Summer of 2026 movie guide

After a spring that gave us successes like Project Hail Mary, the Michael Jackson smash and The Devil Wears Prada 2, 2026 is already shaping up to be a huge movie year. Now, summer begins, and I don't think there's a film this season that doesn't feature either Anne Hathaway (five films), Zendaya (four) or Tom Holland (the star of the summer's two biggest releases) — or, in some cases, all three. 

The funniest movie of the year may be Scary Movie, the scariest film may be Obsession and with the same faces popping up everywhere, it's not looking easy to keep the movies straight, let alone figure out which ones are actually worth seeing.

No worries, here's your handy dandy summer film roundup so you can mark your calendars.

 1. Spielberg and Nolan

Disclosure Day — June 12, 2026
Spielberg is back for another encounter where humanity confronts proof of extraterrestrial life in a large-scale science fiction event film. Fingers crossed.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Actors: Emily Blunt, Colman Domingo, Josh O'Connor

The Odyssey — July 17, 2026
Christopher Nolan adapts Homer's epic tale of Odysseus's long journey home after the Trojan War. Expectations are high despite a literally dark trailer.
Director: Christopher Nolan
Actors: Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo, Lupita Nyong'o, Robert Pattinson

2. IPs and Franchises

Spider-Man: Brand New Day — July 31, 2026
They're back! Peter Parker begins a new chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe following the events of No Way Home. Likely contender for biggest film of the summer and year.
Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Actors: Tom Holland, Zendaya

Toy Story 5 — June 19, 2026
They're back! Woody, Buzz and the gang return for Pixar's latest installment in its flagship animated franchise. They have a good concept this time. And Taylor Swift.
Director: Andrew Stanton
Actors: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen

The Mandalorian and Grogu - In theaters now

They're back! The Star Wars TV show becomes a film no one asked for with Din Djarin and Grogu embarking on a new mission. 
Director: Jon Favreau
Actors: Pedro Pascal, Sigourney Weaver, Jeremy Allen White

Minions & Monsters — July 1, 2026
They're back! A new family animated adventure from Universal featuring an ensemble of colorful characters.

Moana — July 10, 2026
They're back! Disney reimagines its animated hit in live action.
Director: Thomas Kail
Actors: Dwayne Johnson, Catherine Laga'aia

Supergirl — June 26, 2026
Fresh from last summer's Superman, Kara Zor-El and Krypto take center stage in a key swing from DC Studios' cinematic universe. Based on the trailer, it looks like a lot of CGI, things blowing up, and about a thousand moments of Kara reminding you she's a badass, not Helen Slater.
Director: Craig Gillespie
Actors: Milly Alcock, Jason Momoa

Masters of the Universe — June 5, 2026
Did the toys come first or the cartoon show, and did we really care that much about He-Man? The high-dollar film that looks most likely to be the major bust of the summer is getting buzz about its fun take on 1980s nostalgia and lighthearted fun. I'm not sure that I believe all that, but I'll see a sneak preview Monday and share the word.
Director: Travis Knight
Actors: Nicholas Galitzine, Alison Brie, Camila Mendes

3. Comedies

Scary Movie — June 5, 2026
The long-running spoof franchise returns with a new send-up of modern horror and pop culture. Given the past years, this looks to be a gem in the franchise and a big hit.

Actors: Damon Wayans Jr, Heidi Gardner

Power Ballad — June 5, 2026
John Carney's (Once, Sing Street) wheelhouse goes mainstream. A music-driven comedy-drama set in Dublin that explores the transformative power of song — and has a great one too.

Director: John Carney 
Actors: Paul Rudd, Nick Jonas

The Breadwinner — In theaters now

With a Nate Rate price and a good-lookin' comedian in his comedic prime, we get a contemporary version of Mr. Mom. I'd see a full film about his George Washington, but not sure about this familiar fluff for me, and family films are more of a streaming thing. We'll see how this does with special pricing and sheer star power.

