Tribeca 2026: Kicking Off

Kicking off its 25th edition tonight, Tribeca Festival, held in the city so nice they named it twice, features more than 100 films, most of them world premieres.

Several of our contributing writers will be on the ground, and a couple more will be covering the festival remotely, so look for their reviews in the coming days. You could go by the Watch Guides put together by the festival's editors, which provide a robust combination of themed selections.

From my perspective as managing editor of a site that focuses primarily on genre films, here in the gallery are nine films that stood out to me, though half the fun of a festival like Tribeca is the surprises that rise up and smack you in the face.

Have fun storming the cinema castle!

Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial VS That's the Weight of the World: As a director, Questlove brings a musician's ears to his documentaries, which means they always sound good. Yet he also chooses subjects with some depth, so there is always more to explore.

Act One: Director Sophia Takal has shown a wonderful ability to elicit relaxed performances, which should enhance a psychological thriller about a teen actress who is drawn to her drama teacher.

In Memoriam: I'm cheating already, since this is described as a comedy/drama with no guns or mysteries or action, but I love Marc Maron, so the prospect of him playing a television actor facing the end of his career (and his life) sounds irresistible.

The Leader: I love Tim Blake Nelson and Vera Farmiga. In the film, they play real-life people who told others "they were extraterrestrial beings sent to Earth to guide humanity to the next level of existence." Yes, it's the chilling true story of the Heaven's Gate cult.

Hanging By a Wire: Per the synopsis: "When a cable car fails over a remote valley in the Himalayas, eight passengers are left suspended in crisis." I am already holding my breath in anticipation.

All eight films in the 'Escape From Tribeca' section sound mighty intriguing, and I hope we can cover all of them. Here are three that jumped out at me, starting with ...

: From Spain, which has been one of the leaders in midnight horrors, comes the latest from director Hugo Ruiz (One Night With Adela), about a young paramedic who responds to an emergency call, only to find herself caught in a battle between two drug lords. Expect to hold your breath for 94 minutes.

Hallowarrior: If you're obsessed with Halloween -- the night, not John Carpenter's classic -- have we got a thriller for you! Pumpkin (Milly Shapiro) survives the end of the world, though it's not quite as apocalyptic as she thought.

: It's from Canada, which is reason enough for us to throw our support behind Sam Scott's feature directorial debut. But it's also about an indie rock band. (Yes, yes, tell me more.) Then they try a catchy new riff … yes, yes … which opens a portal to another dimension. Sold!

Finally, one special film from the Viewpoints section.

Crooks: The indefatigable Mickey Keating turns his creative hand to a "pulpy, streetwise crime thriller." Angela Trimbur, now a nightclub singer, but formerly a "stick-up" artist, and we've already said enough.

Tribeca 2026: Kicking Off

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