UPDATE: I’ll be closing this poll on Monday. So here’s your last chance to post your list, or edit, refine what was already there.
We’re about halfway through 2026 and, yes, it’s been a flatline of a movie year. But that seems to almost always be the case, and then the fall movies arrive and salvage things.
Theaters have been mostly dominated by IP leftovers, franchise fatigue, and misfires. Yet you still had “Obsession,” “Backrooms,” “Project Hail Mary,” “Hoppers,” and “The Drama” become unlikely hits. Save for those, audiences looking for something worthwhile have had to do some real digging—whether at their local arthouse or waiting for a hidden gem to quietly drop on digital. If you wanted to see something good, chances are you had to go looking for it.
I’ve come up with my own personal 2026 list: twelve highlights—“Blue Heron,” “Rose of Nevada,” “Send Help,” “Nirvanna: The Band The Show The Movie,” “Silent Friend,” “The Bone Temple,” “Obsession,” “Project Hail Mary,” “Tuner,” “Carolina Caroline,” “Hokum,” and “Wasteman.” I’ll also add a bonus, “How To Make A Killing,” which was unfairly dismissed by critics.
Best film of 2026 so far? Sophy Romvari’s “Blue Heron,” a hauntingly intimate debut—an absolute example of personal cinema. Very much in line with “Aftersun,” the film follows a young girl in a Hungarian immigrant family as she navigates life alongside her troubled older brother. Romvari’s delicate and immersive approach tackles memory and trauma, and it’s a deeply rewarding film. A must-see, and one of the very best first features of the decade.
Ildikó Enyedi’s “Silent Friend” was another cinematic marvel; its blend of time, science, and nature made for a unique experience. Set around a ginkgo tree in a German botanical garden, the film unfolds in that same location near a university campus through three distinct eras—1908, 1972, and 2020—each captured in a unique visual style. The film’s meditative pacing and lush cinematography completely enthralled me. It’s immersive, visionary in its ambitions, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.
What else? There’s “Send Help,” Sam Raimi’s return to form, a return to his genre roots, and the best film he’s made in almost two decades. Is there a more underrated Hollywood actress than Rachel McAdams? Then there’s Matt Johnson’s “Nirvanna,” a deliriously inventive time-travel comedy following a bumbling duo sent back to 2008. It’s a sharp mockumentary packed with clever editing and manic, hilarious energy. I was already sold on Johnson as a director after seeing “BlackBerry,” but “Nirvanna” only further confirmed his talent.
Mark Jenkin’s “Rose of Nevada,” set to release on Friday, is a haunting, genre-defying enigma set in a nameless Cornish fishing village. The film follows Nick (George MacKay) and Liam (Callum Turner) as they board a mysteriously reappeared ship and find themselves transported back to 1993. Shot on grainy 16mm, it’s a blend of psychological horror, the supernatural, and kitchen-sink drama—a hypnotic, disorienting, and deeply surreal experience.
Also, don’t sleep on “Carolina Caroline,” which has barely received a proper theatrical rollout. It’s a nifty romantic crime thriller from Adam Rehmeier, who is now three for three after “Dinner in America” and “Snack Shack.” Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner are terrific as a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style duo. Rehmeier has been carving out a niche in the American indie landscape, operating well outside the system with a distinct voice, and this is another small gem from him.
Then there’s Damian McCarthy’s “Hokum,” an atmospheric horror indie starring Adam Scott that premiered at SXSW and has been overshadowed by “Backrooms” and “Obsession” in the box-office genre game. Another hidden gem is Cal McMau’s “Wasteman,” a gripping, tense British prison drama led by David Jonsson as an inmate on the verge of parole whose hopes for a fresh start are threatened by the arrival of an unpredictable new cellmate, played by Tom Blyth.
Another welcome surprise came in the form of Daniel Roher’s “Tuner”—a small-scale indie that quietly premiered at Telluride last year but made only $6 million during its 2026 release. Starring Leo Woodall and Dustin Hoffman, the crime thriller follows Niki White, a gifted piano tuner whose extraordinary hearing draws him into the world of high-end safecracking. I’m a sucker for heist-movie suspense, and this one has it in spades, with an inventive focus on music and sound design. It goes on about 10 minutes too long, but the rest of the film shouldn’t be ignored.
As far as international highlights go—all of which I saw last year at festivals—there’s Hasan Hadi’s “The President’s Cake,” Sergei Loznitsa’s “Two Prosecutors,” Nadav Lapid’s “Yes,” the Dardennes’ “Young Mothers,” and Akinola Davies’ “My Father’s Shadow.” Do these count as 2026 films? Depends on who you ask.
So let’s take the pulse. It’s time for our annual mid-year readers’ poll—drop your top five (or ten) films of the year so far in the comments below. I’ll tally them up and post the results next week.
In the meantime, don’t overlook the small victories. Some of the under-the-radar titles I mentioned may end up outlasting the event movies that were supposed to define the year.