Movie Midterm - My Favorite Movies of the First Half of 2026
There will be three honorable mentions, and 10 of my favorite films of the first half of the year. After that, I will list every film that was released this year that I have seen, that way you can see what I had to choose from!
Honorable Mention 3 - Marty, Life Is Short
Martin Short is a remarkable comedian and entertainer. But his life has been fraught with tragedy and heartbreak. This documentary does a relatively good job exploring both. There is a lot of amateur footage that Martin took himself. One particular moment with Tom Hanks on a boat is definitely a highlight. It was tough seeing Catherine O'Hara who had passed away before this was released, but it added another layer to the sense of loss that Martin Short has suffered through his life.
Honorable Mention 2 - Supergirl
While this movie definitely has its issues, including a 1-dimensional, mustache-twirling villain, the captivating lead makes it worth a watch. Milly Alcock does an incredible job of showcasing depression and grief of the character, while also showing the fun side too. Jason Momoa's second stint in a DC Universe works as well. He is the perfect Lobo. The film doesn't quite do its source material justice in story or aesthetics, but there is still a decent amount here to love. I hope Alcock's tenure as Supergirl is a long one.
Honorable Mention 1 - Swapped
Some old Pixar employees went off and made this for Netflix. While it is a cookie-cutter script in a way, the movie still works in all the ways classic Pixar movies work. The world building is spectacular, and the characters are fun and creative. The a-list Oscar winning cast works too. Swapped feels more like a Pixar movie than some actual Pixar movies do. I would have liked to see a theatrical release for this, but luckily it also plays well at home.
10. Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
The funniest person to ever live finally gets a well deserved documentary from Judd Apatow. It is 3 and a half hours over 2 parts and does an incredible job covering the man from his childhood to his current lunch plans and from fighting Hitler, to making fun of Hitler. You will see everything there is to know about he funniest man in show business. It was like this documentary was made just for me - and I had already read his book that described a lot of this. He is still going strong at 100 years old!
9. Hoppers
Pixar's take on Avatar is a good one. Fun characters, a powerful message, absolute chaos, and some truly memorable moments make this one of Pixar's best original films in some time. It should have been more popular than it was. But the good thing about movies is that you can watch them at any time. Check this one out. The quick world building on both the human, and the animal side is truly a feat in and of itself. The voice cast was great, and the animation was fun from beginning to end.
8. Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice
I love when movies are just plain fun. That is this movie. While the title is clunky, the film itself is moves at a healthy pace and is entertaining from beginning to end. I am a sucker for time travel, and so this was an easier sell for me, but it was able to win me over in other ways too. James Marsden does plays his role perfectly and the supporting cast is great too. The story is satisfying and the action stands out, which is hard to do with so much out there.
7. Toy Story 5
The story promises "Toys vs Tech". It doesn't really deliver on that promise. But what it does do is tell an emotional story for both Bonnie and Jesse, making it a worthy entry in the series. While both this film and its predecessor fail to reach the heights of the original trilogy, they still have something to say. 5 in particular delves into loneliness, usefulness, and purpose. There is a great callback to one of my favorite lines from the original Toy Story film, and Toy Story 5 can be the swan song for these characters if they so choose.
6. Send Help
Sam Raimi is back to making horror/thriller movies with an absolute powerhouse talent like Rachel McAdams? Sign me all the way up. Send Help was a clever take on power dynamics and let Sam Raimi really flex his muscles and do what he does best. The Survivor references were fun too. But the success of the movie hinges on the chemistry of the two leads, and that is why it works. This movie may not be for the squeamish, but if you can get over that, this is worth checking out.
5. The Rip
Ben Affleck and Matt Damon have been making movies together since they were literal children. While they've both done many things separately, there is no denying their chemistry whilst on screen together. The Rip showcases this in a lot of really fun ways. The film doesn't quite stick the landing, but the journey getting there is great, and the tension it builds works quite well.
4. Color Book
This one is a little bit of a cheat. It hit the festival circuit in 2024, but didn't have a wide release until 2026. So I am using the wide release date. Color Book deals with loss, grief, and a father and son figuring each other out. Plot wise, not a ton of stuff happens, but in the journey of the two main characters - everything happens. There are a lot of layers here, and if you've ever felt lost in the world after a death, there will be parts of this that resonate with you.
3. Pizza Movie
This is one of those little movies that not a ton of people even know exist, and was probably made on the cheap. But it is a ton of fun. 2 unpopular college kids find an old drug in their dorm room and take it, then have to try to get downstairs to get their pizza they ordered. The drugs and dorm house shenanigans make that tough. Its a movie that is small in scale, but big in heart, and has a lot of legitimately big laughs. There's a few scenes I had to actually rewind and watch again because of how funny a line delivery was. That hasn't happened with a comedy in a long time. Grab your favorite libation, order a pizza and throw this movie on. You will have a good time!
2. Disclosure Day
Steven Spielberg teams up with John Williams to make a science fiction movie about aliens. That should really be all that needs to be said. In a world of blockbuster super heroes and action movies and franchises ruling the world, it is amazing that Spielberg churned out an original sci-fi story in the summer blockbuster period. He has always been fascinated with UFOs, he has had movies that deal with this. But Disclosure Day is a culmination of all of that. Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor are spectacular, and Colman Domingo can read the phone book and be captivating. The journey is such a great time. While it is a little clumsy and gets needlessly convoluted with one of the points Spielberg tries to make, it is still a powerful journey of self-identity and the power of knowledge (though he leaves some compelling storytelling out of the movie). Spielberg does camera blocking like no one else, and John Williams always makes movie scenes more powerful through his scores. It is worth seeing on a big screen.
1. Project Hail Mary
Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite novels ever. Naturally, I was weary of a film adaptation. A lot of film adaptation of books do not work well. But when I walked out of the IMAX screening, I was quite satisfied with the adaptation. Phil Lord and Chris Miller did right by the story. Sure it is a little different than the novel - the medium demands it. But Ryan Gosling captures the essence of Grace, and of course Rocky steals the movie, just like he steals the novel. A big emotional sci-fi adventure that has a ton of heart. It might be one of the best novel to movie adaptations ever. If you haven't experienced this story, I recommend reading the book and then watching the movie. You will enjoy both. Lord and Miller were masterful in their execution of this and I am happy that it came out so well.
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2026 movies I have seen:
