Movie Tier List 2026: Every Film Ranked Updated August

Published July 1, 2026 · Updated monthly on the 1st · 9 min read

Toy Story 5
Toy Story 5
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This is our living, monthly-updated ranking of every movie worth watching in 2026 — from January releases through the end of the year. Whether you're looking for the best movies of 2026 so far or the most anticipated upcoming releases, this is the definitive tier list.

How it works: The Best So Far section ranks movies that have already released theatrically, sorted by release month. The Most Anticipated section ranks upcoming releases by hype. Rankings are re-evaluated on the 1st of every month. For deeper monthly analysis, see our monthly deep-dives.

2026 Movies Collection

Every major movie released theatrically Jan–July 2026, ranked by quality. Last updated August 2026.

S Tier

Project Hail Mary

Mar 20Sci-Fi95% RT$320M domestic

Phil Lord and Chris Miller turned Andy Weir's novel into one of the best sci-fi films in years. Ryan Gosling carries every frame, and the Ryland-Rocky relationship is among the most memorable pairings in modern cinema. An instant classic. RT · BOM

Released Mar 20, 2026

Obsession

May 15Horror/ThrillerFocus Features$334M worldwide

Curry Barker's indie horror phenomenon about a wish gone wrong — $334M worldwide on a $750K budget, the highest-grossing film in Focus Features history and one of the best-reviewed movies of the year. RT · BOM

Released May 15, 2026

The Odyssey

Jul 17Epic/ActionChristopher NolanIMAX

Nolan adapts Homer's epic with Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway. Shot entirely on IMAX cameras — and it delivered. 2026's defining cinematic event. IMDB

Released Jul 17, 2026

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Jul 31SuperheroMCU

Tom Holland's fourth standalone Spidey. Goes back to street-level storytelling after No Way Home's multiverse — the shift in tone is exactly what the MCU needed. IMDB

Released Jul 31, 2026

A Tier

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Jan 16Horror/Sci-Fi93% RT

Nia DaCosta directs Alex Garland's script with unflinching brutality. Set a new franchise record on Rotten Tomatoes. The infected haven't been this terrifying since the original. IMDB

Released Jan 16, 2026

GOAT

Feb 13Animation/Sports Comedy81% RT$103M domestic

Sony's animated sports comedy scored the best opening for an original animated film since Elemental. Fast-paced, funny, and unexpectedly heartfelt. RT

Released Feb 13, 2026

Send Help

Jan 30Horror/Comedy$65M domestic

Sam Raimi returns to horror-comedy. His signature frenetic energy is back and it's glorious — practical effects, campy scares, and Bruce Campbell's spiritual successor. IMDB

Released Jan 30, 2026

Backrooms

May 29Horror/Sci-Fi87% RT$81M openingA24

Kane Parsons' viral YouTube concept became A24's biggest opening ever at $81.4M. The transition from found-footage shorts to a full theatrical experience is seamless. $118M global and climbing. RT · BOM

Released May 29, 2026

Disclosure Day

Jun 12Sci-Fi/ThrillerSteven SpielbergUniversal

Spielberg returns to sci-fi with a UFO whistleblower thriller. Early buzz called it "top tier Spielberg" and audiences agreed. IMDB

Released Jun 12, 2026

Michael

Apr 24Musical Biopic39% RT / 97% audience$1B worldwide

The first biopic ever to cross $1 billion worldwide — and the biggest critic-audience split of the year. Jaafar Jackson's performance as Michael Jackson is transcendent; A tier on audience phenomenon, not reviews. RT

Released Apr 24, 2026

Hoppers

Mar 6Animation97% RT$165M domestic

Pixar's best-reviewed film in nine years and its biggest original opening since Coco. Charming, visually inventive world-building. RT

Released Mar 6, 2026

The Drama

Apr 3Drama76% RTA24

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson deliver career-best performances — and a $28M drama crossed $100M worldwide, one of A24's biggest hits ever. RT

Released Apr 3, 2026

Toy Story 5

Jun 19AnimationPixar92% RT

Woody and Buzz face a world where kids are replacing toys with tablets. 92% RT and the biggest animated opening of 2026 — it cleared the high bar Toy Story 4 left behind. IMDB

