Picked by Chris Ryan
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple 2026
Nia DaCosta's follow-up to Danny Boyle. A grief-soaked Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell two-hander that trades kinetics for dread.
The Big Picture · Roundtable · Interview · Top Five
The 10 Best Movies of 2026 … So Far
June 29, 2026/ 160 min/ Sean Fennessey · Amanda Dobbins
The mid-year check-in. Sean and Amanda round up a group of Ringer critics, and each one makes the case for a single favorite film of 2026 so far, from blockbusters to indies to one controversial pick. There's a running bit: whoever answered the group text last lost their #1 to Rob Mahoney. It closes with Sean's conversation with John Early about his directorial debut.
17 films across 3 segments.
The picks one critic, one film
Picked by Joanna Robinson
Project Hail Mary 2026
Lord & Miller; Ryan Gosling and Rocky the puppet. The year's 'movies are back' hit, with a real supporting-actor case for its puppeteer.
Picked by Charles Holmes
The Furious 2026
A $20M martial-arts set-piece machine where the choreography is the story, building to a delirious five-way split-frame finale.
Picked by Mallory Rubin
Disclosure Day 2026
Spielberg's divisive UFO movie, less about aliens than about what haunts a kid into adulthood. A knockout Emily Blunt.
Picked by Van Lathan
Masters of the Universe 2026
His real #1 (The Drama) got sniped, so: a flawed, earnest He-Man that lands 'I have the power' hard enough to move him anyway.
Picked by Adam Nayman
Maddie's Secret 2026
John Early's debut: Douglas Sirk by way of a Lifetime movie, camp with real feeling. Sincere and satirical at once.
Picked by Yasi Salek
Backrooms 2026
A24's post-language liminal-space horror born from a 4chan meme, a Rorschach test that rewards not knowing the lore.
Picked by Rob Mahoney
The Drama 2026
The episode's 'villain,' who stole nearly everyone's pick. A gall-filled anti-rom-com about the unknowability of a partner.
Picked by Jack Sanders
Blue Heron 2026
Sophie Romvari's tender debut about a family and its difficult kid, told through a younger sister's memory. Extraordinary sound design.
Picked by Amanda Dobbins
Obsession 2026
The $300M horror phenomenon, funnier and smarter than she expected, and an education in what the genre can be. A titanic Indy Navarrete.
Picked by Sean Fennessey
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie 2026
Matt Johnson's absurdist, secretly poignant comedy about looking back at who you used to be. His movie of the year, seen three times.
In conversation
John Early on
Maddie's Secret
Sean sits down with the writer-director about his feature debut and its Sirk / Todd Haynes / John Waters DNA, the freedom of making a movie with no notes, and why he wants to prioritize filmmaking going forward.
Sean's running top fivereleased, so far
Also mentioned raised along the way
2026 films raised in passing The DramaSheep DetectivesToy Story 5Send HelpMiroirs No. 3Mother MaryTunerFjordPaper TigerClub KidOnce Upon a Time in HarlemThe OdysseySpider-Man: Brand New DayMoanaThe Devil Wears Prada 2The Death of Robin Hood
Spielberg & sci-fi touchstones E.T. the Extra-TerrestrialClose Encounters of the Third KindWar of the WorldsIndiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal SkullThe Fabelmans
Horror & the canon Get OutFatal AttractionThe Sixth SenseScreamFriday the 13thA Nightmare on Elm StreetCandymanThe RaidCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Comedy & drama name-checked BarbieBlue ValentineThey Came TogetherWet Hot American SummerMay DecemberShowgirlsConclaveAvengers: EndgameAftersunTrapToni ErdmannOne Battle After AnotherThe Little ThingsTenetPonyoMy Neighbor Totoro
From the John Early interview Clock WatchersA New LeafThe Brady Bunch MovieRomy and Michele's High School ReunionSuddenly, Last SummerMarnie
Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads
TV Superman & LoisSearch PartyLove3 Body ProblemAndor
Games FIFA World CupSuper Mario Galaxy
Ads Netflix FIFA World CupGoogle AIOlipop