ZekeFilm Writers Pick the Top Movies of 2026 (Released Before The Odyssey)
Going to the movies: It’s cool again!
Anecdotally, I’m convinced people are returning because of the previews before Project Hail Mary, though perhaps that’s giving a single movie too much of the credit. The box office is the strongest it’s been since before the pandemic, with two movies (The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael) already crossing $1 billion in global sales. Even before (almost) sure things like The Odyssey and yet another Spider-man have been released, overall ticket sales are pacing 7% up year over year. The Wall Street Journal also noted “Hollywood has released more movies than in any year since 2019,” including two YouTube-launched movies (Backrooms and Obsession), now in the worldwide top 10 highest-grossers for the year and signaling a new pipeline of storytellers on the big screen.
Eleven of our writers started picking their favorite films of the year (so far) in late June, ending up nominating 26 films individually. (Last year at this time, we nominated fewer than 20 films individually, which supports the narrative of this year’s strong and wide crop.) Our favorites include action, animated, comedy, documentary, horror, romance, science fiction, and thriller films. We’ve picked franchise sequels, book adaptations, and original stories. And because we were so enthusiastic, a few of them tied within our top five.
Based on all of the exciting stats above, there’s a good chance you’ve already seen all of our top five movies of the year. But just in case, these are the titles we recommend you don’t miss. —Taylor Blake
ZekeFilm’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. (Tie) Obsession
While I recognized that it had a good script and believable performances, the fact is I did not think much of Obsession after my initial viewing. I thought it was a fine horror film with some laughs, and that’s about it. I am so very happy that I was asked to write about the film for ZekeFilm, because it forced me to reexamine the film and my reaction to it. By the time I finished my review, I had gained a new level of respect for the layered work of writer/director Curry Barker. Obsession is a disturbing look at autonomy and avarice, wrapped in the trappings of a classic “Monkey’s Paw” story. The ensemble cast all do a great job in bringing their characters to life, but ultimately this is a showcase for the impressive talent of Inde Navarrette. —Max Foizey
1. (Tie) Project Hail Mary
Aside from some inconsistent pacing, there’s only a lot to love in Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s space epic. This is the kind of movie star part Hollywood has thrived on since the beginning, and Ryan Gosling reminds us here why the camera has loved him for the more than two decades. Also keeping this anxiety-fueled voyage from getting sucked into a black hole of misery: It looks darn lovely, which isn’t a given for outer space onscreen. At one point I found myself wondering, “How did they do that?” and then realized how rarely that comes to mind at the movies anymore. Just a few months after its release, this already feels like a part of the 21st century sci-fi canon. —Taylor Blake
3. Disclosure Day
One of the loveliest things about discussing Steven Spielberg is you can’t overstate his impact or his prowess. One of the loveliest things about Disclosure Day is he is still at the height of his powers as a storyteller, thrill maker, and idea man. Does anyone know how to make a car chase, train crash, and mind control more exciting and cohesive? This is the best movie I’ve seen this year because it offers more than a twisty alien conspiracy, and no sci-fi work has left me thinking so much and feeling so hopeful since Arrival a decade ago. —Taylor Blake
4. (Tie) 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
After 28 Years Later made a well-received return to this zombie post-apocalyptic world in 2025, there was some clear anticipation for its immediate follow-up. Nia DaCosta takes the director’s chair, and her creative vision and stunning cinematography only continues to breathe life into this decades-old franchise. Jimmy Crystal and his crew of satanic cultists are delightfully unhinged, and their inner dynamics are compelling as it offers a fascinating view into how the people of this world attempt to make sense of their disjointed reality. While this group has found refuge in committing murder in the name of a higher power to achieve salvation, the other intertwined plotline illuminates the heart of these films. Dr. Kelson’s attempts to cure the infected Samson drive home the intention laid out in 28 Days Later: that humanity is polluted by flaws, but it is our moments of humanity that create meaning and memory in this life. Sprinkle in a few killer needledrops and a jaw-dropping seance sequence guaranteed to entertain, and this sequel dares to go toe-to-toe with its predecessors. With the conclusion to this trilogy looming in the near future, this franchise is far from (un)dead. —Claire Meisch
4. (Tie) Tuner
How does the hearing-impaired protégé of a jazz-loving piano tuner become the go-to safecracker for a gang of criminals? You’ll find out in Tuner, the first narrative feature film from notable documentarian Daniel Roher. I do not know anything about what it takes to be a professional piano tuner nor do I know anything about what it takes to be a professional safecracker, so watching Tuner was quite the education. Starring the likeable Leo Woodall, the bewitching Havana Rose Liu, and a scene-stealing Dustin Hoffman, this is one of those films where the characters feel so much like real people that you’re sure their lives continue on after the film’s conclusion. —Max Foizey
These are ZekeFilm contributors’ individually submitted Top Fives of 2026 (So Far)…
Sharon Authenrieth’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Obsession
2. Send Help
3. I Love Boosters
4. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
5. Hokum
Taylor Blake’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Disclosure Day
2. Tuner
3. Project Hail Mary
4. Toy Story 5
5. The Devil Wears Prada 2
Madeline Brophy-Andrus‘s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Obsession
2. The Drama
3. Project Hail Mary
4. Disclosure Day
5. “Wuthering Heights”
Honorable mentions: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Backrooms, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Hokum, The Bride!, Send Help
Max Foizey’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Project Hail Mary
2. Tuner
3. Obsession
4. The Devil Wears Prada 2
5. We Bury the Dead
Paul Hibbard’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Resurrection
2. Sound of Falling
3. The Drama
4. Obsession
5. Disclosure Day
Jeffrey Knight’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2. Send Help
3. The Sheep Detectives
4. Disclosure Day
5. The Furious
Claire Meisch’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Leviticus
2. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
3. Pillion
4. Project Hail Mary
5. Disclosure Day
Scott Montgomery’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. The Sheep Detectives
An entertaining comic whodunnit with talking animals on the case that also serves as poignant meditation on how we deal with death and carry the departed with us. It literally made me laugh and made me cry.
2. Tuner
An engaging character-driven crime drama about a piano tuner with perfect pitch who gets drawn into being a safecracker for a crew of home invaders. Every character in this film is distinctive. We understand who each of them are and how that drives them. Director and co-writer Daniel Roher has me engaged in his day job as well as his criminal one. The bad guys have that Elmore Leonard quality of often being funny one moment and vicious the next. Like a good crime novel, it feels grounded and real.
3. The Drama
Pitch black romantic comedy about a bride’s secret that unravels her groom. Great for those of us who love to cringe and laugh at the same time.
4. Obsession
Funny and terrifying at the same time, this is a great riff on “The Monkey’s Paw” with a great feel for our times. It introduces us to some exciting talent behind and in front of the camera.
5. The Furious
Sometimes you have to give in to the lizard brain, and this martial arts extravaganza following our two good guys demolishing a human trafficking ring one flying fist and kick at a time skillfully gives us an excuse. The five-way fight finale is worth the ticket alone.
Ethan Tarantella‘s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Mother Mary
2. The Bride!
3. Is God Is
4. I Love Boosters
5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Jim Tudor’s Best of 2026 (So Far)
1. Is God Is
2. EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
3. Stolen Kingdom
4. I Love Boosters
5. The Furious
