The Oscars may still be months away, but I’ve already fallen in love with ten movies that remind me why I became a movie critic in the first place!
What a year for movies!
We’ve traveled through space, survived zombie apocalypses, revisited beloved cartoon characters, explored Filipino mythology, and experienced love, obsession, and everything in between.
And that’s what I love about cinema. The best movies don’t always fit neatly into one genre. Some make us laugh. Some make us cry. Some scare the living daylights out of us. And some leave us sitting in the theater long after the credits have rolled.
As we head deeper into awards season, I wanted to celebrate the films that have stayed with me throughout 2026.
These aren’t necessarily the biggest box-office hits or the movies with the loudest Oscar campaigns. They’re the movies that entertained me, challenged me, surprised me, and reminded me of the power of storytelling.
So, without further ado, here are my TOP 10 BEST MOVIES OF 2026 SO FAR, counting down to my absolute favorite!
WATCH MY TOP 10 MOVIES OF 2026 ON NBC PALM SPRINGS!
NUMBER 10: RESIDENT EVIL
Zombies! Mayhem! Adrenaline!
Director Zach Cregger, the filmmaker behind Weapons, unleashes a gloriously chaotic return to the world of Resident Evil.
Sometimes, movie critics can get so caught up in analyzing themes and searching for artistic significance that we forget one important thing: movies are supposed to entertain us!
And Resident Evil certainly delivers.
It’s bloody, intense, relentless, and knows exactly what kind of movie it wants to be.
Will it win an Oscar? Probably not.
Do I care? Absolutely not!
MANNY’S TAKE: Sometimes the best moviegoing experience is simply having a bloody good time. Consider me infected!
NUMBER 9: COYOTE VS. ACME
Justice for Wile E. Coyote!
After one of Hollywood’s most frustrating production sagas, Coyote vs. Acme finally gets its chance to shine.
And thank goodness!
What could have been another disposable nostalgia project turns into a wonderfully funny, surprisingly heartfelt celebration of one of animation’s most lovable losers.
The movie embraces the anarchic spirit of the Looney Tunes while giving us a story with genuine emotional stakes.
Who knew a coyote’s battle against defective products could make us laugh and care so much?
MANNY’S TAKE: You can’t keep a good coyote down! Hilarious, heartfelt, and absolutely worth the wait.
NUMBER 8: TEENAGE SEX AND DEATH AT CAMP MIASMA
Horror gets a Hollywood makeover!
Filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun delivers a clever, twisted, unapologetically queer love letter to the slasher genre.
Starring Gillian Anderson and Hannah Einbinder, the film explores the strange relationship between horror movies, identity, obsession, and the people who make them.
But beneath the blood and the genre conventions is something surprisingly personal.
Schoenbrun understands that horror has always been a place where outsiders can find themselves.
And here, that idea becomes deliciously subversive.
MANNY’S TAKE: Smart, strange, sexy, and delightfully twisted. A slasher movie with something meaningful to say!
NUMBER 7: PRIME TIME
Television has never looked so unsettling.
Robert Pattinson transforms into Chris Hansen in Prime Time, a dark exploration of sensationalism, media spectacle, and our complicated fascination with public humiliation.
The movie doesn’t simply examine the people caught in the spotlight. It turns the camera back toward us, the viewers.
Why are we drawn to scandal? When does journalism become entertainment? And what happens when the pursuit of ratings begins to overshadow the pursuit of truth?
Those questions linger long after the movie ends.
MANNY’S TAKE: Provocative, disturbing, and impossible to ignore. Prime Time forces us to examine our own appetite for sensationalism.
NUMBER 6: THE INVITE
Dinner is served — and so is the drama!
Olivia Wilde’s The Invite takes the seemingly simple premise of an awkward dinner party and transforms it into a deliciously uncomfortable exploration of marriage, desire, secrets, and social disaster.
What begins as an ordinary evening gradually becomes a minefield of emotional revelations.
The dialogue is sharp, the performances are wonderfully calibrated, and the tension builds with every uncomfortable exchange.
It’s the kind of movie that makes you grateful you weren’t invited to this particular dinner.
Or perhaps a little disappointed!
MANNY’S TAKE: Funny, sexy, painfully awkward, and deliciously entertaining. RSVP yes!
NUMBER 5: FORGOTTEN ISLAND
Now this one holds a special place in my heart!
Forgotten Island brings Filipino mythology, culture, and imagination to the animated screen with remarkable creativity.
And yes, there’s a manananggal!
