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Celluloid

Best Movies & TV of 2026 So Far

Already-aired titles only — ranked by transparent five-source Celluloid Score, grouped by countries in our catalog, with staff picks from every Celluloid critic. Last editorial refresh: . For the longer Chinese / Korean / Japanese wave, see Asia 2016–2026 (including 2026’s Perfect Crown).

Quick Answer: What are the best movies and TV shows of 2026 that have already aired?

As of July 22, 2026, the best-reviewed already-aired 2026 film on Celluloid is The Odyssey (90% Celluloid Score, United States). Among 2026 TV premieres, The Vampire Lestat leads at 88%. This hub ranks 73 released 2026 films across 18 countries in our catalog (31 countries sitewide) plus 32 2026 series — with named-critic staff picks from Kaiser Khan, Priya Sharma, Marcus Webb, Dr. Amara Okonkwo, and Sarah Chen.

How we ranked 2026

This hub ranks already-aired titles released January 2026 through today — not a wish list of trailers. Every film needs a 2026 release year, a published Celluloid Score, and must not be marked coming-soon. Unreleased MCU titles such as Avengers: Doomsday and Spider-Man: Brand New Day stay on Coming Soon until scores publish. The English-language slate leads the global chart (Project Hail Mary, The Backrooms, Michael); non-English sections surface only the most popular national leaders — Brazil’s Secret Agent, Korea’s King’s Warden, India’s Dhurandhar, France’s Nouvelle Vague, and Spain’s Sirāt — drawn from IMDb midyear lists, Empire, Metacritic midyear charts, and reported national box-office leaders, not a flood of every regional release.

TV rows use the same five-signal composite as show pages — Apple TV+’s Widow’s Bay and Netflix UK’s How to Get to Heaven from Belfast anchor the 2026 premiere chart. Country sections use the production country field on each title — the same taxonomy as By Country. For head-to-heads, open Compare. For weekly watch plans, see this weekend’s guide and the movies roundup / TV roundup.

Staff picks — every Celluloid critic

Specialty desks, not a single house voice. Each pick links to the scored title and the critic’s review when published.

  • Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    Project Hail Mary · Review

    Andy Weir adapted with Lord/Miller wit — Gosling and Rocky own the sci-fi crown with critic and audience lockstep.

  • Marcus Webb Horror & Genre Critic

    The Backrooms · Review

    Kane Parsons turns a meme into Certified Fresh studio horror — Ejiofor-grade liminal dread after January Bone Temple.

  • Dr. Amara Okonkwo World Cinema Editor

    The Secret Agent · Review

    Wagner Moura in Mendonça Filho 1977 Recife thriller — Brazil essential non-English theatrical alongside Korea King Warden.

  • Priya Sharma Indian Cinema Editor

    Dhurandhar: The Revenge · Review

    India #1 H1 box-office event — honest about the 68/92 critic–audience split on Ranveer Singh maximalist revenge epic.

  • Sarah Chen TV & Streaming Critic

    Widow's Bay · Review

    Apple TV+ 98% horror-comedy — Rhys as a mayor selling tourism on a cursed island leads IMDb and Empire midyear TV lists.

Top already-aired movies of 2026

73 released films scored on Celluloid — global chart before country breakdowns.

  1. The Odyssey

    United States · Christopher Nolan · Opened Jul 17, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Critics hail Nolan's Homer adaptation as a majestic IMAX spectacle and his highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes (95% from 400+ reviews), with a Metascore of 89 (universal acclaim). Audiences have gone further still — a 97% Popcornmeter and an A CinemaScore — even as some reviewers flag uneven pacing and emotional distance beneath the craft.

    90%
    Celluloid Celluloid Pick
  2. Project Hail Mary

    United States · Phil Lord & Christopher Miller · Opened Mar 20, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Phil Lord and Christopher Miller turn Andy Weir's bestseller into the year's most crowd-unifying sci-fi event — Ryan Gosling's everyman charm and Rocky the alien's unlikely friendship deliver a 95%/96% critic–audience lock that Metacritic and IMDb midyear lists both crowned essential.

