Photo: Sundance Institute. Like most recent events, the 2021 edition of the Sundance Film Festival has shifted from an in-person showcase to a virtual one. Despite the change, we’ll still be bringing you reviews on the most interesting experiences we find, from indie films to VR experiments. Halfway through Cryptozoo, a hypnotizing and beautiful animated film about classic cryptid creatures, the somewhat meandering story becomes apparent. And it’s distracting. Dash Shaw’s latest feature takes place in a fictional world where cryptids — mythical creatures like the kraken, Loch Ness monster, and Bigfoot — are feared and hunted by humans. In an effort to try to protect the creatures from being killed, two people operate a sanctuary that keeps cryptids safe. Lauren (voiced by Lake Bell) and Joan (Grace Zabriskie) make it their lifelong duty to ensure each known cryptid is brought to the sanctuary, protecting them from militant hunters like Nick (Thomas Jay Ryan).