Introduction
We’re officially halfway through 2026, and it’s already one of the most fascinating and unpredictable years in recent cinema. The first six months have delivered shock hits, bold swings, divisive conversations, and at least one film that feels like a clear best‑of‑the‑decade contender. From a sci‑fi adaptation that electrified audiences in March to independent horror phenomena, bruising action imports, and feel‑good festival discoveries that never found the spotlight they deserved, movie lovers have had plenty to argue about.
This is TwilightRoom’s ranking of the fifteen best films of 2026 so far—a list that will evolve as awards season approaches and the year’s biggest releases roll out, but for now captures the films that have defined the first six months of an unexpectedly thrilling year at the movies.
15. The Devil Wears Prada 2
80.5/100 - David Frankel
Legacy sequels to films as beloved and culturally iconic as The Devil Wears Prada rarely justify their existence nearly two decades later, but this follow-up does something most late sequels simply cannot manage, it finds a genuine reason to return, updating its world to the social media age and modern fashion industry pressures while letting its cast slip back into their roles like they never left, and finds its way onto the top films of the year list. Meryl Streep commands the screen with the same razor-sharp restraint that made Miranda Priestly one of cinema’s great characters, Anne Hathaway’s Andy returns more confident and capable while still navigating the same moral tensions, Emily Blunt steals scene after scene with sharper comedic timing than ever, and Stanley Tucci’s Nigel is given the room to shine he never quite got in the first film, delivering some of the sequel’s most emotionally memorable moments.
The first 40 minutes are so snappy and fun that it feels like a true return to form, and the final act regains that energy after a middle section that noticeably loses its sharpness and leans too heavily on the familiarity of the original rather than fully forging its own path. What ultimately makes it work is exactly that, the returning cast clearly had a blast making this, the dynamic between Miranda and Andy evolves into something more collaborative and genuinely satisfying, and the conclusion earns its emotional payoffs rather than just manufacturing them for nostalgia’s sake. The Devil Wears Prada 2 may not reach the cultural heights of the 2006 original, but it comes closer than anyone had a right to expect, earning an 80/100 from TwilightRoom and the final spot on this list.
14. The Furious
81.9/100 - Kenji Tanigaki
The Furious is the best pure action film of the year so far, it’s not even close and one of the most brutally entertaining All Media screening experiences we have had in a long time, a pan-Asian action revenge-thriller that fully commits to practical choreography, nonstop escalation, and crowd-pleasing physical combat spectacle without ever pretending to be something more emotionally complex than it is, earning its spot on this list at 14. The film follows a mute father whose daughter is abducted by a trafficking network, a premise that functions almost entirely as a delivery vehicle for some of the most inventive and physically exhausting fight sequences in recent memory, drawing heavy inspiration from Oldboy in its close-quarters hallway brawls and endurance combat while channeling the underworld pacing and constant escalation of John Wick-style storytelling.
The audience at the screening was fully on board from the first major set piece to the last, with audible shock, laughter, and excitement filling the theater during some of the wildest and most creative kills of the year, and the sound design alone, punches, broken bones, knives hitting every surface imaginable, hits harder than almost anything released this summer. It does get somewhat unrealistic in its final act, with characters absorbing punishment well beyond the point of believability, and the emotional storytelling remains fairly surface level throughout thus sitting lower on this list of the best films, but the choreography is consistently so entertaining that neither issue ever truly derails the experience. The Furious is a love letter to brutal practical action filmmaking, and it earns every bit of the reaction it got in that theater, landing at an 81/100 from TwilightRoom.
13. Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man
82.6/100 - Tom Harper
One of the greatest television franchises in recent history came to a close this year with Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man on Netflix, the long-awaited film finale for Tommy Shelby’s story following the fantastic conclusion to Season 6, and while it does not quite reach the heights of the show at its very best, it delivers a satisfying and emotionally grounded conclusion to one of the most iconic characters ever put on screen thus earning its spot at 13 on this list. The film leans into the darker, more reflective version of Tommy that defined the later seasons, framing him as a lonely legend haunted by his past, referred to as the Gypsy King by those around him, and it takes its time getting there, perhaps too much time, with the first 45 minutes straining to find momentum before Ada’s death finally gives Tommy the motive to fully re-engage.
