The Weight

Presented out of competition at the 76th Berlinale, *The Weight* established itself as one of the most dazzling revelations of 2026, despite being Padraic McKinley's directorial debut. Set in 1933 Oregon during the Great Depression, the thriller follows Samuel Murphy, played by an Ethan Hawke in top form, a widower who accepts a dangerous gold smuggling mission to regain his freedom and reunite with his daughter, under the threat of prison warden Clancy, a subtly unsettling Russell Crowe. The film, which blends western influences with the pace of a classic heist movie, has been acclaimed for its relentless tension, lean and atmospheric direction, and a cast of effective character actors, garnering widespread critical acclaim and positioning itself among the most highly praised titles of the year.