Actors:  Nate Bargatze, Will Forte

The Invite — June 26, 2026
A married couple's dinner with their adventurous neighbors spirals into an increasingly chaotic and uncomfortable night.
Director: Olivia Wilde
Actors: Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton, Olivia Wilde

One Night Only — August 7, 2026
In a world where sex is legal for only one day each year, two strangers meet and spark an unexpected romance.
Director: Will Gluck
Actors: Monica Barbaro, Callum Turner, Molly Ringwald

4. Alternates 

The Death of Robin Hood — June 19, 2026
An aging and battle-worn Robin Hood confronts his legacy in a darker take on the legendary outlaw. Perfect setup for Wolverine to make an Oscar push.
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Actors: Hugh Jackman

Tony — August 7, 2026
A young Anthony Bourdain comes of age while working in the chaotic restaurant kitchens of Provincetown.
Director: Matt Johnson
Actors: Dominic Sessa, Antonio Banderas, Leo Woodall, Emilia Jones

5. Thrillers

The End of Oak Street — August 14, 2026

Every month, a new Anne Hathaway movie, scary! A suburban family finds their neighborhood mysteriously transported into an unknown realm.
Director: David Robert Mitchell
Actors: Anne Hathaway, Ewan McGregor, Maisy Stella

The Dog Stars — August 28, 2026
In a post-pandemic world, a survivor searches for hope amid the ruins of civilization.
Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Margaret Qualley, Guy Pearce,  Allison Janney

6. Scary Films, Horror

Obsession — In theaters now
A micro-budget horror film becomes a breakout commercial phenomenon and one of the year's surprise hits.
Director: Curry Barker

Backrooms — In theaters now
An adaptation of the viral internet horror phenomenon follows characters trapped in a terrifying labyrinth of endless spaces.
Director: Kane Parsons
Actors: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass

Leviticus — June 19, 2026
Neon grabbed this at Sundance last year, despite being or because it is a supernatural horror film. It must be scary good.

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma — August 7, 2026
A queer horror story from Cannes that follows a group of young people at a summer camp with deadly secrets.
Director: Jane Schoenbrun
Actors: Hannah Einbinder, Gillian Anderson

Power Ballad

I have a built-in expectation with any new John Carney movie. He's the force behind Once and Sing Street. This latest movie about musicians in Ireland, Power Ballad, doesn’t quite reach those high notes of his best films, but it’s also not really trying to. Instead, Carney leans into something lighter, broader, and way more crowd-pleasing. Think summer pop hit instead of indie folk anthem.

Paul Rudd (Ant-Man, Clueless) plays Rick Power, a musician who almost made it big and now fronts “Ireland’s grooviest wedding band.” He’s settled into family life, still chasing that feeling of being on stage. Enter Danny Wilson (Nick Jonas), a former boy-band star stuck in career limbo, watching his old bandmates have their Harry Styles moments.

The movie really starts to hum once the two start writing music together. Carney still knows how to make collaboration feel exciting and alive. Watching Rudd and Jonas bounce ideas off each other over whiskey and late-night jam sessions is one of the best parts of the film. For a second, it almost feels like the start of some legendary songwriting duo. Then the movie swerves hard into its rom-com place and overly-written hijinks ensue.

Power Ballad plays more like a ‘90s hit comedy than classic Carney. It’s closer in spirit to The Wedding Singer than the rougher edges of Once. At times, this feels more like really solid streaming content than must-see theater material. But I’m pretty forgiving when a movie this charming drops in the middle of summer. Rudd carries the whole thing with effortless warmth, the song is catchy, and Carney still has a gift for turning music performances into movie magic.

In a nutshell: It’s not operating on the same level as Once or Sing Street, but Power Ballad absolutely works as a feel-good summer movie and Carney’s most accessible film yet.

Where to see it: In select cities and theaters starting May 29, 2026 with a wide release on June 5, 2026.

Would it be better with Olivia Colman? I'd have loved to see her in this. She would have provided some of the edge this needs.

Award potential: “How to Write a Song (Without You)” isn’t touching “Falling Slowly” territory, but it’s a legitimately great pop song in the same lane as “Golden” and could easily end up on plenty of nomination long lists.

The Ten Buck Review: Worth ten bucks.

Sinners vs One Battle After Another — Win your Oscars pool with stats

There's been one award show after another and with a wild mix of winners, there's a lot to be excited for on Oscar Night. With all the moving targets, we’ll need some mathy math to help you win your office pool. Let's start with an easy one.