    87%
    Celluloid Recommended
  3. Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert

    United States · Baz Luhrmann · Opened May 29, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Luhrmann's concert documentary is a 95%/90% critic–audience celebration — restored Vegas footage and IMAX sound design made Empire's documentary shortlist and gave Elvis's catalog its biggest theatrical spike in decades.

    85%
    Celluloid Recommended
  4. Rose of Nevada

    United Kingdom · Mark Jenkin · Opened Apr 24, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Mark Jenkin's analogue Cornish folk sci-fi is a near-unanimous 99% critic triumph — George MacKay and Callum Turner lend star gravity to a time-slip mystery Empire ranked among the year's finest UK theatricals.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  5. The Invite

    United States · Olivia Wilde · Opened Jun 26, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Critics have called this English-language remake of a Spanish stage-to-screen comedy a career-best showcase for its four leads, with particular praise for how deftly it pivots from farce to real emotional reckoning inside a single apartment.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  6. Blue Heron

    Canada · Sophy Romvari · Opened Apr 18, 2026 · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    Metacritic's top-scored 2026 limited release to date — a 96% critic darling with a 91 Metascore that Sarah Chen-types call Canada's answer to the year's intimate indie wave, even as its austere pacing keeps mainstream audiences at arm's length.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  7. Obsession

    United States · Curry Barker · Opened May 15, 2026 · Reviewed by Marcus Webb

    A Certified Fresh 94%/94% critic–audience hit: Curry Barker's monkey's-paw horror romance is praised as crowd-pleasing, darkly funny, and the rare Blumhouse original that Gen Z word-of-mouth turned into a $400M+ global phenomenon on a $750K budget.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  8. The Secret Agent

    Brazil · Kleber Mendonça Filho · Opened Jan 23, 2026 · Reviewed by Dr. Amara Okonkwo

    Wagner Moura's haunted lead and Kleber Mendonça Filho's Cannes-winning direction make this 93% political thriller the year's definitive Brazilian export — Metacritic midyear lists and Empire's world-cinema column both rank it among 2026's essential non-English theatricals.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  9. Rose

    Germany · Markus Schleinzer · Opened Apr 30, 2026 · Reviewed by Dr. Amara Okonkwo

    Sandra Hüller's Silver Bear-winning performance anchors a rigorously controlled, near-unanimously acclaimed period drama that critics have called one of the most disciplined and quietly devastating films of the year.

    83%
    Celluloid Recommended
  10. Hoppers

    United States · Daniel Chong · Opened Mar 6, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Daniel Chong's Pixar debut is a 94%/92% critic–audience lock — the beaver-consciousness comedy Empire and Variety both flagged as 2026's smartest family event, restoring Pixar's crowd-pleasing instincts after a shaky stretch.

    83%
    Celluloid Recommended
  11. Toy Story 5

    United States · Andrew Stanton · Opened Jun 19, 2026 · Reviewed by Kaiser Khan

    Proving that old toys can learn new tricks while reckoning with an era of endless screen time, Toy Story 5 largely sidesteps franchise fatigue by reaffirming that children everywhere still got a friend in these lovable characters.

    83%
    Celluloid Recommended
  12. The Furious

    Japan · Kenji Tanigaki · Opened Jun 5, 2026 · Reviewed by Dr. Amara Okonkwo

    Kenji Tanigaki's lean Japanese actioner hit 93% critics and 88% audiences — Xie Miao and Joe Taslim anchor the midyear martial-arts surprise that puts Hollywood chase films to shame.

    81%
    Celluloid Recommended

Best of 2026 by country on Celluloid

Countries with already-aired 2026 films in our catalog. Full archives: United States , Brazil , Canada , United Kingdom , Germany , Australia , Indonesia , Japan , South Korea , France , Spain , Hungary , China , Ireland , Nigeria , Turkey , Mexico , India .

