The 14 SXSW 2024 Films You're Going To Want To See

South by Southwest has always been in the business of launching the movies we’re going to talk about for the rest of the year. (For example: In 2023, it premiered Emma Seligman’s sophomore feature Bottoms, and we all experienced what a hit that became.) This year, things are no different — the film festival is stacked with bangers starring NYLON favorites like Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, and more. From thrillers like Birdeater that are sure to spike your heart rate to rom-coms with real sexual chemistry like The Idea of You, see NYLON’s favorite SXSW picks, below.

A House Is Not A Disco

You’ve seen Joel Kim Booster’s Jane Austen-inspired queer love story Fire Island. Now, A House Is Not a Disco brings a documentarian’s lens to the storied gay community of Fire Island Pines, tracing its long legacy and recent renaissance, as a new generation lays down roots in the beloved beach town. — Sophia June, culture writer

Birdeater

Combining two of the scariest things on Earth — the wedding industrial complex and the Australian outback — Birdeater promises a nightmarish viewing experience following a bride-to-be joining her fiancé’s boozy and chaotic bachelor party. — Layla Halabian, culture editor

Beach Log Kills

Bringing to mind the brash queerness of Seligman’s Bottoms, Beach Log Kills is a frightening coming-of-age story set on a high school football field. The short film follows an awkward nerd in detention and a star quarterback who promises to pass her lucky number down to the most deserving girl on the team — until things go awry. — SJ

Black Twitter: A People's History

From #UKnowUrBlackWhen to #BlackLivesMatter, Black Twitter has long been an essential influence on American politics and culture. This three-part docuseries expands upon Jason Parham’s 2021 Wired article “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” charting Black Twitter’s greatest moments, voices, and memes. — SJ

Caller Number Nine!

The latest short from comedian and writer Sandy Honig promises to be just as absurd as 2023’s Pennies From Heaven. The premise: A telemarketer with rage issues accidentally calls into a radio show with an equally deranged host. — LH

Cuckoo

Since the conclusion of Euphoria’s Season 2, we’ve missed Hunter Schafer on screen. Finally, she returns to play another high schooler — this time in a German psychological thriller film about a family vacationing in the Alps. Plagued by strange visions of a woman pursuing her, the 17-year-old gets pulled into a conspiracy involving bizarre experiments by the resort’s creepy owner. — SJ

I Don’t Understand You

In this horror comedy, Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells play a gay American couple vacationing in Italy in an effort to reconnect before the arrival of their adopted baby. But like Murphy’s Law, whatever can go wrong does. Soon, the trip is interrupted by a string of hilarious inconveniences, like being stranded in a rural area, where the two are left alone to deal with the increasing turmoil of their relationship.

I Love You Forever

Writer-director duo Cazzie David and Elisa Kalani highlight the hellscape that is dating in your 20s in I Love You Forever. After a series of bleak situationships, 25-year-old Mackenzie finally has a rom-com worthy meet-cute with Finn, who is not only gainfully employed but also openly affectionate. As soon as her skeptic heart starts believing in true love, Finn’s dark side rears its head — sending Mackenzie headfirst into a cycle of emotional abuse that leaves her questioning everything.

I Wish You All The Best

Written and directed by Tommy Dorfman, the adaptation of Mason Deaver’s novel follows nonbinary Ben DeBacker, who’s seen better days. After getting kicked out, Ben moves in with their estranged older sister and her husband and hopes to survive junior year. With their anxiety at an all-time high, Ben decides to keep a low profile at their new school — until the charismatic and funny Nathan takes them under his wing and proves that a happier life is possible.

The Idea Of You

If you’ve all but given up on the concept of actors having real sexual chemistry in a rom-com, The Idea of You will make you believe in on-screen romance once more. When Solène, a 40-year-old single mom, reluctantly attends Coachella with her teenage daughter after her ex-husband bails, the last thing she’s expecting is to find love — especially with a 24-year-old singer from one of the hottest boy bands on the planet. Hayes Campbell sweeps her off her feet, but their whirlwind romance is quickly skewered by the hateful eyes of the public, leaving Solène to wonder if love in the spotlight is worth the heat. — LH

Immaculate

Never mind the brand Praying or pleated skirts, the moment Sydney Sweeney donned a habit, we hit peak Catholicism. In this new horror film reminiscent of the actor’s early Handmaid’s Tale role, she plays a devout nun sent to a remote convent in Italy — which quickly devolves into a hell when she learns about the sinister secrets her new home harbors.

Smugglers

In the ‘70s, black market dealers helped Koreans acquire American goods like cigarettes and snacks through illicit import rackets that relied on highly skilled women divers. Smugglers takes place during this era, following two women divers in a comedy blending the high-wire antics of action, classic crime, and heist films.

The Uninvited

Rose and Sammy’s small gathering in their Hollywood Hills home is interrupted by a strange woman named Helen who claims she lives there. Helen’s unnerving presence grows stronger as she reveals intimate revelations about not only the house, but its guests — among them, one of Rose’s former flames. — LH

Y2K

It’s New Year’s Eve on the brink of the new millennium, and two high school juniors looking for a good time crash a New Year’s Eve party. Before long, they realize the night is more than they bargained for as they embark on the fight of their lives in this A24 disaster comedy starring Rachel Zegler and directed by Saturday Night Live alum Kyle Mooney. — LH