20 Best Movies Of 2026 (So Far)
The best films that have released in 2026, from The Odyssey to Obsession.
If 2026 has proven anything about cinema so far, it's that big blockbusters can still work side-by-side with smaller indie pictures. Audiences want both, should studios give them a platform to be seen.
In the first half of the year, movie lovers have been treated to an absolute treasure trove of big screen brilliance, from superhero tentpoles like Spider-Man: Brand New Day to epic fantasies like Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, and small budget horror hits to biting dark comedies, as well as some of the most commanding and memorable acting performances of recent years.
Cinema has always been alive and well, despite what we're often told, and it's refreshing to see so many films and so many filmmakers - both newcomers and plenty of industry legends - hit the screen with such a wide variety of gems for cinephiles, families, and casual moviegoers alike to enjoy.
With that in mind, with a quick shoutout to some honourable mentions and a reminder that we still have many months still to come, here are the 20 Best Movies of 2026 so far!
21. Honourable Mentions
Frankly, there have been too many great films released this year so far, from a wide variety of genres and filmmakers, so here are some honourable mentions.
On the horror front, Sam Raimi's Send Help provides a perfect marriage of silly conceit - two juxtaposed souls trapped together on a desert island - and performance, as Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien bring terrifically dark laughs to a tale of power and survival.
Likewise, both sleeper hits Primate and Hokum bring so many jumps it can be hard to stay seated, the former a brutal slasher with an animalistic twist, the latter sporting a claustrophobically tense performance from Severance's Adam Scott.
There's also been plenty of comedy, particularly in the sci-fi thriller Good Luck Have Fun Don't Die, about a time traveller (Sam Rockwell) sent on a surprisingly moving mission to save the world, as well as the animated sequel Toy Story 5, which finds plenty of fresh angles to tackle its touching ode to childhood imagination.
And don't sleep on those underseen gems, like Boots Riley's absurd crime flick I Love Boosters, which sports wonderful work from stars Keke Palmer and Naomie Ackie, and the beautiful, life-affirming Remarkably Bright Creatures, a hug in movie form.
Now, then, for the big hitters...