It's that time of the year again: Sundance Film Festival is on the horizon, which means we're in for a feast, cinematically speaking. As it so often is, the 2026 program is stacked, from Charli XCX's meta take on her own astronomical rise to fame with The Moment, to Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan's harrowing Josephine.
If you're not able to make it to Utah, but still want to be in on the action, we've got you covered. These are the 12 most-anticipated films worth taking of at Sundance Film Festival in 2026.
1. The Moment
It feels only right to start with Miss XCX herself. The Moment is Charli XCX's feature film debut, made in collaboration with A24. The film follows a rising pop star as she navigates the complexities of fame and industry pressure while preparing for her arena-tour debut. In other words, its a kind of mockumentary about Charli's own experiences in the wake of Brat. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, the supporting cast is stacked, with Rachel Sennott, Kylie Jenner, and Alexander Skarsgård among those set to make an appearance.
2. Josephine
Channing Tatum is continuing his streak of more serious films with Josephine. He stars opposite Gemma Chan in this thriller-drama about their 8-year-old daughter, Josephine who, after witnessing a crime, acts out in search of a way to regain control of her safety.
3. The Incomer
Set on a windswept Scottish island, The Incomer introduces Isla and Sandy, siblings who live off the land, hunt birds and speak as casually to mythic creatures as they do to each other. Suspicious of the outside world and fiercely protective of their solitude, they’re thrown off balance when Daniel (played by Daniel Gleeson), a well-meaning but socially awkward government official, arrives with orders to relocate them.
4. The Gallerist
Art Basel is a major cultural moment in Miami. So what happens when a gallerist conspires to sell a dead body there? Directed by Cathy Yun, this dark comedy stars Natalie Portman as the gallerist in question, who hosts an early preview of an exhibition by an emerging artist (Da'Vine Joy Randolph) for an influencer (played by Zach Galifianakis). Needless to say, the preview does not go as planned...
5. I Want Your Sex
This is another story of an artist with a darker undercurrent. I Want Your Sex follows young and eager Elliot, who lands a job working for provocative and renowned artist Erika Tracey (played by Olivia Wilde). But their relationship quickly develops as Erika taps Elliot to be her sexual muse — and before too long, Elliot finds himself thrust into a world of sex, power, betrayal, and even murder.
6. The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
One of our favourite faces from Severance has found a new role. John Turturro (who plays Irving) stars as Harry, a veteran pickpocket who, when a theft goes awry, is "sent on a mission through New York to reclaim the stolen goods."
7. Antiheroine
Falling under the program's documentary category is Antiheroine, an intimate portrait of musical icon Courney Love as she prepares to release her first new music in over a decade. Throughout the film, Love looks back on her time in the music industry — from later triumphs, to the scrutiny and misogyny that defined her early years — all told through the lens of directors Edward Lovelace and James Hall.
8. Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!
Ha-chan, Shake Your Booty! follows Haru and Luis, two lovers who thrive in Tokyo’s competitive ballroom dance world. When tragedy upends their lives, Haru retreats from the floor — until friends gently pull her back to the studio, where she finds herself drawn to a new instructor. As sparks begin to fly, she’s forced to confront what comes next...
9. Frank & Louis
Frank & Louis follows Frank, a man serving a life sentence who takes a prison job caring for elderly inmates with Alzheimer’s and dementia. What begins as a calculated attempt to improve his chances of parole slowly becomes something deeper when he’s assigned to Louis, a once-dominant prisoner now struggling with early-onset dementia. It’s a thoughtful meditation on memory, guilt, and the fragile humanity that survives behind bars.
10. The Invite
The Invite follows Joe and Angela on a night that could break them — and it just so happens their upstairs neighbours are coming over for dinner. As the evening unfolds, everything that can go wrong does, and what begins as a simple meal becomes a pressure cooker of marital tension. It's another of Olivia Wilde's projects premiering at this year's Sundance, although this time she's also on board as director. Rounding out the cast is Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton who make up a hilarious ensemble.
11. Wicker
We'll watch just about anything Olivia Coleman is in, and Wicker is no exception. Charting, a fisherwoman who asks a basketmaker to weave her a husband (yes, weave), this is a follow up to directors Eleanor Wilson and Alex Huston Fischer's 2022 Sundance entry, Save Yourselves!, and it's adapted from Ursula Wills' short story.Set in a village the film is carried by Olivia Colman’s sharp, fearless performance as a woman who refuses to be boxed in by expectation. When she receives her handcrafted husband — a calm, enigmatic wicker man played by Alexander Skarsgård — the story shifts from satire to something tender, as the couple navigates what love looks like when it’s made, not inherited.
12. Give Me The Ball!
With the Australian Open reigniting our love of tennis, there's no better time to revisit the lives' of one of the sports best. Give Me The Ball! tells the story of Billie Jean King, collaging together rare archival footage and interviews to chart her immeasurable impact on the game.
