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- Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant — Kiwi Comedy That Gets Weird
- Everybody to Kenmure Street — A Neighborhood Stand Against Deportation
- Buddy — Surreal Horror-Comedy From the Creator of Viral Shorts
- When a Witness Recants — Ta-Nehisi Coates Joins a Criminal-Justice Probe
- The Gallerist — A Dark Satire of the Contemporary Art World
- Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story — Inside a Comic’s Mind
- The Moment — Charli XCX’s Mockumentary and Pop-Life Satire
- Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass — Raunchy Revenge Rom-Com
- Saccharine — Body-Horror That Questions Beauty and Weight
- Wicker — A Dark Romantic Comedy Set in a Medieval Frame
Two huge moments collide for movie lovers: Oscar nomination season is in full swing while Sundance lifts its curtain on a new wave of premieres. From twisted comedies and sharp documentaries to unhinged horror and star-studded dark satire, this year’s lineup already has critics and audiences talking. Below are ten Sundance titles to watch, with what they’re about, who’s in them, and how to catch them.
Mum, I’m Alien Pregnant — Kiwi Comedy That Gets Weird
From New Zealand comes a gross-out, tender comedy about unexpected parenthood. Directed by the duo known as THUNDERLIPS, the film follows a directionless young woman who wakes up to an impossible pregnancy. The twist: the biological father is part alien.
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Why it stands out
- Mixes physical gross-out humor with real emotional beats.
- Plays on familiar Kiwi comic DNA while leaning into sci-fi absurdity.
Key credits
- Starring: Hannah Lynch, Yvette Parsons, Arlo Green, Jackie van Beek
Where to see it
How to watch: Screening at the Sundance Film Festival. Release plans for theaters and streaming have not been announced.
Everybody to Kenmure Street — A Neighborhood Stand Against Deportation
Felipe Bustos Sierra returns with a documentary about community resistance. In 2021 a Home Office raid in Glasgow threatened two men on Eid. Neighbors rallied, blocking vans and forcing authorities to pause the deportation.
What the film explores
- Grassroots civil disobedience and collective courage.
- The moral and political reverberations of immigration enforcement.
- Unconventional storytelling choices, including reenacted interviews.
Cast and notable moments
- Featuring: Emma Thompson and Kate Dickie in creative reenactments
Where to see it
How to watch: Available at Sundance in-person and on the festival’s streaming platform from Jan. 29 at 10 a.m. ET through Feb. 2 at 1:55 a.m. ET.
Buddy — Surreal Horror-Comedy From the Creator of Viral Shorts
The mind behind viral Adult Swim satire turns to feature horror-comedy. Buddy imagines a children’s television taping gone violently wrong. The high-concept premise centers on kids trying to escape a malignant show.
Hook
- Madcap, unsettling tone that blends childhood nostalgia with nightmare logic.
Cast
- Starring: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt
Where to see it
How to watch: Premiering at Sundance. Distribution and streaming windows are not yet public.
When a Witness Recants — Ta-Nehisi Coates Joins a Criminal-Justice Probe
Documentarian Dawn Porter teams up with Ta-Nehisi Coates to revisit a 1983 Baltimore murder case. The film traces how coerced testimony upended lives and how the fallout still echoes today.
Why it matters
- Explores systemic issues in policing and prosecution.
- Combines archival research with firsthand accounts.
Where to see it
How to watch: Playing at Sundance. Further release details have not been disclosed.
The Gallerist — A Dark Satire of the Contemporary Art World
Cathy Yan steps into gallery politics with a blackly comic thriller. Natalie Portman plays a dealer hungry for acclaim. When an influencer rejects a rising artist, the dealer resorts to extreme measures to force a reaction.
Tone and themes
- Satire aimed at market obsession and performative taste.
- Moral compromises in pursuit of cultural capital.
Cast
- Starring: Natalie Portman, Jenna Ortega, Sterling K. Brown, Zach Galifianakis, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Catherine Zeta-Jones
Where to see it
How to watch: Screenings at Sundance; theatrical and streaming plans are pending.
Paralyzed by Hope: The Maria Bamford Story — Inside a Comic’s Mind
This documentary follows Maria Bamford’s rise and the creative life behind her distinctive voice. Directors Judd Apatow and Neil Berkeley chart Bamford’s struggle with mental health and how she turned pain into comic craft.
What to expect
- An intimate portrait of performance, vulnerability, and resilience.
- Context on her voice roles and stand-up evolution.
Credits
- Featuring: Maria Bamford
Where to see it
How to watch: Playing at Sundance. Distribution details remain unannounced.
The Moment — Charli XCX’s Mockumentary and Pop-Life Satire
Charli XCX appears in a mockumentary that riffs on fame, art, and persona. Presented with an arthouse tilt, the film blurs documentary and fiction to look at pop stardom through an A24-style lens.
Why it’s notable
- Mixes pop performance with satirical observation.
- Brings a music-star perspective into indie cinema.
Cast
- Starring: Charli XCX, Rosanna Arquette, Kate Berlant, Jamie Demetriou, Hailey Benton Gates, Isaac Powell, Alexander Skarsgård
Where to see it
How to watch: Premieres at Sundance and opens in theaters on Jan. 30.
Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass — Raunchy Revenge Rom-Com
A modern comedy of marital jitters and celebrity obsession. Zoey Deutch plays a bride-to-be who plots an outrageous revenge after her fiancé confesses to a celebrity hookup.
Tone and pedigree
- Written by members of the comedy troupe The State.
- Expect zany beats, broad satire, and oddball supporting turns.
Cast
- Starring: Zoey Deutch, Jon Hamm, John Slattery, Ken Marino, Joe Lo Truglio, Kerri Kenney-Silver and more
Where to see it
How to watch: Screening at Sundance. Theatrical or streaming release dates are not yet set.
Saccharine — Body-Horror That Questions Beauty and Weight
Natalie Erika James returns with a disturbing body-horror fable. A medical student chases weight loss and stumbles onto a miracle pill with dangerous, supernatural side effects.
The film’s angle
- Combines gore with commentary on body image and quick fixes.
- Atmospheric horror rooted in personal insecurity.
Cast and distribution
- Starring: Midori Francis, Danielle Macdonald, Madeleine Madden
- Distribution: Independent Film Company picked up U.S. and UK rights; further dates pending.
Where to see it
How to watch: Playing at Sundance. Watch for future theatrical and streaming announcements.
Wicker — A Dark Romantic Comedy Set in a Medieval Frame
Olivia Colman headlines a folkish comedy about desire and craftsmanship. In a twist on the “make-me-a-lover” trope, a fisherwoman commissions a basketmaker to create an ideal husband.
Style and tone
- Fuses fairy-tale logic with modern comedic sensibilities.
- Playful performances anchored by strong leads.
Cast
- Starring: Olivia Colman, Alexander Skarsgård, Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki, Marli Siu, Nabhaan Rizwan
Where to see it
How to watch: Screening at the Sundance Film Festival. No theatrical or streaming data has been released yet.
