You Should Also Watch - 2026
My mid-year check-in post.
As always, the first half of the year has been pretty weak, boasting a single film with a good chance of multiple Oscar nominations. That's unsurprising; it's the post-COVID pattern, as distributors are hesitant to release their awards plays so long before the Oscars, especially since the show insists on staying in March. The industry is waiting with bated breathe for this month, as buzz around The Invite (already in limited release, and about to go wide) is incredibly strong, and the whole movie-watching world is setting its watch by The Odyssey's release in two weeks (not to mention a new Spider-Man to close out July).
That's not to say the first half of the year hasn't been exciting. The YouTube generation of filmmakers finally picked up some steam, a handful of unorthodox indie films have been the talk of the town (or at least the internet), and provocateurs continue to spur conversation. The story of the summer box office has been the cratering of the intended blockbusters (relative to their budgets, at least), while a few low-budget horror films have turned into some of the year's biggest earners.
The result has been an especially chaotically shaped top of my ranking. While I enjoyed all the films listed below, I did not love all of them. The very top of the list is strong, due to my particular tastes (and slipping The Invite in just under the wire), but after that, I'm just not sure. Still, they're all worth highlighting, although far from perfect.
As a reminder, the premise of this list is to highlight the best films of the first six months of the year which I don't think will make my year-end best of list. I think they deserve a bit more notice beyond my initial review, but I don't anticipate having another opportunity. So instead of the more common mid-year best of list, this is essentially what I expect will be 2026's second tier films (although maybe less so this year...)
15. The Bride!
Maggie Gyllenhal wastes no time in her sophomore effort, immediately announcing its bold intentions. She expresses zero interest in anything resembling a conventional Frankenstein or Bride of Frankenstein story. Instead, she leans into a punk rock, feminist spin on Prohibition-era gangster flicks, shot through with palpable anger at the boxes to which the world confines us (especially women), and a background story of the power of collective action. It's sloppy and intense and weird, hence its poor performance and middling reception. But I had an outstanding time spending two hours with Jessie Buckley completely unleashed, and I think you will, too.
Available on HBO Max and VOD
14. The Death of Robin Hood
The overwhelming response to The Death of Robin Hood has been confusion. Confusion why he's not more heroic. Confusion at the slowly paced second half. And confusion what the point was of using Robin Hood (Hugh Jackman) to tell this story, especially in a time when the populace in the real world is so beset by the ultra-wealthy; wouldn't leaning into his "rob from the rich to give to the poor" ethos speak more to this moment?
So it goes with writer/director Michael Sarnoski's movies. The marketing department refuses to sell the audience on the film he's actually made, guaranteeing their disappointment. Which is a shame, because it's easy to miss his assertion that it's especially important to hold up good deeds as foundational tales of great heroism in times of crushing darkness. Not to mention a belief that veracity of legends is irrelevant, as they exist to give people hope and comfort. They're imparted in ways less obviously applicable to our times, but they're no less present or important.
13. Fuze
No one would dare refer to Relay as a masterpiece despite its incredibly strong first half. The same is true of Fuze, despite director David Mackenzie (working from Ben Hopkins' script) more successfully landing the plane this time around. But it's another excellent thriller, a story that's not all that surprising but still manages to keep you leaning in, to look for the exact contours of this iteration. Sam Worthington continues to prove his worth as a gruff villain-type, Theo James is a standout as he remains calm, cool, and collected while things fall apart, and even Aaron Taylor-Johnson equips himself quite well.
Available on VOD
12. Couture
(review to come)
In her best film yet, French auteur Alice Winocour deftly weaves together the story of four women during Paris Fashion Week. The swirling chaos mixed with the film's fierce interiority makes for some fascinatingly quiet stories amongst the noise, full of so many notable brief moments that combine to paint the picture of what these women are going through. By giving us one outsized thread to follow (both in share of runtime an emotional heft), we're further oriented in Winocour's primary concern: the complex reality of what it looks like to achieve your dream, the heartbreak it takes to get there, the requirement to constantly prove you belong, and to have it encroached upon by real-life. And it builds to one of the most assured grand finales of the year. Which is followed by a suitably small and meaningless conversation, whose emotional power comes from how mundane it is, the perfect come down from all that came before.
