IGN has already reviewed quite a few movies in 2026, but only one film has earned a perfect 10 out of 10 (and it’s not even out yet!). If you’re wondering which movies our reviewers have loved this year, we’ve gathered everything that’s earned a score of 8 or above in one place.
We’re pretty excited for some really big movies coming out in the latter half of the year, but in the meantime, you can check out our top picks as of August 2026. As a quick reminder, here’s what each of these review scores means:
10 – Masterpiece9 – Amazing8 – Great
10/10 – Masterpiece
Josephine
How to watch: This movie doesn’t hit theaters until November 20. Our review came from the Sundance Film Festival where the film first debuted.
From our review: “The tragedy of an eight-year-old who witnesses a sexual assault, and who has to find her own strength when her parents fail to help her cope, Beth de Araújo’s Josephine is one of the year’s most aesthetically sure-footed films. Mason Reeves delivers one of the most stunning child performances in recent memory, while Channing Tatum and Gemma Chan lean into their familiar acting hallmarks but find uncomfortable new layers as a mother and father bound by their own upbringings. The result is visceral, gentle, and ultimately, shattering.” – Siddhant Adlakha
9/10 – Amazing
Send Help
Where to watch: Send Help is available to stream with a Hulu subscription or a Disney+ and Hulu bundle. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “Sam Raimi drives the survival thriller genre to some amazing and sadistically giddy ends, with Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien along for the ride in the back seat cackling and stabbing each other the whole way through. Linda and Bradley’s ordeal creates immensely fertile ground for Raimi to interrogate the validity of first impressions with twists and turns of the plot and of various sharp objects that seldom tire. Sure, drag me to hell, but let’s stop at this island on the way and have a freakin’ party with Linda and Bradley!” – Tom Jorgensen
Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie
Where to watch: Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie is available to stream with a Hulu subscription or a Disney+ and Hulu bundle.
From our review: “Harking back to their low-budget web series, Toronto comedians Matt Johnson and Jay McCaroll – who reprise their roles as indie musicians trying to score a major gig at any cost – inject mockumentary comedy with an incredible sci-fi twist in one of the year’s most daringly silly films. Part guerrilla prank saga, part heartwarming friendship story, and part riff on Back to the Future, the result is an incredibly fine-tuned mishmash of styles and ideas that keeps evolving in surprising ways.” – Siddhant Adlakha
EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert
Where to watch: EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
From our review: “Baz Luhrmann delivers a thrilling big-screen tribute to Elvis Presley with EPiC. Presley’s humanity and energy pour off the screen, even if the subject himself – who “narrates” his own story – is circumspect in what personal details he’s willing to reveal. This is more a chronicle of Elvis the artist and performer than Elvis the man, although the high and low points of his life and career up until 1972 are covered. As an experience for Elvis fans – and if you’re not a fan, this film could likely make you one – EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert is unparalleled.” – Jim Vejvoda
The Drama
Where to watch: The Drama is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “The Drama is a practically absurd but emotionally true-to-life tale about the fears of being known, and being truly seen. Kristoffer Borgli imbues his bleakly comic stress-test of modern romance with a destabilizing cinematic energy, as a deep, dark, and very American secret threatens his characters’ domestic bliss by exposing the limits of their empathy. Led by immaculate performances, it’s one of the most delightfully nerve-wracking rabbit holes you’re likely to tumble down this year.” – Siddhant Adlakha
Erupcja
Where to watch: Erupcja is available to rent or buy digitally.
From our review: “Erupcja is not just the best Charli XCX film to date, but the best work yet from the poetic filmmaker Pete Ohs, with the two finding kindred spirits in each other. Though it could be wrongly dismissed as slight, look deeper into the well-crafted, wondrous portrait that the duo creates together, and you’ll find one of those films whose rich vibrancy sneaks up on you.” – Chase Hutchinson
Tony
Where to watch: Tony is now available to watch in theaters.
From our review: “A zesty, energetic biopic about a teenage Anthony Bourdain, Matt Johnson’s second film this year is an act of controlled chaos, tapping into the nostalgia of naïve youth while examining how creativity is born. Led by an incredible ensemble, its imperfect answers make for one of the finest and thorniest coming-of-age films in recent years. It’s a blast.” – Siddhant Adlakha
Batman: Knightfall Part 1 – Knightfall
Note: This movie doesn’t hit digital until August 25. Our review came from the Annecy International Animation Film Festival where the film first debuted.
