Forget the critics — what’s the best new movie of 2026 (so far)?
Somehow, we’re already nearly a quarter of the way through 2026, and in these first few months of the year, we’ve already been treated to a handful of major releases.
Cinephiles might still be waiting for surefire blockbusters like “The Odyssey,” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” “Avengers: Doosmday” and “Dune Part 3” to hit the silver screen later this year, but I figure now is a great time to take stock of the best new movies that have only just come our way — and I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than by throwing a vote over to you, our readers.
Just like when we asked you to choose the best movie of 2025 for the Readers’ Choice portion of our inaugural Tom’s Guide Movie Awards, we want to see what your favorite releases of 2026 have been. So, if you look below, you’ll find a poll containing 10 new releases from the year so far. It’s a mix of box office successes and some of the highest-rated/most talked-about movies from this first quarter of the year.
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Chief among those releases is my personal frontrunner for movie of the year (so far), “Project Hail Mary,” Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s phenomenal sci-fi spectacle. It really does deserve all the praise it’s won so far, if you ask me. Speaking of sci-fi, I’ve also included Disney and Pixar’s original family comedy, “Hoppers” on that list, alongside the likes of Emerald Fennell’s divisive “Wuthering Heights” adaptation, Sam Raimi’s bloody survival horror-comedy, “Send Help,” and “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” (plus others I haven’t called out here).
I’m not only interested in your theatrical picks, though; I’ve also included a round-up of new Netflix original flicks, from crime thrillers like “The Rip” and “Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man” through to the streamer’s sun-soaked rom-com, “People We Meet on Vacation.”
We don’t just want you to vote, though: leave a comment below telling us what your favorite new movie of 2026 has been, and why it left such an impression. Did you also adore Rocky and Grace’s deep-space adventure? Have I missed an obvious pick from my list? Let us know!
Choose your movie of the year (so far) below
Choose the best Netflix movie of 2026 (so far) too!