The 6 best movies we saw at the 2026 Telluride Film Festival

TELLURIDE, Colo. — Complete with a secret screening that had everyone guessing for days, a seismic revelation (which became a bona fide viral moment) and an unusually strong lineup of world premieres and smart replays, the 53rd Telluride Film Festival turned out to be one of the strongest in years. Leaving aside the many great movies that debuted at Cannes (“Club Kid,” “Minotaur,” “Fjord”) and Sundance (“Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York”), we selected our favorites from an eventful Labor Day weekend — laborious but fun.