2026 SXSW Movie Reviews: All Of Deadline’s Reviews From The Festival In Austin

The 2026 SXSW Movie & TV Pageant kicked off March 7, in Austin and options 49 world premieres amongst debuts. It’s the primary time the occasion has launched on a Thursday.

Boots Riley’s sci-fi comedy I Love Boosters was the opening-night movie, and different anticipated movies embody Searchlight’s Radio Silence sequel Prepared or Not 2: Right here I Come, New Line’s Samara Weaving-Zazie Beetz horror motion comedy They Will Kill You,  Lionsgate’s John Carney-directed music film Energy Ballad starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas, the Vince Vaughn gangster pic Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice and Jorma Taccone’s couples-trying-to-kill-each-other pic Over Your Useless Physique.

Here’s a compilation of Deadline’s film opinions from the thirty third anniversary fest, which runs by way of March 18 within the Texas capital.

Part: HeadlinerDirector-screenwriter: Boots Riley Forged: Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie, Taylour Paige, Poppy Liu, Eiza González, LaKeith Stanfield, Will Poulter, Demi MooreDeadline’s takeaway: Boots Riley’s sophomore characteristic is a surreal, hyperpop love letter to creatives residing underneath capitalism that efficiently captures the hopelessness of our present capitalist dystopia. The camp issue is obvious in each body. — GG

Part: Narrative Characteristic CompetitionDirectors: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea StardustCast: Barbara Crampton, Rob Huebel, Christopher Marquette, Jessika Van, Vinny Thomas, Mercedes Mason, Matt Mercer, Aubrey SheaDeadline’s takeaway: The ingenious horror-comedy anthology achieves the just about unthinkable: whereas it delivers the requisite laughs and shocks — by no means a simple stability to strike, even at the most effective of instances — it’s simply as efficient in its jabs on the gig financial system as something by Britain’s Ken Loach or every other director from the varsity of social realism. — DW

Part: Narrative SpotlightDirector-screenwriter: Victoria StrouseCast: Hannah Einbinder, Justin Theroux, John Reynolds, Griffin Gluck, Justine Lupe, Greg Kinnear, David Ury, Michelle Johnston, Andrea PyleDeadline’s takeaway: Sensible, sharply written and directed comedies are a uncommon hen as of late, however Victoria Strouse takes a scenario that simply might have sailed excessive, forged it intelligently and created some outrageously humorous conditions. — PH

Part: 24 Beats Per MinuteDirector: Ken KwapisDeadline’s takeaway: This charming documentary sees the unusual, one-album band of sisters generally known as The Shaggs for who they actually and had been, pushing previous the “outsider artwork” label to reach at one thing far more dignified, private and, finally, transferring. — DW

Part: Narrative Characteristic CompetitionWriter-director: Graham ParkesCast: Lewis Pullman, Maya Hawke, Randall Park, Jake Shane, Kate Berlant, Amita Rao, Eric RahillDeadline’s takeaway: Wishful Pondering is finally a dreamy romantic comedy concerning the lengths folks will go for those they love, in addition to the conclusion that they want inside concord to foster a harmonious relationship with others. — GG