12 Best Movies Of 2026 (So Far)

2025 was, by and large, a really good year for movies. Last year, we got outstanding movies like Ryan Coogler's daring vampire musical "Sinners," Paul Thomas Anderson's Americana masterpiece "One Battle After Another," the absolutely bonkers alien movie "Bugonia" from Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos, Zach Cregger's masterful original horror flick "Weapons," and Rian Johnson's third "Knives Out" movie "Wake Up Dead Man," just to name a few. ("One Battle After Another," incidentally, took home the Academy Award for best picture, but it was a pretty tight race between that and "Sinners.") So how's 2026 looking?

Honestly, it's pretty good so far! Again, we can't stress this enough: 2025 was an unusually phenomenal year for movies, but we're keeping score to see what stands out as 2026 keeps trucking along. We'll update this list when we feel that a new movie checks every box, but for now, here are the best movies of 2026 so far (in order of their theatrical release dates).

After "28 Years Later" wowed audiences in 2025, its immediate sequel "28 Years Later: The Bone Temple" shocked those audiences by being even better. With Alex Garland penning the script and "Candyman" director Nia DaCosta at the helm, "The Bone Temple" picks up where we left off with Spike (Alfie Williams), who runs afoul of a bizarre group called "the Jimmys" in this post-apocalyptic, zombie-filled world at the end of the previous film.

Surprising even himself — and shocking the lead Jimmy, "Sir Lord" Jimmy Crystal ("Sinners" star Jack O'Connell playing another phenomenal villain) by holding his own in a fight, Spike gets a blonde wig and joins the Jimmys as they travel across the countryside, all the while planting seeds of doubt about whether or not Sir Jimmy is actually the son of Satan like he claims. (Erin Kellyman's standout Jimmy, whose real name is Kellie, is especially susceptible to this line of thinking and starts seeing the cracks in Sir Jimmy's story pretty quickly.) Add in a plotline where Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) tames an infected man he names Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry) and performs one of the year's best musical numbers to impress the Jimmys, and you've got a great movie — and that's without mentioning the huge surprise cameo at the very end. 

Gross-out horror king Sam Raimi did it again with his 2026 release "Send Help," and even if you're not great with gore, you'll absolutely want to check out this absurd, hysterical, and jaw-dropping movie. When we first meet Rachel McAdams' Linda Liddle at her corporate strategy job — a job where she turns off her co-workers by eating tuna fish sandwiches in an open-air office, by the by — she's devastated when she's passed over for a promotion by Bradley Preston (Dylan O'Brien), her boss who inherited the company from his father. Still, Linda is included on a business trip on a private plane, and right as Bradley and other men from the company are laughing at Linda's audition tape for the CBS reality competition series "Survivor," the plane's engines start to fail ... and Bradley and Linda land on a seemingly remote island as the only survivors.

Linda, unsurprisingly, is perfectly capable of surviving in the wilderness, while Bradley is not — and everything that follows the pair's unexpected marooning is horrifying, weirdly exhilarating, and wholly shocking. McAdams is one of the industry's best and most underappreciated performers, and her turn here as Linda is astounding; as the saying goes, if you support women's rights, you also have to support women's wrongs.

Based on Matt Johnson and Jay McCaroll's web series that also spawned a short-lived TV series, "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie" is, without question, one of 2026's funniest and most unique films. Johnson and McCaroll direct and star as "themselves" (well, fictional versions) who, just like in the web series and show, front a group called Nirvanna the Band who are roughly as successful as the titular duo on "Flight of the Conchords" (which is to say, not successful). After almost two decades of flailing, Matt and Jay are trying to book a gig at Toronto's incredibly famous Rivoli venue, and as they plan increasingly hare-brained schemes to make that happen, they accidentally turn their RV into a time travel device and are sent back to 2008.

"Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie" is uproariously funny, gloriously stupid, and yet another excellent comedic entry into the well-trodden time-travel genre. Even if you're totally unfamiliar with Johnson and McCarrol's work, you'll absolutely love the abject silliness of "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie."