Released Jun 19, 2026

B Tier

Scream 7

Feb 27Horror/Slasher$122M domestic

Best horror debut of 2026 at $63.6M opening weekend. Delivers the kills and the meta commentary the franchise is known for. BOM

Released Feb 27, 2026

The Mandalorian & Grogu

May 22Sci-Fi/Action62% RT / 89% audience$100M domestic

Star Wars returned to theaters after seven years. Pedro Pascal is magnetic, and the 89% audience score is the highest for Disney-era Star Wars. The Volume-to-cinema transition works better than expected. RT

Released May 22, 2026

The Devil Wears Prada 2

May 1Comedy/Drama79% RT$91M domestic

Meryl Streep's Miranda navigates tech-era workplace politics. More than just nostalgia — the updated power dynamics and sharp writing give it teeth. RT

Released May 1, 2026

Minions & Monsters

Jul 1Animation/ComedyIllumination

The Minions head to Old Hollywood to make a monster movie. Pierre Coffin returns. The franchise keeps printing money, and the old-Hollywood setting is a fun creative pivot. IMDB

Released Jul 1, 2026

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

Apr 1Animation40% RT / 90% audience$404M domestic

One of only two 2026 films past $1B worldwide (with Michael) — and its widest critic-audience split after that same film. Gorgeous cosmic visuals and wall-to-wall Easter eggs; fans loved it, critics didn't. BOM · RT

Released Apr 1, 2026

Crime 101

Feb 13Crime/Thriller89% RT$72M on $90M budget

A '70s-style LA crime thriller — sharp writing, stacked cast, Certified Fresh at 89%. But audiences stayed home and it underperformed its $90M budget. IMDB

Released Feb 13, 2026

C Tier

Wuthering Heights

Feb 13Romance/Drama59% RT$84M domestic

Visually stunning, but looks better than it feels. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi's chemistry doesn't overcome the ponderous pacing. RT

Released Feb 13, 2026

Reminders of Him

Mar 13Romance/Drama56% RT / 88% audience$49M domestic

The best-reviewed Colleen Hoover adaptation yet. Works as comfort-food cinema — it knows what it is and delivers for its audience. RT

Released Mar 13, 2026

Supergirl

Jun 26SuperheroJames Gunn / DCU56% RT

Milly Alcock as Kara Zor-El. Critical and commercial disappointment — $37M opening vs $175M budget. James Gunn's DCU hit a speed bump. IMDB

Released Jun 26, 2026

Moana

Jul 10Fantasy/AdventureDisney

Disney's live-action remake of the 2016 hit, with Catherine Laga'aia as Moana and Dwayne Johnson as Maui. IMDB

Released Jul 10, 2026

Masters of the Universe

Jun 5Action/AdventureAmazon MGM68% RT

Nicholas Galitzine as He-Man with Travis Knight directing. $110M worldwide vs $170M+ budget — a commercial flop with middling reviews. IMDB

Released Jun 5, 2026

2026 Movies To-Do

Upcoming Aug–Dec releases ranked by anticipation. Updated monthly as release dates confirm.

S Tier

Avengers: Doomsday

Dec 18SuperheroRusso Brothers

Robert Downey Jr. returns — as Doctor Doom. Whether the MCU can recapture Endgame magic is 2026's biggest question, and the Russo Brothers returning gives hope. IMDB · TMDB

Releases Dec 18, 2026

Dune: Part Three

Dec 18Sci-Fi/EpicDenis Villeneuve

Villeneuve adapts Dune Messiah. Potentially the trilogy closer of the decade. Opens the same day as Avengers: Doomsday — the "Dunesday" showdown. IMDB

Releases Dec 18, 2026

A Tier

The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping

Nov 20Sci-Fi/ActionLionsgate

Young Haymitch in the 50th Hunger Games. Double the tributes and double the stakes. The prequel model worked for Ballad of Songbirds — this is the bigger test. IMDB

Releases Nov 20, 2026

Jumanji: Open World

Dec 25Adventure/ComedySony

The final Jumanji — Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan all return. The last two each cleared $800M worldwide; Christmas Day is this franchise's home turf. IMDB