Win the Best Director category

Go with whoever won the Directors Guild of America award (DGA). Those winners have matched in 66 of 77 years, including last year's winner Sean Baker (Anora). The Oscar goes to Paul Thomas Anderson (One Battle After Another).

Win the Best Adapted Screenplay category

Hamnet doth make the most sense here, but the Writers Guild (WGA) chose One Battle and the USC Scripter Awards, which have accurately predicted this category for 12 of the last 16 years, also chose One Battle After Another. You should too.

Win the Best Original Screenplay category

BAFTA awarded Sinners and the Writers Guild (WGA), the closest guide for OG screenplay any given year, also chose Sinners. We have a winner and it rhymes with "winners."

Win the Best Editing category

Throughout history, the winner of Best Editing has always had a Best Sound nomination as well. That leaves Sinners, One Battle and F1. F1 has its editing fans and the One Battle and Sinners each won an ACE editing award this year in different categories, but only one BAFTA winner nominated in this category has lost the Oscar since 2018. One Battle for the win.

Win the Best Cinematography category

Sinners' Arkapaw could be the first woman ever to earn a cinematography Oscar. She used 70-mm IMAX cameras and alternating aspect ratios throughout the film. One Battle's Bauman shot on VistaVision, another rare format. And then there is Train Dreams.

I don't blame you for voting for any of those three. A vote for history? A vote for VistaVision? A vote to throw one award to cinematic beauty Train Dreams? But the stats show a different story.

BAFTA (60% record at matching) chose One Battle After Another. The American Society of Cinematographers (75% correct at matching) named One Battle After Another lenser Michael Bauman, too. 

Win the Best Animated Feature Film category

Go with the math. 12 out of 19 PGA-winning animated films also won the Animated Feature Academy Award. K-Pop Demon Hunters should be golden.

Win the Best Music (Original Score) category

"Epic" films usually win here. The Golden Globes are your most reliable here, matching about 55 to 65% in the modern era. When the winner is also a Best Picture contender, its Oscar chances jump dramatically. This year, chose Ludwig Goransson's score for Sinners, just like the BAFTA and Globes did.

Win the Best Visual Effects category

Since the VES Awards launched in 2002, the winner of its top film category has gone on to win the Best Visual Effects Oscar in 13 of the past 23 years. It's the one you would choose anyway, Avatar Fire and Ash.

Win the Best International Feature Film category

In five of the past six years, one of the nominees was also nominated for Best Picture — that's the usual winner. But, this year there are two: Sentimental Value and The Secret Agent. 

The BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language went to Sentimental Value, a category that aligns with the eventual Oscar winner about 70% of the time. That track record makes it a stronger indicator than the Golden Globes, which selected The Secret Agent. With that mathy math in mind, the safer choice is Sentimental Value, especially after it secured a whopping nine Oscar nominations.

Win the Best Actor/Actress/Supporting Actor/Supporting Actress categories

This year is wild with BAFTAs, SAG, Globes and Critics Choice choosing different actors in every race except Best Actress, Jessie Buckley of Hamnet. Like any year, your best bet is to go with the four SAG winners every year, and you will get 3/4 correct. I have no idea which three

Win the Best Sound category
The “Oscar sound trifecta” is where MPSE + BAFTA + CAS Sound all match. When that happens the Oscar prediction rate is over 95%.

BAFTA awarded F1. The Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE) awarded Sinners, Frankenstein and Sirat, while the Cinema Audio Society (CAS) Sound Mixing Award winner was F1. 

Well, to be specific, 95% of the CAS voters who determine the winner of the Best Sound Oscar are not members of the sound community at all, so I always say "vote for the loudest." F1 wins the race.

Win the Best Music (Original Song) category

There are no solid stats in this category except that Diane Warren never wins. It will likely be 17 losses after this one. Now, if it's also the biggest pop hit of the past year, you have a solid frontrunner. Go with "Golden" from K-Pop Demon Hunters.

Win the Best Production Design category

This award, the 2012-renamed “Best Art Direction" award, doesn’t usually match Best Picture (just four times since 2000). The winner of this category often aligns with the winner of the Art Director's Guild Award (AGA), which chose Frankenstein and One Battle After Another is separate categories. BAFTA chose Frankenstein, which seems the most alive here.

