Cinema Of Early 2026

The Time Is Now

As of 1/1/26, I knew the year ahead would be an epic and monumental year for cinema. It’s rare to have so many films on your calendar on day one.  We are living smack dab in the middle of an era where everything feels so out of control, politically on a global level, and things seem to be getting worse every day.  The world and the people in it seem to feel angry at each other and their current situation.  Relentless fury is the word that comes to mind.  2026 may be the year people finally escape to the cinemas on a gigantic scale because now is the time when it really counts, maybe to escape, to find salvation, or as a way to find their strength to rise and be counted.

To recap, Sundance and Berlin went beautifully; there are so many films that premiered there that I am looking forward to seeing.  I’m excited for the Cannes lineup, which is scheduled to be announced on April 9th. The biggest factor is that 2026 is proving to be a year in cinema where I have lots of mainstream films I actually want to see, as I wait for the indies that usually take a bit longer to be released. I’ve been to the theater so many times, and I’m reminded every time why it’s such a comfort. 

I’ve seen 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, Send Help, The Moment, Wuthering Heights, Crime 101, How To Make A Killing, and The Bride! All these films deal with what it is to be devalued and looked down upon to various degrees and circumstances: The Bone Temple marks the continuation of last year’s “28 Years Later” set in a post apocalyptic England and follows a young adolescent’s (Alfie Williams) coming of age in a world without hope who after leaving the comfort of his small island community, journeys to the mainland for the first time and finds himself in the crossfire between a deranged cult leader (Jack O’Connell) and an empathic doctor (Ralph Fiennes) who may have found a cure for a catastrophic virus. Send Help shows Rachel McAdams at her most dominant as a pitied and overlooked businesswoman who gains the upper hand on her sexist boss (Dylan O’Brien) on an island after crashing in the Pacific, making for a deliciously wicked cat-and-mouse chase. 

The Moment follows pop sensation Charli XCX as a fictionalized version of herself during the filming of a concert film in which she must battle various people trying to mold her into their ideal versions of her. Wuthering Heights is Emerald Fennell’s passion project in which she channels everything she felt upon reading the classic as a teenager into what’s been this year's highest-grossing film so far. Crime 101 follows a veteran thief (Chris Hemsworth), an ostracized detective (Mark Ruffalo), and an overlooked insurance broker (Halle Berry) who find themselves at a crossroads as they reach their breaking point amongst an impending heist. How To Make A Killing follows Glen Powell out of his depth as a struggling disinherited man who’s decided he’s had enough and aims to kill off the remaining family members standing between him and billions. Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride follows Jessie Buckley as a resurrected woman in 1930s Chicago who goes on the run with Christian Bale’s Frankenstein in an epic chase reminiscent of “Bonnie & Clyde”. 

I’d say Crime 101 was my personal favorite. It’s very original for such a popular storyline and shows audiences a side of Los Angeles not often explored. How To Make A Killing was the most hilarious. Margaret Qualley was dynamite as Powell’s childhood friend, whose blackmail tactics make for the best scenes. Some films are made solely to be tarnished and whined about online. Wuthering Heights is not one of those films, but has certainly been treated as such, so it’s nice to see that it's done so well commercially. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi are electric in every way possible, and Hong Chau always takes my breath away. Her phantom presence is like no other, and she comes away as the most talked-about character. She plays very morally indecisive characters that you can never bring yourself to embrace, but can never judge too harshly either. Of course, the visuals in an Emerald Fennell film are always grand and over the top, which is very much part of her charm. She sees the world as big as it is, and she utilizes that in such an undeterred way that it’s really exciting to see. 

It’s only March, but I think it’s fair to say it’s been a pretty hard year for all of us. These days, feel hopeless, and it’s becoming very hard to trust that things will improve. 

When I enter a cinema, it all becomes quiet, and for a very brief time, I can look at the state of the world and have some hope, just for a moment. It’s always easier to invest in another world than our own. My big ask to the audience is to support cinema and movie houses as much as you possibly can this year. Film has that tremendous ability to be impactful. 

On a positive note, of course, I’m over the moon with excitement for the Oscars this Sunday. I look forward to cheering on many of the greats of last year and embarking on a new era of cinema as technology continues to advance. Stay passionate, stay strong, stay safe, stay hopeful, and make your way to the cinemas. It has a lot in store for all of us!

Street’s 2026 Oscars Roundup. (2026, March 8). 34th Street Film & TV. https://snworksceo.imgix.net/dpn-34s/2febefff-3d4e-40c2-bc3f-68a8a0b7f933.sized-1000x1000.png?w=1000