Between world premieres, wild genre swings, and a few concepts that already sound unhinged in the best way, these are the films I am counting down the days to see.

By JACK MCCRACKEN | FEBRUARY 12, 2026

Yes, I live in Austin, but when I say SXSW 2026 is shaping up to be the best film festival of the year, I need you to know that is a completely unbiased opinion. This year's festival features 90 world, 2 international, 5 North American, 6 U.S., and 16 Texas premieres, and if my math is correct, that is 120 outrageously awesome new films that you have the chance to see this upcoming March. I couldn’t pick them all, but the following are my most anticipated films at this year’s festival.

The Last Critic

Director: Matty Wishnow

Cast: Robert Christgau, Carola Dibbell, Thurston Moore, Boots Riley, Randy Newman, Colson Whitehead, Ann Powers, Joe Levy, Amanda Petrusich, Greil Marcus

What: A documentary portrait of Robert Christgau, the foundational voice of American rock criticism, still writing in his eighties as the cultural and economic structures that sustained critics collapse around him.

Why: With a career that spans almost 60 years and over 18,000 albums reviewed, Robert Christgau is one of the most prolific critics of all time in any industry, and The Last Critic is the first documentary feature exploring his career. At a certain point, if someone spends enough time doing anything, I become interested. I'm not sure how you could fit his life story into an 83-minute film, but I can't wait to watch, and I'm certain this will be one I'll be returning to long after the festival is over.

Anima

Director: Brian Tetsuro Ivie

Cast: Sydney Chandler, Takehiro Hira, Marin Ireland, Lili Taylor, Maria Dizzia, Tom McCarthy, Emil Wakim, Maximilian Lee Piazza

What: After losing her job at a robotics start-up, an antisocial engineer joins a company that claims it can upload human consciousness to the cloud. Her first task is escorting the firm’s most important client to his final appointment.

Why: Who doesn't love a film revolving around a cross-country road trip? With a title coined from Jung and a mission to upload your memory into a computer, I can't think of a reason this film won't land for me. I can not find any information on who did the score, and for all I know, there is no music, but I'm going to stake my claim that this has a great score and something to look out for. I’m sure the tech portion of SXSW this year will continue to lean heavily towards AI, so I’m glad that there will be a way to learn more about the cool new technologies being built, even if I’m only attending the film portion.

Beast Race

Director: Ernesto Solis, Rodrigo Pesavento, Fernando Meirelles

Cast: Matheus Abreu, Rodrigo Santoro, Isis Valverde, Bruno Gagliasso, Thainá Duarte, Seu Jorge, Silvero Pereira, João Guilherme, Grazi Massafera, Anitta

What: In a dystopian future Rio de Janeiro, masked runners compete in a lethal urban race where losing means condemning another person to a fate known as the Coast of Hell. When a rebel leader’s sister is offered as collateral, he must enter the very spectacle he has devoted his life to destroying.

Why: Mad Max track and field hunger games is the best way I can describe this one, and I don't feel like I have to explain further. This looks great, but as a leading MrBeast critic, I have to say that this is not good PR as it looks and sounds like the next iteration of Jimmy's Netflix career. If the genre is "action," I'm always seated, and this looks like one of the most creative and well-executed in the genre that we've seen for a while. Throw this one in the must-watch pile.

Crash Land

Director: Dempsey Bryk

Cast: Gabriel LaBelle, Finn Wolfhard, Billy Bryk, Noah Parker, Abby Quinn

What: Three despised small-town troublemakers attempt to legitimize their lives by making a “real movie,” forcing them to confront love, loss, and the consequences of their arrested development.

Why: Childhood friends who are amateur stuntmen attempt to make a real movie to prove their lives have meaning, but are forced to grow up. The plot technically doesn't have anything to do with my current life, but I feel like it will get me crying in my seat. I don't know if it's the result of growing up with Jack Ass or just boys liking stunts, but this one sounds like a laugh-a-little, cry-a-little, walk-out-feeling-okay type of movie. Also, if Matt Johnson is a producer, I'm going to assume it's the best new thing coming.

Pizza Movie

Director: Brian McElhaney, Nick Kocher

Cast: Gaten Matarazzo, Sean Giambrone, Lulu Wilson, Jack Martin, Peyton Elizabeth Lee, Marcus Scribner, Caleb Hearon, Sarah Sherman, Miguel-Andres Garcia, Justin Cooley

What: Two college students planning a routine night of drugs and pizza ingest a homemade substance that turns a short trip downstairs into a reality-bending odyssey.

Why: A story as old as time. Doing homemade drugs and ordering pizza. From the synopsis, that sounds like the entirety of the plot, so I can only assume it will be a good time. I hate leaving the theater feeling like my review is "I had fun," but I've never regretted it, and I'll never stop attending films where that is my one expectation.

Phoenix Jones: The Rise and Fall of a Real Life Superhero

Director: Bayan Joonam

Cast: Phoenix Jones, Rainn Wilson, Jon Ronson, Midnight Jack, Freedom Fodor, Caros Fodor, Ryan McNamee, Ghost, Lance Coulter, El Caballero

What: The story of Phoenix Jones, a costumed Seattle vigilante who became a media sensation before his identity was exposed and his public image unraveled.

Why: I have to be honest, I'm not familiar with Phoenix Jones, and I will be watching this one with heavy bias because, frankly, I'm proud of him for attempting to take policing matters into his own hands. We've all at some point thought about donning latex and a cape to make the city safer, so how guilty can he be? For my research, I will not be ruining the surprise on why he was arrested and report back with my full opinion on whether I still stand with Phoenix Jones.

Buddy

Director: Casper Kelly

Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt

What: A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show.

Why: Horror and a kid’s television show at the same time sounds intriguing, and while I honestly try to avoid horror because I'm a little too baseline anxious, this one sounds creative enough to get me in the door. Really does sound truly terrifying though, so I don't know if it's on this list from anticipatory excitement or fear. It seems to be aesthetically similar to mascot shows of the '90s, ala Barney, so I'm assuming it will have the lovable children show tropes with a twist, and as I'm therapeutically writing this to work up the courage to make it to the screening, I'm starting to convince myself this might be one of the best of the fest. The concept is just too good.

Every film in the 24 Beats Per Second showcase

A bit of a cop out and not providing much context, but who doesn't love a music documentary? You spend so many hours each day listening to songs in your ears, it is always a pleasure to sit comfortably in a theater and see it all come together on the big screen. If I had to pick my most anticipated, it would be Jack Johnson. He's one of those dudes who is larger than life for me. Somehow so ingrained in pop culture while maintaining a surreal level of mystery. I can already feel the heat coming to town, so it's about time to get Jack Johnson spinning again.

MY MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS AT 2026 SXSW