To say 2026 got off to a rough start would be a massive understatement. And to be frank, anything happening in the world of film has been the last thing on my mind—I have found it quite difficult to focus on “less serious” things when each day has felt so tumultuous and uncertain. But that is the gift of film, isn’t it? To offer the opportunity, if even for a few hours, to bask in something completely silly or to get wrapped up in problems other than your own?
After crawling out of my survival mode cave for a bit, I was able to round up a handful of films set to come out this year that are making me excited about going to the movies again. I am definitely looking for a good deal of frivolousness in what I want to watch this year. Also, gay stuff. Luckily, a lot of these films seem to be stacked with both of those themes. So, if you have been in the same slump I have, these films may be worth putting on your radar!
1. Forbidden Fruits (March 27)
Written and directed by Meredith Alloway, Forbidden Fruits follows a pack of young women who form a secret witch cult while working retail at a shopping mall. Friendship, power dynamics, and sales are all in jeopardy when new hire Pumpkin (Lola Tung) joins the ranks and upsets cult leader Apple (Lili Reinhart). Also starring Victoria Pedretti (You) and Alexandra Shipp (X-Men: Apocalypse), this colorful and campy venture has my name all over it.
2. The Drama (April 3)
Zendaya and Robert Pattinson star in this A24 feature about a couple whose relationship gets put to the test a week before their wedding day. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, The Drama is billed as a romantic comedy, but from the trailer it looks anything but trivial. I have also much enjoyed Zendaya and Pattison’s offscreen chemistry while promoting this film—especially their feature in Interview Magazine—and am excited to see how it translates to their performances.
3. Mother Mary (April 24)
Would I be wrong to say this film is giving K-Pop Demon Hunters for adult sapphics, or do I just spend too much time with children obsessed with K-Pop Demon Hunters? Either way, the logline for this David Lowery project reads, “Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary (Anne Hathaway) reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm (Michaela Coel) on the eve of her comeback performance.” Pop star Anne Hathaway with homoerotic and demonic themes … what more could a girl ask for?
4. I Love Boosters (May 22)
“Fashion-forward philanthropy” is what the characters in this Boots Riley film call their business of stealing from high-end clothing stores and reselling their loot back at home. I Love Boosters seems packed with fun, fashion, and stars like Keke Palmer, LaKeith Stanfield, and Demi Moore. I have been a fan of Riley since his 2018 film Sorry to Bother You, which had an unexpected twist that I often still think about all these years later. Excited to see where this one goes!
5. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma (August 7)
The newest project from Jane Schoenbrun looks like something that was made in a lab for me, specifically. I already knew I’d follow Schoenbrun anywhere after I Saw the TV Glow saw directly into my soul, but I did not expect we’d be lucky enough to be led there by Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder. Billed as a psychosexual slasher that descends into “chaos” after a young queer filmmaker (Einbinder) becomes obsessed with the actor who plays her favorite legacy final girl (Anderson). Little has been released about the film, but after seeing the short teaser, I must quote the great Ayo Edebiri: “I’m seated. The theater employees are scared and asking me to leave because it’s ‘not August yet’ but I’m simply too seated.”
I hope you have found some new titles for your watch list. What are you looking forward to seeing this year?