United States 4 highlighted · 28 aired

Brazil 1 highlighted · 1 aired

Canada 2 highlighted · 2 aired

United Kingdom 4 highlighted · 5 aired

Germany 4 highlighted · 4 aired

Australia 1 highlighted · 1 aired

  • Leviticus 81% · Marcus Webb · Horror, Romance

Indonesia 4 highlighted · 6 aired

Japan 2 highlighted · 2 aired

South Korea 2 highlighted · 2 aired

  • The King's Warden 81% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Drama, History
  • HOPE 72% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Science Fiction, Thriller

France 1 highlighted · 1 aired

Spain 1 highlighted · 1 aired

  • Sirāt 80% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Drama

Hungary 1 highlighted · 1 aired

China 1 highlighted · 1 aired

Ireland 1 highlighted · 1 aired

Nigeria 2 highlighted · 2 aired

Turkey 4 highlighted · 6 aired

  • Kanto 75% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Drama, Mystery
  • Çatlı 65% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Biography, Crime
  • Efes'in Sırrı 51% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Family, Fantasy
  • Kardeş Takımı 3 45% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Adventure, Comedy

Mexico 4 highlighted · 6 aired

  • Flies 74% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Drama, Comedy
  • México 86 61% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Comedy, Drama
  • Socias por Accidente 60% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Comedy, Drama
  • Venganza 57% · Dr. Amara Okonkwo · Action, Crime

India 3 highlighted · 3 aired

Best TV shows of 2026 so far

Series that premiered in 2026 — Sarah Chen’s streaming desk. Scores use the same composite as film pages.

  1. The Vampire Lestat

    AMC+ · United States

    Audacious, sung-through-with-blood television — a gothic rock opera that hands Sam Reid the role of a lifetime and turns Anne Rice's mythology into the year's most rapturous reinvention.

    88%
    Celluloid Recommended
  2. Widow's Bay

    Apple TV+ · United States · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A 98% Tomatometer horror-comedy that critics call outlandish and precise — Rhys's dry mayoral panic and Dippold's genre tightrope make Widow's Bay the 2026 Apple premiere IMDb and Empire midyear lists keep ranking first.

    87%
    Celluloid Recommended
  3. Margo's Got Money Troubles

    Apple TV+ · United States · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A 96% Certified Fresh family dramedy — Fanning, Pfeiffer, and Offerman make OnlyFans logistics feel human, landing high on Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes midyear TV lists without tipping into pity porn.

    86%
    Celluloid Recommended
  4. How to Get to Heaven from Belfast

    Netflix · United Kingdom · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    Lisa McGee's post-Derry Girls thriller-comedy landed at 95% critics with Netflix's strongest UK launch of 2026 — Empire and IMDb midyear TV lists both treat it as the year's essential Belfast story.

    85%
    Celluloid Recommended
  5. A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

    HBO Max · United States

    Smaller, kinder and more soulful than its franchise siblings — a winning two-hander proving Westeros doesn't need dragons to soar, just a good knight, a sharp squire and a stubborn conscience.

    84%
    Celluloid Recommended
  6. Teach You a Lesson

    Netflix · South Korea

    A gleefully pulpy revenge fantasy with a real wound underneath — its bureau-of-vigilante-teachers premise shouldn't work, but committed turns from Kim Moo-yul and Lee Sung-min make the catharsis land.

    83%
    Celluloid Recommended
  7. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed

    Apple TV+ · United States · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A Certified Fresh 93% summer surprise: Tatiana Maslany leads a twistedly funny whodunit that critics praise for pacing, tonal control, and the rare thriller that earns both laughs and genuine stakes.

    82%
    Celluloid Recommended
  8. Bait

    Prime Video · United Kingdom

    An audacious, formally restless satire that skewers fame, race and the Bond machine with lacerating wit — Riz Ahmed packs more ideas into six half-hours than most series manage in a season, and nearly all of them land.

    81%
    Celluloid Recommended
  9. Star City

    Apple TV+ · United States

    A spinoff with its own gravity — Star City trades For All Mankind's NASA optimism for hushed corridors and creeping dread, and the result is arguably the franchise's most gripping stretch yet, led by a tremendous Rhys Ifans.