11. Kokuho
Part of what makes Kokuho is enchanting is that although it's a biopic, it never feels confined by the life of its subject. Part of that is because Kikuo (Ryo Yoshizawa) is a fictional character, granting director Sang-il Lee and writer Satoko Okudera far more freedom to craft the story. Part of it is that instead of focusing only on key moments in his life, it's all about how the development of his art interweaves with that of his colleague and best friend, Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama). And part of it is the luxurious three hour runtime, unconcerned with efficiency, instead focused on bringing you into its world.
It's gorgeous and moving and has the added benefit of demystifying the unknown, as even if you're familiar with the idea of kabuki theater, you're unlikely to encounter it outside of Japan. It's warm and lovely and heart-wrenching at times, and by the end, you'll find it difficult to refrain from cheering at each of Kikuo's accomplishments.
10. The Christophers
That this is a film centered around the conversations of two people seems to have led to its severe underestimation and miscategorization. For one, it's fundamentally a revenge story, from multiple angles with varying targets and rationales, with more revealed as the plot progresses. It interrogates legacy and the authenticity of art, and its telling expresses thoughts on what it would take to craft a good forgery. Not to mention that it's a laugh riot, albeit one whose comedy comes from small character moments and reactions, more often stemming from laughing at someone's braggadocio than their wit.
It's also the first of two stellar performances from Michaela Coel this year (the other is in my current favorite). Not that Sir Ian McKellan is slacking; quite the contrary. He's lively and acidic, bringing a real sense of bitterness to a character defined by resentment. By the end, you have a clear sense of who these people are, and how they've changed each other, despite (almost) never stopping to explain it all to you. It's a wonderful film, one that deserves to be more widely seen.
Available on VOD
9. Erupcja
As my love for Obsession implies, I'm often quite taken with a story that's riffing on an old template, but with a slight twist from which fresh meanings can be explored. In the case of Erupcja, when Bethany (Charli XCX) ditches her bland boyfriend Rob (Will Madden) to party and make new friends in a familiar (to her) European city, it feels like it's going to play out the importance of finding yourself. But the early signs that it's more complicated bloom as we spend a lot of time with Rob, and even on the face of her friend and companion, Nel (Lena Góra). When combined with the visually and aurally stylistic approaches to scene transitions, this unassuming film creates a lasting afterimage.
Available on VOD
8. Tuner
That accomplished documentarian Daniel Roher so successfully pivoted into his debut feature film is impressive. The opening does a wonderful job introducing us to the characters and their dynamic through minimal dialog, and the relationship between Niki (Leo Woodall) and Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu) feels incredibly natural. The plot construction leads to a wonderful build, and although it's not too subtle about the place it will end up, the journey there is nothing short of thrilling.
Available on VOD
7. Blue Heron
Blue Heron is a quiet piece grappling with the memory of growing up with a family member in crisis. The vignettes of Sasha's (Eylul Guven) life as an eight-year-old collectively paint a portrait of a family struggling to reckon with the erratic, destructive behavior of her older brother Jeremy (Edik Beddoes). At the same time, it's attuned to the very real difficulties of his background, being by far the oldest, stemming from her mother's first marriage. It's not like all is bad; there are plenty of good times had by everyone, even instances of Jeremy being a great big brother. But the building storm is always on our minds, coloring each interaction.
All of which is before the events are elucidated anew through a clever device going into the final act of the film. It's not a new trick, sure, but it's damn effective.
Available on VOD
Best of the Year So Far
If you're interested in my full ranking, you can see that on Letterboxd. But the top six, which I'm confident will end up on my year end list, are:
- The Invite - review to come
- Is God Is
- Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
- Pillion
- Obsession
- Mother Mary