Here’s how I’d rank the movies I saw during Tribeca 2026.

Elisee Junior St. Preux’s feature directorial debut, The Tropic Sun and His Eyes, is a touching and tender portrait of masculinity and the lingering effects of generational trauma. Ruben (Stevenson Jean) returns to Haiti to visit his estranged father. While traveling on foot, he finds himself followed by a street kid (Blangue Machiny). Ruben eventually strikes a deal with the stubborn yet charming boy: if he can help him find a shortcut, he can tag along on the journey. What follows is more than a physical journey; it is a spiritual one. The film is an unlikely companion road movie reminiscent of Peter Bogdanovich’s Paper Moon (1973), while also serving as a moving exploration of Black masculinity evocative of Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight (2016) and Akinola Davies Jr.’s My Father’s Shadow (2025).

Many stories, movies, and even the way we casually talk about our lives condition us to believe that life is defined by its peaks and valleys: graduations, weddings, breakups, career changes, and other milestones that punctuate our personal narratives. Everything else is often treated as connective tissue between the moments that supposedly matter. I often think of a line from Don Hertzfeldt’s 2012 film It’s Such a Beautiful Day, where the main character drops his keys on the counter and thinks about all the times he’s done that before “and how many days of his life were wasted repeating the same tasks and rituals in his apartment over and over again. But then he wondered if, realistically, this was his life, and the unusual part was his time spent doing other things.” The milestone moments we use to measure our lives are rare. Most of our existence occurs in the mundanity, in the quiet repetition of daily habits and routines. Yet when we look back, it is often those seemingly insignificant moments that carry the greatest emotional weight. This understanding—that a life is ultimately shaped less by its defining events than by the accumulation of small memories—sits at the heart of Memorizu.

If ever there was a movie deserving of a companion documentary, it is Cruising, William Friedkin’s 1980 queer crime thriller. The film was steeped in controversy upon its release but is now widely revered as a classic. It was also partially inspired by the murder of Addison Verrill, blurring the line between fiction and real-life tragedy. What’s even more fascinating, however, is that Verrill was a film reporter for Variety who had written about Friedkin’s The Exorcist (1973), and the man who murdered him, Paul Bateson, had appeared in that very film. This astonishing chain of associations only deepens the intrigue surrounding Cruising and its origins.

Amanda Kramer’s eccentric, quirky sensibilities and Magdalena Bay’s dreamy, ethereal music are a match made in creative heaven. Imaginal Disk serves as the visual accompaniment to the pop duo’s 2024 concept album of the same name. Magdalena Bay consists of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, both of whom star in the companion film. Not only did the duo create the music, but they also wrote and edited the project. Kramer’s direction brings their artistic vision to life, resulting in an experimental film that fully captures the band’s spirit. It’s a wacky, chaotic explosion of color and absurdity.

Tony Kaye’s Humpty Dumpty X is unlike any documentary I’ve ever seen before. Whether or not that’s a good thing, however, is up for debate. The film, which has been 23 years in the making, follows the filmmaker’s experiences during the production and aftermath of his 1998 film, American History X. The documentary consists of a variety of Kaye’s own behind-the-scenes footage, phone calls, candid conversations, and bizarrely creative rants.

I’ve always been drawn to films about addiction, which means I’ve seen more movies on the topic than I can count. As a result, an addiction drama has to do something truly out of the ordinary to leave a lasting impression on me. However, that isn’t a fair standard by which to judge a film. What matters most to me when watching a movie about addiction is its authenticity—that it neither glamorizes nor sensationalizes the subject. While it may not do anything particularly groundbreaking, Daniel Blake Schwartz’s Cotton Fever is a solid feature directorial debut. It not only feels astonishingly authentic but is also a raw, gritty portrait of addiction that feels intensely personal for the filmmaker.

Michael LaHale’s documentary Bob and David Climb Machu Picchu delivers on the promise of its straightforward title. The film follows actors and comedians Bob Odenkirk and David Cross as they embark on a quest to climb the iconic site of Machu Picchu. This documentary will especially appeal to fans of Mr. Show with Bob and David, but the duo’s comedic chemistry and enduring friendship prove rewarding even for viewers unfamiliar with their earlier work together.

One of the most iconic lines from the 1990s sitcom Boy Meets World comes in the form of Topanga’s yearbook quote: “You do your thing, and I do my thing. You are you, and I am I. And, if, in the end, we end up together, it's beautiful.” Decades later, that sentiment feels especially fitting for stars Danielle Fishel, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle, whose paths ultimately led them back to one another. It began with their rewatch podcast, Pod Meets World, in 2022. Following its success, the trio took the show on the road with their “The Kids Wanna Jump Tour.” Now, Chris Levitus and Zane Rubin have chronicled the experience in the documentary Doc Meets World, a look at friendship, fandom, and the enduring legacy of a beloved sitcom.

Katie Holmes’ latest endeavor is an ambitious one: writing, directing, and starring in a romance trilogy. Happy Hours sees her reuniting with her Dawson’s Creek co-star Joshua Jackson. The two still share some chemistry after all of these years, yet that’s not enough to salvage a subpar screenplay.

Jamie Adams’ new film Only What We Carry boasts an impressive ensemble cast, including Quentin Tarantino in his first major acting role since From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). In addition to Tarantino’s first substantial role in 30 years, the eclectic ensemble also includes Simon Pegg, Sofia Boutella, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lizzy McAlpine, and Liam Hellmann. Even more remarkably, Adams shot the entire feature in just six days with this six-person cast. The film wears its French New Wave influences on its sleeve, drawing obvious inspiration from Éric Rohmer and Jean-Luc Godard. While Adams enthusiastically embraces the movement’s conversational looseness and improvisational spirit, Only What We Carry likely won’t work for audiences unwilling to surrender to its meandering rhythms.

Fernanda Tovar’s debut feature, Sad Girlz, premiered in the Generation 14plus section of the 76th Berlin International Film Festival, where it won both the Crystal Bear and the Grand Prix of the International Jury for the Best Film in Generation 14Plus. After seeing it, I wouldn’t be surprised if it emerges as one of the standout films of this year’s Tribeca Festival as well. An astonishingly assured debut, Sad Girlz tackles difficult topics with remarkable sensitivity, balancing its heavy themes with a comforting warmth that feels like a hug or a familiar shoulder to cry on.