‘Hokum’ and ‘Pretty Lethal’ Headline Next Wave of Genre Films Coming to SXSW 2026!
The first batch of films was recently announced for the 2026 edition of SXSW. It included loads of exciting genre titles such as Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, They Will Kill You and Obsession. If that wasn’t enough to get you salivating, SXSW has announced another wave today featuring plenty of titles to die for!
Included in the second wave are films such as Ben Wheatley‘s Normal, Casper Kelly‘s Buddy and the one I’m personally most excited for, Damian McCarthy‘s Hokum! Talk about a packed lineup.
Check out the full list of newly announced genre films coming to SXSW below.
And don’t miss the 2026 edition of the SXSW Film Festival taking place in Austin, TX between March 12th-18th.
Headliner
Big names, big talent featuring red carpet premieres and gala film events with major and rising names in cinema.
Pretty Lethal (United Kingdom)
Director: Vicky Jewson. Producers: Kelly McCormick, Mike Karz, William Bindley, Piers Tempest. Screenwriter: Kate Freund
An action-packed thriller where five ballerinas, stranded in a remote forest, take shelter at an unsettling roadside inn. They must weaponize years of brutal training, turning grace, discipline, and even pointe shoes into tools for survival. Cast: Iris Apatow, Lana Condor, Millicent Simmonds, Avantika, Maddie Ziegler, Uma Thurman (World Premiere)
Narrative Spotlight
Beast Race (Brazil)
Directors: Ernesto Solis, Rodrigo Pesavento, Fernando Meirelles. Producers: Fernando Meirelles, Andrea Barata Ribeiro, Vinicio Espinosa. Screenwriters: Ernesto Solis, Rodrigo Lages, Eva Klaver, Marco Abujamra
In the ruins of a dystopian Rio de Janeiro—a city fractured by class conflict and addicted to blood sport—a resistance leader is forced to enter a violent, high-stakes race to save his sister from a fate worse than death. Cast: Matheus Abreu, Rodrigo Santoro, Isis Valverde, Bruno Gagliasso, Thainá Duarte, Seu Jorge, Silvero Pereira, João Guilherme, Grazi Massafera, Anitta (World Premiere)
Chili Finger
Directors: Edd Benda, Stephen Helstad. Producers: Sam Sandweiss, Jo Henriquez. Screenwriter: Stephen Helstad
When a small town lawyer discovers a severed finger in her chili, she blackmails the restaurant for a cash payout in an effort to regain control over her mundane life. The situation quickly spirals out of control, and her life descends into chaos. Cast: Judy Greer, Sean Astin, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Madeline Wise, Paul Stanko, Sarah Herrman, Sara Sevigny, Dann Florek (World Premiere)
Dreamquil
Director: Alex Prager. Producers: Elizabeth Banks, Max Handelman, Alison Small, Vincent Landay, Michael Mendelsohn. Screenwriters: Alex Prager, Vanessa Prager
Set in the near future, a woman returning from a virtual retreat discovers her worst nightmare when the helper robot sent to assist her family in her absence starts to infringe on her life and identity. Cast: Elizabeth Banks, John C. Reilly, Juliette Lewis, Sofia Boutella, Kathryn Newton, Lamorne Morris, Toby Larsen, Anna Marie Dobbins (World Premiere)
Kill Me
Director/Screenwriter: Peter Warren. Producers: Nate Bolotin, Keith Goldberg, Natalie Metzger, Maxime Cottray, Mike Richardson, Charlie Day, Peter Warren
Jimmy didn’t try to kill himself. Or at least, he’s pretty sure he didn’t… With the help of a reluctant 911 operator, he sets out on a darkly comedic amateur investigation to solve whether he is being stalked by a killer or chasing himself. Cast: Charlie Day, Allison Williams, Giancarlo Esposito, Aya Cash, Jessica Harper, David Krumholtz, Tony Cavalero (World Premiere)
Normal
Director: Ben Wheatley. Producers: Marc Provissiero, Derek Kolstad, Bob Odenkirk. Screenwriter: Derek Kolstad
Director Ben Wheatley and John Wick creator Derek Kolstad pit a provisional sheriff against his constituents when the exposure of a small town’s sordid secret sparks a rip-roaring firefight. Cast: Bob Odenkirk, Henry Winkler, Lena Headey, Ryan Allen, Billy MacLellan, Brendan Fletcher, Reena Jolly, Peter Shinkoda, Jess McLeod, Derek Barnes (U.S. Premiere)
The Saviors
Director: Kevin Hamedani. Producers: Matt Smith, Dan Gedman, Nicholas Weinstock, Naomi Scott, Adam Scott, Divya D’Souza, Bradley Gallo, Michael Helfant. Screenwriters: Kevin Hamedani, Travis Betz
An estranged couple rents out their Airbnb, but soon start to suspect their guests might be plotting something nefarious. As the couple investigates, they rekindle their relationship and discover something stranger than they could have imagined. Cast: Adam Scott, Danielle Deadwyler, Theo Rossi, Kate Berlant, Nazanin Boniadi, Daveed Diggs, Ron Perlman, Colleen Camp, Greg Kinnear (World Premiere)
Ugly Cry
Director/Screenwriter: Emily Robinson. Producers: Sophia Sabella, Pablo Feldman, Jolene Mendes, Rhianon Jones, Tristan Scott-Behrends, Emily Robinson
An actor loses their dream role because of their “ugly cry” causing them to spiral down the dark and dangerous path to perfection. Cast: Emily Robinson, Ryan Simpkins, Aaron Dominguez, Robin Tunney (World Premiere)
Midnighter
Exciting after-dark features for genre lovers and the terminally curious.