    81%
    Celluloid Recommended
  10. The Testaments

    Hulu · United States

    Less punishing and more propulsive than its predecessor, The Testaments finds a fresh angle on Gilead through younger eyes — anchored by Ann Dowd's return and a breakout Chase Infiniti, it earns a place beside The Handmaid's Tale rather than in its shadow.

    81%
    Celluloid Recommended
  11. Can This Love Be Translated?

    Netflix · South Korea · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A sleek, scenery-drunk showcase for Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung's easy chemistry — critics warmed to its charm even as its late-game melodrama swerves split the fanbase down the middle.

    80%
    Celluloid Recommended
  12. The Scarecrow

    Viki · South Korea · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    The year's most talked-about Korean thriller — a mud-caked, twist-dense procedural in the Memories of Murder lineage that rides Park Hae-soo's coiled intensity to record ratings for ENA.

    80%
    Celluloid Recommended
  13. Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat

    Prime Video · United States

    Against all odds, the hoax works twice — warmer and weirder than the original, Company Retreat finds another improbably good-hearted star in Anthony Norman and milks its hot-sauce absurdity for all it's worth.

    79%
    Celluloid Recommended
  14. Lord of the Flies

    Netflix · United Kingdom · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    Jack Thorne's 90% Tomatometer adaptation divides audiences at 72% — visually striking and pedagogically relevant, but critics note it never fully escapes the shadow of prior film versions or Golding's dated gender politics.

    78%
    Celluloid Recommended
  15. The House of the Spirits

    Prime Video · Chile

    Lush, sweeping and faithful in spirit even where it streamlines, this long-awaited adaptation finally gives Allende's generational epic room to breathe — handsome, heartfelt and quietly furious.

    78%
    Celluloid Recommended
  16. Half Man

    HBO Max · United Kingdom

    Raw, bruising and defiantly uncomfortable, Half Man doesn't match Baby Reindeer's lightning strike, but Gadd and Jamie Bell make its portrait of fraternal damage impossible to shake.

    77%
    Celluloid Recommended
  17. Perfect Crown

    Disney+ · South Korea · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A ratings juggernaut that peaked at 13.8% Nielsen and became Disney+'s most-watched Korean series globally (43M+ hours) — critics were mixed on script and leads, audiences were not.

    77%
    Celluloid Recommended
  18. Young Sherlock

    Prime Video · United Kingdom

    Purists may wince, but this brash, needle-dropping take on a pre-genius Holmes is undeniable fun — a caffeinated mystery romp that coasts on Guy Ritchie pace and Hero Fiennes Tiffin's live-wire charm.

    77%
    Celluloid Recommended
  19. DTF St. Louis

    HBO Max · United States

    A strange, sad and frequently hilarious suburban noir — Conrad's signature whimsy honed to a point, with Harbour, Cardellini and Bateman doing some of their richest work in a mystery that values ache over answers.

    76%
    Celluloid Recommended
  20. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins

    Peacock · United States

    A joke machine tuned precisely to Tracy Morgan's singular frequency — the sharpest network sitcom debut in years, pairing him with a game Daniel Radcliffe and, true to its title, only getting better as it goes.

    76%
    Celluloid Recommended
  21. Rooster

    HBO Max · United States

    Comfort-food campus comedy elevated by Steve Carell in gently melancholy mode — familiar in shape, generous in spirit, and sneakily affecting once it settles in.

    75%
    Celluloid Recommended
  22. Cape Fear

    Apple TV+ · United States · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    Roughly 76–80% with critics: Javier Bardem's Max Cady is hailed as the series' electric center, revitalizing pulp revenge even when the ten-episode stretch tests patience.

    72%
    Celluloid Recommended
  23. Lucky

    Apple TV+ · United States · Reviewed by Sarah Chen

    A solid ~78% on Rotten Tomatoes: critics call Lucky a twisty, addictive heist thriller elevated by Anya Taylor-Joy's star turn and a stacked supporting cast, even when the plot's familiarity shows through.

    69%
    Celluloid Recommended
  24. The Audacity

    AMC+ · United States

    Vicious, sharply acted and uncomfortably plausible, The Audacity lands real blows on tech's messiah complex even when its misanthropy crowds out the drama — Magnussen and Goldberg keep it compulsively watchable.

