The History of Concrete: A Goofball’s Quest for Meaning in the Mundane

Sundance Film Review: The History of Concrete
Director: John Wilson
UTA Independent Film Group
Premiere: 01.22.2026

Coming home from today’s screenings at Sundance 2026, I felt myself oddly entranced by every underpass and freeway exit I crossed. How is it that I drive past these every single day and never take so much as a moment to marvel at them? 

One of the most beautiful functions of film as an art form is how it can breathe life into even the most prosaic moments and interactions. In fact, that has been a key function of film since its inception, as evidenced by the groundbreaking work of the Lumière Brothers. This is the same power that John Wilson’s unique brand of documentary filmmaking taps into. He goes about pulling at the tiniest threads and carefully watches where they lead.

The style of The History of Concrete should be immediately recognizable to anyone who has watched even a single episode of How To With John Wilson. In fact it’s virtually a feature-length version of an episode of that show. It’s got all the right ingredients: slice of life b-roll of odd happenings around New York City, impromptu interviews that often careen off in wild directions and of course Wilson’s trademark second-person stream of consciousness narration, complete with his idiosyncratic stammering. 

But the kooky tone and meandering storyline bely surprising emotional depth. In classic John Wilson fashion, it should come as no surprise that The History of Concrete isn’t really about concrete at all. Wilson simply uses the concrete premise as a springboard, allowing him to follow the film wherever it may take him. It takes him to all sorts of interesting places, from Rome, to the Hallmark Channel headquarters, to a 3,100-mile “self transcendence” race, to a GQ “Man of the Year” award dinner with Kim Kardashian. Like any riveting conversation, you’ll often ask yourself, “How did we end up here?” before quickly realizing that it doesn’t really matter. You’re still transfixed.

In spite of the levity he generally injects into his work, Wilson is quite talented at finding meaning in visuals through the sharp juxtaposition between his voiceover and the images on screen. Suddenly, shots of trash in the gutter feel strangely profound. He takes this same approach to the subjects of his film, as well. Despite being a protégé of Nathan Fielder, John Wilson’s work isn’t really mean-spirited. He is less concerned with making people look foolish and more concerned about finding common ground to build human connections with even the strangest of people.

Wilson’s most sincere connection is found in a guitarist for a local band who he meets at a liquor store. The two hit it off and a large portion of the film is dedicated to the simple conversations between them. After watching his friend perform a few cover songs to a bar full of half-attentive listeners, Wilson sits down with him and they chat about why they are both so dedicated to their respective crafts. Clearly a few drinks in and a little tipsy, the man turns to Wilson and says, “Never forget why you’re doing it. Because you love it.” 

That is to say, The History of Concrete isn’t about concrete. It’s a reflexive look into the act of creation and the internal and external powers that force creatives to make the work that they do. When it comes to creativity, maybe it doesn’t matter what we are trying to make, what we are trying to say or even why we are trying to say it. The beauty is in the act of making it in the first place. As Wilson puts it quite succinctly in the film’s final moments, “Some people just want to see a house get made.” —Seth Turek

Read more of SLUG’s coverage of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.