This year has been quite the cinematic surprise; the horror genre is more popular than ever, legacy sequels and long-gestating adaptations have proven their worth in quality (though many have suffered at the box office), and original cinema is on the upswing for the first time in decades! For once, a future where peaceful coexistence between franchise fare and fresh stories doesn’t feel quite as much of a fantasy. Today, we will be examining ten of those films that have so far taken their place as our Midyear Top 10 of 2026.
10. Backrooms
You might think the most terrifying thing imaginable is a monster or ghost or demon. But in truth, it’s something that looks uncomfortably close to our reality but is just different enough to unnerve you. The idea of liminal spaces became quite popular due to eerie photos posted across 4chan and Reddit that have spiraled into an enormous community of unnerving and endless worlds of “backrooms.” Kane Parsons took this idea and crafted a successful YouTube series full of terror and thought. A24 saw the potential and scope of this series, and gave less than $10 million to that young man to make a feature film at the age of 19. When you watch Backrooms for the first time, many things run through your head. What the hell am I doing with my life when a 19-year-old is crafting something so impressive? How long would it take me to lose my sanity amongst the labyrinthian corridors of this unnerving space? Would I get lost in the titular backrooms? Parsons accomplished something truly special with Backrooms, and that is creating a fully realized world that feels so tangible and real. Say what you will about many parts of the film, but no one can take away from the vision of the actual backrooms space (Academy Award nomination for Production Design…you cowards!). Parsons’ film is an effective experience that is haunting and unnerving due to its pure atmosphere. The opening found footage sequence is excellent horror filmmaking, full of tension and terror. That is replicated whenever Parsons and cinematographer Jeremy Cox return to that space. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve channel their immense talents in bringing a pair of flawed and tortured individuals to life, and their therapist/client dynamic feels both familiar and disconcerting. There is one sequence that is downright twisted and horrific, and most of it is accomplished through a two-way role-play (with a unique audience). The narrative could have been more fleshed out, and maybe the film awkwardly over-explains some key elements, but there is still something unique and imposing about Backrooms. That certainly becomes quite obvious when former basketball player and imposing creature actor Robert Bobroczkyi strolls on into this hellscape. Identity, trauma, and perception are the core of this film, and Parsons’ first feature will be remembered for its grand design and atmosphere. (Shane Conto)
9. Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Gore Verbinski returns to the big-screen fold with an extraordinarily ambitious sci-fi/action comedy that revels in the absurd and balances a horde of ideas inside a mammoth beast that manages to be just as fun as it is exciting. Sam Rockwell introduces us to this surreal, quasi-dystopian world as the unnamed Man from the Future, who enters an LA diner raving about the end of the world. He recruits some of the diner patrons for a mysterious quest, which will erase his horrific future (in which humanity has become shells of their former selves) in favor of a brighter tomorrow where the malevolent AI is not a threat. This is the first proper “AI revolution” movie – we’ve had films where AI is the villain, but Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die feels very much aware of the current moment and widespread sentiment in an on-point (if frequently over-the-top) way. It doesn’t frame AI as nebulous future tech that might screw us over one day — that is, in fact, what is currently happening, but what’s worse is that so many of us know it…and we’re not doing anything about it. We can do better, and the film posits that we must. That being said, the movie is also extremely entertaining. The observational humor is sharp and hysterical, the cast is wonderful together (Rockwell, Haley Lu Richardson, and Juno Temple are particular standouts), and it has a hell of a ticking clock that promises an incredibly memorable finale. It’s one of those movies that the odds are constantly against (it’s original, innovative, and bizarrely watchable), that makes you wonder how it even got made, and gives you hope for the future of blockbuster filmmaking. (Rowan Wood)
Available to stream on Hulu.
