Top 10 Best Movies of 2026 So Far — From Super Mario Galaxy to the Year's Most Underrated Gem

The Best Movies of 2026 (So Far) — Our Top Picks

If 2025 was an unusually phenomenal year for cinema, 2026 isn't letting us down. We're only halfway through the year, and the movie lineup has already delivered massive blockbusters, surprising indie hits, and a few absolute masterpieces. Here's our rundown of the 10 best movies of 2026 so far — from animated spectacles to gut-wrenching dramas.

The Standout Hits

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie didn't just break records — it absolutely demolished them, becoming Hollywood's first $1 billion movie of 2026. Chris Pratt and Jack Black returned to voice Mario and Bowser, but it's Anya Taylor-Joy's Princess Peach that stole every scene. The cosmic visuals are something you genuinely need to see on the big screen.

Project Hail Mary is the other giant this year. Starring Ryan Gosling as astronaut Ryland Grace, this adaptation of Andy Weir's beloved sci-fi novel pulled in $656 million at the box office before landing on streaming. Director Phil Lord and Christopher Miller somehow made a movie about a guy alone in space with an alien incredibly emotional. Yeah, we cried. No shame.

The Critics' Darlings

The highest Rotten Tomatoes-scored movie of 2026 just hit theaters this week, and it's already getting that "best film of the year" energy. While we won't spoil which one it is (go find out yourself), the audience score is nearly as high as the critic score — which basically never happens.

On the genre front, 2026 has been a killer year for sci-fi. Movies like Sinners directed by Ryan Coogler and the latest from Denis Villeneuve have pushed the boundaries of what blockbuster sci-fi can do. Even horror had a moment — there's a near-perfect RT score horror movie that critics are calling the scariest film since Hereditary.

Don't Sleep on These

A few movies flew under the radar but absolutely deserve your time. Disclosure Day, Steven Spielberg's latest, is a tense corporate thriller that feels way too relevant. The Devil Wears Prada 2 brought Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway back, and honestly? It's just as sharp as the original.

And Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey is shaping up to be his most ambitious film yet — IMAX footage shot in actual Mediterranean locations, with Matt Damon and Tom Holland leading an ensemble cast.

The bottom line: 2026 is already delivering, and we've still got summer blockbusters, the rest of Nolan's epic, and the holiday season to go. Grab some popcorn — it's going to be a great year for movies.