Win the Best Costume Design category

Frankenstein (Period ) and One Battle After Another (Contemporary) took the top film prizes at the Costume Designer Guild Awards. Over the last ten years, the Oscar winner has most often come from the Period category, Sci-Fi is second, and Contemporary is always the least likely to win. BAFTA, which resembles the Academy more than the Costume Guild, went with Frankenstein, and you should too.

Win the Best Makeup and Hairstyling category

The MUAHS recognized One Battle for Best Contemporary and Sinners for Best Period/Character. Period almost always wins. 

Win the Best Documentary Feature category (Feature)

There is no reliable math here, the DGA all over the place and the PGA winner is not even nominated here. Social urgency always helps, which touches all of these, especially The Alabama Solution. The Perfect Neighbor, on Netflix, is the most widely seen one, and it won at the Critics' Choice, the American Cinema Editors and Film Independent Spirit awards. Mr Nobody Against Putin won BAFTA. 

Win the Best Animated Short, Best Live Action and Documentary Short categories.

There's no math here but i always say, "the ones with great names win more often than not" and it's helped me many years.  I have my favorites this year, but I will offer you the Vegas odds. All The Empty Rooms (doc short), Two People Exchanging Saliva (live action) and Butterly (animated) edge out The Girl Who Cried Pearls in Vegas.

Win the Best Casting category. 

This is a new category this year so there is no history to look to. Like most races its between two movies and two legends in their fields to win the first ever Oscar for casting: Cassandra Kulukundis (One Battle) and Francine Maisler (Sinners). The Critics Choice chose Sinners, and BAFTA chose I Swear, not eligible here. SAG chose Sinners for best ensemble, similar in some ways, so it's got an edge over the mega stars of One Battle.

Win the show’s running-time tiebreake

In 2002, the show ran for four hours and 23 minutes. It's been trending down ever since, but there is one extra award to hand out this year. 
Here are the timings for the past ten years:

2009: 3 hours, 30 minutes
2010: 3 hours, 37 minutes
2011: 3 hours, 15 minutes
2012: 3 hours, 14 minutes
2013: 3 hours, 35 minutes
2014: 3 hours, 30 minutes
2015: 3 hours, 43 minutes
2016: 3 hours, 37 minutes
2017: 3 hours, 49 minutes
2018: 3 hours, 53 minutes
2019: 3 hours, 23 minutes
2020: 3 hours, 36 minutes

2021: 3 hours, 19 minutes

2022: 3 hours, 40 minutes

2023: 3 hours, 37 minutes

2024: 3 hours, 23 minutes

2025: 3 hours, 50 minutes.

Win the Best Picture category

One Battle After Another won BAFTA and Critics Choice. 

The Palme d’Or winner was It Was Just an Accident. 

The Globes split between One Battle After Another (comedy) and Hamlet (drama).

Best Ensemble at SAG went to Sinners.

Sinners has all the momentum after SAG.

No film in history that has won at the Critics Choice, Golden Globes, BAFTA, ACE, DGA, PGA and WGA with at least one SAG prize has ever lost best picture, boding well for One Battle After Another.

However, Sinners holds the ACE, SAG ensemble and WGA, and no film has lost with that powerful combination either.

Whatever to all that. The PGA is the only one with a preferential voting ballot like the Oscars, and chose One Battle After Another. The PGA has a consistent record with picking winners, and has only been wrong two times in the last nine years—when it chose 1917 over Parasite and La La Land over Moonlight.

Good luck with your Oscars pool, everyone!

Have an Arctic Blast! Here's where to stream Oscars' Best Picture nominees in your cozy home.

Staying at home this winter weekend? TBR has rounded up the Top 10 Best Picture Oscar nominees and where you can watch and stream them so you can enjoy from the comfort of home during the Arctic Blast of 2026.

THE 10 BEST PICTURE NOMINEES

SINNERS

This stylish vampire movie sucked up a record-breaking 16 Oscar nominations, the most of any film ever. Ryan Coogler’s (Black Panther, Fruitvale Station) slow-burn story leads to a barn-burner of a finale.

