I have continued my theatrical trips and watched a lot of films since the last post.
Here's my updated best of 2026 list (highlighted are new additions):
- Project Hail Mary
- Obsession
- The Drama
- 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
- Hokum
- Hoppers
- Crime 101
- Send Help
- Mortal Kombat II
- Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
- Iron Lung
- Lee Cronin's The Mummy
- GOAT
- How to Make a Killing
- The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- The Bride!
I also watched the 4K restoration IMAX release of Katsuhito Otomo's Akira from Anime Limited in April which was a good time and the first time I saw the entire film in Japanese with English subtitles.
In addition I also watched a few 2025 films that don't make the list due to receiving their theatrical releases last year
Sang-il Lee's
Kokuho which was a fantastic near 3-hour film going over kabuki and the journey one man takes to become the best performer in the scene whilst dealing with the relationships with the people around him as he gets older. The director made Yurusarezaru Mono in 2013 which is one of my favourite Japanese films so I'm glad to check this one out. Vue have exclusive theatrical rights so I had to visit the Vue York in order to see the film. No word on home video but US distributor GKIDS have the US/CA rights.
4.5/5
Genki Kawamura's
Exit 8 was a pretty solid adaptation of the well-received indie puzzle horror game. Taking a simple premise and turning it into a theatrical film worked out for the most part. The camera work and one-take style presentations were very good, and while the story was very simple it kept me intrigued from start to finish with some emotional beats in one part. It's not going to win any awards but definitely one of the better adaptations of video games around. Vertigo Releasing distributed the film for the UK and will be available on Blu-ray this June.
3.5/5
Paolo Sorrentino's
La Grazia is a different kind of film from the ones that I generally watch but I was invested by Toni Servillo's character who gives an excellent performance portraying someone who's conflicted on what he wants to do next during the final days of his political career. The music was strangely good, like a modern version of Darude's Sandstorm in a good way, and I absolutely loved the final act of the film and how it all comes together. Not a film for general audiences but if you want a solid modern slice-of-life type Italian film then its worth checking out. MUBI distributed the film for the UK and atm is currently exclusive to its streaming platform.
4/5
Let's go over the new additions to the list!
#1: Obsession
Obsession is one that I've been thinking about ever since I watched it last night. The screening was nearly full which for an 18 rating was pretty impressive. The latest horror film also from a YouTuber but one that will no doubt stick with you for a good amount of time. The performances were absolutely fantastic, especially from Inde Navarrette who gives off the unsettling creepy vibe throughout. The best parts of the film for me was the way it ultilises the lighting and shadows for its presentation, because it captures the creepy vibes that the girl gives out but also to showcase the dark side of granting a wish. Plus on top of that, the audio and sound effects were very effective, very reminiscent of how survival horror games use it when something sinister is closeby.
Worth noting the film is presented in 4:3 format and the soundtrack does give off a 90s/00s setting vibe but I think helps with the tone of the film. As someone who doesn't really get scared or jump scared with horror films these days, Obsession is the first film since Final Destination to really scare me throughout because it takes such a simple idea and elevate it to such an unnerving level of dread and tension.
In fact if you are someone who's experienced trauma/suffered from domestic violence in any shape I advise caution if you do plan to watch this as it's pretty uncomfortable. I personally don't have any flaws with the film because even though the main character does make a number of questionable choices, when you think about it from his perspective his actions make complete sense (and the best comparison I can give without spoiling is like having to deal with the five stages of grief, but in his case denial/reality).
If you need to check out trailers beforehand I highly recommend just the Teaser Trailer 1 & 2 videos as they perfectly capture what you can expect without giving away too much. Despite being released in 2025 due to film festivals, as the worldwide release was this month I'm counting it towards my Best Films of 2026 list.
Universal Pictures distributed the film and will no doubt receive a home video release later in the year.
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 4.5/5.
#2: The Drama
From director Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario) comes a film about a couple about to get married but one person's past caused conflict with the people around her. The Drama was a mesmerising film to watch because I was heavily invested in the drama going on and it's a great take on how people react to someone's controversial past. Zendaya and Robert Pattinson both did a amazing job with their performances and felt believable especially from the latter who goes through so many emotions to figure out how to deal with what he had just witnessed.
One interesting takeaway I got from this film is that the other characters also go through their controversial experiences but are treated like a causal joke but hypocritically treat the other with the opposite response even though her's wasn't as bad as you might expect, especially as the film explored more about her backstory and how it led up to the current moment. The film ends on a really great note as well.
A24 distributed the film with Entertainment Film Distributors handling the UK theatrical & home video release.
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 4.5/5.
#3: Hokum
A horror story centered on Irish folklore and witchcraft. Hokum takes its time with its pacing, as the film begins with you exploring Adam Scott's character who's a writer dealing with some personal issues and how he's introduced to the rest of the cast at this Irish accommodation, but as soon as the second act begins it all comes together to an entertaining arthouse horror style experience that to me felt like a mix of Alan Wake's tone and storytelling and Resident Evil's isolation and puzzle solving.
