Coverage of the 2026 Chicago Critics Film Festival

Assorted Flavors
Written By Cinema Sugar

Our reviews from the 2026 Chicago Critics Film Festival! Stay tuned as we add more throughout the festival.

Reviews

See a list of these films on Letterboxd

Featured
Review: ‘Something Wild’ lives up to its name in every possible way
Review: ‘Something Wild’ lives up to its name in every possible way

Jonathan Demme followed up his pioneering Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense with this uniquely idiosyncratic vision of America that feels deeply indebted to David Byrne and company.

Review: ‘Loafers’ revives the Chicago tradition of the no-budget hangout movie
Review: ‘Loafers’ revives the Chicago tradition of the no-budget hangout movie

Filmed for no money in 11 days by a bunch of young twentysomethings, DePaul grad Zach Schnitzer’s debut feature—which he also wrote and stars in—will remind many of the early days of mumblecore, particularly fellow Chicagoan Joe Swanberg.

Review: In the provocative ‘Romería’, an orphan spends the summer uncovering family secrets
Review: In the provocative ‘Romería’, an orphan spends the summer uncovering family secrets

Carla Simón’s Romería checks off many of the hallmarks of Rohmer-style European coming-of-age summer films while wading into murkier waters of memory and identity.

Review: ‘Power Ballad’ is a sincere ode to why music matters
Review: ‘Power Ballad’ is a sincere ode to why music matters

John Carney’s bone-deep sincerity, cheeky humor, and musical populism are on full display in his latest film starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.

Review: ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ paints a bleak picture of humanity and parenthood
Review: ‘A.I. Artificial Intelligence’ paints a bleak picture of humanity and parenthood

Having not seen this Spielberg/Kubrick film since its release, I revisited it for its 25th anniversary screening as part of the 2026 Chicago Critics Film Festival and found it utterly horrifying.

Review: ‘Chili Finger’ is exactly what you’d expect from a movie called ‘Chili Finger’
Review: ‘Chili Finger’ is exactly what you’d expect from a movie called ‘Chili Finger’

With a light touch and some dark moments, Edd Benda and Stephen Helstad’s offbeat comedy thriller Chili Finger sets two empty-nesters off on a rather wacky and very Midwestern adventure.

Review: ‘The Invite’ is a smart comedy with deep, uncomfortable truths
Review: ‘The Invite’ is a smart comedy with deep, uncomfortable truths

Olivia Wilde’s third feature astutely dissects what it’s like to both love and hate parts of your long-term partner.

Review: ‘The Fly’ celebrates 40 years of gross, gooey relationship decay
Review: ‘The Fly’ celebrates 40 years of gross, gooey relationship decay

One of David Cronenberg’s best films and a peak of ‘80s horror, The Fly holds up 40 years later thanks to its gruesome makeup effects, a perfect match-up of Geena and Jeff Goldblum, and a haunting allegory for losing a loved one to aging and disease.

Review: ‘I Want Your Sex’ wants Gen Z to have a messy affair with their boss
Review: ‘I Want Your Sex’ wants Gen Z to have a messy affair with their boss

After taking a hiatus from feature films, ‘90s New Queer Cinema provocateur Gregg Araki is back to pervert audiences with an all-star cast in tow.

Review: ‘Tuner’ plays the crime thriller in a familiar key
Review: ‘Tuner’ plays the crime thriller in a familiar key

The narrative feature debut of documentarian and writer-director Daniel Roher follows a reserved piano tuner with a hearing disorder who turns his talents to safecracking.

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Review: ‘Tuner’ plays the crime thriller in a familiar key
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