SXSW, which runs March 12—18, 2026, in Austin, has always been the festival where a buzzy crowd-pleaser, a left-field midnight curveball, and an off-kilter discovery can all share the same oxygen—and 2026 looks built to lean into that identity. The lineup is stacked with filmmakers treating comedy, horror, and thriller frameworks like toys to be snapped, reassembled, and weaponized, while still leaving room for true-blue movie-star vehicles.
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And the best version of SXSW is still the one that feels like an Austin choose-your-own-adventure: hop between packed premieres, stumble into a film you didn’t know you needed, and watch audience energy do half the marketing work in real time. This year’s slate seems especially dialed into that communal pop—big names, big swings, and a lot of films that sound engineered to play loud with a crowd.
Below are 25 picks that feel like prime SXSW viewing—whether they’re built for the biggest rooms, the weirdest hours, or that sweet spot where a filmmaker’s voice meets a cast that reads like a dare.
“I Love Boosters”
Boots Riley (“Sorry to Bother You”) returns to feature filmmaking with a crime-comedy setup that screams consumer-culture mischief: a crew of professional shoplifters sets its sights on a cutthroat fashion maven. Starring Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, and Taylour Paige, with a deep bench that includes Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, and Demi Moore. (Headliner—World Premiere.)
“Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice”
Two gangsters and the woman they love are trying to survive the most dangerous night of their lives. As if that wasn’t enough, there’s one wild ingredient added to the mix: a time machine. BenDavid Grabinski directs a cast loaded with Vince Vaughn, James Marsden, Eiza González, Keith David, Jimmy Tatro, Stephen Root, Lewis Tan, Ben Schwartz, Emily Hampshire, and Arturo Castro. (Headliner—World Premiere.)
“Over Your Dead Body”
Directed by Jorma Taccone (“Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping”), this thriller-comedy centers on a dysfunctional couple who head to a remote cabin to reconnect, except each arrives with secret plans to kill the other. With Samara Weaving, Jason Segel, Timothy Olyphant, Juliette Lewis, Paul Guilfoyle, and Keith Jardine in the cast, it has the clean, nasty setup of a relationship movie built to turn feral fast. (Headliner—World Premiere.)
“Wishful Thinking”
A volatile couple discovers their emotional state has supernatural consequences on the world around them—forcing a choice between fighting for the relationship or admitting it’s doing damage. Graham Parkes writes and directs, with Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao, and Eric Rahill in the cast. (Narrative Feature Competition—World Premiere.)
“Pretty Lethal”
Directed by Vicky Jewson, this action-thriller follows five ballerinas stranded in a remote forest who take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn and have to weaponize years of brutal training to survive. Starring Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, and Uma Thurman, it’s a sharp SXSW hook—elegance, discipline, and violence all colliding in one crowd-friendly premise. (Headliner—World Premiere.)
