From a body-horror comedy and a Depression-era drama to a comfy, Hallmark-style romance, here are our favorites from the festival.
The Sundance Film Festival from Park City, Utah has taken its final bow. There were many tears, like the ones at the tribute for the late Sundance founder Robert Redford. There were laughs, like during the raucous anniversary screening of Little Miss Sunshine, with appearances by the original cast and filmmakers. And then there were the movies, which still managed to eclipse the celebrations and nostalgia that proliferated throughout the 10-day festival.
Though we have yet to see how much will change or remain "Sundance" at their new Boulder, CO location, we were excited and touched to be there to witness the passing of the torch. The fact that we were treated to another crop of absolutely stellar films and riveting debuts was a very welcome but hardly unexpected result, given what has happened at the festival over the past 40-plus years.
Read on for our picks of the 8 best titles we saw at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival.
Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty! was all we hoped for and more in its Sundance debut. Audiences enjoyed the giddy thrill of watching Haru, a dancer recovering from tragedy, get coaxed back into the studio thanks to a desperate crush on her new instructor, played to perfection by Alberto Guerra (Narcos: Mexico). Rinko Kikuchi shines in both the dramatic and comedic turns while showing flashes of dancer flair. The Toronto Star's Peter Howell praised the visuals and the performances when he wrote, "Shimmering hues, clever dance moves, and assists on grieving from a giant black crow add to the sensation of being swept away by wonderful madness."
Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize winner Josephine sent shockwaves through the last edition of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City. One of the most talked about premieres, the film about a young girl who witnesses a sexual assault was a unique addition not just due to its tone, but also its overwhelmingly positive reception. Employing impressive camera work to put the audience in the mind of a traumatized child, it might be a career best for both Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan. A film that harkens back to another child-in-truma tearjerker, Room, critics have praised Mason Reeves' portrayal of Josephine as just as effusively as they did Jacob Tremblay in 2017. Bilge Ebiri of Vulture called Reeves' performance "mesmerizing," adding that "she let all her character's inchoate turmoil burst through in tough little spurts."
Okay, to be honest, the title is what hooked us, and we'd be lying if we said it had a whole lot more than the assumed premise to recommend it. But when the premise is as deliciously seductive and grotesque as alien impregnation, you don't need much else. Thankfully, that was also the prevailing sentiment from those who saw it. Megan Navarro of Bloody Disgusting called it "a strange, charming blend of mumblecore slacker comedy and gross-out body horror filled with tentacles and an excess of goo."
Taking a hilarious twist on distopian isolation, The Incomer is a perfect encapsulation of the whimsically dark tone of this year's Sundance. Several films this year leaned on comedy, whether cringe or pitch black, and The Incomer toes a careful line between those two. The film centers on two siblings living on a remote island, where they follow the strict rules imparted on them by their late father. They live in relative peace until an awkward and socially inept council official arrives to turn their entire existence on its head. The audience then is treated to the sidesplitting misadventures of social integration as the brothers' long-held beliefs begin to crumble. From there we watch of them confront the truth of their past and dare to picture a new future. Travis Hopson of Punch Drunk Critics wrote, "The Incomer is a charming fish-out-of-water story, but also a vibrant coming-of-age tale about people finding their place in the world."
Nobody had a better Sundance than Olivia Wilde. Her performance in Gregg Araki's erotic comedy I Want Your Sex was praised as both believable and a little too much, which is just what the script demanded. Meanwhile, her work both in front of and behind the camera in The Invite was her high-water mark, as it set off a bidding war that made it the toast of the fest. The farcical dramedy about a couple in crisis who must put their issues on hold as their equally chaotic and charismatic neighbors come to dinner wowed both critics and attendees. Showcasing a whip-smart script courtesy of Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the Park City premiere screening featured a heady mix of sexual tension and crawl-out-of-your-skin relatable comedy. Adam Chitwood of The Wrap called it "an uproarious, deeply felt and impeccably crafted chamber piece that not only serves as Wilde's best directorial work to date, but solidifies her as a major talent both in front of and behind the camera."
As we predicted in our preview, Charlie XCX's The Moment was the toughest ticket of Sundance, but many were a bit mixed on the Spinal Tap-inspired mockumentary. We, however, were completely captivated by the hilarious send-up on artist media mining and celebrity branding. We also applaud Charli XCX for choosing to do so with such pitch-perfect timing. And luckily, audiences and some likeminded critics agreed. The film, which has since debuted, earned the best limited opening for A24 since Marty Supreme with a nearly 450k per-screen average. Kristy Puchko of Mashable wrote, "Through celebrity cameos, a succinct yet riveting story, earnest emotion, and biting humor, Charli XCX's mockumentary captures something real about the battle of art versus commerce."
As we said, no one had a better Sundance than Oliva Wilde, but Ethan Hawke's time in Park City was a close second. Not only did he earn his fifth Academy Award nomination for Blue Moon, he also premiered his latest effort to rave reviews. The Weight chronicles the life of Samuel Murphy, a man torn from his daughter and sent to work in a brutal labor camp. There, he is tortured and tempted by a warden, who offers him a chance at early release if he agrees to smuggle gold through the deadly wilderness. As we expected, critics lauded Hawke's grueling turn through the Oregon wilderness, but it was a rough watch. Siddhant Adlakha for IGN Movies wrote, "A gruff, must-watch Ethan Hawke leads a delightful band of outsiders in The Weight, a Depression-era heist film that oscillates between slow burn drama and nail-biting intensity."
This one may resonate more with the Hallmark crowd, but if you enjoy their stylings, you will find a comfy home with Carousel. A level up in production, performance, and presence, the tale of a divorced doctor rekindling with a former flame is not a new concept. But the execution by Chris Pine, Jenny Slate, and Abby Ryder Fortson of Rachel Lambert's script is nothing short of revelatory. Dan Mecca of The Film Stage wrote, "Carousel is a movie out of time... Chris Pine and Jenny Slate, writer-director Rachel Lambert have constructed a delicate, patient, slice-of-life picture recalling Murphy's Romance or Starting Over."
