The 5 best films we saw at Sundance 2026

The 2026 Sundance Film Festival has come to an end, but our excitement for the movies we saw there is still burning even in these cold times! So, what are the best films for Sundance 2026?

Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko has watched dozens of movies through Sundance’s online streaming platform. Then he sat down on our Say It Much couch to share his five favorites.

5. Mom, I’m pregnant with Alien

This New Zealand comedy from the directing team THUNDERLIPS (aka Sean Wallace and Jordan Mark Windsor) centers on a millennial (Hannah Lynch) who quickly meets an awkward neighbor (Arlo Green) that leads to – well – an ectopic pregnancy. You see, he’s part alien, which explains why his junk is alien. But around this unintended pregnancy is a comedy about motherhood that is funny, subversive, outrageous, and incredibly touching.

4. Everyone goes to Kenmure Street

If you need a sign that one act of solidarity can make a big difference, you’ll enjoy the documentary. Everyone goes to Kenmure Street. Documentary Felipe Bustos Sierra looks back at the spontaneous protest that broke out in Glasgow, Scotland, in May of 2021. There, the UK Home Office carried out a raid targeting two Muslim men, whose abduction and deportation may have been prevented by the non-violent intervention of their neighbours. How did it go down? And what does Emma Thompson have to do with it? Watch the video above to find out.

Notably, Kenmure Street received a special award at Sundance: World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Civil Resistance.

3. Run Amok

Comedy at Sundance went dark this year. A good example is writer/director NB Mager’s Run Amokcentered on a group of high school students trying to process the trauma of a school shooting through song and dance. The story centers on the evil hubby Meg (Alyssa Marvin), whose mother was killed in a school shooting ten years ago – at the high school she now attends. Given the opportunity to sing to create a group catharsis in this tragedy, Meg turns to a group of theater children to develop a fantastic presentation. But as they jump into exercise and the problematic use of pop songs, they experience a backlash from adults in the proper way to process pain. Compelling and quirky comedy to come, Run Amok it is precious.

2. Incoming

Winner of the NEXT Innovator Award, Incoming is a curious tale of tradition, cultural conflict, and growing attraction. Written and directed by Louis Paxton, the comedy begins with an elderly brother (Grant O’Rourke) and his sister (Gayle Rankin), who have spent the last 30 years on a Scottish island alone. Then comes the “incoming”. He (Domhnall Gleeson) is a shy office flier tasked with serving them an eviction notice and a ride back to Scotland. Little could have predicted the surprising (and hilarious) response such an announcement would spark. Comic violence, strange cultures, and animated stories come into play as the three find common ground, and ultimately a flawless happy ending.

1. Josephine

Among the critics, Josephine is an easily talked-about title coming out of Sundance. Written and directed by Beth de Araújo, the drama centers on an 8-year-old girl named Josephine (Mason Reeves) who witnesses sexual abuse at a local park. There, de Araújo explores how a child copes with such trauma by showing Josephine re-enacting what she saw through play, acting out at school, and imagining a rapist carelessly invading her home. Besides exploring his experience with cinematography that often binds us to the child’s point of view, the filmmaker also reveals how his parents (Gemma Chan and Channing Tatum) struggle to explain the culture of rape to their little girl. Not a tearjerker but a sober family drama ripe with emotional intelligence and thoughtful sequences, Josephine it’s a solid watch and a must see.

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