10 films we can't wait to see at SXSW 2024

The SXSW 2024's opening night film was enveloped in controversy from the moment it was announced. First, director Doug Liman announced he’s boycotting the release over Amazon’s distribution plan, favoring a streaming debut over a theatrical run. Then, the writer of the original Patrick Swayze film filed a lawsuit over A.I. allegations. That’s a lot of fighting before the film is even out, which means now everyone will want to know if this tale of a former UFC brawler (Jake Gyllenhaal) who becomes a bouncer and gets more than he bargained for will turn out to be worth it. Our thoughts: Never count Gyllenhaal out when it comes to infusing watchable weirdness into even the most distracting of projects.

Premieres Friday, March 8.

After cowriting the wild 2017 cult comedy Brigsby Bear, SNL alum Kyle Mooney will make his directorial debut in 2024 with Y2K, a film that will no doubt conjure all sorts of nostalgia for those of us who were around to see if the world would end back in 1999. Set on New Year’s Eve of ‘99, the film follows friends who end up at a party and find that, against all odds, the world might indeed be ending. With a young cast led by Rachel Zegler, Jaeden Martell, and Julian Dennison, this comedy seems poised to deliver the kind of raucous energy that SXSW audiences thrive on.

Premieres Saturday, March 9.

After winning legions of fans and critics with her TV series Better Things, writer-director Pamela Adlon is back with another funny, honest look at the complicated lives of women. In Babes, Adlon chronicles the adventures of Eden (Michelle Buteau) and Dawn (Ilana Glazer), two best friends whose lives change when Eden becomes unexpectedly pregnant. Since Dawn is already a mom, Eden expects her best friend to help her through the challenges of pregnancy, setting up a family story that only Adlon could tell.

Premieres Saturday, March 9.

Jane Schoenbrun’s haunting, intimate breakthrough film We’re All Going to the World’s Fair was one of the most chilling horror stories to come out of the isolated madness of 2021. Now, the filmmaker is back with a new effort that feels like the next step in a very promising genre career. While World’s Fair took us all down a dark rabbit hole of internet subcultures, I Saw The TV Glow will follow a young man (Justice Smith) as he descends into a strange supernatural world that appears in the form of a late-night TV broadcast. Given the warm reception this film got at Sundance, we can’t wait to see what that looks like.

Premieres Sunday, March 10.

Dev Patel directs, co-writes, and stars in this revenge film from producer Jordan Peele about a man who’s out to get the people who murdered his mother. And you know what? That’s reason enough to get excited about this one. Throw in a plot steeped in Hindu mythology, Patel fighting in a monkey mask, and action sequences that look as thrilling as they are gritty, and this film has all the ingredients to be the breakout movie of the fest.

Premieres Monday, March 11.

If you want star-packed, crowd-pleasing, popcorn movie fun at SXSW this year, The Fall Guy is already set up as your best bet. Based on the TV series of the same name, it’s the story of a stunt man (Ryan Gosling) who goes in search of a missing actor in order to help his director ex (Emily Blunt) make a movie. Gosling and Blunt have plenty of star power to bring in the crowds, but they’re far from the only attractions here. The film’s cast also boasts Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Winston Duke, Hannah Waddingham, and Stephanie Hsu. Behind the camera, the action is led by director David Leitch (Deadpool 2) and writer Drew Pearce (Hotel Artemis).

Premieres Tuesday, March 12.

Sydney Sweeney has already leveraged her Euphoria stardom into a number of exciting projects, and now she’s heading into horror territory as both the star and producer of this Catholic horror flick. Sweeney plays Cecilia, an American nun who gets an offer to head to a prestigious and beloved convent in Italy to better herself and her faith. What waits for her there seems perfect, but there’s a whole world of horrors lurking behind the convent walls that will test her faith forever. Sweeney’s very presence is enough to get the crowds to come out to this one, and it’ll be interesting to see what she does with this kind of genre film at this point in her career.

Premieres Tuesday, March 12.

Road House might have attracted the most pre-release controversy at SXSW, but the film that seems poised to court the most discussion based on its subject matter is the latest from writer-director Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Men). Garland has described the film as a meditation on the importance of journalists. A near-future portrait of an America at war with itself, Civil War would be brutal in just about any context, but it feels like an especially potent bomb to drop on audiences in an election year.

Premieres Thursday, March 14.

Sydney Sweeney’s not the only Euphoria star bringing a new horror movie to SXSW. Hunter Schafer, alongside writer-director Tilman Singer and co-stars Dan Stevens and Jessica Henwick, is showing up to the fest with Cuckoo. The story of a girl who’s forced to relocate to Germany with her father and stepmother, the film follows what happens when Gretchen (Schafer) sees something she shouldn’t, plunging her life into violence and putting her too close to a secret that will change her family, and her life, forever. It’s a chance to see Schafter as you’ve never seen her before, and get even more scares out of SXSW.

Premieres Thursday, March 14.

What starts with Jake Gyllenhaal ends with Anne Hathaway, as the Oscar winner is set to close the festival in 2024 with her new romantic comedy, directed by comedic luminary Michael Showalter (The Big Sick). Based on the novel of the same name, The Idea Of You, follows a divorced mother (Hathaway) who gets roped into taking her teenage daughter to a concert, and ends up falling in love with the lead singer of a massively successful boy band (played by Nicholas Galitzine). The setup allows Hathaway to play the older woman in a promising rom-com, and will no doubt have everyone talking on the plane ride home from Austin.

Premieres Saturday, March 16.