Once he returns to Birmingham the film noticeably tightens, the classic score kicks back in, and it finally feels like the true continuation fans had been waiting for, with Duke emerging as the most dangerous and interesting new presence in the story and the final act delivering the kind of meticulously plotted scheme and striking action sequences the franchise is known for. Cillian Murphy gives one of the strongest character performances in recent television and film history, carrying scenes through sheer force of presence and elevating the material beyond what the script alone sometimes earns, and his death lands with the weight and finality it deserves. The Immortal Man is a good and ultimately satisfying send-off for Tommy Shelby rather than a great one, but with Murphy at the center it was always going to work, while it has become a bit forgotten in the fray since its release, it is still one of the best of the year so far earning an 82.6/100 from TwilightRoom.
12. The Drama
82.7/100 - Kristoffer Borgli
The Drama is arguably the most divisive film of the year so far, an A24 dark romance from the director of Dream Scenario that commits fully to an uncomfortable viewing experience that challenges its audience rather than comforting them, and is far more unsettling than its marketing ever suggests. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play Emma and Charlie, a couple on the verge of marriage whose entire foundation is destabilized by a shocking confession that transforms what looked like a familiar love story into a psychologically tense and deeply uncomfortable deliberation for both the characters and everyone sitting in the theater watching them try to figure it out together.
The film is visually stunning throughout, with framing and camera work so carefully constructed that even the quietest moments carry enormous weight, and Alana Haim delivers a sharp supporting turn as a character who becomes instantly hateable the moment her own role in the story is revealed. Where it struggles is in a noticeably sluggish middle stretch that lingers in its discomfort, perhaps a beat too long, and A24 has done audiences a disservice by not making clearer what kind of experience this film actually is before they walk in. But in the day it took to sit with it and write the review, the rating went up, and months since then the film’s overall opinion becomes higher and higher at least for us, because The Drama does exactly what it sets out to do with remarkable precision and it does it to not just film fans but all audiences that entered the theater to see the two stars, and leaves you thinking long after the credits roll, earning an 82/100 from TwilightRoom and spot 12 on this list.
11. Disclosure Day
83.4/100 - Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg’s return to sci-fi territory with Disclosure Day is ultimately a mixed bag that leans more toward great than middling a seemingly hot take from us, carried most heavily by its final act and two performers who consistently elevate material that doesn’t always earn what they bring to it. Josh O’Connor continues his fantastic run in big projects as Daniel, a man on the run with stolen evidence of alien life who genuinely believes the public has a right to know the truth, while Emily Blunt steals the show as Margeret, a weatherwoman granted alien-bestowed powers who becomes the human communicator bridging both sides of a disclosure event. The central question the film poses is a simple one: who actually deserves to know the truth? That alone is compelling enough to get butts in seats, and Spielberg’s sense of wonder runs throughout, especially in an animal‑turned‑alien dream sequence that feels deeply personal.
The climactic disclosure is handled with surprising restraint as well, unfolding in a newsroom rather than through a traditional spectacle‑driven set piece. The film does stumble in its middle section, where pacing grows inconsistent, dialogue leans too heavily into blockbuster mode, and the plot relies on somewhat arbitrary device powers to push things forward, preventing it from reaching the heights Spielberg is known to achieve. But the conclusion wins you over completely, and Blunt and O’Connor are simply too good throughout to let the film’s weaknesses define it, making Disclosure Day a success worth seeing in theaters and one of the more interesting and discussed releases of the summer, earning an 83/100 from TwilightRoom.
10. The Moment
83.6/100 - Aidan Zamiri
The Moment is easily the least talked‑about film on this list, and also the one that arrived earliest in the year, but it stands out as a sharp example of how to properly satirize an egotistical artist preparing for a performance. Where misfires like Hurry Up Tomorrow botched this premise, The Moment finds exactly the right comedic tone. Perhaps this film is on the list as a precedent as A24 has struggled in this genre heavily over the last few years, and finally gets it right with Charli XCX who seems to be unlocking a new portion of her career diving into acting. She plays herself, but as a much funnier, slightly unhinged version, just different enough to notice, not enough to break the connection, and that precise balance is what makes the moment work so well. Everyone on screen seems to be having a blast, delivering work that might not result in the year’s most monumental release, but absolutely nails what it sets out to do. The Moment may be the least‑cited title on other outlets’ lists, but at TwilightRoom wanted to spotlight its success, placing it at number 10 with a well‑earned 83/100.
