Bob Odenkirk to Kick Off the 2026 Boston Underground Film Festival with Action Comedy “Normal”

The Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) is coming back this spring with a mix of chaos, creativity, and cult cinema energy that fans have come to love. Organizers just announced that the 26th edition of BUFF will run from March 18 through March 22, 2026, featuring screenings across the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square and an expanded lineup at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline.

And this year’s opening night is bound to have fans buzzing. Actor Bob Odenkirk—best known for his work in Better Call Saul and the action hit Nobody—will attend the premiere of “Normal”, director Ben Wheatley’s (Kill List, A Field in England) latest dive into genre‑bending filmmaking. The high‑octane thriller promises to blend shoot‑’em‑up spectacle with Wheatley’s trademark dark humor. After the screening, Odenkirk will take questions from the audience in a live Q&A.

That screening sets the tone for what promises to be another wild ride at BUFF, an event that has steadily earned a reputation as one of the top genre film festivals in the world. Known for its bold programming and dedicated community of movie lovers, BUFF continues to be a haven for fans of horror, fantasy, sci‑fi, and strange indie gems that might not hit mainstream theaters.

This year’s lineup includes “Obsession,” a hit from TIFF’s Midnight Madness series, as well as “Saccharine,” the latest thriller from Relic director Natalie Erika James, which will help close out the five‑day fest. BUFF’s repertory centerpiece is a 40th‑anniversary screening of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), presented by cult collective Rucking Fotten. Horror legend Bill Moseley—who played Chop Top in the film—will be there in person for a Q&A and meet‑and‑greet.

Behind the scenes, this year also marks a big moment of transition for the BUFF team. Longtime Artistic Director Kevin Monahan and Director of Programming Nicole McControversy, who helped shape the festival’s weird and wonderful identity for nearly twenty years, have stepped down. Taking the reins are Adam Van Voorhis and Phil Healy, formerly BUFF’s technical directors. They’re now co‑festival directors, working alongside Mark Anastasio, the Coolidge Corner Theatre’s Artistic Director, who’s joining BUFF as its new creative lead.

Anastasio said that even in an increasingly digital world, the festival’s sense of community is what keeps it alive. “BUFF is such a wonderful place for genre film fans to gather and share a love for weird cinema together as an audience,” he shared in the festival announcement.

Healy and Van Voorhis echoed that sentiment, promising to keep BUFF’s offbeat spirit thriving and continue giving filmmakers a space to push boundaries. “It is our great honor and joy to ensure that the underground spirit of BUFF will continue to give the darkest visions of filmmakers...a place for their voices to be heard and celebrated,” they said.

In total, BUFF 2026 will feature more than 20 screenings, including two showcases dedicated to local filmmakers. It’s five days of cinematic mayhem that celebrates everything unconventional and unapologetically original.

The full festival lineup will be released in the coming weeks on bostonunderground.org. Festival badges go on sale at noon on February 18 at brattlefilm.org.