Movies are better on the big screen. That’s a mantra that I firmly believe in, and it’s why each year I see as many new releases in theaters as possible (my goal is always to catch 100+ in my local cinema). As of this week, I’ve just seen my 62nd movie in theaters, so I figured now would be a great time to take stock of 2026 so far and bring you my best and worst picks.
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Seeing so many movies in theaters means I get to experience all the highs and the lows of the year in cinema. I’ve not seen every new movie released in theaters; I’m at the mercy of my local theater’s listing after all. However, I do have a relatively comprehensive insight into the latest movies that have hit the big screen over the past seven months.
So, without further introduction, here are my top five favorite new movies of 2026 so far, and the worst five that really weren’t worth spending my time.
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My 5 favorite movies of 2026 (so far)
5. ‘Obsession’
“Obsession” has climbed a few spots in my current ranking after a recent rewatch. This movie absolutely holds up a second time, and dare I say it: I may have enjoyed it more this time as I spotted a few little references and wrinkles I had missed the first time. Curry Barker delivered the horror movie that everybody is still talking about now, and it deserves those flowers.
Indie Navarrette completely steals the show as Nikki, a woman forced to fall in love with her timid co-worker, Bear (Michael Johnston), after he makes a wish on a supernatural trinket. She dominates the screen and tackles a very physical performance like a seasoned pro. I think once the dust settles on 2026, “Obsession” will be the movie from this year that I ultimately end up watching the most times, as I’m already eager to give it another stream.
Watch “Obsession” on Peacock now
4. ‘Wasteman’
The recent news out of San Diego Comic-Con that David Jonsson will be stepping into the role of T’Challa II in “Black Panther 3” was very welcome. I’m sure most people know him from “The Long Walk” and “Alien: Romulus” (both excellent movies), but if you haven’t yet seen him in “Wasteman,” that’s an oversight you should correct very quickly. I’ve taken the chance to shout about this movie for months for good reason; it’s truly excellent.
This British prison thriller sees Jonsson play an inmate whose early release is threatened when his new cellmate (Tom Blyth) has designs on taking over the prison’s supply of contraband. It’s an intense and gripping drama, anchored by excellent performances from its two male leads. Taking a few bold stylistic swings (like incorporating cell phone footage), “Wasteman” is a gritty look at life behind bars, and it’s been criminally overlooked this year.
Watch “Wasteman” on MUBI now
3. ‘The Invite’
“The Invite” is a movie tailor-made to appeal to my tastes, so even before watching (and after a hearty recommendation from my colleague, Malcolm McMillan), I was confident it would land a spot on this list. It’s a highly theatrical drama driven by sharp, incredibly funny dialogue, and all set in a single San Francisco apartment. That checks loads of boxes for me, and in “The Invite” I found a dramedy that is hilarious and heartbreaking.
It sees a married couple (played by Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde; the latter also directs) invite their upstairs neighbors (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton) over for dinner. What follows is a chaotic night of passive-aggressive bickering and surprising revelations that might even spell the end of a relationship. In fact, this movie is so good that I forgive Olivia Wilde for the disaster that was “Don’t Worry Darling.” It warrants a host of Oscar nominations, but I’ll be furious if it doesn’t at least get a screenplay nod.
Watch “The Invite” in theaters now
2. ‘Project Hail Mary’
“Project Hail Mary” is pure blockbuster entertainment. Adapted from the Andy Weir novel, it sees Ryan Gosling play an astronaut who awakens on an interstellar craft on a critical mission; there’s just the slight issue that he can’t remember said mission, or even his own name. From here, audiences are treated to a 156-minute sci-fi epic that simply flies by. Even with its world-saving stakes, I found this movie oddly comforting and feel-good.
One of my favorite aspects is its non-linear structure, which uses flashbacks to great effect, letting you, as the audience, unspool its protagonist’s past alongside them. Even if a few of these flashbacks are a little haphazardly inserted, they lead to great moments where all the pieces fit together. And I’ve not even talked about the movie’s other star, an alien named Rocky, who steals the show! “Project Hail Mary” is a dazzling sci-fi wonder.
Watch “Project Hail Mary” on MGM+ now
1. ‘The Odyssey’
I’m not going to win any points for originality picking “The Odyssey” as my favorite movie of 2026 (so far), but this is a case where the obvious pick deserves its lofty position. Christopher Nolan follows up “Oppenheimer” with another big-screen epic that (hopefully) has reminded audiences everywhere exactly why seeing films on the biggest screen possible truly matters. This is a movie made to be watched in theaters, not on streaming.
