Sundance 2017: 10 Films Everyone Is Buzzing About
9. The Polka King
Directors: Maya Forbes, Wallace Wolodarsky
The Plot: Based on a true story, The Polka King follows Pennsylvanian musical sensation Jan Lewan (Jack Black) as he develops a get-rich-quick scheme that ultimately lands him in serious trouble.
The Buzz: It's been a while since Jack Black has had a meaty dramatic role to chew on, and The Polka King very much represents a return to that space for the actor.
The film details the rise and fall of Lewan in a quirky, offbeat fashion, featuring a lead character who does terrible things but is impossible not to like.
Black excels in roles like this; his Dewey Finn from 2003's School of Rock was a bit of a scumbag, but the actor made him likable and easy to root for, and The Polka King treads a similar line.
The Guardian gave it three out of five stars, mentioning that "Jack Black shines" and the film is "full of heart", so at the very least, you should go into the theatre expecting an amusing, enjoyable ride.
The Polka King does not yet have a wide release date.