Some Movies To Watch For Out Of The 2026 Sundance Film Festival

The slate for Sundance has been released, so let's take a look at some of the titles that could be of interest as we move into the new year.

Carousel (US Dramatic Competition)

Two years ago, my honorable mention for 2023 wasn't a movie; it was Daisy Ridley, because she showed some real outstanding acting ability between The Marsh King's Daughter and Sometimes I Think About Dying. Daisy Ridley is not in this movie, but it is directed by Rachel Lambert who directed Sometimes I Think About Dying. Carousel stars Chris Pine as a single father with a medical practice who reconnects with his high school ex-girlfriend (Jenny Slate). Abby Ryder Fortson (Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.) and Sam Waterston (Law and Order) also star. It will screen both in person and online.

The Musical (US Dramatic Competition)

Will Brill, Rob Lowe, and Gillian Jacobs star in a movie about a middle school teacher (Brill) who tries to ruin the principal's chances of winning an academic excellence award out of spite when the principal (Lowe) starts dating his ex-girlfriend (Jacobs). It will screen both in person and online.

Run Amok (US Dramatic Competition)

Molly Ringwald, Margaret Cho, and Patrick Wilson star in a film about a high school girl (Alyssa Marvin) who stages an elaborate musical about the school's darkest day. It will screen both in person and online.

Union County (US Dramatic Competition)

Union County stars Noah Centineo and Will Poulter in a movie about addiction and recovery in rural Ohio amid the opioid epidemic. It will screen both in person and online.

Joybubbles (US Documentary Competition)

Joybubbles tells the story of Joe Engressia, an early hacker who figured out how to use sound combinations to circumvent the security protocols of global telecom networks. It will screen both in person and online.

The Lake (US Documentary Competition)

The exact nature of the issue at hand is kept under wraps in the description but The Lake appears to be about some kind of potentially impending giant environmental collapse related to the Great Salt Lake and the potential impact on everyone who lives around it. It will screen both in person and online.

Public Access (US Documentary Competition)

I love a good documentary about an underground art scene and Public Access appears to deliver exactly that. It tells the story of Manhattan Cable Television which, in the age before the internet, gave a platform for people to create whatever they wanted and broadcast it for public consumption. Naturally, people were upset, sparking First Amendment debates. It will screen both in person and online.

Seized (US Documentary Competition)

You probably have heard the story of the raid on the Marion County Record in Texas by local police but Seized dives deeper into the causes and impacts of the events that made headlines. It will screen both in person and online.

All About The Money (World Cinema Documentary Competition)

This documentary tells the story of Fergie Chambers, a descendant of one of the wealthiest families in the United States who, as a communist, uses his money and assets to fund people and organizations trying to bring about societal change. It will screen both in person and online.

Ghost In The Machine (NEXT)

One of my favorite movies of 2024 (Seeking Mavis Beacon) came out of the NEXT slate, which tends to represent more experimental filmmaking. Ghost in the Machine is a documentary about AI, what it is, where it comes from, and what it means to be human in the face of all that. It will screen both in person and online.

Antiheroine (Premieres)

Courtney Love gets the chance to tell her story in Antiheroine. This is not just the story of her relationship with Kurt Cobain but also her life and career both before and after. Antiheroine is only available to screen in person.

The Brittney Griner Story (Premieres)

Brittney Griner's story became highly politicized when she was taken as a political prisoner by the Russians a few years back. Now she gets to fill in the blanks and talk about her life, career, and time in the Russian penal colony. The Brittney Griner Story is only available to screen in person.

Frank & Louis (Premieres)

Secret Invasion sucked but that had nothing to do with Kingsley Ben-Adir, who leads Frank & Louis. This film follows a man in prison serving a life sentence who takes a job caring for some of the older inmates whose minds are starting to go. He forms a bond with Louis, a once-feared inmate who has early onset dementia. Frank & Louis is only available to screen in person.

The Gallerist (Premieres)

Cathy Yan will forever have my money after the success of Birds of Prey. Her new film stars Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, and Da'Vine Joy Randolph as a gallerist attempts to sell a dead body in an attempt to save her gallery. The Gallerist is only available to screen in person.

The History of Concrete (Premieres)

I'm always here for a documentary that tries to shake up the formula, and it appears The History of Concrete does just that. The pitch is that the director attended a workshop about how to make Hallmark movies and then applies those principles to a documentary about concrete. 10/10, no notes. The History of Concrete is only available to screen in person.

In The Blink Of An Eye (Premieres)

Andrew Stanton is a director I will show up for every time. Wall-E was an instant classic so to see him take on a more abstract film with a timeline over centuries with multiple, interconnected stories is something I'm here for. Unfortunately, like the rest of the premieres, this is one I'll have to wait for because In The Blink Of An Eye will be exclusively screened in person.

When A Witness Recants (Premieres)

Ta-Nehisi Coates revisits the case of the first student murdered in a Baltimore public school and the three men who spent decades in prison for a crime they did not commit. When A Witness Recants will be exclusively screened in person.

The Best Summer (Midnight)

I always thought Midnight was the screening program for horror but I guess that's not the case since The Best Summer is not, by description, anything resembling horror. It seems closest to Summer of Soul, but even that seems dismissive (of Summer of Soul) to an extent. It is basically a concert film of the Summersault music festival in 1995, featuring performances by the Foo Fighters, Beck, Sonic Youth, and more. It also features interviews with the musicians who performed at the festival in retrospect. This film will be screened both in-person and online.