9. Sheep Detectives
83.9/100 - Kyle Balda
The Sheep Detectives was the shock hit of the spring and one of the biggest surprises of the year so far, a talking sheep murder mystery that on paper sounds far more childish and gimmicky than it has any right to be, yet fully earns every emotional beat it builds toward by the time the credits roll. Hugh Jackman’s George is introduced as a shepherd who reads detective novels to his flock before bed, setting up a warm and genuinely clever foundation that the film never abandons, even as the story shifts into grief and mystery following his death.
What makes it work so well is the tonal balance it maintains throughout, the sheep’s attempts to interpret human behavior through the detective stories they’ve absorbed creates genuinely funny comedy, while the emotional core surrounding Lily’s determination to honor George’s memory keeps the film from ever feeling disposable or shallow. It is a film that sneaks up on you completely, turning a gimmick premise into one of the most unexpectedly heartfelt family films in recent memory, with a final revelation about Lily’s name landing as one of the most genuinely touching moments of the year. The Sheep Detectives won’t be in the Oscar conversation and it may not be the biggest film on this list, but it is exactly the kind of surprise that makes going to the movies worthwhile, as it sits on this list with an 83/100 from TwilightRoom.
8. Power Ballad
83.9/100 - John Carney
Power Ballad was one of the standout discoveries of SXSW earlier this year and a film that has only grown in the conversation since its release, a feel-good musical comedy from John Carney that is as heartfelt and emotionally driven as it is funny, and one of the most refreshing viewing experiences of 2026 so far that certainly deserves way more recognition than it is getting. Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas are both fantastic in their respective roles, pouring genuine heart into performances that make the film’s parallel emotional beats in the final act land far harder than you see coming, with Carney balancing comedy, drama, and music with the kind of confident tonal control that has defined his very best work.
It is the rare film that walks out of the theater with you, the kind that makes you want to live your life with a slightly different appreciation for the people around you, and that feeling is a direct result of how much heart is clearly poured into every corner of it from cast and director alike. Whether it ultimately breaks into the awards conversation later in the year remains to be seen, and is frankly unlikely, but what is clear is that Power Ballad is exactly the kind of original, emotionally satisfying filmmaking that deserves to find the wide audience it is built to connect with as it moves through its digital and eventual streaming release. It currently sits at an 83/100 from TwilightRoom, placing eighth on this list.
7. Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie
84.6/100 - Matt Johnson
There are a lot of unique movies that release in the first part of the year, some slip through the cracks, some come up short, but others like Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, deliver something funny unique and impactful enough to win audiences over and earn their spot as the seventh best film of the year so far. There is a way to enjoy this film where you go back and watch all of the projects that have led up to this film, and really understand everything going on here, but there is another way where you jump head first blindly into the film that will confuse you, blow your mind because of how they were able to pull it off, and make you laugh endlessly even after the film ends. Nirvana the Band the Show the Movie, is a unique voice and it became an impactful one upon its wide scale release, and that is exactly why it belongs on this list and sits at an 84/100 from TwilightRoom.
6. Hokum
84.8/100 - Damian McCarthy
May was a huge month for horror, with Obsession already on this list and Backrooms—another massively successful release we were a little less enthusiastic about, also hitting theaters. Yet another under‑the‑radar standout slipped in during that stretch: Hokum, a Adam Scott-led blend of supernatural and reality‑bending horror that quietly cemented itself as one of the year’s most intriguing genre entries. A film that had some great traction upon release and at its premiere at SXSW, but seems to be overshadowed by other projects, the A24 release is really a great piece of horror for anyone looking for a fresh new take on the genre that takes many old played out horror niches and combines them to attack a troubled and depressed writer from every angle possible.
The film is yet another really uncomfortable and unsettling experience leaning more into making the viewers think and solve than it is making you jump out of your seat, but that is what this new wave of horror is and while Jordan Peele does it best and Obsession is the poster child at the moment, Hokum is yet another fantastic example. Now that is is streaming and we move through summer towards fall, keep this film on your radar for a great horror experience when the sun sets and you are looking for something solid and new to turn on, as it earns an 84/100 from Twilight Room.
5. Hoppers
85.1/100 - Daniel Chong
With Toy Story 5 dominating the past month, it would be wrong not to look back at Pixar’s other 2026 release: Hoppers, a massive swing in a very different direction that still lands as a success. Wildly ambitious and delightfully all over the place in the best possible way, Hoppers proves Pixar can still surprise when it follows its strangest instincts. It was clear that Pixar still had plenty of juice left in its legacy franchises, but there was also obvious pressure to deliver something new, unique, and genuinely fun for all ages after a bit of a dry spell on original ideas.