The presentation was great as well and while there's a lot of dark scenes I do think it adds to the horror as you know there's something going on in the background. I also enjoyed how the film opens up during the rest of the film as you think it would go one way and then another event shows up. Plus the ending was great as well. Definitely one of my favourite films of the year so far.
Black Bear distributed the film for the UK and is coming to home video but hopefully in 4K (only Blu-ray is listed so far).
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 4/5.
#4: Mortal Kombat II
Before watching this film, I watched the 2021 film a day before via Prime Video which was a good time but definitely had issues throughout. This second film is a big improvement in a lot of areas. First things first, the action is much better with a lot of great fights and in most cases many unpredictable outcomes which lead to some interesting results. Karl Urban as Johnny Cage and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana both are the co-leads of the film and each do a great job with their performances.
The setting and designs were great too, as the film takes inspiration from Mortal Kombat II. The fatalities were brutal but not as crazy as you would expect from the games. A lot of fun moments throughout and the story is good, but does take a bit of a backseat at times due to the non-stop action throughout. I'm intrigued to see where they go next with the third film.
Warner Bros & New Line Cinema distributed the film and will no doubt receive a home video release later in the year.
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 3.5/5, though many may consider this a 3/5.
#5: Lee Cronin's The Mummy
This film before its release had some pretty mixed reactions with some claiming its going to be terrible , but honestly it's nowhere near as bad as you might think. Lee Cronin's The Mummy is such a weird film to talk about because it has a bit of an identity crisis due to numerous adaptations of the story throughout cinema, like the beloved The Mummy trilogy with Brendan Fraser. I would say the best way to go into this film is to treat it like an unofficial spin-off to The Evil Dead franchise because the two share a lot in common when it comes to demonic possession and dark/weird humour.
I will say that everything related to the Egypt setting was great and I loved the direction they went with that, plus the actress who plays the detective was interesting too. The family dynamic honestly works but there are some inconsistencies with their actions throughout the film that does frustrate you at times and common sense does go out of the window. The horror side though was very well done with a lot of unsettling scenes, weirdness and a final act that is bonkers. I think the film could do with more death scenes as there's a lot of missed opportunities to up the stakes with the situation.
Like many have stated, the film was surprisingly long clocking in at over two hours but the pacing was pretty decent. I can see the middle act being trimmed if they wanted to speed up the pace. The film also holds your hand with the 'Tell don't show' model which I don't mind but those sort of characters who do the explanation become one-dimensional as a result, which is why I think the film would have worked much better if they kept everything within Egypt and use that setting/environment to up the tension and stakes instead (and use the police offer to handle the exposition parts more). So yeah, it's interesting but the flaws are there.
Warner Bros & New Line Cinema distributed the film and will no doubt receive a home video release later in the year.
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 3/5.
Also watched:
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Nintendo and Universal come together to produce another Mario film. The first one was honestly decent and a good way to introduce the characters but here its like they've taken Warner Bros's approach with the DC Extended Universe and rush the second film just to get to the good parts. There's definitely good parts sprinkled throughout the film with Bowser's character going through a pretty solid arc of being a good person and trying to appeal to his son, there's Brie Larson who voices Rosalina really well but her appearance is barely around which is annoying considering she's supposed to be a crucial character in Super Mario Galaxy's story. Donald Glover as Yoshi is random but works, and Glen Powell as Fox McCloud was a very fun addition to the roster.
The film's main issues comes from a number of areas; there's too much going on and not much story, Mario is pretty weak as a main lead and he's definitely the weakest in terms of the voice performances, there's way too many call-backs to the games so it feels more focused on that than quality and substance (though R.O.B's scenes were perfect not going to lie), and because they rushed straight to the Super Mario Galaxy story they missed an opportunity to adapt the previous Super Mario games into a film of its own that would have fleshed out those characters more to make this one work more.
As a children's film it's entertaining but as a proper film it's a mixed bag. I do think they could have done more but instead they know they don't need to put much effort into it because it'll make billions of dollars anyway.
Upon first viewing I gave the film a 2.5/5.
My 2026 cinema experience so far:
Films that are on my radar to watch at the cinema this year:
- Avengers: Doomsday
- Backrooms
- Clayface
- The Death of Robin Hood
- Disclosure Day
- Dune Part Three
- EVIL DEAD BURN
- Forgotten Worlds
- The Furious
- Godzilla Minus Zero
- Ice Cream Man
- Jumanji: Open World
- Masters of the Universe
- The Odyssey
- Resident Evil
- Scary Movie
- The Social Reckoning
- Spider-Man: Brand New Day
- Street Fighter
- Supergirl
- Toy Story 5
