2026’s Tribeca carried a unique lineup, including a couple surprising horror gems, and some seriously twisted storylines. Don’t miss out as I run down my full festival coverage, then select my favorite movies from this iteration just after the jump!
Films
ACT ONE
BREEDER
COTTON FEVER
DOC MEETS WORLD
HADESTOWN: THE MUSICAL
HAPPY HOURS
Katie Holmes writes and directs this schmaltzy romance about two people reconnecting after two decades, inspired by Linklater’s Before trilogy. Angsty photographer, Liz (Holmes) has recently gone through a difficult divorce. Against her greater wishes to not photograph any celebrities, she ends up agreeing when it involves rising author, Andrew (Joshua Jackson), her former flame. The love this duo shared together has never faded, and now could be the perfect time for a rekindling. While seeing Holmes and Jackson share the screen again is undeniable, there’s something missing here. The supporting players are fun but get almost no texture whatsoever, and an eventual reveal concerning the romance feels like a total nonissue. As the first in a trilogy, Happy Hours Part 1: Love is cutesy but feels unfinished.
THE HAUNTING OF PENNHURST
ICONOCLAST
IN MEMORIAM
THE KEEPER OF THE CAMPHOR TREE
There’s certainly plenty of stunning animation to behold in Death Note director Tomohiko Ito’s The Keeper of the Camphor Tree. This gentle fantasy drama centers on Reito, a struggling fired employee who hits rock bottom. Reito soon finds himself entrusted with protecting a mysterious shrine and its legendary camphor tree after an unexpected intervention from his estranged aunt. Rich with atmosphere, the film shines whenever it leans into the beauty of its setting, from moonlit prayer paths and glowing fireflies to the towering tree itself. As Reito learns the sacred duties of the keeper and uncovers the tree’s ability to unlock hidden memories, the story carefully explores the theme of legacy. While the emotional payoff is genuinely moving and the ending lands with real poignancy, the journey there remains slow and repetitive. Camphor Tree takes far too long to reach its strongest ideas. A visually lovely and heartfelt flick, it still tested my patience when more time should have been alloted to unearthing the emotional core.
KILLING CASTRO
THE LEADER
THE LONG HAUL
LUCY SCHULMAN
After discovering her longtime boyfriend has been sexting with an assistant, twenty-something Streisand-quoting Lucy (Ellie Sachs) decides to upend her life, moving back in with her eccentric father (David Cross) in Manhattan. This quirky romantic dramedy follows Lucy on a series of dating misadventures, including a fling with an ultra-cutie artist played by Thomas Mann. There are plenty of others along the way in typical movie-montage fashion. Sachs writes, directs, and stars, giving the feature a distinct personality and concise perspective. Still, we have seen this story before, executed better and with more stylish flair. Nothing in Lucy Schulman stands out from the festival crowd, but still: it’s definitely cute.
MUMFORD & SONS: THE HOUSE BAND
NEVER CHANGE!
At North Meadows High School, the entire class of 2008 lost out on their last twenty days of their senior year when a devastating tornado struck. Now, they have been legally required to fulfill a full 180 days of school, lest they do not receive diplomas or genuinely graduate. The concept of this movie is fun and absurdist, but would have been significantly better had it allowed the younger students to commingle with the older ones. The seasoned actors in the cast barely get any screentime. This Hulu original relies heavily on slapstick humor. It can never reach the heights of something like Wet Hot American Summer. This brand of loud, obnoxious comedy with constant physical gags just completely misses the mark.
ONLY WHAT WE CARRY
Quiet, overly dull relationship drama Only What We Carry follows former dance partners Charlotte (Sofia Boutella) and Julian (Simon Pegg) as they reconnect years later to recalibrate their complicated relationship. While the film features occasional smatters of sweetness and a few intriguing character beats (including an unexpectedly amusing turn from Quentin Tarantino), it ultimately feels too meandering and emotionally disconnected. Long stretches of repetitive conversations about the pair’s shared history left me struggling to invest in its rekindling. The narrative never finds enough purpose to justify its languid pacing. Despite some glimmers of intrigue, Only What We Carry is a frustratingly misguided experience, and one of the weakest films I saw during the festival.
