Horror and thrills have dominated 2026 in a big way — from Sinners winning Best Picture at the Oscars to new releases including Obsession, Backrooms, and Send Help
But the summer box office has also lit up with movies including Toy Story 5, earning the biggest opening in that franchise’s 31-year history, and Ryan Gosling took audiences on a journey of wonder and hope with Project Hail Mary
Some of those movies are without question among the best of 2026 so far. Even a “king” makes our list. Read on to see our full top 10 (in alphabetical order)
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28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Danny Boyle isn’t an easy act to follow, but Nia DaCosta makes good on the bright promise of her unfairly maligned 2020 Candyman sequel with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. DaCosta threads an impossible needle, delivering both a direct continuation of Boyle’s visionary return to form, 2025’s 28 Years Later, and a radical departure from the tranquil, sunlit, and folkloric aesthetic he crafted with cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle. DaCosta reteams with Sean Bobbitt, who shot both Hedda and The Marvels, for a pitch-black descent into hell that holds up, despite its January release, as one of the very best horror films of the year. —Ryan Coleman
The Drama
Much of the conversation about Kristoffer Borgli’s The Drama has revolved around the film’s shocking plot twist. Emma (Zendaya) reveals something to her fiancé, Charlie (Robert Pattinson), that she almostdid in high school. The keyword is almost. She didn’t actually do it! But it’s what happens after the reveal where we find out what this film is actually about. The lead-up to the wedding feels like a ticking clock as Charlie and Emma’s best friend, Rachel (Alana Haim, perfectly cast), tries to reckon with feeling morally superior to the bride-to-be. Pattinson trembling with nervous energy is a highlight, as is the dramatic finish. —Tiffany Kelly
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
Four years after giving the King the biopic treatment, Baz Luhrmann returned to Graceland with a triumphant documentary chronicling Elvis Presley‘s dazzling Las Vegas residency in the 1970s. By blending previously unseen concert footage and intimate behind-the-scenes material — including voice recordings of the singer recalling his life story — EPiC presents a revealing, pulse-pounding tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent told in Presley’s own words. Luhrmann gives equal attention to megahits such as “Suspicious Minds” and lesser-known gems like “Polk Salad Annie,” demonstrating the breadth of Presley’s taste, as well as his unrivaled ability to turn anything into a showstopper. And the jovial human moments between bursts of grandiose showmanship leave the reassuring impression that Elvis really, truly enjoyed being Elvis. —Wesley Stenzel
The Invite
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Any apartment dweller will understand the predicament of dealing with noisy neighbors. In the case of this latest directorial effort from Olivia Wilde, who also stars as Angela alongside Seth Rogen as her husband Joe, it’s boisterous sex noises from upstairs neighbors Pína and Hawk, played by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton — and Angela has invited them over for dinner. This chamber piece is tense but playful, full of fascinating debate and intrigue…especially once Pína and Hawk extend their own titillating invite: an orgy. Could this be the thing Angela and Joe need to add some spice to their life and reconnect in ways they haven’t in years? We’re certainly not going to spoil the fun…nor will Pína and Hawk. —Gerrad Hall
Obsession
Why are we so culturally obsessed with Obsession? The scrappy film from Curry Barker, a breakthrough director from the YouTube space, seems to have everything it takes to make it in the current Hollywood landscape: originality (something severely lacking these days), dynamite performances (shoutout Inde Navarrette for that haunting smile), meme-able moments (for cultural impact), and word of mouth (hence why we can’t stop talking about it). And even though horror is hot right now, it feels more so that the genre is the primary sector of the business that routinely offers this kind of novel mid-budget release that audiences crave. Hollywood will definitely learn the right lessons from Obsession’s success. Yup, no doubt whatsoever. —Nick Romano
Omaha
This movie isn’t about the city, but the journey to get there — and it is an impactful and memorable one. John Magaro stars as “Dad,” the exasperated single father of Ella (Molly Belle Wright) and Charlie (Wyatt Solis), who finds himself backed into an inescapable corner — still reeling from the loss of his wife and now being evicted from their home. Dad sets off on a road trip with his two kids (and their adorable dog), trying to outrun the sad reality of their life, which he tries his hardest to mask. As we tag along, you immediately empathize with Dad; in the hands of Magaro, who viewers also fell in love with in Past Lives, you can’t help but root for him, hoping he finds a way to not just provide for his kids but turn all of their lives around. He does have a plan, though we don’t know it until the final moments of this heartbreaking tale of desperation, sacrifice, and love. —G.H.
Project Hail Mary
Ryan Gosling brings some of his Kenergy to this sci-fi comedy epic, based on the novel by Andy Weir. As Ryland Grace, a science teacher who rides a bike to school and wears “slutty little glasses,” he initially feels like a character out of a romance novel. But Grace (shockingly) doesn’t have any love interests in this film directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller; instead, he makes an alien friend, Rocky, after being forced on an Earth-saving space mission. Most of the story is a charming two-hander, but Anatomy of a Fall’s Sandra Hüller also has a notable supporting role. Overall, it’s amaze! —T.K.
Send Help
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Sam Raimi makes a welcome return to his gleefully nasty roots with the gory desert island thriller Send Help, which sees mousy Survivor superfan Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) triumphantly take power over her douchey new boss Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) after they miraculously survive a harrowing plane crash. McAdams and Raimi, who previously worked together on 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, are an actor-director match made in heaven, as they perfectly complement each other’s over-the-top manic instincts as the film continues to kick into higher (and goofier) gears. —W.S.
The Sheep Detectives
Yes, its title makes it sound ludicrous, but The Sheep Detectives is a massive success on nearly every level imaginable. With a stable full of hoofed heroes (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, and many more) who investigate the death of their lovable shepherd (Hugh Jackman), the film effectively fuses the barnyard whimsy of Babe with the twists and thrills of an Agatha Christie novel to deliver a family-friendly adventure that’s perfect for introducing young moviegoers to the murder mystery. It’s also a surprisingly soulful story that thoughtfully grapples with difficult ideas like mortality and grief. Baaa-eautiful. —W.S.
Toy Story 5
Was it a mistake to continue the Toy Story franchise after the perfect ending of Toy Story 3? Perhaps. But Toy Story 5 more than justifies its existence in the age of tech. The Jessie-focused tale, led by superb work from Joan Cusack, doesn’t merely argue that screens are bad for your kids, but that toys — no matter how old, worn out, or uncool they might be — can never truly be replaced by tablets. Screen time is not the same as playtime, and the friends you make over a screen are not the same as the friends you actually play with — human or plastic — the ones with whom you have a lifelong connection, even if you don’t know it. —Joyce Eng
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