8. Hokum
What was the moment when Hokum crawled up into your darkest nightmares? I am sure that teaser with Jack the Jackass (who is totally not a rabbit…interestingly enough) grabbed your attention. Hokum is a horror film that is never quite what it seems or what you expect. Going into the film, not much was known about the plot to Damian McCarthy’s latest film. Adam Scott portrays Ohm Bauman, a prickish author who is struggling to finish a conquistador novel when he makes a trip to Ireland to spread his parents’ ashes. McCarthy fills the narrative with folk horror elements regarding witches, but things become quite concerning when Ohm finds out that the young woman who was actually kind to him and saved his life goes missing. McCarthy shows yet again that he has a great eye for tension, horror, and indelible imagery. From the opening scene, McCarthy captures strokes of terror with haunting imagery and looming terror. But what is most compelling about Hokum is the tightrope game that he walks when telling this twisted tale. Is there truly a witch at the heart of this terror-infused tale? Is this all just smoke and mirrors to cover up something dark yet deeply human? This might not have the cleanest or clearest execution, but it is never short of legitimately terrifying moments. Scott is the anchoring piece of the film, as he goes from a true, effortlessly authentic jerk to a vulnerable man who finally can break free from the trauma of his past. There are some truly poignant moments, too, especially when Ohm’s past comes to light and Scott captures that revelation so poignantly. David Wilmot is an excellent supporting member of the cast as the local “weirdo” who actually sees the dark twisted world of folklore for what it truly is. Florence Ordesh is only in the film for the beginning of the story, but her natural charisma is a welcomed addition to the film. When you take a step back, you realize that much of this narrative is a one-location bottle of pent-up terror. The production design of this suite that Ohm finds himself trapped in is expertly realized, and opens the door for all types of unnerving scares. McCarthy’s effort after Oddity might not be as focused or lean, but it is still quite the unnerving and twisted experience that highlights his strengths as a horror filmmaker. (Shane Conto)
7. Send Help
You have to hand it to Sam Raimi for making a pretty incredible survival horror movie that is also funny and saying so much about the current state of “haves” and “have nots” with gender in the workplace. Equally as impressive is how Send Help manages to make Rachel McAdams both the most likeable and unlikeable person all in the span of two hours. Send Help tells a compelling story of two coworkers, Linda (McAdams), who will go down in history as an Annie Wilkes-style character that will give you chills, and Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), the epitome of the douchebag boss everyone encounters at least once in their lives. Separately, they both carve out their characters expertly and give performances of their careers, but together, they form a tandem that stretches the definition of good versus bad. The limits that they physically push themselves to after the plane crash is one thing, but the mental toll being exerted on the island is the real story. Raimi shoots the film beautifully, and gets the most out of all his performers. This is the best he’s been in years, and in a year where horror has dominated some of the best of lists so far, this is another standout. (Mike Hilty)
Available to stream on Hulu.
6. The Sheep Detectives
Big studios have spent so much money on live-action remakes that are really just a couple of people (if any) surrounded by CGI creatures, and they usually fall flat – and always fall short of the animated original. If you’re determined to give me CGI-heavy live-action family movies, I’d rather see a new story with heart and a distinct tone than a straight remake of a far superior animated movie. The Sheep Detectives balances out the sensitive, dark material with fun moments of comedy without sacrificing the impact of either. While the entire ensemble cast has their moments, it is Nicolas Braun who made me laugh the most. He’s often typecast as a bumbling dork, which I’m personally fine with, because he plays it very well. With Braun providing levity as the incompetent cop, it’s the flock of sheep assisting him, headed up by clever but sheltered Lily (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus), that serve as the film’s emotional core. The voice cast for the sheep, full of familiar voices (including Rhys Darby, Regina Hall, and Bryan Cranston), provides a strong foundation for all of the expressive and well-characterized sheep. The performances are only bolstered by the solid visual effects that kept the sheep feeling true enough to real life without stripping them of their ability to convey nuance or emotion. The film’s trailer practically screams “your mom will love this movie,” and I am pleased to report that the execution lives up to the promise of a feel-good time for the whole family, with more complex discussions of grief and trauma than one might initially expect. (Davis Mathis)
Available to stream on Prime Video.
5. Disclosure Day
What a gift it is to receive another original science-fiction film from the greatest living director in the Year of our Lord 2026. The concept of our government hiding something as significant as the confirmation of alien life is a concept that feels as cinematically exciting as it does frighteningly plausible. Operating as a high-level conspiracy thriller with a few splashes of sci-fi tossed in the mix, Disclosure Day is a classic great time at the movies with what may be a career-best performance from Emily Blunt. From beginning to end, there is not a single wasted second of visual storytelling in Steven Spielberg’s framing, blocking, and editing choices. Whether it’s filming a character looking out the side-view mirror of his car, or playing with the reflections in an office building window, it is remarkable how Spielberg continues to find new ways of filming even the most potentially generic shots we’ve seen a million times before. At nearly 80 years old, Spielberg remains the most creative and economical visual storyteller of his generation, and despite operating in the undeniable tail-end of his storied career, he continues to direct movies with the energy of Sammy Fabelman picking up the camera for the very first time. (Foster Harlfinger)