Nolan’s spin on “The Odyssey” goes beyond epic. All the incredible set-piece moments are here, but it’s the strong emotional core that really stayed with me. My favorite scene in the entire movie might be Matt Damon’s Odysseus giving a spine-chilling speech in a near whisper towards the end. With an incredible cast, direction, screenplay, cinematography, sound, and special effects, “The Odyssey” impresses in every aspect. Nolan’s done it again!
Watch “The Odyssey” in theaters now
My 5 worst movies of 2026 (so far)
5. ‘Mercy’
One of the easiest ways a movie can earn my ire is by wasting a premise with some potential. That’s a crime against cinema “Mercy” is certainly guilty of committing. The core setup of Chris Pratt’s Detective Chris Raven having just 90 minutes to convince an AI judge (played by Rebecca Ferguson) that he didn’t murder his wife or be executed is intriguing stuff. However, this sci-fi thriller does little interesting with its core components.
The choppy presentation, which is even less focused than an overedited TikTok video, is a particular sore spot, not to mention Pratt and Ferguson seem entirely bored throughout. In a moridly ironic twist, the movie feels like an AI chatbot wrote it. If that was intentional commentary on artificial intelligence, it most certainly didn’t land. A small mercy is that the movie runs only 100 minutes in length, but you’d be better off just skipping it.
4. ‘The Bride!’
“The Bride!” was always facing an uphill battle to draw attention. It arrived in theaters just a few months after Guillermo del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” and I don’t think there was exactly much demand for another spin on Mary Shelley’s gothic novel so soon. But hey, when has that ever stopped Hollywood? “The Bride!” being a total mess was merely the nail in the coffin.
When your cast list includes Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal and Penélope Cruz, it’s a major sin to fail to extract good performances from any of them. At its core, The Bride!” is a warped romance that takes inspiration from 1935’s “Bride of Frankenstein” with a sprinkle of “Bonnie and Clyde.” However, perhaps the most apt comparison is “Joker 2,” as this gothic fable is also tonally confused, comedically weak, and even packs a cringe-inducing musical sequence.
3. ‘Rosebush Pruning’
I’m no stranger to enjoying alienating movies that others might label in poor taste. I still defend Nicolas Winding Refn’s “Only Good Forgives,” which many critics and viewers labeled a train wreck. But even I found “Rosebush Pruning” more pretentious than provocative. It comes from screenwriter Efthimis Filippou, known for collaborating with Yorgos Lanthimos. However, without the award-winning director’s input, Filippou’s script is revealed to be shallow, crass, and often preoccupied with outrage for outrage’s sake.
It’s a dark comedy (that verges into thriller territory in the third act) that aims to lampoon the lives of the ultra-rich and privileged, but all the thinly veiled shots at the 1% can’t make this movie anything more than miserable. The ill-fitting cast doesn’t help matters — Callum Turner is woefully miscast — and the headache-inducing soundscape tops it all off. But to add some balance, the person sat next to me in the cinema seemed to love it…
2. ‘The Strangers – Chapter 3’
I felt a genuine sense of relief walking out of my screening of “The Strangers – Chapter 3.” This reboot trilogy was filmed simultaneously and then released in consecutive years starting in 2024. All three chapters are terrible, and each has claimed a spot on my worst movies of the year ever since. I’m delighted that in 2027, I won’t have to talk about this failed attempt to reboot the 2008 slasher original anymore. That’s a silver lining.
Okay, so the good news is that “Chapter 3” is probably the best of the bunch, but the fact that it’s still among my least favorite movies of 2026 after watching more than 60 on the big screen tells its own story. Like its predecessor, the movie is devoid of scares, compelling characters, or any reasons to justify its own existence. It’s not even comically bad; it’s just drab.
1. ‘Return to Silent Hill’
I’ll open this write-up with a quick personal anecdote. My local cinema offers an unlimited movie membership for $20 per month. Because of this, I never feel like I’ve “wasted” money when I catch a dud, because I don’t pay per ticket. But my cinema wasn’t showing “Return to Silent Hill,” so I had to travel to a farther-away theater and pay more than $20 for my ticket. To say I wanted a full refund as I walked out would be a huge understatement.
As somebody who fell in love with Silent Hill 2 via the excellent 2024 remake, it also wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say “Return to Silent Hill” borders on offensive to fans of the gaming series. It has the luxury of adapting one of the best, most atmospheric horror experiences in gaming and butchers the source material to the point it’s nearly unrecognizable. Trust me, save your money, and buy one of the Silent Hill games instead. There is nothing of value in this wretched horror.
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