Entertainment
So Far, Only 3 Movies From 2026 Have What It Takes To Become Classics
2026 has been a rather good year for movies. So far, we’ve had tremendous commercial successes like The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Michael, incredible legacy sequels like The Devil Wears Prada 2, horror marvels like Backrooms, and even a few controversial offerings like Wuthering Heights. With a balanced mix of original ideas, IPs, sequels, remakes, and the like, the 2026 box office is far healthier than it’s been in years. Sure, there have been some bombs (poor Masters of the Universe), but overall, cinema is not only alive but actually thriving, both domestically and abroad.
What’s best is that we’re barely six months into the year, and we still have some massive players to come, including The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. However, the movies we have gotten so far are pretty good, and in fact, a few are actually well on their way to becoming modern classics. It might be way too soon to bestow the title on them, but they have all the necessary elements to cement themselves as true icons of this age. The three entries on this list already have the type of acclaim that many other movies can only dream of, from both audiences and critics. Their reputation is bound to keep increasing over the years, and it won’t take long before they’re included alongside some of the all-time greats in their respective genres.
‘Project Hail Mary’
Based on the novel by Andy Weir and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, Project Hail Mary is a crowd-pleasing sci-fi full of heart. The film stars Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace, a middle-school teacher who awakens aboard an interstellar spacecraft without any memory of why he is there or what he’s meant to do. The sole survivor of a three-person crew, Grace slowly pieces back the story, realizing he’s on a mission to save the Sun, which is slowly dimming due to the presence of a substance dubbed “astrophage.” A coalition of the Earth’s nations, led by Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), collaborated to make the journey possible, but now, it’s all up to Grace.
In many ways, Project Hail Mary is a throwback to the type of heartwarming, optimistic movies that thrived in the ’90s. Evoking the same space thrills of something like Armageddon and combining them with the rousing cheers of The Shawshank Redemption, the film is the definition of a crowd-pleaser. Gosling is in top form here, offering a grounded, deeply humanistic performance that ranks among the best of his career, perfectly complemented by Hüller’s subtler, nuanced depiction of a cold mind trying to save humanity. At its core is a message about cooperation and empathy, showcased through the central relationship between Grace and the rock-like alien Rocky. Crucially, the science jargon is never overly complicated, allowing the film to rise on the strength of its profound and emotional story.
‘Obsession’
Its title might not be particularly original, but the film itself sure is. Made on a tiny budget of $750,000 and defying every expectation, Obsession is arguably the one true cultural phenomenon of 2026. The film follows Bear (Michael Johnston), a music store employee who has romantic feelings for his friend, Nikki (Inde Navarrete). Upon buying a novelty toy, Bear uses it to wish for her to love him more than anyone in the world. However, his wish soon turns everything into chaos, sending both him and Nikki into the depths of unbearable pain.
Directed by Curry Barker, who rose to prominence on YouTube, Obsession has become a true sensation, thanks to positive word-of-mouth and its success at capturing young audiences’ attention. The film’s premise doesn’t reinvent the formula; rather, it enhances it through a good mix of thrills and sheer entertainment. Barker deftly balances shocking and gruesome imagery with an ironic, often quite funny tone that leads to a unique horror experience. Johnston and especially Navarrete are crucial to the film’s success, crafting a dynamic that is equal parts disturbing and strangely sympathetic. Obsession keeps breaking box office records and is already among the most profitable movies ever made. As a horror gem, it’s already cemented its place alongside the genre’s biggest successes, but it has also gained the sort of cultural prominence that all but guarantees its spot among modern’s cinema’s greatest efforts.
‘I Love Boosters’
Few directors have as distinct a visual and narrative style as Boots Riley. This year, he came back with a colorful, absurdist roar with the crime comedy I Love Boosters, which stars a large ensemble led by the ever-reliable Keke Palmer. The film follows a group of shoplifters (Palmer, Taylour Page, Naomie Ackie, and Poppy Liu) who target a high-powered fashion mogul (Demi Moore), stealing her clothes and reselling them at a lower, more affordable price. The large, all-star ensemble also includes Eiza González, Will Poulter, and Oscar nominees LaKeith Stanfield and Don Cheadle.
I Love Boosters is a vibrant, hilarious, spirited, and wildly creative take on the crime genre. Like Riley’s previous efforts, it uses a heightened visual and narrative approach, heavy on absurdist jokes, irony, and a lack of subtlety, to offer a sharp and quite unforgiving takedown of capitalism and the fashion industry. Every scene is over-the-top, and the accompanying soundtrack only makes things more cartoonish and memorable. The maximalism in offer won’t be for everyone, but that’s by design; there’s a willingness to embrace chaos here, which only makes its overall message stronger and more thought-provoking. Every generation needs a cult classic, the type of quirky movie that’s embraced by a select few; I Love Boosters is such a movie, and its reputation can only improve from here.
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