Releases Dec 25, 2026

Godzilla Minus Zero

Nov 6Kaiju/DramaTakashi Yamazaki

Yamazaki's sequel to the Oscar-winning Minus One — the first Japanese Godzilla to open near-simultaneously in Japan (Nov 3, the original 1954 date) and North America. IMDB

Releases Nov 6, 2026 (Japan Nov 3)

B Tier

Practical Magic 2

Sep 11Fantasy/Comedy

Original cast returns with Joey King and Maisie Williams joining. The original has become a cult classic — the sequel has a real audience waiting for it. IMDB

Releases Sep 11, 2026

Focker-in-Law

Nov 25ComedyUniversal

Meet the Parents franchise returns with Ariana Grande and Skyler Gisondo. Releasing Thanksgiving weekend — classic counter-programming. IMDB

Releases Nov 25, 2026

Resident Evil (2026 Reboot)

Sep 18HorrorZach Cregger

The Barbarian director takes a darker, horror-focused approach to the Capcom franchise. The pedigree is there — Barbarian proved Cregger can deliver genuine terror. IMDB

Releases Sep 18, 2026

Coyote vs. Acme

Aug 28Comedy/Animation HybridKetchup Entertainment

The famously shelved Looney Tunes legal comedy, rescued from the WB vault. Will Forte and John Cena — early reviews say it earns the rescue. IMDB

Releases Aug 28, 2026

Street Fighter

Oct 16Action/Video GameLegendary

Legendary's live-action take on the fighting-game classic. Video-game adaptations are on a hot streak — this is the next big test of the trend. IMDB

Releases Oct 16, 2026

Paper Tiger

Nov 20Crime/DramaJames Gray

James Gray's crime drama with Adam Driver, Miles Teller, and Scarlett Johansson — Neon's big awards-season swing. IMDB

Releases Nov 20, 2026 (limited Nov 13)

The Angry Birds Movie 3

Dec 23AnimationParamount

Third entry in the animated franchise, now at Paramount. Family counter-programming for the stacked Christmas corridor. IMDB

Releases Dec 23, 2026

Klara and the Sun

Oct 23Sci-Fi/DramaTaika Waititi

Waititi adapts Ishiguro's novel — Jenna Ortega as an artificial friend, with Amy Adams. Sony's awards-corridor sci-fi gamble. IMDB

Releases Oct 23, 2026

How to Rob a Bank

Nov 13Heist/ActionDavid Leitch

Leitch's heist thriller with Nicholas Hoult, Zoë Kravitz, and Anna Sawai — pushed from September to a November slot. IMDB

Releases Nov 13, 2026 (moved from Sep 4)

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How We Rank

Movies that have released are ranked on critical consensus (Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic), audience reception, box office performance, and personal enjoyment. Anticipated movies are ranked on director/studio track record, source material quality, and trailer reception.

S Tier = masterpiece-level, must-see regardless of genre preferences
A Tier = excellent, highly recommended for fans of the genre
B Tier = good, worth watching if the premise interests you
C Tier = decent, has notable strengths but also clear weaknesses

FAQ

What is the best movie of 2026?

As of August 2026, the S-tier movies are Project Hail Mary (95% RT, $320M domestic), Obsession ($334M worldwide on a $750K budget), The Odyssey (Christopher Nolan's Homer epic), and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. See the full ranked list above.

What movies are coming out in 2026?

Major upcoming 2026 releases include Coyote vs. Acme (Aug 28), Practical Magic 2 (Sep 11), Resident Evil (Sep 18, Zach Cregger), Street Fighter (Oct 16), Klara and the Sun (Oct 23), Godzilla Minus Zero (Nov 6), How to Rob a Bank (Nov 13), Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping and Paper Tiger (Nov 20), Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three (both Dec 18 — "Dunesday"), and Jumanji: Open World (Dec 25). See the full anticipated list.

How often is this movie tier list updated?

Monthly on the 1st. Each update re-evaluates rankings based on new releases, box office, and critical reception. Monthly deep-dives cover each month's releases in detail.

Where can I watch 2026 movies?

Most 2026 movies open theatrically first. After theatrical runs, streaming availability varies — most transition to digital rental within 45-90 days. Check each entry for platform details.

Monthly Deep-Dives

A closer look at each month — full write-ups and month-over-month context.

Search for any title, genre, or keyword below

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