1. Ex Machina 2. Hello, My Name is Doris
Screenwriter and novelist Alex Garland makes his directorial debut with this mindbending, stylish sci-fi drama about two men (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” stars Domhnall Gleeson and Oscar Isaac) testing out some artificial intelligence embodied by Alicia Vikander.
“The State” alum Michael Showalter directs this touchingly disturbed comedy about a timid woman (Sally Field) taking a stab at life after the death of her mother who ends up falling in with Brooklyn hipster culture.
“Hello, My Name Is Doris” SXSW Clip | “The Ball” from Red Crown Productions on Vimeo.
3. Deep Web 4. Trainwreck 5. Fresno 6. All Things Must Pass 7. The Final Girls 8. Breaking a Monster 9. Moonwalkers 10. Naz & Maalik Follow Ned Ehrbar on Twitter: @nedrick
Alex Winter goes in-depth with the family of Ross Albrecht, the man arrested for his involvement with the Silk Road website, Bitcoin and the parts of the Internet most of us never see.
Judd Apatow brings the rough cut of his Amy Schumer-starring comedy. Pretty sure it’s a given that it will be hilarious. But given Apatow’s penchant for prolixity, the only real question is how long the screening will run.
An amazing female comedy trio of Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne and Aubrey Plaza star in this indie comedy about sisters working as hotel maids in Fresno, California trying to cover up an on-the-job murder.
Get your nostalgia motors revving, because Colin Hanks’ long-incubating documentary about the birth, life and death — in the U.S., at least — of Tower Records. It’s a labor of love that’s worth savoring.
It wouldn’t be SXSW without some nice, juicy midnight movies. Case in point: A whipsmart ironic genre playground with a stellar female cast (Malin Akerman, Taissa Farmiga, Nina Dobrev and Alia Shawkat) taking on a crazed killer.
A compelling documentary tracking YouTube sensation Unlocking the Truth — three African-American tweens from Brooklyn who just happent to be heavy metal prodigies — on their whirlwind trip through signing a $1.8 million recording contract, playing Coachella and figuring out if they this what they really want to do with their lives.
Who doesn’t love some good bonkers comedy action? This one is a doozy, playing off the conspiracy that Stanley Kubrick faked the 1969 Apollo moon landing. What if in the CIA’s efforts to pull off the con, they never actually found Kubrick himself? The film tfeatures Rupert Grint as a scamming band manager, Ron Perlman as a hard-nosed CIA agent and perfectly rendered 1960s London. So yes, obviously.
One of the true gems to discover at SXSW this year: A funny and timely feature about two gay, closeted Muslim teens in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn getting some unwanted attention from the Feds. A real charmer.
