Well, it’s official. It is the end of an era. 2026 will mark the final year that the iconic film festival founded by Robert Redford takes place in Park City, Utah. Beginning in 2027, the festival will move to Boulder, Colorado. While I am sure many, myself included, will follow the festival to its new home, I do wonder whether the hype that has been built over the past 48 years will continue. Sundance has long been tied to discovery and has launched the careers of several iconic filmmakers such as Kevin Smith, Quentin Tarantino, Paul Thomas Anderson, and Ryan Coogler, just to name a few.
Even though this will be the final time Sundance graces Park City, it will be fascinating to see how the festival’s programmers choose to close out this chapter of its legacy. To be completely honest, since the pandemic, the overall caliber of films has not consistently matched the strength of the pre-pandemic years. That said, I am genuinely hoping for a handful of standout surprises this year. I hope some of the films in this year’s lineup will remind audiences why Sundance is festival that serves as a vital launching pad for bold and distinctive voices in independent cinema.
With the festival preparing to move to its new location, there is an added sense of significance surrounding this year’s lineup. Ideally, Sundance will go out on a high note in Park City, delivering discoveries that reaffirm its reputation and will leave a lasting impression that will be widely discussed throughout 2026.
With that in mind, here are the seven titles I am most excited to see during the festival:
7. The Invite
Olivia Wilde is back in the director’s chair with her third feature-length film. She absolutely knocked it out of the park with her directorial debut, Booksmart, which premiered at SXSW, but her sophomore effort, Don’t Worry Darling, was far more divisive and did not quite land with critics. That said, I do think that film still showed that Wilde has a strong visual sensibility as a filmmaker, and I am curious to see how she continues to evolve behind the camera with this new project, especially with such a strong cast that includes Seth Rogen and Edward Norton.
6. Buddy
Buddy immediately caught my attention because it feels like the kind of film that taps into childhood nostalgia in a way that is fresh and perfectly suited for the horror-comedy space. The idea of a children’s television show slowly morphing into something mysterious, dark, and dangerous is very much in my wheelhouse. I have always been drawn to projects that blur genre lines, and Buddy sounds like a fun mix of comedy, fantasy, horror, and coming-of-age storytelling. It also feels like the kind of midnight movie that could turn into a breakout Sundance hit and walk away with a strong distribution deal. For all of those reasons combined, this easily lands as my most anticipated title in this year’s Midnight section.
5. The History of Concrete
I’m really fascinated by The History of Concrete because it sounds like a documentary-meets-mockumentary that is clearly aiming to be funny, but also capable of surprising the audience in ways they probably are not expecting, especially since this is a John Wilson project. It feels like the kind of film that uses humor and an intentionally offbeat premise to dig into something that seems completely uninteresting on the surface, like making an entire documentary about concrete. The description suggests a filmmaker with a very specific sense of humor, and while I am sure it will not be for everyone, Sundance has a long history of oddball films that go on to become cult favorites once the festival wraps. This definitely feels like it could fit right into that tradition. I am excited to see how Wilson takes something so mundane and turns it into something that not only gets big laughs but also sticks with audiences afterward.
4. Run Amok
Run Amok is one of those films that anyone who knows me would expect it to be on my most anticipated list. Sundance is often at its most exciting when it embraces films that take big swings, even at the risk of alienating audiences, and Run Amok feels like it could very well be that kind of project. One of my favorite films to ever come out of Sundance was Hamnet 2, and I am curious to see how far Run Amok pushes its themes and whether or not it uses its comedic premise to say something hard hitting and meaningful rather than relying on pure absurdity. It also should be noted that the film is from a first time filmmaker and if anyone knows anything about Sundance, it’s that it is one of the biggest festivals for first time filmmakers.
3. The Gallerist
Cathy Yan directing a film starring Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph already makes this a must-see for me, but after reading the plot description, I am even more convinced that Yan is going to knock this one out of the park. The premise sounds like an “eat the rich” satire that takes a sharp, bold swing at the art world and its inflated sense of self-importance, which is very much my kind of movie. When you combine a filmmaker with such a clear and distinctive vision with a cast this stacked, it is hard not to get excited. I have a feeling this will end up being one of the most talked-about films at the festival, and I am especially curious to see who ultimately picks it up for distribution once Sundance wraps.
2. See You When I See You
This is one of the films I am really excited to see because it feels like it approaches grief and trauma in a way that only Jay Duplass could pull off. Stories centered on traumatic experiences can so easily become melodramatic, but See You When I See You sounds far more interested in emotional honesty, especially with Kaitlyn Dever playing such a significant role in the story. I tend to be drawn to films that dive into how pain and loss reshape our lives and how we figure out a way forward afterward. There is also a personal connection for me here, as I have followed Cooper Raiff and Kaitlyn Dever’s work closely, and seeing them involved in a project like this makes me even more curious to see how it ultimately comes together.
1. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass really stands out to me as a simple-concept comedy that feels tailored made for Sundance audiences. It sounds like the kind of film that will not just be funny, but genuinely character-driven, which is always a winning combination in my eyes. I already love Zoey Deutch, David Wain, and Ken Marino, so this feels like a total slam dunk for me. The premise along is hilarious because it taps into something most people have probably joked about with their spouses or partners at some point in their relationship. And as someone who has been a fan of Wain and Marino dating all the way back to The State and Wet Hot American Summer, I am especially excited to see how they weave fantasy, insecurity, and sharp humor into a modern take on relationships and outrageous what-if scenarios. This feels like it could easily be one of the biggest crowd-pleasers to come out of the festival, and I am really hoping they somehow manage to rope Jon Hamm into the mix in some way.
As always, I am always excited to see what films that are not on my must-see lists that end up surprising me. I feel with this being the end of the Sundance legacy in Park City, I hope that there are multiple breakout hits that will cement Sundance’s history to continue for several more decades to come.