Where to watch: HBO Max or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, original screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, editing, makeup and hairstyling, sound, visual effects, score, song, casting.

ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER

With 13 nominations, Paul Thomas Anderson (There Will Be Blood, Boogie Nights) delivers one of the best sustained pieces of filmmaking — ever. It felt like one hour. At full volume, it’s about defying fascism and racism, but in quiet moments, it's a tender father-daughter story. Somehow it is both a thunderous thriller and intimate drama, switching gears with comic precision.

Where to watch: HBO Max or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, adapted screenplay, production design, cinematography, editing, sound, score, casting.

SENTIMENTAL VALUE

Director Joachim Trier’s (The Worst Person in the World) helms this Norwegian family drama with an exceptional ensemble cast. It is slow, character-rich and moving. The subtitles are free.

Where to watch: VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, director, actress, supporting actor, supporting actress (2), original screenplay, editing, international feature.

HAMNET

Director-writer Chloe Zhao's (Nomadland) adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel about Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, earned eight Oscar nominations. This is not simply a film that “makes you cry.” It is a full sensory passage through love, family and mourning that ultimately opens into something rare and transcendent. Quite poetically, the theater is alive with power here. Hamnet is a story of loss that somehow bursts with life. A reminder that from unbearable grief can come lasting beauty. 

Where to watch: Currently in theaters, which is a must for this one.

Nominated for: Best picture, director (Chloé Zhao), actress (Jessie Buckley), adapted screenplay, casting, costume design, production design, original score.

FRANKENSTEIN

Director Guillermo del Toro’s (Shape of Water, Pans Labyrinth) sumptuous gothic take on Mary Shelley’s classic is alive in distinct design, and ranks as a major contender in all the craft categories.

Where to watch: Netflix

Nominated for: Best picture, supporting actor (Jacob Elordi), adapted screenplay, production design, costume design, cinematography, makeup and hairstyling, sound, score.

TRAIN DREAMS

Director Clint Bentley (Sing Sing, Jockey) brings us the story of logger Robert (Joel Edgerton), a would-be-forgotten everyman. More than telling this man's story, Bentley is intent on celebrating a life even if it’s a quiet one. This lyrical period piece blends breathtaking visuals with heartfelt storytelling.

Where to watch: Netflix

Nominated for: Best picture, adapted screenplay, cinematography, original song.

BUGONIA

Yorgos Lanthimos (Poor Things, The Favourite) reunites a third time with Emma Stone for a surreal journey that’s as funny as it is alien.

Where to watch: Peacock or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, actress (Emma Stone), adapted screenplay, original score.

THE SECRET AGENT

A Brazilian political thriller with a powerful central performance by Wagner Moura. It has earned multiple nominations and has a leg up on all the international feature nominees.

Where to watch: In theaters now.

Nominated for: Best picture, best international feature, best actor (Wagner Moura), casting.

MARTY SUPREME

A24’s hyped hit starring Timothée Chalamet either impressed or exhausted the academy to gather nine nominations across acting, technical and major categories.

Where to watch: In theaters now. 

Nominated for: Best picture, actor (Timothée Chalamet), director (Josh Safdie), adapted screenplay, casting, costume design, cinematography, editing, production design.

F1

I’m not sure why the F1 this fun popcorn movie is in the top ten, but voters must agree that it’s high-octane and visually stunning, delivering on spectacle in an old-fashioned, Top Gun kind of way. It's on track to win editing and sound.

Where to watch: Apple TV or VOD to rent/buy

Nominated for: Best picture, editing, sound, visual effects.

Bonus: Best Documentary Features worth streaming right now

If you love peek-behind-the-scenes or secret camera footage, these nominees deliver gripping real life drama:

The Perfect Neighbor
Uses police bodycam footage to examine the killing of Ajike Ownes and the laws and biases at play.

Where to watch: Netflix

The Alabama Solution
Explores a troubling prison system through secretly recorded footage by incarcerated men.

Where to watch: HBO Max

Mr. Nobody Against Putin
A Russian teacher captures how propaganda and patriotism are instilled in children during wartime.

Where to watch: VOD to rent/buy

Come See Me in the Good Light

An intimate portrait of an artist at work set against political unrest.

Where to watch: Apple TV or VOD to rent/buy