10 movies out of Sundance 2026 you should know about right now

The life of a cinephile knows no rest! Today is not only the day when cheers and jeers are sounding across Hollywood as the nominations for the 2026 Academy Awards hit, but it's also the opening day for the Sundance Film Festival, where Oscar buzz begins.

It was last year at Sundance that Rose Byrne began to be heralded for her ruthlessly intense performance in If I Had Legs I'd Kick You. The fest also premiered the sublimely twisted fairytale The Ugly Stepsister, the couples nightmare of Together, and Eva Victor's brilliant directorial debut Sorry. Baby. So what can we look forward to in 2026?

Mashable has probed the Sundance Film Festival guide for the movies sure to spark debate, garner buzz, or leave audiences rattled. Here are our picks for the must-sees of Sundance 2026.

1. Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant

Kiwi comedy has gifted American audiences such treasures as What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and The Breaker Upperers. Now it's giving us the utterly deranged and delightful Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant.

This New Zealand comedy from the directing duo THUNDERLIPS centers on a surly millennial underachiever (Hannah Lynch) whose hasty hook-up with an awkward neighbor (Arlo Green) leads to — well — getting alien pregnant. See, he's part alien, which explains why his junk is pretty otherworldly. But from this unintended pregnancy spirals a comedy about motherhood that's hilarious, subversive, pretty gross, and surprisingly heartwarming.

Starring: Hannah Lynch, Yvette Parsons, Arlo Green, and Jackie van Beek

How to watch: Mum, I'm Alien Pregnant is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

2. Everybody to Kenmure Street

If you're in need of a sign that a single act of solidarity can make a big difference, you'll relish the documentary Everybody to Kenmure Street. Documentarian Felipe Bustos Sierra, who previously explored with Nae Pasaran how a Scottish workers' protest made waves in Chile, offers another tale of resistance on Scottish soil.

In May of 2021, a diverse neighborhood in Glasgow was disrupted by a UK Home Office raid that targeted two Muslim residents on the first day of Eid. Before the two could be whisked away for possible deportation, their neighbors spontaneously joined together in an impactful and peaceful civil resistance. And it all began with one bloke chucking himself under the van so the two abducted men couldn't be carted away.

Through interviews with the people who were there that day, Sierra offers a poignant and thought-provoking story that's all too relevant as ICE invades American cities, streets, and homes. However, the most mind-bending bits of this documentary come from the everyday folks who shared their stories, but not their faces. For instance, the bloke under the van chose not to be shown, so his interview is recreated by Emma Thompson, who's wrapped in a denim jacket, using a deep Scottish accent, and staged under a van. If you can't wrap your head around that, all the more reason to seek out Everybody to Kenmure Street.

Starring: Emma Thompson and Kate Dickie

How to watch: Everybody to Kenmore Street can be viewed at the festival in person or through Sundance's streaming platform from Jan. 29, 10 a.m. ET, to Feb. 2, 1:55 a.m. ET. Buy your ticket here.

3. Buddy

Remember the viral sensation that was Too Many Cooks? Well, the wild mind behind that and other Adult Swim offerings is making his feature directorial debut with a horror comedy called Buddy.

The logline offers only this: "A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids' television show." But the early buzz is that this movie basically imagines what would happen if a Barney taping went sideways in the most outrageous way possible. If that's not enough to entice you, check out that cast.

Starring: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt

How to watch: Buddy is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

4. When a Witness Recants

Last year, Sundance had a strong showing in true crime docs, premiering the critically acclaimed Zodiac Killer Project, The Perfect Neighbor, and Predators. This year, we've got our eye on When a Witness Recants, the latest from documentarian Dawn Porter (Luther: Never Too Much, The Sing Sing Chronicles).

Collaborating with Ta-Nehisi Coates, Porter explores a case close to the author's heart. In 1983, Coates was a middle schooler in Baltimore when the city was rocked by the robbery and murder of a teen boy. From there, coerced testimony would lead to a major miscarriage of justice that still ripples through the community. What went down and what it means today is sure to hit hard.

