The SXSW 2021 Movie Scorecard

Critics Consensus: Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché pays worthy tribute to its trailblazing subject with a documentary that honors her life as engagingly as it chronicles her career.

Synopsis: Poly Styrene was the first woman of color in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ruth Negga, Thurston Moore, Kathleen Hanna, Vivienne Westwood

Directed By: Celeste Bell, Paul Sng

Critics Consensus: Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror takes a fascinating deep dive that'll leave like-minded viewers making numerous new additions to their streaming queues.

Synopsis: WOODLANDS DARK AND DAYS BEWITCHED is the first feature-length documentary on the history of folk horror, exploring the phenomenon from its beginnings in a trilogy... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Piers Haggard, Lawrence Gordon Clark, Jeremy Dyson, Alice Lowe

Directed By: Kier-La Janisse

Critics Consensus: Introducing, Selma Blair lives up to its title with a personal look at a celebrity pulling back the curtain with courage, humor, and grace.

Synopsis: One woman's journey of personal acceptance and resilience after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

Starring: Selma Blair

Directed By: Rachel Fleit

Critics Consensus: Udo Kier's layered performance lends Swan Song a nuance and poignancy that offset its potentially outlandish story.

Synopsis: Legendary actor Udo Kier stars as retired hairdresser Pat Pitsenbarger, who escapes the confines of his small-town Sandusky, Ohio nursing home after learning of his... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Udo Kier, Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, Michael Urie

Directed By: Todd Stephens

Critics Consensus: Dear Mr. Brody uses its stranger-than-fiction true story to take a touching look at how an act of kindness can reverberate for years.

Synopsis: When 21-year-old hippie-millionaire Michael Brody Jr. decided to give away his $25-million fortune to anyone in need, he ignited a psychedelic spiral of events. Instant... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Michael Brody Jr., Renee Brody, Melissa Robyn Glassman, Edward R. Pressman

Directed By: Keith Maitland

Critics Consensus: Led by Kristine Kujath Thorp's charming performance, Ninjababy offers a refreshingly -- and rudely -- honest take on unplanned pregnancy.

Synopsis: When Rakel (23), way too late, finds out she's six months pregnant after a not-so-romantic one-night stand, her world changes. Her boyfriend, who's not the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kristine Kujath Thorp, Arthur Berning, Nader Khademi, Tora Dietrichson

Directed By: Yngvild Sve Flikke

Critics Consensus: More than a making-of documentary, Charli XCX: Alone Together ties the story of a new album's creation to the bond between the artist and her fans.

Synopsis: Seeking solace in music during the COVID-19 pandemic, global pop star Charli XCX asks her fans to help her make an album while quarantined at... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Charli XCX, Huck Kwong, Sam Pringle, Twiggy Rowley

Directed By: Bradley Bell, Pablo Jones-Soler

Critics Consensus: Not Going Quietly uses its subject's remarkable story to offer an uplifting tribute to the way an individual voice can lead to activism and collective change.

Synopsis: A rising star in progressive politics and a new father, 32-year-old Ady Barkan's life is upended when he is diagnosed with ALS. But after a... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ady Barkan, Rachel King, Liz Jaff, Nate Smith

Directed By: Nicholas Bruckman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: This unscripted feature follows five years in the life of Claude Motley as he tries to recover mentally and physically from being shot in the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Claude Motley

Directed By: Brad Lichtenstein

Critics Consensus: Language Lessons extols the value of friendship with a simple story rendered all the more effective by its pure spirit and the chemistry between its leads.

Synopsis: When Adam's (Mark Duplass) husband surprises him with weekly Spanish lessons, he's unsure about where or how this new element will fit into his already... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mark Duplass, Natalie Morales, Desean Terry, Christine Quesada

Directed By: Natalie Morales

Critics Consensus: A character-driven treat for fans of conversation-based drama, the well-acted See You Then offers a refreshing perspective on relationship stories and gender roles.

Synopsis: A decade after abruptly breaking up with Naomi, Kris invites her to dinner to catch up on their complicated lives, relationships, and Kris' transition. Over... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Pooya Mohseni, Lynn Chen, Danny Jacobs, Nican Robinson

Directed By: Mari Walker

Critics Consensus: Uneven yet powerfully affecting, I'm Fine (Thanks for Asking) looks at life below the poverty line with clear-eyed compassion.

Synopsis: When a recently widowed mother becomes houseless, she convinces her 8-year-old daughter that they are only camping for fun while working to get them off... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kelley Kali, Wesley Moss, Dominique Molina, Lucas Byrd

Directed By: Kelley Kali, Angelique Molina

Critics Consensus: A delight for fans of Ridley Scott's 1979 classic, Alien on Stage celebrates the power that art possesses to bring people together to honor their dreams.

Synopsis: British bus drivers spend one year creating a stage production of Ridley Scott's classic 1979 science fiction film "Alien."

Directed By: Danielle Kummer, Lucy Harvey

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Scientists prepare to launch NASA's Webb Space Telescope, a massive machine that can peer more than 13 billion light-years into deep space.

