Sundance Film Festivalis upon us again, shining a light on the best of the best in independent cinema.
For more than 40 years, Sundance (which runs through Feb. 1) has beenthe launching pad for iconic filmmakers(Quentin Tarantino,Paul Thomas Anderson, David O. Russell andWes Anderson, among others) as well as a ton of great indie movies. Out of Utah have come Oscar-ready films like"CODA"– the only Sundance movie to win best picture – plus cult oddities such as "Napoleon Dynamite" and a lot of horror fare, from the original "Saw" to the summer hit "Talk to Me."
This year's event features another crop of premieres trying to make their mark, from the Charli XCX mockumentary "The Moment" and satire "The Gallerist" with Natalie Portman and Jenna Ortega to high-profile documentaries about Courtney Love, Billie Jean King and Brittney Griner.
It's a historic Sundance, being the last fest in Park City beforemoving to Coloradoand the first since the death of founderRobert Redford. Even if you can't make it there in person,tickets for online screeningsare available for movie lovers who want to partake from their couch. But if you also want to celebrate the fest's long history, here are its 10 best all-time films to stream for your own greatest-hits Sundance:
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'Sex, Lies and Videotape' (1989)
Before winning the Palme d'Or at Cannes, Steven Soderbergh's directorial debut sizzled at Sundance with James Spader as a guy who videotapes women discussing their sexual fantasies and gets old college pals involved. The film helped kick-start an indie movie revolution that included another Sundance debut, Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs," two years later.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Amazon
'Clerks' (1994)
That year's festival slate included heavyweights like "Hoop Dreams" and "Four Weddings and a Funeral," though Kevin Smith's first low-budget comedy stands out as a black-and-white story of two convenience store clerks (Brian O'Halloran and Jeff Anderson) that's timeless in its relatability for working stiffs everywhere.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Amazon,Paramount+
'The Blair Witch Project' (1999)
Remember that whole found-footage phenomenon in the 2000s? Blame it all on the original. The creep-fest about filmmakers venturing into a Maryland forest to document a local legend freaked out a generation of horror fans with its shaky-cam antics and constant sense of dread.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home
'American Psycho' (2000)
Sorry, Batman, Christian Bale's best role is Huey Lewis-loving yuppie serial killer Patrick Bateman in director Mary Harron's darkly comic, blood-drenched thriller. Not only is the cast outstanding (with Willem Dafoe, Justin Theroux, Jared Leto and Reese Witherspoon) but the 1980s satire is as sharp as Bateman's ax.
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Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Amazon Prime
'Brick' (2005)
Best known in the mainstream for "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" and the "Knives Out" films, writer/director Rian Johnson first made a splash in the indie scene with his masterful teen-movie spin on film noir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt is the hardboiled high-school detective navigating cliques and kid crime rings to find out who murdered his ex.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Amazon
'Little Miss Sunshine' (2006)
Hilarious and heartfelt misadventure is afoot when a dysfunctional family piles into VW bus for a cross-country trip to get their youngest member (Abigail Breslin) into a beauty pageant. Greg Kinnear and Toni Collette plays the bickering mom and dad, Steve Carell is the suicidal gay uncle, and Alan Arkin steals the movie as the coolest grandpa ever.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Hulu
'Fruitvale Station' (2013)
Before their sensational collaborations "Creed" and "Black Panther," debuting director Ryan Coogler teamed with Michael B. Jordan for this biopic showing the final day of Oscar Grant (Jordan), a young Oakland man killed by police officers in 2009. It's a powerful and affecting work that's only grown more relevant over the years.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Starz
'Whiplash' (2014)
Music is turned into a beautifully brutal art form in director Damien Chazelle's pre-"La La Land" drama. Miles Teller is a freshman drummer at a major conservatory who wants to be the next Buddy Rich, and J.K. Simmons won an Oscar playing the kid's abusive, perfectionist jazz band director from hell.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Amazon,Netflix
Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Greenland 2: Migration" (Jan. 9 in theaters): Ten years after a comet destroyed most of Earth, the Garrity family (Morena Baccarin, Roman Griffin Davis and Gerard Butler) leave the safety of their bunker to find a new home." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"People We Meet on Vacation" (Jan. 9 on Netflix): Poppy (Emily Bader) and Alex (Tom Blyth) are college friends who go on holiday every summer in the romantic comedy based on the Emily Henry novel." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Internship" (Jan. 13 video on demand): Ollie Roddy (far left), Alix Villaret and Lizzy Greene star as young assassins trained in a secret CIA program in the action thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Night Patrol" (Jan. 16 in theaters): Dermot Mulroney stars as the leader of a LAPD task force that's also a group of vampires in the action horror movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Rip" (Jan. 16 on Netflix): Ben Affleck (left) and Matt Damon play Miami cops figuring out what to do with a load of cartel money in the twisty action thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Mercy" (Jan. 23 in theaters): Chris Pratt stars as a detective on trial for murdering his wife who has 90 minutes to convince an AI judge of his innocence." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Mother of Flies" (Jan. 23 on Shudder): Toby Poser co-writes, co-directs and stars in the horror film as a dark witch sought out by a young woman who gets a deadly diagnosis." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Untitled Home Invasion Romance" (Jan. 27 video on demand): Jason Biggs (right, with Justin H. Min) directs and stars in the comedy as a husband who fakes a break-in to save his marriage." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Moment" (Jan. 30 in theaters): British pop star Charli XCX plays a fictionalized version of herself preparing for a headline tour in the mockumentary." