The best-reviewed movies of 2026 so far include Project Hail Mary, The Odyssey, Send Help, Hoppers, Toy Story 5, Coyote vs. Acme, Blue Heron, Pillion, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, Obsession, Is God Is, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma. All 12 are Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
These 12 were picked from Rotten Tomatoes' Best New Movies of 2026 guide and Metacritic's Best Movies of 2026 So Far list, checked September 2026. Scores can shift as more reviews come in. With Limelight+, you can see ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDB side by side.
They're grouped by what you're in the mood for, not ranked by score. We'll update the list in December.
Big crowd-pleasers
Project Hail Mary (2026)
A science teacher, played by Ryan Gosling, wakes up on a spacecraft with no memory and has to figure out how to save Earth, with help from an alien. Phil Lord and Christopher Miller directed it from Andy Weir's novel. It's rated PG-13 and has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Odyssey (2026)
After the Trojan War, Odysseus, played by Matt Damon, fights his way home to Ithaca. Christopher Nolan directed it. It's rated R, with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 88 on Metacritic.
Send Help (2026)
After a plane crash, a bullied employee, played by Rachel McAdams, is stranded on a desert island with her boss, played by Dylan O'Brien. Sam Raimi directed it. It's rated R and has a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes.
For the whole family
Hoppers (2026)
Scientists figure out how to hop a person's mind into a robotic animal, and a young animal lover uses it to explore the animal world. Daniel Chong directed it for Pixar, with voices from Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan, and Jon Hamm. It's rated PG and has a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Toy Story 5 (2026)
Woody, Buzz, and the gang meet Lilypad, a tablet that becomes Bonnie's new favorite. Andrew Stanton directed it, and Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back. It's rated PG, with a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Coyote vs. Acme (2026)
Wile E. Coyote finally sues the Acme Corporation, with a lawyer played by Will Forte and John Cena on the other side. It mixes live action and animation. Dave Green directed it. Warner Bros. shelved it in 2023, and it came out in August. It's rated PG, with a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Save these 2026 movies to your Watchlist
Add every movie here to your Limelight Watchlist and see where each movie is streaming in your country. Can't decide? Take the What to watch quiz.
Dramas and a concert documentary
Blue Heron (2026)
In the late 1990s, a Hungarian immigrant family starts over on Vancouver Island, and eight-year-old Sasha watches her oldest brother's behavior grow dangerous. It's Sophy Romvari's first feature as director. It topped Metacritic's midyear list with a 92, and it has a 98% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Pillion (2026)
A shy man, played by Harry Melling, enters a submissive relationship with a biker, played by Alexander Skarsgård. Harry Lighton directed it from Adam Mars-Jones's novel Box Hill, and it won Best Screenplay in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes. It's rated R, with a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Baz Luhrmann rebuilt Elvis Presley's 1970s concerts from restored footage, with Elvis telling his own story in a recording. It's rated PG-13, with a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 86 on Metacritic.
Horror and thrillers
Obsession (2026)
A young man wishes for his crush to fall for him, and the wish comes true in the worst way. Curry Barker directed it. It's rated R and has a 93% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Is God Is (2026)
Twin sisters, scarred by their father years ago, set out for revenge when their dying mother asks them to. Aleshea Harris adapted her own play, with Kara Young, Mallori Johnson, and Sterling K. Brown. It's rated R and has a 97% on Rotten Tomatoes.
A filmmaker hired to reboot a 1980s slasher series becomes fixated on the franchise's original final girl. Jane Schoenbrun directed it, with Hannah Einbinder and Gillian Anderson, and it won the Queer Palm at Cannes. It's rated R, with a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and an 89 on Metacritic.
Where to start
For a crowd-pleaser, start with Project Hail Mary. With kids, pick Coyote vs. Acme or Hoppers. For something quieter, try Blue Heron, which topped Metacritic's midyear list.
Limelight keeps your Watchlist in sync across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and it shows where each movie is streaming in your country. It also shows which movies started as books, like Project Hail Mary and Pillion. With Limelight+, you can compare ratings from Rotten Tomatoes, IMDb, Metacritic, and TMDB to find the one everyone agrees on. With Limelight+, you can also see what's in the Netflix or HBO Max Top 10 today.
Find where each of these movies are streaming and keep track of what you've watched
Limelight shows where each movie is streaming in your country and keeps your Watchlist in sync. Free to download on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Frequently asked questions
Blue Heron topped Metacritic's midyear list of the year's best movies, with a 92. For a crowd-pleaser, Project Hail Mary has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes and The Odyssey has a 94%.
Streaming availability changes by country and by month. Limelight shows what's streaming in your country right now, so you can check any of these 12.
These 12 are 2026 US releases picked from Rotten Tomatoes' Best New Movies of 2026 guide and Metacritic's Best Movies of 2026 So Far list, checked in September 2026. All 12 are Certified Fresh. We chose a mix of genres instead of ranking by score alone.
Yes. We'll update it in December with the rest of the year's best-reviewed movies.
Project Hail Mary comes from Andy Weir's novel, and Pillion comes from Adam Mars-Jones's novel Box Hill. The Odyssey is based on Homer's epic poem, and Is God Is comes from Aleshea Harris's play.