• Cast: Ryan Gosling, Sandra Hüller, James Ortiz, Lionel Boyce
• Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
• Rating: PG-13
• Runtime: 156 minutes
• Where to watch: VOD

One of the biggest box-office successes of 2026 also happens to be one of its very best movies — and yes, we're talking about Ryan Gosling's majestic space movie "Project Hail Mary." Directed by the "21 Jump Street" duo Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, "Project Hail Mary," which marks the second studio adaptation of sci-fi author Andy Weir's work after "The Martian" in 2015, introduces us to Gosling's mild-mannered and quietly brilliant science teacher Dr. Ryland Grace as he wakes up alone on a massive spacecraft. Using a non-linear story, Lord, Miller, and screenwriter Drew Goddard slowly tell us how Ryland got there and what he's trying to do — and put simply, he's trying to save the universe.

After scientists discover that the sun is in danger of being blocked by a strange substance they dub Astrophage, Ryland and a small crew head out to a constellation known as Tau Ceti (that's very far away from Earth) to see why it's completely unaffected by Astrophage. When Ryland wakes up, though, he discovers the bodies of that small crew and, while trying to find his way home, instead encounters a small boulder-like alien he named Rocky, who's part of a race known as the Eridians. (Rocky is not CGI but a puppet operated by and voiced by James Ortiz, whose performance is nothing short of spectacular.) As Ryland and Rocky work together to figure out how to fix the Astrophage issue, they form a truly beautiful friendship, and take it from us — even if you're not a big sci-fi fan, you'll find yourself crying over a little rock alien before you know it. 

Kristoffer Borgli's 2026 follow-up to his indie hit "Dream Scenario" gives audiences one of the biggest and weirdest twists of the entire year ... and it's also, without question, one of the best movies released this year. As Boston couple Emma and Charlie (Zendaya and Robert Pattinson, both outstanding) prepare for their wedding, they enjoy a late-night tasting with their friends Rachel and her husband Mike (Alana Haim and Mamoudou Athie) and start spilling secrets casually over wine. Asked about the worst thing any of them have done, Mike, Rachel, and Charlie all giggle over some pretty nasty wrongdoings — let's not forget that Rachel locked a child in an abandoned structure and didn't tell anyone where he was — but when Emma confesses her secret, everyone, including Charlie, views her differently.

We won't spoil Emma's secret in "The Drama" here (though it's all over the Internet), but trust us when we say that her secret isn't so much a proper "twist" as it is a twisted inciting incident that sets up a number of totally different twists. Despite how dark it gets, "The Drama" is perversely funny, centered by truly astounding performances from modern treasures Zendaya and Pattinson, and might even get you to shout at the screen once or twice as the characters make absolutely deranged decisions. "The Drama" is heavy, but it's also a must-see 2026 movie.

Call it the "Paddington" effect, because this cozy British movie that's ostensibly meant for children took the world by storm when it premiered in 2026. "The Sheep Detectives," directed by by Kyle Balda and written by, of all people, "Chernobyl" and "The Last of Us" showrunner Craig Mazin — and based on Leonie Mann's novel "Three Bags Full" — introduces audiences to George Hardy (Hugh Jackman), a friendly shepherd living near the small English town of Denbrook who corrals a flock of sheep and reads them lurid murder mysteries every single day. When George is found murdered, the sheep, including their defacto leader and murder mystery expert Lily (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), spring into action and decide it's up to them to solve George's murder using all of the tools he gave them during their reading sessions.

On paper, "The Sheep Detectives" looks and sounds like an absurd and even flat-out dumb premise. In practice, "The Sheep Detectives" is shockingly charming, witty, and warm, and you'll be absolutely thrilled watching this intrepid flock of sheep avenge the man who showed them kindness and love throughout his life. "The Sheep Detectives" is fun for the whole family, but even the most cynical adult will find something to love here; just make sure you don't get the wool pulled over your eyes. (Sorry, again.)