From our review: “After the largely disappointing Crisis trilogy, Batman: Knightfall Part 1 – Knightfall is a strong return to form for DC’s direct-to-video movie line. The first part of this animated trilogy succeeds in cutting through the fat and adapting the essential core of a classic Batman crossover. It paints a vivid psychological portrait of both Batman and his latest arch-nemesis. The film also looks great and boasts a talented voice cast that brings this venerable source material to life. This new DC animated trilogy is off to a great start.” – Jesse Schedeen
Coyote vs. Acme
How to watch: Coyote vs. Acme will be released in theaters on August 28.
From our review: “Coyote vs. Acme succeeds on just about every level, showing a clear understanding of what makes the classic Looney Tunes characters so timeless. It’s a savvy mix of absurd humor, a satirical, meta-subplot, and just enough emotional weight to make us care about these short-form animated punching bags for a full feature-length runtime. With capable leads in Will Forte, John Cena, and Lana Condor highlighted by hilarious bits from the supporting cast, Coyote vs. Acme proves the Looney Tunes won’t be going anywhere so long as they keep chasing that bird.” – Clint Gage
Hope
How to watch: This movie doesn’t hit theaters until September 9. Our review came from the Cannes Film Festival where the film first debuted.
From our review: “Through forests, mountainsides, and claustrophobic main streets, Hope launches a gonzo sensory assault with an action-comedy-thriller saga of a small town beset by forces much larger than itself. Beginning with a lengthy climax, then unspooling a mystery in reverse before climaxing once again, its peculiar structure is as uncannily inviting as its malformed creature designs, which work to bring cultural paranoia into a riveting clash with nature. It’s a nonstop blast with the kind of low-to-the-ground vehicular and horseback action that’ll have you falling off the front of your seat.” – Siddhant Adlakha
The Weight
How to watch: This movie doesn’t hit theaters until September 18. Our review came from the Sundance Film Festival where the film first debuted.
From our review: “A gruff, must-watch Ethan Hawke leads a delightful band of outsiders in The Weight, a Depression-era heist film that oscillates between slow burn drama and nail-biting intensity. Its tale of prisoners tasked with transporting stolen gold in exchange for their freedom is equal parts political leaflet and western folklore, resulting in a slick thriller that charges breathlessly forward.” – Siddhant Adlakha
8/10 – Great
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Where to watch: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. You can also buy it on 4k Blu-ray.
From our review: “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is getting an 8. Director Nia DaCosta crafts a great follow-up to last year’s 28 Years Later that’s gory and thoughtful in equal measure. There’s a wit and humor at play in The Bone Temple that elevates, in all the right ways, the dramatic stakes of a zombie apocalypse working on its third decade, especially in Ralph Fiennes’ record collection (I’d give the film a 666 if IGN would let me). While it might not be the best place to start watching the 28 Later franchise for the uninitiated, the creative force driving the series’ future have two solid movies as the foundation for whatever comes next.” – Clint Gage
Scarlet
Where to watch: Scarlet is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
Read our review: “Spectacular visuals, imaginative worldbuilding, and topical themes elevate a broadly drawn plot in Mamoru Hosada’s very loose Hamlet adaptation. This animé epic from the Japanese auteur behind Mirai and Belle is worth seeing on a big screen.” – Kayti Burt
Goat
Where to watch: Goat is available to stream with a Netflix subscription. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “Goat tells a basic and familiar underdog sports story, but in a warm-hearted and endearing manner, with likable characters you can easily root for, even if adults in the audience can easily predict how things will play out for them. And it really soars on the animation front, with some especially clever and dynamic visuals that help make the centerpiece games really special, and allow this world of anthropomorphic animals to feel unique, even with plenty of competition on that front.” – Eric Goldman
Project Hail Mary
Where to watch: Project Hail Mary is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “Thrilling, heartfelt, and hilarious, Project Hail Mary is a rollicking sci-fi blockbuster. Lord and Miller faithfully adapt Andy Weir’s novel, carrying forward the author’s celebration of science, teamwork, and bravery on a huge scale, bolstered by great performances from Ryan Gosling and James Ortiz and Greig Fraser’s fantastic work behind the camera. Some pacing issues inherent in closely adapting the novel’s structure do make for a somewhat rough landing, but through the lens of Grace and Rocky’s partnership being the real mission we want to see succeed, Project Hail Mary is a memorable celebration of how much we can accomplish when we work together.” – Tom Jorgensen
They Will Kill You
Where to watch: They Will Kill You is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.
From our review: “They Will Kill You is another winner from director Kirill Sokolov that shows Zazie Beetz has all the chops to be an action star in her own right. With great stunt choreography and camerawork, it’s a shining example of how modern action ought to be constructed. With a supernatural, satanic twist that it fully capitalizes on, it’s a gonzo, gruesome, gutsy little gem.” – Chase Hutchinson
Faces of Death
Where to watch: Faces of Death is available to stream with a Shudder or AMC+ subscription.
