The Best of Sundance 2026
THE INVITE
A causal dinner party quickly escalates into a brawl of wits for two unhappy couples in this standout comedy. Joe and Angela (Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde) are going through the motions in their marriage, each sensing trouble but too afraid to actually do anything real about it. Adding to their stress are the upstairs neighbors (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz), a sexually adventurous duo who seem to be having the exact opposite problem in the relationship department. Angela’s need to shake things up leads to a casual invitation for both couples to meet and break bread but the results are far from benign. Wilde also directed “The Invite” and after her success behind the camera with “Booksmart,” it’s no surprise that she is capable of balancing comedy with a strong ensemble. Her scenes with Rogen in particular are the film’s strongest, aiming for more pathos in what a modern relationship truly looks like.
JOSEPHINE
Few films at this year’s festival came close to the emotional gut punch of “Josephine,” a movie that is as great as it is brutal. Focusing on the emotional fallout of an eight-year-old child after witnessing a crime in Golden Gate Park, writer-director Beth de Araujo keeps the camera close to her actors for most of the film. This claustrophobic feeling only adds weight to the story and allows young star Mason Reeves to shine as the titular Josephine, running away with the film in a manner that child performers rarely do onscreen. “Josephine” lives or dies by its lead performance and Reeves is more than up to the challenge, signaling the potential for a very strong future ahead. Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan balance out the core trio as her parents, who are left adrift in confusion and guilt after the brutal crime that sets the film in motion.
THE ONLY LIVING PICKPOCKET IN NEW YORK
Smaller and intimate characters pieces are a staple in independent cinema but have sadly waned over the years due to time and various outside forces. The great pleasure of writer-director Noah Segan’s “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York” is that it brings this almost forgotten genre back to life and it’s also very well made. John Turturro and Steve Buscemi headline the film as an aging pickpocket and his reliable connection to pawn off stolen goods, making their onscreen chemistry a slight wink to fans of their previous work. These two veterans have made many character-focused films over the years (and many of them together) so it’s no surprise that the duo are very comfortable the film’s story beats and fast-paced dialogue. Segan and producer Rian Johnson (“Knives Out”) use them to great effect in spotlighting this classic genre.
PARALYZED BY HOPE: THE MARIA BAMFORD STORY
Co-directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley succeed in making more than just another talking heads documentary with this festival standout. Focusing on renowned comedian Maria Bamford, the film weaves different filmmaking techniques to spotlight chapters of her life and professional career, culminating in a very unique blend. Mental health takes center stage for a good part of the runtime but other avenues are explored as well, giving its subject a warts-and-all approach that is incredibly refreshing. Famous friends and collaborators including Stephen Colbert, Zach Galifianakis and Apatow himself tell their own stories of working with the legendary comedian and their delivery will cause some to reach for a tissue box before the credits roll.
THE WEIGHT
Astute viewers will recognize “The Weight’s” set up as a loose adaptation of “The Wages of Wear” and that’s absolutely a good thing. Director Padriac McKinley and lead actor Ethan Hawke last teamed up on television’s “The Good Lord Bird” and this latest collaboration blows that already high bar out of the water. Hawke stars as a veteran caught in a tough spot with his young daughter during the Great Depression. Penniless and desperate after being arrested on confusing charges, he agrees to a shady deal for a shady warden (Russell Crowe). That mission will be to lead a group of fellow convicts through tough terrain in hopes of finding and transporting gold, all while juggling the physical and mental stress of that titanic task. “The Weight” is populist entertainment through-and-through, highlighting the thrills of its carnival-like structure and rarely coming up for air. Hawke steals the show by being front and center but Crowe’s supporting performance isn’t far behind.
WICKER
A fable that will no doubt resonate with modern audiences, “Wicker” deftly balances love and social commentary in its depiction of a lonely fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) and her accidental journey to find the perfect mate. Old, smelly and cold are just some of the names the local townspeople call the fisherwoman to her face so it’s only natural that she keeps to herself while wondering what life would be like on the other side of the fence. After an incident in town, she tasks the local basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to weave her a husband and the result is a Pinocchio-like creature who literally exists just for her. The fact that he looks like a wicker model and is played by Alexander Skarsgaard only amplify the film’s fun and subversive nature. Be careful what you wish for is at the heart of “Wicker” and it truly delights in twisting that notion in unexpected ways.
All photos courtesy of Sundance Institute.
