There was a time when South by Southwest was all about music, but it has since evolved into a major film festival in its own right. SXSW, which turned 40 this year, featured fewer bands in 2026 and skipped its usual dedicated music weekend, but it still delivered an impressive lineup of both emerging artists and movies. That said, it’s far from being another stuffy film festival: the weather was hot, the cowboy hats were on, the crowds were vibrant, the locals were excited, and the movie-goers were vocal. That’s Texas, baby!

The film premieres this year, in particular, didn’t disappoint. From an American crime comedy featuring Keke Palmer about a crew of shoplifters, to a (timely) film about enraged ballerinas, there were plenty of moments to talk about on the way home from Austin, cowboy boots packed in carry-on. Here are the ones we can’t stop thinking about. 

OVER YOUR DEAD BODY

People are calling Jorma Taccone’s Over Your Dead Body a “quintessential SXSW movie” because it hits a certain ironically humorous tone, while being all about murder and mayhem. In the film, a dysfunctional married couple, played by Samara Weaving and Jason Segel, head to a cabin to repair their relationship, while secretly plotting to murder the other. While I’m moderately concerned about the growing number of murderous couples movies, this one was a fun watch. What it may say about the state of love today, however, is a different story. The film’s US release date is set for April 24.

DREAMQUIL

Alex Prager’s first feature film, Dreamquil, is set in the not-so-distant future, when poor air quality leads to people living mostly virtual lives. The premise is dystopian but, unfortunately, close to home, and the best part about this psychological thriller is how it explores the illusion of wellness “saving” us in the face of increasing isolation. In it, Carol, played by Elizabeth Banks, embarks on an avant-garde digital wellness retreat with the hopes of getting her life back on track. (As you can probably guess, that is not what happens.)

THE DADS

In an era of American life where the rights of trans people are being stripped away in real time, we need documentaries like The Dads. Directed by Luchina Fisher and inspired by the Emmy Award-winning short documentary of the same name, The Dads follows the fathers of trans and non-binary children over the course of a year, spanning retreats in rural Maine and Minnesota, protests, family milestones, a pivotal US Supreme Court decision and the collapse of gender-affirming care for youth. It’s a timely and poignant journey through the impact the Trump administration is having on trans people and their families. 

I LOVE BOOSTERS

Boots Riley is back, and his new film, I Love Boosters, was the talk of this year’s festival, which is unsurprising to anyone who has watched this movie. In the American crime comedy, Keke Palmer, Naomi Ackie and Taylour Paige play a band of working-class Bay Area shoplifters taking down a fashion tyrant, Demi Moore. The result is a sci-fi satire film that blends racial and social inequity with corporate exploitation and conspiracy theories. Following his politically charged Sorry to Bother You, Riley has a knack for aburdist political commentary. I Love Boosters is a truly unique approach to the anti-capitalist genre for those who dream of stealing back their rights. Thankfully, you also don’t have to wait long to watch it. The film will be released in the US on Neon on May 22.

BIG GIRLS DON’T CRY

I’m going to preface this by saying that I grew up in New Zealand, so I was especially excited to watch a coming-of-age film set there. There aren’t many movies made about growing up on the other side of the world, but with Big Girls Don’t Cry, Paloma Schneideman captured both the beauty and perils of being a teenage girl navigating sexual curiosity, the dynamics of girl groups and New Zealand’s own brand of misogynistic culture with sometimes harrowing accuracy. If you liked How to Have Sex or Dìdi, chances are you’ll be moved by Big Girls Don’t Cry. 14-year-old Sid, played effortlessly by Ani Palmer, captures something undeniably raw and real over the course of one rural summer. 

CHILI FINGER

Fair warning: this film is to be avoided if you have any weird feelings around fingers. Chili Finger is a twisted family movie, following what happens when a mother, whose daughter had just moved away from college, “finds” a finger in her chilli at a fast-food restaurant. Directed by Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad, the black comedy is an obscure exploration of the chaos of small-town America and the potential of using blackmail to escape the mundane.

PRETTY LETHAL

There’s been a lot of talk about ballerinas as of late, ever since Timothée Chalamet said “nobody cares” about ballet and opera. As it turns out, people do care about ballerinas, especially when they are played by Uma Thurman, Lana Condor, Maddie Ziegler, Avantika, Millicent Simmonds and Iris Apatow, who are stranded in a forest, turning their ballet skills and pointe shoes into tools of survival. It’s far from the best movie of the year, but the all-women leads of Vicky Jewson’s Pretty Lethal did further build a case against Chalamet’s remarks. The (timely) film will be released on Prime Video on March 25.