Starring: Sara Seager, Jill Tarter

Directed By: Nathaniel Kahn

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Kid Candidate tells the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year-old experimental musician and his unlikely run for city council in Amarillo, Texas after his Harmony... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Hayden Pedigo

Directed By: Jasmine Stodel

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Examining the life and career of indie filmmaking icon Kevin Smith. Featuring interviews with friends, family, filmmaking peers, and icons of the film, comedy and... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Kevin Smith, Scott Mosier, Jason Mewes, Stan Lee

Directed By: Malcolm Ingram

Critics Consensus: Resting its slowly twisting tale on a magnetic Andrea Riseborough performance, Here Before is a solidly unsettling effort from debuting writer-director Stacey Gregg.

Synopsis: When a new family moves in next door, their young daughter, Megan, quickly captivates Laura, stirring up painful memories of her own daughter who died... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Andrea Riseborough, Jonjo O'Neill, Niamh Dornan, Eileen O'Higgins

Directed By: Stacey Gregg

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: A coming-of-middle-age film about a timid Filipino immigrant struggling with the care of an elderly parent while managing his first experience of puppy love.

Starring: Vangie Alcasid, Rogelio Balagtas, Esteban Comilang, Sheila Lotuaco

Directed By: Martin Edralin

Critics Consensus: Empathetic and well-acted, The Fallout uses the aftermath of teen trauma to grapple with the experience of grief.

Synopsis: Bolstered by new friendships forged under sudden and tragic circumstances, high schooler Vada (Jenna Ortega) begins to reinvent herself, while re-evaluating her relationships with her... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jenna Ortega, Maddie Ziegler, Niles Fitch, Will Ropp

Directed By: Megan Park

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Set in a dystopian near future in Rio de Janeiro, a lawyer (Alfred Enoch) sues the Brazilian government for reparation of all descendants of African... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Alfred Enoch, Taís Araújo, Seu Jorge, Adriana Esteves

Directed By: Lázaro Ramos

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The film is an intimate portrait of three courageous female wrestlers (Luchadoras) from Ciudad Juarez. Despite being surrounded by machismo they redefine the image of... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mini Sirenita, Miss Kath

Directed By: Patrick Jasim, Paola Calvo

Critics Consensus: With a hard fantasy story that stands in service of its eye-catching animation, The Spine of Night is a distinctive treat for genre enthusiasts.

Synopsis: In THE SPINE OF NIGHT, an ultra-violent fantasy epic, ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind. A group... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Richard E. Grant, Lucy Lawless, Patton Oswalt, Betty Gabriel

Directed By: Philip Gelatt, Morgan Galen King

Critics Consensus: Traditional horror may not be on the menu, but for fans of the gruesomely disquieting, The Feast more than lives up to its name.

Synopsis: An affluent family gathers at their lavish home in the Welsh mountains for a dinner party, hosting a local businessman and neighboring farmer to broker... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Annes Elwy, Nia Roberts, Julian Lewis Jones, Lisa Palfrey

Directed By: Lee Haven Jones

Critics Consensus: A layered look at fame in the digital era, Lily Topples the World benefits immensely from a subject with an uplifting story and immense charm.

Synopsis: LILY TOPPLES THE WORLD follows 20-year-old sensation Lily Hevesh -- the world's most acclaimed domino toppler and the only girl in her field -- as... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lily Hevesh

Directed By: Jeremy Workman

Critics Consensus: It's hard to ignore the parts that are left unexamined, but WeWork: Or the Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn does well enough by its real-life stranger-than-fiction story.

Synopsis: WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn is a feature documentary that explores the rise and fall of one of the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ashton Kutcher

Directed By: Jed Rothstein

Critics Consensus: Tom Petty: Somewhere You Feel Free is a lovingly crafted and soulfully rich tribute that poignantly captures the rock legend at his creative peak.

Synopsis: Never-before-seen footage and interviews provide insight into the creative spirit of rocker Tom Petty as he works on his seminal album "Wildflowers."

Starring: Tom Petty

Directed By: Mary Wharton

Critics Consensus: If its narrative ambitions aren't always equaled by its chilling visuals, Gaia remains an effective slice of ecological horror.

Synopsis: An injured forest ranger on a routine mission is saved by two off-the-grid survivalists. What is initially a welcome rescue grows more suspicious as the... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Monique Rockman, Carel Nel, Anthony Oseyemi, Alex van Dyk

Directed By: Jaco Bouwer

Critics Consensus: Led by strong performances from Jocelin Donahue and Melora Walters, Offseason is a solid supernatural horror story that casts a sneaky spell.