Hokum (Ireland, United States)
Director/Screenwriter: Damian McCarthy. Producers: Roy Lee, Steven Schneider, Derek Dauchy, Ruth Treacy, Julianne Forde, Mairtín de Barra
When novelist Ohm Bauman retreats to a remote inn to scatter his parents’ ashes, he is consumed by tales of a witch haunting the honeymoon suite. Disturbing visions and a shocking disappearance forces him to confront dark corners of his past. Cast: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Will O’Connell, Michael Patric, Siox C, Brendan Conroy, Austin Amelio, Ezra Carlisle (World Premiere)
Festival Favorite
Acclaimed standouts from festivals around the world.
Buddy
Director: Casper Kelly. Producers: Tyler Davidson, Drew Sykes, Raphael Margules, J.D. Lifshitz, Tracy Rosenblum. Screenwriters: Casper Kelly, Jamie King
A brave girl and her friends must escape a kids television show. Cast: Cristin Milioti, Delaney Quinn, Topher Grace, Keegan-Michael Key, Michael Shannon, Patton Oswalt (Texas Premiere)
Leviticus (Australia)
Director/Screenwriter: Adrian Chiarella. Producers: Samantha Jennings, Kristina Ceyton, Hannah Ngo
Two teenage boys must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they desire most — each other. Cast: Joe Bird, Stacy Clausen, Mia Wasikowska, Jeremy Blewitt, Ewen Leslie, Davida McKenzie, Nicholas Hope, Zahra Newman (Texas Premiere)
Rock Springs
Director/Screenwriter: Vera Miao. Producers: Stephen Feder, Kiri Hart, Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, Greta Talia Fuentes, Jason Michael Berman, Matthew Lindner, Jordan Moldo, Vera Miao
After the death of her father, a grieving young girl moves to an isolated house in a new town with her mother and grandmother, only to discover there is something monstrous hidden in the town’s history and the woods behind their new home. Cast: Kelly Marie Tran, Benedict Wong, Jimmy O. Yang, Aria Kim, Fiona Fu (Texas Premiere)
Visions
Audacious, risk-taking artists who demonstrate innovation and creativity.
Bagworm
Director: Oliver Bernsen. Producer: Zoe Rosenberg. Screenwriter: Henry Bernsen
After a sexually frustrated hammer salesman steps on a rusty nail, he must determine whether the world’s sudden and violent turn against him is real or the result of an infection consuming his body and mind. Cast: Peter Falls, Michelle Ortiz, Robbie Arnett, Corbin Bernsen, Stephen Borrello, Jessy Morner-Ritt, Sydney Winbush, Francesca Galassi (North American Premiere)
Dead Eyes (Australia)
Director/Producer/Screenwriter: Richard E. Williams
After the death of his sister, Sean ventures into a remote forest with his friends to find his missing father, only to discover his grief has become the bridge between the living and the dead. Cast: Ana Thu-Nguyen, Mischa Heywood, Rijen Laine, Charles Cottier, Alea O’Shea, Stephen Phillips, Freya Callaghan, Lewis Smith (World Premiere)
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