SXSW 2026: DEAD DEER HIGH & EDIE ARNOLD IS A LOSER

Two of the films I saw at SXSW this year focus on the high school experience and the ways art can transform and heal. Though Edie Arnold is a Loser leans into punk‑rock comedy and Dead Deer High approaches grief through drama and slam poetry, both films share a setting and a deep understanding of adolescence.

This coming‑of‑age, female‑driven comedy had me at hello. Infused with the visual stylings of Scott Pilgrim with a dash of School of Rock, yet entirely its own, Edie Arnold is a Loser is an absolute winner.

Set within an all‑girls Catholic high school, the film introduces best friends Edie (Adi Madden Cabrera) and Frances (McKenna Tuckett). After attending their first punk concert, Edie unexpectedly makes her way to the stage, drumsticks in hand, and realizes her calling. From there, the two recruit two of their friends (Alexa Paige and Niki Rahimi) to form a band called Nundead.

As the band begins to gain recognition, so does Edie, attracting the attention of a couple of potential love interests. New faces inject the film with vibrant energy, while our dynamic duo remains the emotional core, full of expression and sharp humor. With self‑discovery, identity, and the overwhelming pressures of adolescence at its center, the punk‑rock flair becomes the perfect finishing touch.

The film can feel messy at times, with a few story threads competing for space, but that untidiness ultimately serves the heart of the story: finding a home within imperfection. The relationships are tender and sincere, with the power of female friendship beautifully on display. The music is killer, and watching the band grow together is a genuine pleasure. Adi Madden Cabrera is a standout, and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Edie Arnold is a Loser is the kind of film teenagers should be seeing, cementing Megan Rico as a writer‑director with real momentum.

Edie Arnold is a Loser that doesn’t demand much from its audience, but it gives generously in return. Animated sketches and a killer intro add texture and personality throughout. While the film brushes up against familiar tropes, it never collapses under them—lifted instead by its honesty, spunk, and heart. Flourishes of the team’s imagination burst through in ways that feel playful and sincere.

An empowering anthem to the female spirit, Edie Arnold is a Loser is loud, messy, and full of heart; an energetic joy that understands imperfection as a strength, not a flaw.

Check out our interview here.

Dead Deer High has a meditative and restrained power, creating a space that sensitively explores grief.

Shootings in schools are an unfortunate common event in the United States, and the devastation left behind, especially in a place previously seen as safe and communal, can be heartbreaking. After the death of one of his slam poetry students, Mr. K (Zach Kozlow) is struggling to move forward. He teaches outside the window to avoid returning to a space that now brings him terror. Stephanie (Kyla Brown), JT (Holden Goyette), and Kyle (Christian Cruz) are working to get into a slam poetry contest but are having difficulties getting along as they grieve for their friend and team member who was killed.

Run Amok, which was at Sundance, had a similar story of students working through their grief through art – though that was a much more comedic foray. Director Jo Rochelle has created something that is emotionally realistic and doesn’t feel overwhelming in its dramatic parts. A character-driven indie, Dead Deer also takes into account the entirety of the toll as Mr. K tries to bring catharsis to his students. The use of poetry as a mode of healing and self-expression is a strong one, and it becomes an important part of their narrative.

Some of the character exploration could be deepened, specifically with the students. There is also a supporting character, Bill (Aaron Cammack), who pushes Mr. K to have a gun and insists that it would have changed things, which doesn’t quite connect. That being said, it’s a subtle and heartfelt film that’s earnest in its intent and features a stellar performance from Zach Kozlow. 

Dead Deer High is a quiet, compassionate film that understands grief as something lived through, not neatly overcome.