John Wilson premieres ‘The History of Concrete’ at Sundance

Filmmaker John Wilson premiered his debut feature documentary, ‘The History of Concrete’, at the 2026 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. Known for his HBO series ‘How To with John Wilson’, the director utilizes his signature discursive and free-associative style to explore the ubiquitous building material.

The film follows Wilson’s search for new creative direction after the conclusion of his previous series. While the subject matter centers on concrete—the second-most used material on Earth—the narrative utilizes unexpected tangents, including a 52-day race around a city block in Queens and observations of everyday workers. The project maintains Wilson’s characteristic deadpan voiceover and wry juxtaposition of imagery, moving away from the bite-sized segments of his television work toward a more leisurely cinematic pace.