to assemble an impressive ensemble cast that includes everyone from Richard E. Grant to Patton Oswalt, Lucy Lawless, and Betty Gabriel.
Reportedly inspired by both cult animator Ralph Bakshi’s work and fantasy artist Frank Frazetta, the visually dazzling story revolves around a mystical plant that destroys the planet, as the man who uncovered its power lords over a broken world. The “ultra-violent” movie is said to include plenty of wild magical twists and grisly showdowns made all the more involving for the graphic nature of its storytelling. It’s exactly the kind of DIY technology and brazen artistry that SXSW loves to support. —EK