From our review: “The question of how and why you would even attempt to remake Faces of Death is given a compelling answer in this new remake. Using a postmodern meta take on both the original film and how it was perceived, the movie reflects a world where rather than hunting down a specific VHS tape to see people supposedly really die, you can now find exactly that type of content immediately by simply going on the internet…and that is far from a comforting thought!” – Eric Goldman
The Christophers
Where to watch: The Christophers is available to rent or buy digitally.
From our review: “In Steven Soderbergh’s deceptively simple The Chistophers, Ian McKellen delivers a blistering, abrasive performance as an aging artist fighting the tides of change, while being gradually conned by Michaela Coel as a beguiling art student who hopes to forge his unfinished work. Part caper and part artistic self-reflection, the movie plays like a late-stage masterwork, but one that Soderbergh has arrived at decades early, leaving the door open to infinite possibilities.” – Siddhant Adlakha
Mother Mary
Where to watch: Mother Mary is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.
From our review: “David Lowery’s latest is a visually fascinating chamber piece with great performances from Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel. The story of old wounds between former friends and creative partners isn’t the most relatable mannequin on which to assemble a film, so the story of icon Mother Mary and couture designer Sam doesn’t have enough range to carry the film through its final moments. However, everything else, from the sound design to the cinematography and the operatic fantasy of this pop star ghost story (a subgenre I wouldn’t have pegged as “up my alley” but here we are) makes Mother Mary a great piece of art.” – Clint Gage
Apex
Where to watch: Apex is available to stream with a Netflix subscription.
From our review: “Baltasar Kormákur delivers a compelling survival thriller with both Charlize Theron and Taron Egerton throwing themselves into their adversarial roles. Theron crafts a relatable and grounded performance bolstered with emotional sensitivity and physical prowess, while Taron Egerton proves his worth as a weirdly menacing antagonist. Immersively conceived and nerve-rackingly realized, Apex is a visually-commanding action film bursting with impressively dynamic stunt sequences.” – Hanna Ines Flit
The Sheep Detectives
Where to watch: The Sheep Detectives is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription.
From our review: “The Sheep Detectives is a very sweet, and often quite moving, family comedy about grief and death. I know that sounds weird, but director Kyle Balda and screenwriter Craig Mazin are mostly successful at threading that needle, with the broad humor of some of the human characters being the film’s weakest aspect. The sheep characters Lily and Sebastian have compelling arcs that highlight the movie’s themes of acceptance and growth. As dark as the story can sometimes get, there’s still enough warmth and wit to make The Sheep Detectives appropriate for younger audiences.” – Jim Vejvoda
Mortal Kombat II
Where to watch: Mortal Kombat II is available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.
From our review: “Mortal Kombat II gets an 8 from me. It might not be Oscar-caliber cinema, and hardcore fans of the game with encyclopedic knowledge of the game may have a bone to pick, but it’s big and loud and gruesome and not afraid to have fun. The bar for video game movie sequels isn’t very high, but this one not only clears the bar, it twirls it around like a bo staff.” – Max Scoville
I Love Boosters
Where to watch: I love Boosters is available to rent or buy on digital.
From our review: “I Love Boosters, Boots Riley’s candy-colored indictment of capitalism, is as sharp as it is deranged. Living somewhere along the spectrum of magical realism, the entire film is a brilliant balancing act of comedy and call-to-action that sprinkles a little philosophy in-between. Expertly executed production, set, costume and prop design bring Riley’s unique vision to life, while just as vital are the performances of our ensemble, led by Keke Palmer. Her turn as Corvette is the earnest heartbeat of a delightfully insane film.” – Alyssa Mora
Pressure
Where to watch: Pressure is available to stream with a Peacock subscription.
From our review: “Pressure is quality dad content. War movie fans and WWII buffs should appreciate the film’s devotion to detail, while mainstream audiences will be treated to a taut, compelling story about the very real men behind the icons who ensured an Allied victory. Brendan Fraser makes Eisenhower flesh and blood, while Andrew Scott adds another whipsmart protagonist to his filmography with his nuanced portrayal of meteorologist James Stagg.” – Jim Vejvoda
Backrooms
Where to watch: Backrooms is now available to rent or buy on digital. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “Backrooms expertly expands on the conceptual groundwork of the YouTube series with smart visual composition, beautifully terrifying production design, a complex protagonist, and a return to Kane Parsons’ roots of computer generated sequences that pack a serious punch. The film also opens the doors to some compelling pathways to deepen the lore even more, if newcomers are willing to meet the film on its level, where it isn’t going to spoon-feed anyone. Parsons’ film is a harrowing trip to the dark heart of fractured memory, loneliness, and inner turmoil. It takes what’s psychologically horrifying about the liminality of life and transmogrifies it into something truly terrifying. That’s something the concept has always done well, and its future seems bright with Parsons at the helm of the nightmarish maze.” – Lex Briscuso
Obesssion
Where to watch: Obsession is available to stream with a Peacock subscription. You can also buy it on 4K Blu-ray.
