We're at the year's halfway point, so it's time to take stock of the year's best movies so far, because that is what the rules state we must do. (Hey, we don't make the rules, we just follow 'em.)

It has been a particularly robust six months at the movies, with the twin sensations of "Obsession" and "Backrooms" shaking up Hollywood norms and traditions, ushering in a new wave of filmmakers and meeting audience needs in a whole new way. The movies, as they say, are back.

Along with those fright flicks, there has been a wave of movies from filmmakers with a lot to say and get off their chests, and in the best cases, they've passed those conversations on to audiences. That has added to the health of the culture surrounding cinema this year.

And there is still plenty to come. But at the year's halfway point, here are the 10 best movies of 2026 so far.

10. 'The Best Summer'

This one's a bit of a cheat, or maybe it's a tease. "The Best Summer" is director Tamra Davis' nostalgic look back at the '90s, featuring the Beastie Boys, Pavement, Foo Fighters, Beck, Sonic Youth, Bikini Kill and more, captured entirely on an Australian tour in late 1995 and early '96. It's not that the footage is particularly revelatory or headline-making, it's that it's explicitly not that; it's all low-stakes hanging out in a time where everything is inherently more innocent, because our brains had yet to be rotted by phones, the internet and social media. These, it turns out, were the last days of disco, and it's a joy to revisit them. "The Best Summer" was a part of this year's Sundance Film Festival, and has yet to find a distributor. Hopefully it will soon.

9. 'Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die'

Director Gore Verbinski pushes the envelope in this end-of-the-world sci-fi comedy, featuring Sam Rockwell as a time traveler leading a gang of misfits (Juno Temple, Michael Peña and Haley Lu Richardson among them) who are trying to save the world from imminent destruction. It's bold and dark and takes some big swings, pulling from "Black Mirror" and "Groundhog Day" in equal measure. It's a trip. (Now streaming on Hulu)

8. 'Obsession'

The horror sensation rocked the box office and maybe even started a cinematic revolution, all because it took a familiar idea ("be careful what you wish for!") and executed it very, very well. See it with an audience, the way it was meant to be seen. (In theaters)

7. (tie) 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert,' 'Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D)'

A two-fer in this spot for a pair of exceptional concert documentaries, one featuring a star of yesteryear and one a star of today. Baz Luhrmann's "EPiC" (that's short for Elvis Presley in Concert) is an exhilarating document of Elvis in his early '70s glory, one of the most phenomenally charismatic performers ever to walk the face of the Earth. James Cameron's Billie Eilish documentary, meanwhile, features the young superstar in crisp, eye-popping 3D and was one of the most thrilling in-theater experiences of the year so far; it won't hit quite the same at home, unless you have the best home theater set-up known to man. ("EPiC" is now streaming on Paramount+, "Hit Me Hard and Soft" is now available for rental)

6. 'Project Hail Mary'

Blockbuster filmmaking done right. Ryan Gosling is in super duper movie star mode in this lost-in-space epic, where he befriends an alien in an effort to find a way home. It's funny, cuddly and warm, steered to audience-pleasing perfection by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. (Available to stream on Prime Video starting Friday)

5. 'The Christophers'

Steven Soderbergh refuses to stop making great films. His latest concerns the relationship between a past-his-prime painter (a stellar Ian McKellen) and his new assistant (Michaela Coel, magnificent), and a scheme cooked up by his nincompoop kids (Jessica Gunning and James Corden). It's a smart and slyly comic art world caper that is as full of surprises as Soderbergh continues to be. (Now available for rental)

4. 'Pillion'

Underneath all the BDSM play, it's a sweet romantic comedy about an awkward young man (Harry Melling) finding his way in the world and gaining an understanding of his place inside it. Alexander Skarsgård is the loner biker who teaches him the hard lessons, and Harry Lighton strikes the right tone in his writing and directing debut, showing he knows his way around the rom-com landscape. (Now streaming on HBO Max)

3. 'The Drama'

A shocking confession lies at the center of writer-director Kristoffer Borgli's extremely effective comedic drama, which surrounds a couple in the days leading up to a couple's wedding. That confession set off a hot-button debate among audiences, asking what they would do if they found themselves in a similar situation. This is a daring, confrontational movie that forces viewers to place themselves inside the shoes of the characters onscreen, which is pretty good for a night at the movies in 2026. (Now available for rental)

2. 'Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie'

Friendship, time travel and an old bottle of Orbitz. That's what's going on in Matt Johnson's insanely funny and extremely Canadian comedy, where he and buddy Jay McCarrol explore the reaches of their creative partnership, confront their past selves and remake "Back to the Future" in their own highly Toronto-inspired way. It's a boldly original comedy that is destined for cult status. (Available for rental)

1. '28 Years Later: The Bone Temple'

Ralph Fiennes gives the performance of the year — so far — in director Nia DaCosta's haunting exploration of humanity at the end of a zombie apocalypse. Fiennes' iodine-covered Dr. Ian Kelson, introduced in Danny Boyle's exhausting "28 Years Later," is the beating heart at the center of the movie, and he meets his match in Jack O'Connell's twisted, depraved Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal, whose humanity has long since been traded for raw psychopathy. A fourth film in a horror series has no right being this rich and soulful, but DaCosta and screenwriter Alex Garland pull off a minor miracle here. It's truly something to behold in all its fiery glory. (Now streaming on Netflix)

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