Sundance Film Festival: 10 Movies We Can’t Wait to See in Park City
It’s almost impossible for me to believe, but I’ve been covering the Sundance Film Festival for JoBlo since way back in 2010. Since then, I’ve attended every edition of the festival, all of which have been held in Park City, Utah—save for the 2021 and 2022 editions, which were hampered by the pandemic and moved online. By my math, that’s fifteen in-person visits to Utah, but this year will be my last.
Not because I’m giving up on Sundance, mind you, but because the festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado next year.
All of this makes this edition of the festival a bittersweet affair, especially given that the festival’s founder and beloved patriarch, Robert Redford, died last year, making this the first Sundance held since his passing. While the festival isn’t as potent as it once was (there were years when the sheer number of soon-to-be classics I saw was dazzling), this still promises to be a strong year packed with interesting films.
Below are ten movies I plan on seeing and reviewing.
In the Blink of an Eye
The debut of director Andrew Stanton’s first live-action movie since John Carter would be more exciting were it not for the fact that it’s making its debut on Hulu about a month after it premieres (such is the reality of the business). As a big John Carter stan, I’m excited to see his follow-up, which stars Kate McKinnon, Rashida Jones, and Daveed Diggs. This one has been sitting on the shelf for a while, having been shot back in 2023.
Buddy
Anyone remember Too Many Cooks? Director Casper Kelly hits Sundance with a nutty-sounding entry in the Midnight section. The film follows a young girl who has to escape a children’s TV show. The cast is wild, featuring Cristin Milioti, Topher Grace, Patton Oswalt, Keegan-Michael Key, and none other than Michael Shannon.
The Weight
My favorite movie at last year’s festival was Train Dreams, and this sounds like another intriguing period tale—albeit a more muscular one. Ethan Hawke plays a prisoner during the Great Depression in Oregon who’s forced to smuggle gold through the deadly wilderness by his warden, played by the great Russell Crowe. The idea of Hawke and Crowe facing off in a period thriller is pretty amazing-sounding to me.
I Want Your Sex
Gregg Araki makes his Sundance return with this buzzy title starring Cooper Hoffman (who was great in The Long Walk), who agrees to become his boss’s sexual muse. Oh, and his boss is played by Olivia Wilde. I’m sure it took a lot of arm-twisting, right? That said, this is a Gregg Araki movie, so even if it sounds like he’s living out some kind of sexual fantasy, I’d wager things aren’t quite as they seem.
The Invite
Olivia Wilde is having a big year at Sundance. In addition to starring in I Want Your Sex, she also directs and co-stars in The Invite, her first film behind the camera since Don’t Worry Darling. While that film was mired in tabloid-esque headlines, she made a lovely debut with Booksmart, and she’s assembled a hell of a cast here, including Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton. This could be one of the higher-selling titles of the fest.
The Gallerist
Perhaps the only person having a bigger Sundance than Wilde is Charli XCX, who appears in three films this year, including I Want Your Sex, A24’s The Moment, and this one from Birds of Prey director Cathy Yan. Natalie Portman, Zach Galifianakis, and Jenna Ortega star in this satire of the contemporary art world.
Leviticus
Another Midnight title, this one stars Joe Bird, who made a big impression a few years back in the Sundance hit Talk to Me. Here, he plays one of two teenage boys in love who must escape a violent entity. It sounds like a buzzy entry and hails from Australia, the country behind many of the biggest horror titles in Sundance history.
The Shitheads
After making his directorial debut at Sundance with the underrated I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore, Macon Blair returns to the festival with this buddy comedy starring Dave Franco, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Mason Thames. It’s about two bozos tasked with transferring a rich kid to rehab, and it’s produced by Jody Hill, Danny McBride, and David Gordon Green—an impressively strong comic pedigree.
Undertone
Shot for only $500,000, this is one of the year’s buzziest Midnight titles. A24 snapped it up at Fantasia, and it centers on a podcast host haunted by some terrifying recordings. Honestly, if A24 picked this one up, that’s good enough for me—their horror acquisitions are usually dead on.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
David Wain makes his long-awaited return to Sundance—his first time since They Came Together—with this comedy about a Midwestern bride-to-be who’s given a celebrity sex pass from her fiancé. Zoey Deutch stars, but what’s especially intriguing is that the movie reunites Mad Men pals John Slattery and Jon Hamm. I have a feeling both will be especially funny in a David Wain movie.
Which Sundance 2026 Movie Are You Most Excited For?
Which of these titles sounds the best to you? Let us know in the comments!
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