Looking Forward to 2026
Upcoming Releases and the Criterion Challenge
Happy New Year!
Now that 2026 is here, it’s time to start gearing up for the Oscars, checking off some films in my Criterion Challenge list, and getting pumped for the new releases the year has in store.
Let’s jump right into it.
Exciting Releases of 2026
Hugely anticipated
It’s never easy figuring out when films will actually hit theaters, as some are kept under wraps and release dates remain fluid. I’m sure there are plenty of films not yet on my radar that will eventually knock my socks off. However, 2026 arrives with obvious anticipation for several big-name directors.
We should always be excited about whatever Steven Spielberg has to offer. His film Disclosure Day, starring Emily Blunt, Josh O’Connor, and Colin Firth, looks incredibly promising. I’m also beyond excited to see what Christopher Nolan does with his adaptation of The Odyssey. Starring Matt Damon as Odysseus, he’s supported by a massive ensemble including Tom Holland, Zendaya, Anne Hathaway, Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie, Charlize Theron, and Jon Bernthal.
Since I’m a sucker for Ryan Gosling and a big fan of The Martian, I’m also hoping to enjoy Project Hail Mary. It’s directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (who always make entertaining movies like The LEGO Movie) and based on the novel by Andy Weir.
Anything by Robert Eggers has my interest, despite the fact I haven’t always loved his films. They are, without a doubt, well-crafted with a gorgeously dark style. Though I haven’t seen his Nosferatu yet, if there are any fresh adaptations worth making, he’s the one to do them. His take on werewolves sounds very intriguing; I’ll definitely be watching Werwulf on the big screen.
I’m also curious about A24’s The Drama, starring Robert Pattinson and Zendaya and directed by Kristoffer Borgli (Dream Scenario). I’m intrigued by Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride (her take on Bride of Frankenstein) and the new adaptation of Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights, directed by Emerald Fennell (Saltburn).
On the lighter side, Super Troopers 3 is slated for release—I don’t care how “dumb” it is; I fully endorse a new movie from the comedy troupe Broken Lizard. Jordan Peele also reportedly has a new horror film releasing this year, which is bound to be a event.
I’m not sure we need yet another take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, but a version from Ti West (Pearl)? I’m in. Ebenezer: A Christmas Carol reminds me of FX’s more horror-adjacent miniseries from 2019. Here’s hoping Johnny Depp nails the role of Scrooge, though I’m slightly nervous for him.
Lastly, I absolutely love Alejandro González Iñárritu’s films (The Revenant), so I’m looking forward to seeing him direct Tom Cruise in the comedy/drama Digger. It looks like the kind of movie where once things get going, you’re locked in for a wild ride.
Not so much for me
The biggest disappointment of 2026 so far is the continuing deluge of sequels and remakes Hollywood insists on producing. I was one of the few who didn’t love Dune: Part Two in 2024, so Part Three doesn’t have me pumped up... yet. (I’ll probably still see it in IMAX).
Avengers: Doomsday is in a similar category. While I enjoyed Infinity War and Endgame, I’ve been turned off by the many mediocre offshoots released since. Then there is The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping. Really? I’m open-minded, but also a little offended. Another Tom Holland Spider-Man (Brand New Day) feels lazy. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple? Goodness gracious.
And Toy Story . . . 5?! FIVE?! I like the idea of exploring the “electronic devices” angle, but we should really quit while we’re ahead. It feels like it never ends: The Devil Wears Prada 2, Scream 7, Supergirl, Ready or Not 2: Here I Come, Resident Evil, They Follow, Moana, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Jumanji 3, Minions 3, The Cat in the Hat, The Angry Birds Movie 3, Greenland 2: Migration, and Mortal Kombat II.
It’s all so unoriginal. (Though, fine, I’m actually open to Violent Night 2 and Focker In-Law).
Criterion Challenge 2026
In my 2025 Criterion Challenge wrap-up post, I went over the background of these challenges found on Letterboxd. Every year since 2021, a user named Ben (aka “benvsthemovies”) dreams up the categories that we use to create our own watchlists.
The Categories & My Selections
The categories are always a mixed bag. For instance, if a random number generator falls on a movie I’ve already seen, I keep spinning until I land on an unwatched film. I’ve seen all of David Byrne’s “Closet Picks” except for one (True Stories), so that pick was made for me.
The “Criterion Double Features” categories were a little confusing and difficult to narrow down, but Ben’s master list always comes with helpful resources to guide the way. The “random letter generator” category seems a bit . . . random. Of course, I got the letter “X”, which narrowed things down quite a bit, to say the least. Check out all the categories and my selections below:
Thoughts on my selections
There are many here that I’m excited to watch, though a few will take some courage to start. I’m looking forward to what is considered by many to be the first film of the French New Wave: Le Beau Serge, directed by Claude Chabrol.
I’m also intrigued by the films on my list with the highest Letterboxd ratings. I actually have five films that share a whopping 4.4-star rating:
The Ascent (1977), dir. Larisa Shepitko (Soviet Union)
Sansho the Bailiff (1954), dir. Kenji Mizoguchi (Japan)
The Handmaiden (2016), dir. Park Chan-wook (South Korea)
Farewell My Concubine (1993), dir. Chen Kaige (China)
Z (1969), dir. Costa-Gavras (France/Greece)
Interestingly, out of those five, I’ve only seen films by one of the directors: Park Chan-wook (Oldboy, No Other Choice). I love that they represent different decades and countries—that is the beauty of the Criterion Collection and this challenge.
On the flip side, I’m least looking forward to the Jack Nicholson-directed Drive, He Said. It’s one of only three films he directed and holds a 2.9-star rating on Letterboxd. Since the category was “watch a film rated 2.0-2.9 stars,” I’m not exactly enthused. And while I’m curious about Céline and Julie Go Boating, It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, and The Emigrants, pulling the trigger on films over 190 minutes is always a tough sell.
Old Films in a New Year
I tend to watch more older movies than new ones because they help ground the insanity of the modern world. Old films slow things down in a satisfying way and provide historical perspective to the noise we are bombarded with on social media and the news.
This year, I look forward to the Criterion Challenge helping me keep a clear-eyed view of our changing world, and I’m excited to see which new films will entertain and challenge us in 2026. What are you looking forward to see in 2026? I’d love to hear about any good ones coming up that I missed!