YouTubers burst onto the scene in a humongous way in 2026 with their debut feature films, and one of the most notable, without question, is Curry Barker — whose horror hit "Obsession" is a phenomenal entry into the storied genre. "Obsession," which was made on a shoestring budget of $750,000 and ended up grossing nearly $500 million (while also earning rave reviews from critics), centers around the, uh, "relationship" between Baron "Bear" Bailey (Michael Johnston) and the object of his affection, Nikki (future X-Men star Inde Navarrette), such as it is. Nursing an intense crush on Nikki, Bear uses a strange artifact known as a One Wish Willow to wish that Nikki loved him more than anything in the world. The second he's done wishing, Nikki appears at his home and initiates a romantic relationship, and aside from an alarming scream as the two kiss, it seems like Bear's wish has been granted.

As "Obsession" unfolds, though, we see that not only does Bear's wish have consequences, but the way that it affects Nikki raises a lot of questions. Was his wish "granted" in that Nikki is truly in love with Bear, or is she now being held captive by the granting of said wish? The answer is revealed in the most gruesome manner possible — cat lovers or, frankly, animal lovers of all kinds should be wary about watching "Obsession" — and thanks in large part to Navarrette's intense and fully committed performance as Nikki, the story will grip you from beginning to end. Horror movies have used the idiom "be careful what you wish for" for centuries, but few have done it as effectively as "Obsession."

Like "Obsession," "Backrooms" is a massive breakout horror hit helmed by a young YouTuber with a strong eye and a clear future as a filmmaker ... but unlike "Obsession," "Backrooms" has a rich history on the Internet. Adapted from a "creepypasta" (a sort of homegrown Internet horror story) that was turned into a YouTube web series of the same name by Kane Parsons, "Backrooms," helmed by Parsons and written by Will Soodik, became the highest-grossing film in A24's history — and it's also just a really great, effective horror movie that uses practical sets and liminal space to completely freak out its audience.

After a short interlude where we watch an Async Research Institute employee get attacked by a strange entity, we meet furniture store owner Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), who's grappling with substance abuse issues thanks to his store's flagging sales and his semi-recent divorce. After a strange night in his store where he discovers the titular backrooms by passing through a permeable wall, he tells his confused therapist Dr. Mary Kline (Renate Reinsve) about it and gives her a map before disappearing with his employees Bobby and Kat (Finn Bennett and Lukita Maxwell). Concerned, Mary enters the backrooms herself to track Clark down, and it's an understatement to say she does not like what she finds.

"Backrooms" is unsettling, creepy, sharply envisioned and directed by Parsons, and a genuinely exciting entry into the modern horror canon, introducing this young, fresh director to the industry and making him one of the most exciting new names in the industry. It's also one of the very best movies of the year — and if you've experienced "Backrooms" for yourself, you know just how true that is. 

Years after "Don't Worry Darling" made a splash with its insane press tour only to land with a critical thud, Olivia Wilde is back to prove that she's got the juice, as the kids might say. Wilde's third feature film, "The Invite," takes a biting, hysterical, and razor-sharp script from Rashida Jones (yes, the one from "Parks and Recreation") and Oscar winner Will McCormack (who wrote "Toy Story 4") to tell the story of one consequential dinner party thrown by troubled couple Joe and Angela (Seth Rogen and Wilde herself). After a long day as a music teacher, Joe, who suffers from Chekhov's back problems, learns that Angela invited their eccentric neighbors Hawk and Piña (Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz) over for dinner, even though they don't have any wine in the house and Joe is really ticked off that he can always hear the other couple, uh, enjoying each other's company. Despite the enormous argument they have right before Piña and Hawk arrive — which those two overhear through the door — Joe and Angela forge ahead with the dinner party anyway, and the result is part, part "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" ... and a little bit of the dinner party episode of "The Office."

Between that absolutely astonishing script, Wilde's patently ridiculous facial expressions and reactions (watch her carefully throughout the film and you'll be blown away), and every single one of this movie's wild twists and turns, "The Invite" is a must-watch ... and it'll keep you thinking about its narrative long after the credits roll. "The Invite" is like an exceptional play built for the big screen that features career-best performances from some of our finest actors, and it's a scathing indictment of what happens when relationships die a slow death.