Featuring the voice of Lea Salonga, the movie celebrates the richness of Filipino folklore while telling a story that can resonate with audiences everywhere.
What makes the film so special isn’t simply its cultural representation. It’s the way that representation becomes part of a genuinely imaginative, emotional, and entertaining adventure.
As a Filipino-American movie lover, seeing these stories and mythological traditions brought to life on such a grand scale is especially meaningful.
MANNY’S TAKE: Magic, laughter, heart, and Filipino pride! A beautifully original animated adventure that reminds us our stories deserve to be seen and celebrated.
WATCH MANNY’S EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH THE “FORGOTTEN ISLAND” DIRECTORS AND CAST.
NUMBER 4: THE END OF OAK STREET
What happens when the world you know suddenly disappears?
Director David Robert Mitchell gives us a mind-bending science-fiction mystery starring Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor.
When an extraordinary event transforms an ordinary suburban neighborhood, one family must navigate a reality that no longer makes sense.
But what makes The End of Oak Street so compelling isn’t simply the spectacle or the mystery.
It’s the human story underneath.
How do we protect the people we love when everything familiar has vanished?
Mitchell balances intimate family drama with ambitious, unpredictable science-fiction storytelling.
MANNY’S TAKE: Mind-bending, emotional, and wonderfully imaginative. A family survival story with a cosmic twist!
NUMBER 3: OBSESSION
Be careful what you wish for!
Filmmaker Curry Barker transforms romantic longing into something truly terrifying in Obsession.
The premise is deceptively simple: What if you could make the person you love fall in love with you?
Sounds romantic, right?
Wrong!
Barker takes that fantasy and twists it into a deeply unsettling nightmare about desire, control, and the dangerous line between love and possession.
The movie understands that the scariest monsters aren’t always hiding in the darkness.
Sometimes they’re hiding inside our own hearts.
MANNY’S TAKE: Creepy, clever, and emotionally disturbing. Obsession turns a romantic fantasy into pure nightmare fuel!
NUMBER 2: PROJECT HAIL MARY
Ryan Gosling goes to space — and takes our hearts along for the ride!
Based on Andy Weir’s bestselling novel, Project Hail Mary is that rare science-fiction blockbuster that manages to be intelligent, funny, thrilling, and profoundly moving.
Gosling brings his trademark charm and vulnerability to a story about one man’s seemingly impossible mission to save humanity.
But what makes the film truly special is its understanding of friendship.
Even across the vastness of space, connection becomes the most powerful force in the universe.
The science is fascinating, the humor is delightful, and the emotional payoff is extraordinary.
MANNY’S TAKE: Smart science, big laughs, cosmic wonder, and a friendship that transcends worlds. This is science fiction with a gigantic heart!
NUMBER 1: THE ODYSSEY
And my favorite movie of 2026 so far is…
CHRISTOPHER NOLAN’S THE ODYSSEY!
Epic doesn’t even begin to describe it.
Christopher Nolan takes Homer’s legendary tale and transforms it into a breathtaking cinematic journey filled with gods, monsters, adventure, and the enduring human desire to find our way home.
Matt Damon leads an extraordinary cast through a world where myth and humanity collide.
But beneath the enormous spectacle is something beautifully simple: a story about perseverance, love, sacrifice, and the meaning of home.
Nolan reminds us why certain stories survive for thousands of years.
Because no matter how fantastical the journey becomes, the emotions remain timeless.
And this is exactly the kind of movie that deserves to be experienced on the biggest screen possible.
MANNY’S TAKE: Gods! Monsters! Matt Damon! Christopher Nolan! Breathtaking spectacle and genuine emotion. This is pure cinema magic — and my favorite movie of 2026 so far!
AND THE OSCAR GOES TO…
Well, not so fast!
We still have more movies to discover before Hollywood hands out its golden statues.
But if these ten films are any indication, 2026 has already given us an extraordinary year at the movies.
From the gloriously ridiculous chaos of Resident Evil to the emotional grandeur of The Odyssey, these films prove that great cinema comes in many forms.
Some are funny. Some are frightening. Some challenge our beliefs. Others simply remind us what it feels like to be alive.
And isn’t that why we go to the movies?
So tell me, movie lovers: What’s YOUR favorite movie of 2026 so far?
Did your favorite make my list? Which movie did I leave out?
Let’s talk movies!
And remember, my list could still change before the year is over. That’s part of the fun!
Hollywood moves fast. Manny moves faster!
Keep watching, keep dreaming, and most importantly, keep going to the movies!
I’m Manny the Movie Guy, and I’ll see you at the movies!
