March is here, which means spring is around the corner—and more importantly, it’s time for South by Southwest Film & TV Festival.
This will be my fifth year attending SXSW in Austin, and every year brings the same excitement—not just for the movies, but for the events, the late-night screenings, and seeing friends I only run into during festival season.
This year’s festival is a little shorter, but what hasn’t changed is the sheer number of premieres. My schedule is already packed, but these are the ten films I’m most excited to see.
1. Power Ballad (North American Premiere)
You had me at John Carney. The man behind Once, Sing Street, and Begin Again knows how to turn music into movie magic.
This time, Paul Rudd plays a washed-up wedding singer who befriends a fading boy-band star played by Nick Jonas. When Jonas turns one of Rudd’s songs into a hit, their friendship quickly turns into a battle over who deserves the credit.
2. The Fox (International Premiere)
Sometimes a movie only needs one thing to hook you. For me, it was Olivia Colman playing a fox.
The story follows a wealthy landowner’s son (Jai Courtney) whose life unravels when he discovers his fiancée (Emily Browning) is cheating on him. Then he captures a fox who offers to help him save his relationship—if he lets her live. Strange premise? Absolutely. I’m in.
3. I Love Boosters (World Premiere)
After Sorry to Bother You, I’ll watch anything Boots Riley makes.
His latest follows a crew of professional shoplifters targeting a fashion mogul, with a cast that includes Keke Palmer, Taylour Paige, LaKeith Stanfield, and Demi Moore. With Riley behind the camera, expect something weird, stylish, and wildly entertaining.
4. Drag (World Premiere)
A great premise goes a long way. Drag follows two estranged sisters who rob a house in rural New York—only for one of them to throw out her back and get stuck on the second floor.
With the homeowners on their way back, the sisters must literally drag themselves out before they’re caught. It sounds chaotic in the best possible way.
5. Beast Race (Corrida dos Bichos) (World Premiere)
When one of the filmmakers behind City of God releases a new movie, it automatically lands on my must-see list.
Set in a devastated Rio de Janeiro, the film centers on masked runners racing through the city while wealthy elites place bets on the outcome. The twist? Every runner must pledge a human life if they lose.
That alone makes this one impossible to ignore.
6. Hokum (World Premiere)
I barely need a synopsis here. Damian McCarthy delivered the excellent Caveat and Oddity, which means his new movie is an automatic must-watch.
For those curious, it follows a novelist who retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, only to become obsessed with stories about a witch haunting the honeymoon suite.
7. Over Your Dead Body (World Premiere)
Relationships are hard. Murder might make them even harder.
That’s the premise of Jorma Taccone’s latest film, where a couple heads to a remote cabin to reconnect—while secretly planning to kill each other. Add Samara Weaving and Jason Segel in the lead roles and this twisted relationship comedy becomes even more appealing.
8. They Will Kill You (World Premiere)
I’ve said before that we might have too many one-person-army movies right now.
Then I saw the trailer for this.
In They Will Kill You, Zazie Beetz must survive a single night inside the twisted lair of a demonic cult. It looks brutal, funny, and exactly the kind of midnight-crowd movie SXSW thrives on.
9. Anima (World Premiere)
I’m always drawn to stories about technology and humanity colliding, which is exactly what Anima explores.
Directed by Brian Tetsuro Ivie and shot on 16mm, the film follows a woman (Sydney Chandler) working for a company that claims it can preserve human consciousness in the cloud. Her job is to drive the company’s most valuable client (Takehiro Hira) to his final appointment.
10. Buddy (Texas Premiere)
One of the best parts of SXSW is the crowd. Some movies are just meant to be experienced with a packed theater.
Buddy feels like one of those films. It follows a brave girl and her friends trying to escape from a children’s television show. That’s all I need to know.
Of course, movies aren’t the only reason people come to SXSW. The festival is packed with pop-ups and immersive events.
This year includes experiences tied to Peaky Blinders and its upcoming film The Immortal Man, plus the return of Paramount+ The Lodge and the always lively Spotify House.
In other words, the party in Austin is about to start.
And I can’t wait.