How to watch: When a Witness Recants is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

5. The Gallerist

Director Cathy Yan gifted us the supremely entertaining Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn). So her name alone is enough for us to be giddy in anticipation of her film follow-up, The Gallerist.

Then, the perturbing premise promises to skewer the posh art world with a psychological twist. Natalie Portman stars as a gallerist desperate to impress an art influencer played by Zach Galifianakis. But when the work from her aspiring star (Da’Vine Joy Randolph) doesn't wow him, she'll literally sell a corpse as art to make her mark. Color us intrigued.

Starring: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Catherine Zeta-Jones

How to watch: The Gallerist is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

6. Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story

Perhaps you don't know the name Maria Bamford, but chances are good you've heard her work. Outside of being a stellar stand-up comedian who uses funny voices and powerful punchlines to bring light to dark topics, she's a prolific voice actor who's worked on Futurama, Rock & Morty, Adventure Time, BoJack Horseman, Big Mouth, Harley Quinn, and many, many more shows.

This documentary, however, is more in line with her stand-up, which has long dealt with her mental health journey with brilliant humor and insight. Directed by Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley, Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story charts the course of Bamford's childhood in Duluth, Minnesota, to her discovery of stand-up in college, chasing her dream of comedy to Los Angeles, and beyond.

Starring: Maria Bamford

How to watch: Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

7. The Moment

Erupcja, 100 Nights of Hero, and now The Moment — Charli XCX is all over cinema... at the moment. But where the first two movies have the pop star playing different roles and sinking into fictional settings, The Moment is a mockumentary in which Charli XCX presents a look at her life and work through an A24 lens.

What does that mean? We can't wait to find out. Lucky for those not at Sundance, you won't have to wait long!*

Starring: Charli XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, and Alexander Skarsgård

How to watch: Following its Sundance premiere, The Moment opens in theaters on Jan. 30.

8. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass

The State is back with a new movie. David Wain and Ken Marino (Wet Hot American Summer) reteamed for the screenplay of Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass, and while Wain directs, fans of the American comedy troupe will clock some familiar faces in the supporting cast.

However, it's Zoey Deutch who stars as Gail Daughtry, a bride-to-be whose road to wedlock is disrupted when her fiancé uses his celebrity hall pass. Essentially, he slept with a celebrity crush, so now, before she's hitched, Gail wants to get even by bedding her own: Jon Hamm.

Good sign for Gail's efforts, Jon Hamm is listed in the cast! Bad sign: Marino probably won't have this leaning romantic fantasy. Ready your body for a wacky sex comedy.

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Miles Gutierrez-Riley, Ben Wang, Sabrina Impacciatore, Joe Lo Truglio, Mather Zickel, Tobie Windham, Fred Melamed, Michael Cassidy, and Kerri Kenney-Silver

How to watch: Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time.

9. Saccharine

Writer/director Natalie Erika James has been sculpting a sensational reputation in horror with her harrowing feature debut Relic and the ambitious Rosemary's Baby prequel Apartment 7A, which was downright spectacular. For her next offering, James digs back into body horror with Saccharine.

Midori Frances stars as Hana, a medical student who is convinced that losing weight will solve her misery. But when a dubious miracle pill causes paranormal activity around her, Hana realizes she's at risk of losing way more than the pounds she intends.

If you're craving gory, unhinged horror with a slathering of social commentary, sink your teeth into Saccharine.

Starring: Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden

How to watch: Saccharine is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical and streaming details are unknown at this time, but Independent Film Company has purchased the U.S. and UK distribution rights for this movie. So stay tuned!

10. Wicker

This comedy, starring Olivia Colman, promises to redefine the term "boyfriend material."

Writing/directing duo Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer, who previously delivered the sci-fi comedy Save Yourselves!, have reteamed for this medieval tale, in which a fisherwoman (Colman) commissions a basketmaker to weaver her a husband. Naturally, this bespoke wickerman is played by Pillion's Alexander Skarsgård. Sold.

Starring: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, and Nabhaan Rizwan

How to watch: Wicker is playing at the Sundance Film Festival. Theatrical or streaming details are unknown at this time.