Sundance: Directed by "Challengers" actress Hailey Gates, "Atropia" gives the War on Terror it's own take on "The Truman Show."

It isn’t the greatest satire ever made, but Gates’ feature is like a one-stop shop for mockery and education with some fun in between.

An aspiring actress in an army role-playing facility falls in love with a soldier in Hailey Gates' feature debut, which also stars Callum Turner and Chloë Sevigny.

Set in a fake town, Hailey Gates’ feature debut 'Atropia,' premiering at Sundance, has fun, insightful ideas, though it seldom expands on them.

Atropia': How Callum Turner & Alia Shawkat Found A Soul Connection In Hailey Gates' War Satire - Sundance Studio

Although she has starred in a number of high profile projects, Alia Shawkat has managed to firmly wall off her dating life from scrutiny.

In writer-director Hailey Gates’ directorial debut, she dives into the Bush-era culture of toxic masculinity, nationalism and Islamaphobia with an amusing and profoundly absurdist sense of satire. Set in 2006,

Callum Turner desperately wants to be bleeped, and Alia Shawkat's mother feared she couldn't act. Hailey Gates' new film pops.

Hailey Gates turned her Miu Miu "Women's Tales" short film into a Sundance feature, starring Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner.

Gladstone, who earned the Oscar nomination for her role as Mollie Burkhart in Martin Scorsese’s historical drama, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” was joined in the discussion by actress and producer Alia Shawkat, who said the children’s sketch TV show “All That” was her gateway into acting.

Hailey Gates expands on her short to disappointing results, despite the best efforts of Alia Shawkat and Callum Turner

While the Sundance Film Festival mulls a big move for 2027 , the 2025 program is under way. The event’s 41st edition kicked off January 23 in Utah, and you can look below for all of Deadline’s reviews from the fest so far.