We are three months into 2026 and the movies have been insane. Here is my running top 10.
1. Mickey 17 (dir. Bong Joon-ho) Robert Pattinson playing expendable clones on an alien planet. Bong delivered another genre-bending masterpiece. The social commentary is sharp, the visuals are stunning, and Pattinson gives a career-best dual performance.
2. Thunderbolts* Already discussed above. Marvel's best in years. Florence Pugh era begins.
3. Sinners (dir. Ryan Coogler) Michael B. Jordan in a vampire western set in the 1930s South. Coogler fused horror, blues music, and racial allegory into something genuinely original. The juke joint sequence is an all-timer.
4. The Amateur (dir. James Hawes) Rami Malek as a CIA cryptographer who goes rogue. Tight, focused thriller. Reminded me of 90s spy movies in the best way.
5. Warfare (dir. Alex Garland) Immersive war film shot to feel like you are embedded with the unit. Garland continues to be one of the most interesting directors working.
6. Until Dawn (video game adaptation) Surprisingly good horror. They kept the branching-narrative feel of the game. Best video game movie since Arcane proved the format works.
7. Snow White (live action) Controversial pick. The discourse around this movie was louder than the movie itself. Taken on its own merits, Rachel Zegler is excellent and the musical numbers work.
8. Ballerina John Wick universe expands. Ana de Armas carries it.
9. Novocaine (Jack Quaid action comedy) Small movie, big fun. Jack Quaid cannot feel pain and uses it to save his girlfriend. It is as ridiculous as it sounds and completely owns it.
10. Black Bag (dir. Steven Soderbergh) Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender in a spy thriller. Soderbergh working in minimalist mode.
Sources: In-theater viewings, Rotten Tomatoes scores for reference, Letterboxd for audience consensus
Mickey 17 is Bong at his best. The first clone death scene is simultaneously hilarious and horrifying. Pattinson deserves awards talk for playing both versions of the character.