The 2026 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner, and it’s a big one. It’s the first since the passing of co-founder Robert Redford, and it’s the last one taking place in Park City, UT, which has been its home since the 1980s. Over 16,000 submissions, which include over 4,000 feature films, were considered for the event, and on Wednesday, the 100 or so features accepted were announced.
You can see the full list here, and there’s plenty of fun stuff to mention. (A new film by John Wilson! Chris Pine! Courtney Love! Olivia Wilde!) But we’re io9. We combed the list looking for the weird stuff. The sci-fi, the horror, and and the films we’ll be talking about this time next year as potentially our favorites. And we found a bunch.
Running from January 22 through February 1, 2026, here are all the awesome-sounding genre films coming to Sundance 2026, with their official descriptions. Plus, a few will be available to view online. We’ll note that below.
If I Go Will They Miss Me
“Twelve-year-old Lil Ant struggles to connect with his father when he begins to see surreal, almost spectral visions of boys drifting around his neighborhood. Their presence reveals a link between father and son, laying bare the threads that bind family, legacy, and place.”
Written and directed by Walter Thompson-Hernández, starring Danielle Brooks and J. Alphonse Nicholson. (Available online)
The Incomer
“On a remote Scottish isle, siblings Isla and Sandy hunt birds and talk to mythical beings while fighting off outsiders. Their lives change when Daniel, an awkward official, arrives to relocate them.”
Written and directed by Louis Paxton, starring Domhnall Gleeson, Gayle Rankin, Grant O’Rourke, Emun Elliott, Michelle Gomez, and John Hannah. (Available online)
zi
“In Hong Kong, a young woman haunted by visions of her future self meets a stranger who changes the course of her night—and possibly her life.”
Written and directed by Kogonada, starring Michelle Mao, Haley Lu Richardson, and Jin Ha. (Available online)
The Gallerist
“A desperate gallerist conspires to sell a dead body at Art Basel Miami.”
Written and directed by Cathy Yan, starring Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.
In the Blink of an Eye
“Three storylines, spanning thousands of years, intersect and reflect on hope, connection, and the circle of life.”
Directed by Andrew Stanton, written by Colby Day, starring Rashida Jones, Kate McKinnon, Daveed Diggs, Jorge Vargas, and Tanaya Beatty.
Leviticus
“Two star-crossed teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most—each other.”
Written and directed by Adrian Chiarella, starring Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, and Davida McKenzie.
Buddy
“A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids’ television show.”
Written and directed by Casper Kelly, starring Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, and Patton Oswalt.
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant
“When a messy millennial underachiever accidentally gets alien-pregnant, she must overcome skeptical doctors, a useless baby daddy, and her oversharing mum in order to survive and reclaim her life.”
Written and directed by THUNDERLIPS, starring Hannah Lynch, Yvette Parsons, Arlo Green, and Jackie van Beek.
Rock Springs
“After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home.”
Written and directed by Vera Miao, starring Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, and Fiona Fu. (Available online)
Saccharine
“Hana, a lovelorn medical student, becomes terrorized by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight loss craze: eating human ashes.”
Written and directed by Natalie Erika James, starring Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, and Madeleine Madden.
undertone
“The host of a popular paranormal podcast becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.”
Written and directed by Ian Tuason, starring Nina Kiri, Adam DiMarco, Michèle Duquet, Keana Lyn Bastidas, and Jeff Yung.
Fing!
“A demanding little girl and her parents, the Meeks, battle an outrageously entitled viscount to protect their rare, furry, one-eyed Fing from those fixated on exploiting this wondrous creature.”
Directed by Jeffrey Walker, written by David Walliams and Kevin Cecil, starring Mia Wasikowska, Blake Harrison, David Walliams, Iona Bell, Penelope Wilton, and Taika Waititi.
For info on single tickets and how to watch some of the films that are available online, click this link.
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