Christopher Nolan's take on "The Odyssey," the ancient Greek poem attributed to Homer, was one of the most anticipated releases of the year before it hit theaters on July 17 ... and nobody should be at all surprised that Nolan completely delivered. The Oscar-winning director of "Oppenheimer" and the Dark Knight trilogy casts beloved Hollywood veteran Matt Damon as the mythic hero Odysseus, who uses a Trojan horse trick to sack Troy and win the war for Ithaca before getting lost at sea for eight long years, keeping him away from his wife Penelope (Anne Hathaway) and son Telemachus (Tom Holland) for two decades in total. After learning from his fellow beach dweller and lover of several years Calypso (Charlize Theron) that he has a family back home, we learn what happened to Odysseus and his men after the Trojan War ended ... and watch him return home, disguised as a humble beggar, to reclaim his wife and throne from greedy, odious suitors like the unctuous Antinuous (Robert Pattinson).

Shot on location — including Morocco, the Sahara, Iceland, Italy, and Greece itself — and using limited digital effects in favor of practical movie magic, "The Odyssey" is soundtracked by a stunning score (Ludwig Göransson should make room for yet another Oscar), features some of the most stunning visuals of Nolan's career, and boasts a star-studded cast and unbelievable performances from Damon, Hathaway, Holland, Pattinson, and Theron as well as John Leguizamo, Himesh Patel, Jon Bernthal, Samantha Morton, Lupita Nyong'o, Zendaya, Benny Safdie, and Elliot Page, just to name a few. Nolan has certainly proven himself over the years, but "The Odyssey" is his masterpiece — and by that, we mean it's the masterpiece Nolan was born to make.

An immediate caveat before we talk about "Tony," the very loosely factual biopic of chef, author, and journalist Anthony Bourdain directed by Matt Johnson (whose other film, "Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie," also made this list). Here at Looper, we did not give "Tony" a glowing review ... but because we're an outlier when it comes to this movie, it's landing on this list anyway. With "The Holdovers" and "Now You See Me: Now You Don't" standout Dominic Sessa as a young Tony Bourdain, we catch up with him in his younger days before he discovered his love of the culinary arts — and, in one of the movie's made-up touches, follows a girl named Nancy (Emilia Jones) to Provincetown, Massachusetts for one fateful summer. Stranded in Provincetown with no income and unable to pay his bill at a local watering hole, Tony takes a job working with an unnamed chef (Antonio Banderas) at said watering hole, trying avoid temptation in the form of drugs and endless partying alongside his wayward colleague Sal (Leo Woodall).

Sessa is, it should be said, enthralling and electric as this movie's take on a young Bourdain; again, this story takes a bunch of notable liberties with Bourdain's real life, but if you put aside the biopic aspect, there's a genuinely excellent coming-of-age film here. With Sessa, Banderas, Jones, Woodall, and other great performers like Rich Sommer and Dagmara Domińczyk in supporting roles, "Tony" is a pretty perfect summertime release, and despite the review here at Looper, it's worth watching ... and one of the standout films of the year.

David Robert Mitchell only made a handful of feature films before 2026's "The End of Oak Street," but with this one, he handily proved that he's one of the industry's weirdest, wildest, and most audacious directors. In this 1980s-set action movie, the Platt family — dad Greg (Ewan McGregor), mom Denise (Anne Hathaway), daughter Audrey (Maisy Stella), son Brian (Christian Convery), and loyal dog Starbuck — live on the titular Oak Lane in the fictional Michigan suburb of Flowervale when, one night, a storm strikes the neighborhood. After it passes, the Platts discover that their exact section of Flowervale has been transformed into a strange prehistoric forest filled with dinosaurs. The bad news? Those dinosaurs are hungry.

"The End of Oak Street" is a surprisingly gruesome, eminently strange, and absolutely delightful adventure — which, as more action movies should, barely surpasses 90 minutes — and it earned a solid review right here at Looper. Let's put it this way: if you've ever been watching a movie with Hathaway and wished it had more dinosaurs — or, even better, wished it featured Hathaway blasting a dinosaur in the chest with a shotgun — you're gonna love "The End of Oak Street."