Synopsis: Upon receiving a mysterious letter that her mother's grave site has been vandalized, Marie quickly returns to the isolated offshore island where her late mother... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Jocelin Donahue, Joe Swanberg, Richard Brake, Melora Walters

Directed By: Mickey Keating

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: 1960s Chicago, a baby is kidnapped from a hospital. Fifteen months later, a toddler is abandoned. Could he be the same baby? In a tale... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Ursula Macfarlane

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: The Oxy Kingpins covers the untold story of how a network of pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and retailers worked together to orchestrate and perpetuate the opioid... View Full Synopsis

Directed By: Nick August-Perna, Brendan Fitzgerald

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Desperate to send money to her family back in Haiti, hardworking and exhausted nurse Ludi Alcidor spends a chaotic day battling coworkers, clients and an... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Shein Mompremier, Alan Myles Heyman, Madelin Marchant, Success St. Fleur Jr.

Directed By: Edson Jean

Critics Consensus: Jakob's Wife gives genre legend Barbara Crampton an opportunity to carry an old-school horror story -- and she bloody well delivers.

Synopsis: Anne is married to a small-town minister and feels like her life and marriage have been shrinking over the past 30 years. After a chance... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Barbara Crampton, Larry Fessenden, Bonnie Aarons, Nyisha Bell

Directed By: Travis Stevens

Critics Consensus: The consistency isn't always smooth, but Sound of Violence's blend of character study and horror marks writer-director Alex Noyer as an ambitious, visually distinctive filmmaker.

Starring: Jasmin Savoy Brown, Lili Simmons, James Jagger, Tessa Munro

Directed By: Alex Noyer

Critics Consensus: Witch Hunt's smart social commentary is undercut by its lack of original storytelling ideas, but this supernatural horror outing has just enough bite to recommend for teens.

Synopsis: In a modern America where magic is real and witches are persecuted by US authorities, teenager Claire and her family are part of an intricate... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Gideon Adlon, Abigail Cowen, Christian Camargo, Elizabeth Mitchell

Directed By: Elle Callahan

Critics Consensus: While it might have benefited from a subtler approach to its message, Women Is Losers is elevated by outstanding work from lead Lorenza Izzo.

Synopsis: In 1960's San Francisco, bright and talented catholic school girl Celina Guerrera (ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD's Lorenza Izzo) survives a difficult home life... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lorenza Izzo, Bryan Craig, Simu Liu, Chrissie Fit

Directed By: Lissette Feliciano

Critics Consensus: Although it's undermined by uneven execution and a subpar script, Potato Dreams of America puts a singular spin on the crowded coming-of-age genre.

Synopsis: Wes Hurley's autobiographical dark comedy about a gay boy growing up in the collapsing USSR, his courageous mail-order bride mother and their adventurous escape to... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Lea DeLaria, Dan Lauria, Jonathan Bennett, Marya Sea Kaminski

Directed By: Wes Hurley

Critics Consensus: The End of Us approaches the breakup dramedy from an intriguingly timely angle, but its overall lack of new ideas undermines strong work from its charming stars.

Synopsis: A witty and timely comedy full of heart and humor. Cohabitating couple Nick and Leah are on the verge of splitting up when the worldwide... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Ben Coleman, Ali Vingiano, Derrick Joseph DeBlasis, Gadiel Del Orbe

Directed By: Steven Kanter, Henry Loevner

Critics Consensus: The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson occasionally struggles to cohere, but writer-director-star Leah Purcell offers a unique, compelling perspective on historic myths.

Synopsis: In 1893 on an isolated property, a heavily pregnant woman named Molly Johnson (Leah Purcell) and her children struggle to survive the harsh Australian landscape;... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Leah Purcell, Rob Collins, Sam Reid, Jessica De Gouw

Directed By: Leah Purcell

Critics Consensus: Broadcast Signal Intrusion struggles to satisfactorily resolve its setup, but for much of its runtime, it offers an intriguing, well-acted diversion for horror fans.

Synopsis: While logging tapes of decades-old TV broadcasts, video archivist James (Harry Shum Jr.) discovers a surreal and disturbing clip that James believes is the product... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Harry Shum Jr., Anthony E. Cabral, Richard Cotovsky, Jeff Dlugolecki

Directed By: Jacob Gentry

Critics Consensus: Uneven yet admirably ambitious, Violet takes a thoughtful look at the occasionally profound difference between a person's private thoughts and public face.

Synopsis: What would you do if you weren't afraid? After realizing she's spent years allowing fear to drive every decision she makes, Violet (Olivia Munn) must... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Olivia Munn, Luke Bracey, Justin Theroux, Dennis Boutsikaris

Directed By: Justine Bateman

Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.

Synopsis: Two sisters (Baize Buzan and Allison Torem) go in search of a long-forgotten uncle.

Starring: Baize Buzan, Allison Torem, Tim Hopper, Guy Massey

Directed By: Bradley Grant Smith

Critics Consensus: A silly bloody good time, Paul Dood's Deadly Lunch Break is an all-you-can-eat buffet not easily digestible for every stomach.

Synopsis: Paul, a weedy charity-shop worker, has his heart set on winning a national talent competition. With a sparkly suit, killer routine, and his dear old... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Tom Meeten, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Kevin Bishop

Directed By: Nick Gillespie