    67%
    Celluloid Recommended
  25. HIS & HERS

    Netflix · United States

    A glossy, twist-hungry potboiler that critics found preposterous but viewers devoured — Tessa Thompson and Jon Bernthal's live-wire standoff and the dual-perspective hook make it irresistible one-sitting television.

    66%
    Celluloid Recommended
  26. Man on Fire

    Netflix · United States

    Yahya Abdul-Mateen II smolders convincingly, but this stretched-thin adaptation only intermittently justifies trading the films' scorched intensity for seven episodes of simmer.

    66%
    Celluloid Recommended
  27. Run Away

    Netflix · United Kingdom

    Vintage Coben comfort viewing — a preposterous, propulsive missing-person maze rated among his stronger Netflix outings, powered by James Nesbitt's weathered desperation even as the twists strain all credulity.

    66%
    Celluloid Recommended
  28. The Beauty

    Hulu · United States

    Gorgeous surfaces, splattery payoffs and a thesis that keeps slipping out of focus — a lurid, watchable satire that works best when it stops admiring itself in the mirror.

    66%
    Celluloid Recommended
  29. I Will Find You

    Netflix · United States

    Absurd at every turn yet strangely impossible to switch off — Sam Worthington's granite conviction drags the pulp across the finish line, and audiences turned a critical shrug into one of the year's biggest streaming hits.

    65%
    Celluloid Recommended
  30. The 'Burbs

    Peacock · United States

    Softer than its cult-classic namesake but sharper than expected, The 'Burbs coasts on Keke Palmer's impeccable comic instincts — a breezy neighborhood mystery that favors charm over dread.

    64%
    Celluloid Recommended
  31. Neighbors

    HBO Max · United States

    A queasy, compulsively watchable portrait of grievance in miniature — sharply assembled and often absurd, though its parade of small-scale hostilities leaves some viewers more drained than enlightened.

    60%
    Celluloid Recommended
  32. Imperfect Women

    Apple TV+ · United States

    A stacked cast can't rescue a thriller that mistakes timeline shuffling for depth — glossy and perfectly watchable, but Washington, Moss and Mara deserve a mystery worthy of them.

    52%
    Celluloid Not Recommended

Still essential 2025 holdovers

Not 2026 premieres — listed because they still dominate “best TV right now” queries alongside the new slate.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies of 2026 so far?

The Odyssey leads Celluloid’s aired-2026 film chart at 90%, followed by Project Hail Mary, Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert, Rose of Nevada, The Invite. Rankings update as scores settle; unreleased titles like Avengers: Doomsday are excluded.

What are the best TV shows of 2026 so far?

The Vampire Lestat (AMC+) leads 2026 premieres at 88% Celluloid Score. Also scored: Widow's Bay, Margo's Got Money Troubles, How to Get to Heaven from Belfast, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, Teach You a Lesson, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, Bait, Star City, The Testaments, Can This Love Be Translated?, The Scarecrow, Jury Duty Presents: Company Retreat, Lord of the Flies, The House of the Spirits, Half Man, Perfect Crown, Young Sherlock, DTF St. Louis, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Rooster, Cape Fear, Lucky, The Audacity, HIS & HERS, Man on Fire, Run Away, The Beauty, I Will Find You, The 'Burbs, Neighbors, Imperfect Women.

Does Celluloid include non-US 2026 films?

Yes. Already-aired 2026 titles on this page span United States, Brazil, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, France, Spain, Hungary, China, Ireland, Nigeria, Turkey, Mexico, India — matching countries already indexed on Celluloid (sitewide: 31 countries under /country/).

Who reviews the best 2026 titles?

Named critics with specialty desks: Kaiser Khan (tentpoles), Marcus Webb (horror/genre), Dr. Amara Okonkwo (world cinema & African film), Priya Sharma (Indian cinema), Sarah Chen (TV & streaming). Full roster: /critics/.

Are coming-soon 2026 movies included?

No. This hub only lists films that have already aired with published Celluloid Scores. For unreleased titles, use /movies/coming-soon/ and /trailers/.