Sundance 2022: Phoenix Rising, The Dark Heart, Bring on the Dancing Horses | Festivals & Awards


The docuseries will play on HBO later this year in two parts, but only the first half was done in time to premiere at Sundance, which leaves the project a bit in mid-air. While there’s value in Berg’s approach and Wood’s courage, I wish I could see if all of the choices made in this first half continue into the second. For example, Berg very clearly centers Wood, elevating her by making her voice largely the only one we hear. This is not a “she-said, he-said” approach to true crime docuseries. She allows members of Wood’s circle to corroborate information, but she’s steadfastly uninterested in hearing from Manson’s side. His worldview is only captured from passages from his memoir The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, which Berg uses to fill in necessary biographical details and give a glimpse of his worldview, but this is distinctly not his story. It’s Wood’s. And the project is better for this.

Wood’s courage is inspiring. She details an abusive home life from a young age, and how being a child star shaped what happened with her and Manson. One of the most damning aspects of “Phoenix Rising” is how Berg captures what the media industry did to Wood, branding her as the “bad girl” after her stellar turn in “Thirteen.” I wish every editor would see “Phoenix Rising” so perhaps some part of it lingers the next time they slap a label on a young person that could harmfully define them.

The accusations in “Phoenix Rising” about Manson’s behavior have already made headlines, especially the ones about his actions on the set of a music video for “Heart-Shaped Glasses,” during which Wood alleges she was raped on-camera. Berg’s film returns repeatedly to the idea that Manson’s image was sold as a subversion of its façade, using violence and vile imagery like that of Naziism not to support the ideals but disempower them. Wood and Berg reveal how much of this was a lie, creating a fascinating dichotomy wherein the “bad girl” image thrust on an actress never really revealed who she was, while the “bad boy” image of a rocker told us everything even as we failed to heed its warnings.

A very different true crime series unfolds in Gustav Möller’s effectively moody “The Dark Heart,” a five-part drama that debuted its first three episodes at Sundance this year. The director of the original, thrilling “The Guilty” makes an effective transition to episodic television, proving that he can work just as well in open spaces as claustrophobic ones. Based on a true story, “The Dark Heart” tells dual narratives of women facing systemic sexism and structures that constantly work against them as much as with them. It can be a little too slow, and I wonder if there’s not a stronger feature film that tightens its plotting, but I think Möller wants us to sit with the darkness on display here more than just experience a traditional thriller. He wants the cold, damp setting of his drama to seep into your bones.

You can view the original article HERE.

Elon Musk Goes After Jennifer Lopez for Not Warning People About Diddy
Elon Musk Goes After Jennifer Lopez for Not Warning People About Diddy
N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
N.Y. Assemblyman Introduces ‘Peanut’s Law,’ Says Investigation Request Ignored
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
‘B.M.F.’ Big Meech Gets Porcelain Veneers After Prison Bid
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
How TV news anchors gear up for election night
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 Releases on Max This Month
Clint Eastwood’s Juror #2 Releases on Max This Month
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Nothing Left to Prove: Quincy Jones (1933-2024) | Tributes
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Daryl Dixon – The Book of Carol Ending, Explained
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Every TV Series Coming to Major Streaming Services in November 2024
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
Kneecap to headline alongside CMAT, English Teacher and more
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
I was crying at a certain point because I felt that I had hurt him
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Gina Zollman To Perform Her Show “ORI gina LS” At The Arthur Newman Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday 11/24/24
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Iggy Pop announces “landmark” 2025 London and Glasgow shows
Mahomes, Chiefs keep undefeated season alive with OT win on MNF
Mahomes, Chiefs keep undefeated season alive with OT win on MNF
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
The 3 Biggest Scandals in Sports History
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Kiss918 on the Edge: Pushing the Boundaries of Digital Casino Innovation
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Patriots’ Maye clears concussion protocol, will play vs. Titans
Scavengers Reign Season 2 Gets New Trailer, Despite Netflix Cancellation
Scavengers Reign Season 2 Gets New Trailer, Despite Netflix Cancellation
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
The End Trailer Arrives for 2024’s Most Audacious Film
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Taylor Sheridan is Correct: Critics Have Become Irrelevant
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Silence of the Lambs Influenced Daisy Ridley’s New Movie Magpie
Editor’s Pick: Mulberry Pimlico Satchel
Editor’s Pick: Mulberry Pimlico Satchel
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
Banana Republic’s Holiday Campaign, Burberry’s Stock Rises
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
The Best-Dressed Stars at LACMA Art + Film Gala 2024
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel
Beauty Made In Italy Brings A Big Crowd To The West Hollywood EDITION Hotel