4. Obsession
If there’s a horror film that’s infected the pop culture sphere more than any other this year, it absolutely must be Obsession. It’s a rags-to-riches success story that’s both as old as time and miraculous. Curry Barker came from a sketch comedy background, but each one of his features (Obsession only being his second, and his first in theaters) have all been horror films. Armed with a budget of less than a million dollars, Barker proceeded to make one of the most important and successful horror films of the 2020s, becoming the new biggest film in Focus Features’ history and a true pop culture phenomenon. People love it, and it’s easy to see why; it’s loaded with creative scares of all different kinds, including subtle background scares, uncomfortably tense situations, subtle shocks, and gory kills. Its style combines the subtle and artistic with the popcorn sensationalism without ever leaving behind either artistic creativity or genuine fun. The secret weapon of the movie that really lets it resonate as a story is its characters and thematic work. It fully and bitingly examines male insecurity, ego, and the projection of those things onto women in a way that is as accessible as it is truthful. One of my favorite online discussions is seeing at what point during the movie people clock who the true villain of the whole thing is, which seems to vary person to person in a fascinating way. The only way that’s possible in the first place is with very complex and believable performances from both Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, who both kill it far beyond expectations. Many flowers have rightly been showered all over Navarrette’s fierce portrayal, but I feel the real magic is between the two performers playing off one another. They have a horror version of the straight man to comedic foil dynamic that both heightens the drama and the tension of any given moment that is really special. Essays could be written on this movie, and in the future I’m sure that many will be. (May Honey)
3. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later was a much-needed shot in the arm for franchise filmmaking — a bastion of creativity and originality in an increasingly desolate wasteland of AI-generated content, streaming service slop, and legacy sequels. Passing the torch to Nia DaCosta was a genuine risk, given the departure from Boyle’s distinct visual flair as well as DaCosta’s mixed results when directing franchise films (Candyman, The Marvels). Not only did DaCosta deliver a sequel so profoundly memorable and affecting, she did so in a way that maintained her directorial voice. The Bone Temple does not feel like a Danny Boyle film, but it is unmistakably a 28 Days film with its capacity for human empathy shining through the film’s bleak, apocalyptic surface. And if that weren’t enough, Dr. Ian Kelson has instantly entered the conversation for one of the best horror protagonists of all time with Ralph Fiennes delivering yet another in a long line of all-time great performances. (Foster Harlfinger)
Available to stream on Netflix.
2. Project Hail Mary
I’m starting to wonder if Ryan Gosling can do no wrong when it comes to his film choices. In Project Hail Mary, Gosling plays a microbiologist charged with finding a way to save the world from the dying sun. Along with horror, science-fiction is having an outstanding year, and this uplifting adaptation of Andy Weir’s popular novel proves that people are still clamoring for watching an outstanding movie in the theaters. Ryland Grace (Gosling) is one of the most likeable characters of the year. Lord and Miller were the best choice to direct this movie, and Drew Goddard’s script blends humor, emotion, and gravity in the best ways possible. Gosling is the star of this movie through and through, and he can do anything here – whether he needs to be funny, sad, inspiring, strong, or everything in between, Gosling performs with such grace (see what I did there?) and poise. I hope that he gets some awards consideration for this role, as his presence is instrumental for the film’s mastery of tone; he has carried Project Hail Mary to glory, both critically and at the box office. Also, bringing “Whoomp, There It Is” back into the pop culture lexicon might single-handedly make this the movie of the year. (Mike Hilty)
Available to stream on Prime Video as of July 3.
1. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
It’s time to be blunt – one of our greatest, most ingenious, contemporary directors is in their prime and you’re all missing it. Matt Johnson is an incredible living font of cinema history who imbues his knowledge into crafting some of the most unique, gripping, and wholly entertaining films being released today. In recent years, Johnson has turned his eye towards biographies, with the release of BlackBerry in 2023 and Tony set to release later this year (That’s right, we’re getting two Johnson films released in the same calendar year!), but with Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie, Johnson is returning to his roots by releasing a mockumentary for the ages that serves as a legacy sequel to his self-produced late aughts web series, Nirvana the Band the Show. Don’t worry, by the way, if you’ve never seen the original show. It’s not necessary. In fact, you could make the argument that you will have a better experience if you go in knowing nothing at all. So I’ll just give you the basics – Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is about a two-man band, the titular Nirvanna the Band, who seek to play a show at a local Toronto bar called the Rivoli. But, in failing to secure a gig, the duo decide to come up with more and more outrageous plans to make their dreams come true to disastrous ends. By disastrous, I mean hilarious. Because this is an uproarious comedy full of high-concept insanity and real-world mockumentary tomfoolery. At so many points throughout this film you’ll sit there and wonder to yourself, “Is this real?,” “How did they even do this?,” and “I can’t believe they made this!” as shenanigans ensue. Do yourself the favor of going into this as blind as possible, surrounded by as many friends as possible, and prepare to laugh. Because, in the end, this amounts to a sidesplittingly funny and impressively inventive love letter to both film and friendship that all can appreciate. Move over, Citizen Kane. The new greatest movie ever made is here. (Heath Lynch)
Available to stream on Hulu as of July 24.
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