Now sitting at 389 million dollars worldwide, Hoppers feels like their answer: not the moneymaker Toy Story 5 already is, but a step in the right direction. It’s hectic, funny, chaos‑filled, and unmistakably Pixar while still feeling original—and that’s exactly what Hoppers needed to be, delivering an 85/100 from TwilightRoom and places fifth on our list.
4. Over Your Dead Body
85.8/100 - Jorma Taccone
The verdict is still very much out on Over Your Dead Body, and its theatrical run was anything but impressive, a disappointment given how electric its world premiere at SXSW felt in a packed theater. For those of us who saw it there, it played as an absolute blast, and audiences who did show up generally agreed, but not enough people turned out for the Segal‑and Weaving‑led horror romp to build real momentum.
Our sentiment and opinion still remain the same however, its fantastically funny, gory and thrilling with cheap twists that work better because they never take themselves too seriously, you will be stunned that the two actually have chemistry while laughing at them trying to kill each other at the same time, leading to a film that still remains one of the best times you can have in under two hours released this year. Over Your Dead Body is not going to win awards, it is not groundbreaking, and it may or may not find a second life on streaming, but we at TwilightRoom loved this release and highly recommend watching it with friends to see if you land where we did. For us, it’s a spirited, crowd‑pleasing horror romp that earns its spot here with an 85/100 from TwilightRoom.
3. Toy Story 5
85.9/100 - Andrew Stanton
The more I think back about Toy Story 5 the more I fall deeper in love with the creative decision-making and choice of story, whether that is the tackling of electronics in the household, or the full embrace to tell Jesse’s own story while still maintaining that Buzz and Woody banter, it’s yet another brilliant entry in the Pixar catalog. We at TwilightRoom are definitely among the more enthusiastic outlets on Toy Story 5, but the wider verdict online is still broadly positive, with many praising how it preserves the all‑ages humor and sharp dialogue that have defined the series from the start.
The emotional beats land as strongly as ever too, highlighted by a tree‑swing sequence that might be the franchise’s most affecting moment since Andy chose to pass on his toys. Toy Story 5 is a clear success and a likely awards‑season contender, marking Pixar’s full‑fledged return with a great new entry in its magnum opus franchise—earning an 85/100 from TwilightRoom, placing it fifth on this list and third among all Pixar releases this year.
2. Obsession
88.1/100 - Curry Barker
Now at a groundbreaking 370 million worldwide at the box office, Obsession finally comes to streaming as not only the best horror film of the year, perhaps the biggest cultural phenomenon of the year, and one of the most unique and successful independent films and stories in years. It’s a beacon of hope for what originality can still achieve in a film landscape dominated by adaptations and sequels, and one of the most inescapably unsettling theatrical experiences I’ve ever had. Whether it is the meticulous character work that keeps the audience constantly reassessing what feels right or wrong, the core concept that lingers in your mind long after the credits, or Inde Navarrette’s turn as Nikki, arguably one of the most remarkable horror performances in decades, the film felt like it had everything working in its favor from the moment it premiered at SXSW earlier this year.
As we move into the second half of the year, it is common for early‑season releases to get lost in the shuffle as awards hopefuls start to dominate the conversation. Obsession is clearly not one of those films. It remains one of the scariest theatrical experiences I’ve had in years, and it will not be easily forgotten, sitting second on this list with an 88/100 from TwilightRoom.
1. Project Hail Mary
97.2/100 - Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Our number one film of the year so far—and the title most likely to hold that spot through the back half of 2026—is Project Hail Mary, Prime Video’s sweeping sci‑fi adaptation starring Ryan Gosling. It’s a genuine surprise in how deftly it combines emotional heft, buddy‑movie humor, and a deeply engaging journey, all anchored by visuals that deliver some of the most distinctive and impactful theatrical moments we’ve seen in years. The film is currently sitting at 680 million dollars worldwide, a strong showing for a non‑franchise release. While it’s being talked about less now than it was during its March debut, Project Hail Mary still regularly appears in awards conversations as an Oscar frontrunner and stands out as a truly spectacular sci‑fi experience. Plenty of great films have opened since March and now fill out most of this list, but Project Hail Mary remains the standout experience for us at TwilightRoom. Its massive scale, deft blend of genres, and lasting emotional impact make it a film we won’t be forgetting any time soon, and it comfortably holds our top spot so far with a 97/100 from TwilightRoom.
