Film

SXSW 2026: 7 Best Movies to Watch From This Year’s Festival

From festival favorites to directorial debuts, these are the buzzy films worth adding to your watchlist

By Cassie Butterfield
March 19, 2026

Director Boots Riley with the cast of "I Love Boosters," at SXSW. (Photo by Cassie Butterfield)

Thousands of fans, filmmakers and industry leaders gathered in Austin for the SXSW Film & TV Festival, bringing a packed slate of more than 100 screenings to theaters around town. With just over a week to take it all in, audiences navigated a wide range of films — from directorial debuts and buzzy premieres to intimate documentaries and star-powered indies. These are the standout titles that left a lasting impression:

Dakota Fanning in "The Sun Never Sets." — Dakota Fanning in “The Sun Never Sets.” (Courtesy of The Alaska Project LLC)

1. The Sun Never Sets

Premiered: SXSW
Theatrical Release: TBA

Independent filmmaker Joe Swanberg’s latest film, “The Sun Never Sets,” follows Wendy (Dakota Fanning), an early 30-something whose life is upended when her boyfriend Jack (Jake Johnson) — older, divorced and with children — suggests they take time apart to reassess their relationship. During the break, Wendy unexpectedly reconnects with her ex, pulling all three into a complicated love triangle. Shot on 35mm in Alaska, the film is as visually striking as it is emotionally sharp. Swanberg’s script leans into the messiness of modern relationships with humor and clarity, allowing Wendy’s journey to unfold with a sense of honesty as she begins to question what she wants — and who she wants to build a life with. The film generated significant buzz at SXSW, even prompting programmers to add an additional screening.

Inde Navarrette stars as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Bear in "Obsession." (Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC) — Inde Navarrette stars as Nikki and Michael Johnston as Bear in “Obsession.” (Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2026 FOCUS FEATURES LLC)

2. Obsession

Premiered: Toronto International Film Festival
Theatrical Release: May 15

Among the festival’s most anticipated titles — and widely touted as one of 2026’s buzziest horror releases — this Focus Features thriller delivers on the hype it built following its world premiere at TIFF. The film follows a hopeless romantic whose wish for his longtime crush to fall in love comes true, with catastrophic consequences. As fantasy turns to nightmare, the story interrogates the darker cost of getting exactly what you want. Inventive scares and lingering imagery give the film a lasting impact well beyond its final moments.

Andrew Barth Feldman, Cooper Hoffman and Leslie Mann in “Poetic License” (Photo by Jeffrey Waldron)

3. Poetic License

Premiered: Toronto International Film Festival
Theatrical Release: May 15

A sharp situation comedy with an assured voice, “Poetic License” marks Maude Apatow’s feature directorial debut. The film stars Leslie Mann as Liz, a former therapist on the verge of becoming an empty nester who relocates for her husband’s job. After auditing a college poetry class, she becomes the unlikely focus of two inseparable best friends (Andrew Barth Feldman and Cooper Hoffman), whose rivalry for her attention begins to unravel their dynamic. Apatow keeps the tone light but grounded, with performances that feel natural and easy chemistry across the cast.

Keke Palmer stars in "I Love Boosters." — Keke Palmer stars in “I Love Boosters.” (Courtesy of NEON)

4. I Love Boosters

Premiered: SXSW
Theatrical Release: May 22

Eight years after his directorial debut, Boots Riley returns with “I Love Boosters,” starring Keke Palmer, Demi Moore, LaKeith Stanfield and Will Poulter. The film follows a crew of professional shoplifters targeting ruthless fashion mogul Christine Smith (Moore). Set in a surreal, fashion-obsessed world, the film leans fully into camp, with over-the-top styling and bold, imaginative sets. Riley sharply critiques the fashion industry, taking aim at excess, power and who actually benefits from it. It’s funny, weird and wildly creative, with fun performances that match the film’s offbeat energy.

Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke appear in a scene from "Wishful Thinking." (Photo by Christopher Ripley) — Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke appear in a scene from “Wishful Thinking.” (Photo by Christopher Ripley)

5. Wishful Thinking

Premiered: SXSW
Theatrical Release: TBA

In his directorial debut, Graham Parkes’ “Wishful Thinking” stars Lewis Pullman and Maya Hawke as a couple on the brink. After signing up for an unconventional couples therapy seminar led by mystical twin healers, their relationship issues start bleeding into the real world in increasingly chaotic ways. What begins as a romantic satire quickly spirals into something much stranger and more apocalyptic, using that absurdity to get at real questions about love and compatibility. It’s an offbeat, unconventional rom-com that avoids the usual formula, leaning more into something messy and introspective, in the vein of “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” or “(500) Days of Summer.” The film resonated strongly at SXSW, earning an additional buzz screening and taking home the Narrative Feature Competition award.

Adam Scott in "Hokum." — Adam Scott in “Hokum.” (Courtesy of NEON)

6. Hokum

Premiered: SXSW
Theatrical Release: May 1

Set in rural Ireland, this chilling feature follows novelist Ohm Bauman (Adam Scott), who retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, only to become entangled in rumors of a witch haunting the neighboring room. Distributed by NEON, the film marks director Damian McCarthy’s follow-up to his SXSW standout “Oddity.” Scott carries the film as a deeply flawed, often unlikable character, but still manages to pull sympathy by the end. The horror builds through those small, unsettling elements rather than big jump scares, making it all the more effective.

Leighton Meester in "Basic." — Leighton Meester in “Basic.” (Photo by Veronica Bouza)

7. Basic

Premiered: SXSW
Theatrical Release: TBA

After Gloria (Ashley Park) and Nick (Taylor John Smith) break up, she starts digging into his dating history, piecing together a narrative of his exes through whatever she can find on social media. But when she lands on Kaylinn (Leighton Meester) — seemingly perfect and painfully “basic” — Gloria’s fixation spirals. “Basic,” the feature debut from Chelsea Devantez, captures the aftermath of a breakup, where digging for answers online quickly turns into fixation and self-comparison. Devantez first debuted the short at SXSW, and six years later reworks it into a feature that leans into its bubblegum-pop visuals and sharp writing.