PONDEROSA
In what has to be hands-down the definitive bizzaro movie of the festival, writer/director Rob Rice combines a bold visual aesthetic with compelling performances from Bill Camp, Jack Dylan Grazer, and Alexis Bledel. Unfortunately, Ponderosa feels far too experimental for my tastes. The loosely constructed plot consists of Zeke (Grazer) stumbling into a job with the eccentric, inexplicable, and significantly older George (Camp) whilst his mother Susan (Bledel) works shifts at their local Ponderosa Steakhouse. An association with the restaurant brought back a rush of nostalgia. My family and I shared many delicious meals at our local branch; even just seeing the salad bar again brought a smile to my face. The same cannot be said for the borderline nonsensical narrative. Ponderosa meanders every which way, refusing to settle on a clear focal point. That leaves us with strong visuals, committed performances, and a whole lot of head-scratching. Rob Rice still shows major directorial promise. He certainly does not suffer from a lack of ideas. This might be a movie that takes several viewings just to begin comprehending its metaphorical and literal strangeness.
RAIN REIGN
RECLUSE
THE REVISIONIST
THAT FRIEND
TIME WARP
As the third Rocky Horror-themed documentary in the last two years, Time Warp already had an uphill battle to climb. While those previous two movies took a specific look behind the making of a phenomenon, Time Warp actually opts to explore one specific instance of its influence in the conservative small town of Rock Springs, Wyoming. There’s a sweet quality here, as we witness the literal rise of a drag theatre that embraces queer joy in a place that begs for its existence. The passion behind the production at its center is undeniably moving, and the Rocky Horror clip show interspersed throughout keeps the film entertaining and light. While the documentary only scratches the surface of the deeper political tensions it raises, the film remains watchable thanks to the sincerity of its participants and the enduring cultural power of The Rocky Horror Picture Show.
TURN IT UP!
A cosmic horror flick about an up-and-coming band that taps into a head-exploding frequency? Say what? That’s exactly the central hook of Tribeca selection Turn It Up! The feature directorial debut of writer/director Sam Scott, this genre-twisting head-scratcher is all style. It manages to tap into a crazy energy though that shows directorial promise in the future. This includes but is not limited to: split-screen concert montages, stylized overlays, animated inserts, reality-warping edits, and black-eyed trance sequences when the band taps into the demonic energy… or something like that. Little is explained about the lore, and character-wise, the band members are pretty threadbare. When the movie spirals off its chaos, it gets messy. Perhaps the messiness was simply not my cup of tea, and if a sequel ever happens, I’d probably skip the track.
Television
EVERY YEAR AFTER
KEVIN’S SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS
This indie UK import does a lot in its short 30-minute runtime, particularly for its gay dysfunctional lead character, Kevin (Jake Watkins). In Kevin’s Series of Unfortunate Events, the title says it all. We follow Kevin on a string of unfortunate situations, where each time it seems like it could get better, it gets worse instead. This twink has the most trouble connecting with other men, having little luck on dating apps where he goes by the username salamander99. His job? Going in front of students to perform a rap as the Online Safety Salamander. Even though the setup for this series is far from perfect–and some of the acting in particular is a little spotty–it builds up enough goodwill to have me invested in future installments of the already-filmed Patterns series. Director/Producer Rex Glensy makes a splash as a queer voice longing to be heard, or at the very least, tied up, gagged, and left “ass-up” on a bed.
Shorts
I’M NOT HOME
Eli Brown and Julian De Niro star as two estranged best friends in compelling thirteen-minute short, I’m Not Home. This caught my attention due to the presence of Brown, whom I loved in HBO Max’s Gossip Girl reboot. Here, he plays Tilo, sweaty and on edge when Rune (De Niro) shows up unexpectedly. The duo have not spoken in five months, and writer/director Elena Parasco heavily implies the reason without explicitly stating it. This reconnection ripples with tension. Drips of water flow down Tilo’s face and curls in intimate close-up, and the duo’s past ties them back together inextricably as they listen to a box of old cassette tapes. I’m Not Home ends without a strong sense of closure, but leaves a mark despite its shorter runtime.
WHALE 52 – SUITE FOR MAN, BOY, AND WHALE
American animator Bill Plympton is one of the boldest creative forces behind modern 2D animation, with his quirky 2004 horror/comedy Hair High being one of my personal favorites. His newest short, Whale 52, feels particularly special amongst his impressive filmography. An elderly volunteer finds a way to connect with a selectively mute third grader through the power of the pen. The child responds strongly to the loneliest whale on the planet, one which makes specific sounds that no other whale can hear. As usual, the short is baked with Plympton’s signature sketchy style. The way he incorporates a quill pen in bringing to life Whale 52’s most vibrant visuals is breathtaking to behold. The emotional depth behind it all makes Whale 52 noteworthy and exceptional.
Josh’s 10 Favorite Films
For more information about 2026’s Tribeca International Film Festival, head over to the official website.