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Send Help" (Jan. 30 in theaters): Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her sexist boss Bradley (Dylan O'Brien) get stuck on a deserted island after their plane crashes in the dark comedy/survival thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Strangers – Chapter 3" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Masked serial killers Scarecrow and Pin-Up Girl return to menace their prey one last time in the horror trilogy closer." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Whistle" (Feb. 6 in theaters): Nick Frost stars in the horror movie as the teacher whose students find an ancient Aztec death whistle that, when blown, will summon their future deaths to hunt them down." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Honey Bunch" (Feb. 13 on Shudder): Jason Isaacs stars as a father whose daughter is a patient at a facility for experimental memory treatments in the horror movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Wuthering Heights" (Feb. 13 in theaters): The romance between Cathy (Margot Robbie) and Heathcliff (Jacob Elordi) gets dark and complicated in the adaptation of the Emily Brontë novel." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"I Can Only Imagine 2" (Feb. 20 in theaters): Trace Adkins (far left) stars as manager of the Christian rock band MercyMe (Mark Furze, Ezra Proch, Jason Burkey, Aaron Benward and John Michael Finley) in the biopic sequel." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Psycho Killer" (Feb. 20 in theaters): James Preston Rogers plays the Satanic Slasher, a serial murderer pursued by a police officer after the brutal death of her husband in the horror movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"In the Blink of an Eye" (Feb. 27 on Hulu): Kate McKinnon (left) and Yeji Kim star in a sci-fi drama featuring three stories that explore themes of humanity and connection across thousands of years." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Scream 7" (Feb. 27 in theaters): Guess who's back? Masked maniac Ghostface haunts an old foe in the latest installment in the long-running slasher franchise." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Bride!" (March 6 in theaters): Frank (Christian Bale) and his reanimated bride (Jessie Buckley) are the Bonnie and Clyde of Maggie Gyllenhaal's outlaw monster movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Hoppers" (March 6 in theaters): Thanks to some newfangled technology, Mabel (voiced by Piper Curda, center) gains new perspective on the animal world in the Pixar animated comedy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man" (March 6 in theaters, March 20 on Netflix): Cillian Murphy reprises his role as soldier-turned-criminal Tommy Shelby in a continuation of the British period drama series." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Reminders of Him" (March 13 in theaters): Fresh out of prison, Kenna (Maika Monroe) comes home to rebuild her life and connects with local bar owner Ledger (Tyriq Withers) in the Colleen Hoover adaptation." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Project Hail Mary" (March 20 in theaters): Ryan Gosling stars as a junior high science teacher who goes to space to save humanity and befriends an alien in the sci-fi adventure." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" (March 27 in theaters): Grace (Samara Weaving, left) and her estranged sister Faith (Kathryn Newton) have to survive being hunted in the horror-comedy sequel." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Drama" (April 3 in theaters): Robert Pattinson and Zendaya star as an engaged couple whose wedding week goes seriously awry after some information is revealed in the romantic dramedy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Super Mario Galaxy Movie" (April 3 in theaters): Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day, right) throws down with new villain Bowser Jr. (Benny Safdie) in the animated adventure sequel." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Apex" (April 24 on Netflix): In the survival thriller, Charlize Theron plays a grieving woman seeking solace in the Australian wilderness who's hunted by a ruthless serial killer." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Mother Mary" (April in theaters): A pop star (Anne Hathaway, right) reunites with her estranged best friend and ex-costume designer (Michaela Coel) in the psychosexual thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"The Mandalorian and Grogu" (May 22 in theaters): The Mandalorian (Pedro Pascal) and his little buddy Grogu star in a "Star Wars" movie continuation of their Disney+ show." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Disclosure Day" (June 12 in theaters): Colin Firth has an alien encounter in Steven Spielberg's mysterious sci-fi movie, also starring Emily Blunt, Josh O'Connor and Colman Domingo." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Toy Story 5" (June 19 in theaters): Old-school toys Buzz (voiced by Tim Allen, second from right) and Woody (Tom Hanks) face new technology in the Pixar animated comedy." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Supergirl" (June 26 in theaters): After debuting in "Superman," Milly Alcock reprises her role as the Man of Steel's party-girl cousin in the DC superhero movie." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
"Motor City" (2026 in theaters): Ben McKenzie (far left) and Pablo Schreiber star as Detroit cops on different sides of the law in the 1970s-set action thriller." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> From 'Scream 7' to 'Super Mario 2,' get a sneak peek at 2026 movies
Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, left) and Woody (Tom Hanks) are back on the big screen in Pixar's fifth "Toy Story." Check out our exclusive peeks at the animated adventure and all the other new films you need to see in theaters and on streaming services in 2026.
'Get Out' (2017)
While scary movies have long had a socially conscious side, Jordan Peele brought it back to the fore in a big way with his first directorial outing, one of the best horror movies in recent memory. Daniel Kaluuya stars as a Black photographer visiting his white girlfriend's parents and is terrified to discover the truly insidious reason for his invitation.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Fandango at Home,Amazon,HBO Max
'CODA' (2021)
The tear-jerking dramedy featured a breakthrough role for Emilia Jones, an Oscar-winning, scene-stealing turn by Troy Kotsur and a thoughtful narrative that took audiences into the personal lives of a deaf family with a single hearing member.
Where to watch:Apple TV,Amazon,Fandango at Home
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Best of Sundance Film Festival – The 10 greatest movies