From our review: “Obsession should and will put Barker on the map as a horror filmmaker you need to watch. Thanks to fantastic turns by Michael Johnston and Inde Navarrette, you’ll be addicted to this sour Valentine’s Day counterprogramming. The film plays on familiar romance and monkey’s paw tropes, turning a wish against the wishee, but Barker’s execution takes things to the next level. In the film’s simplicity lay the chance to go for broke, putting all efforts into the lengths Nikki is willing to go for her beloved. With that focus and Barker’s fearlessness, Obsession becomes one hell of a maximalist ride.” – Matt Donato
Masters of the Universe
Where to watch: Masters of the Universe is available to stream with a Prime Video subscription.
From our review: “Masters of the Universe is so much funnier than I expected, and the fight scenes are choreographed and photographed in a way that gives the sequences just enough flair to make them stand out (even if they’re not revolutionizing superhero style fisticuffs on screen). While Nicholas Galitzine and Idris Elba provide the thematic structure to the film, Jared Leto’s Skeletor gives a delightfully weird and cartoonish energy to every scene he’s in. It’s a film that appreciates the source material, silly names and all, and proves the best way to add to a 50-year-old franchise that’s about toys as much as anything else is to not take it too seriously.” – Clint Gage
Carolina Caroline
Where to watch: Carolina Caroline is now available to rent or buy on digital.
From our review: “The story of a small-town girl falling for a career criminal and going on a cross-country crime spree with him is one we’ve certainly seen before, but Carolina Caroline provides its own spin on the subject that makes it well worth checking out. Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner have long proven themselves as actors whose presence always enlivens any movie they’re in. Here, they’re excellent together in a movie that does a great job of selling you on the genuine emotion behind its scenario rather than pushing it to over-the-top extremes.” – Eric Goldman
The Furious
Where to watch: Furious is now available to rent or buy on digital.
From our review: “In a just world, The Furious will be an unprecedented hit for Lionsgate Films; not only is it worthy, but it’s an antidote to the formulaic action movies Hollywood likes to churn out. Tanigaki brings electric energy and crowd-pleasing visuals to a rough-and-tumble ready-to-rumble actioner that walks the walk over and over. It’s a winning formula: the stuntman director, a cast of world-class martial artists, and an unlimited tank of adrenaline. It’s another instant addition to my collection of international genre favorites, and one I’ll be revisiting whenever I need a healthy excitement boost.” – Matt Donato
Leviticus
Where to watch: Leviticus is now available to buy or rent on digital.
From our review: “Adrian Chiarella’s Leviticus is an involving, meaningful, and legitimately creepy horror movie. Chiarella’s story about gay youth being punished for simply being the way they are is emotional and thoughtful while also simply working well as a horror story, blending the real-life prejudices that inspired it with the supernatural curse laid upon its characters in a highly effective manner.” – Eric Goldman
Minions & Monsters
Where to watch: Minions and Monsters is now available to buy or rent on digital.
From our review: “When you have a franchise as successful as Despicable Me/Minions, why not have some fun with it and push the boundaries? That seems to have been the approach with Minions & Monsters, and it pays off. Using the Minions to create an ode to early Hollywood that’s also an overall love letter to movies themselves and the power of storytelling is a surprising yet welcome turn of events. The film manages to incorporate the usual type of Minions gags to please their many loyal fans (most importantly kids) while also interjecting references and story elements that have a lot of extra entertainment value for older viewers. And look, if even a handful of people of any age end up using the seventh movie in the Despicable Me franchise as a springboard to learn more about the likes of Buster Keaton or Orson Welles, that’s a net positive.” – Eric Goldman
The Invite
Where to watch: The Invite is available to watch in theaters.
From our review: “Despite its noncommittal destination, The Invite makes for a nerve-racking journey for much of its runtime. With fine-tuned performances at her disposal, including her own, Wilde reclaims the title of director with ferocity and vigor, carving a stylized piece of cinema from a story that could’ve so easily been straightforward and simple in its telling. Instead, it becomes an entertaining mirror of romantic disillusionment in middle age and one of the more enjoyable adult dramas out of Hollywood this year.” – Siddhant Adlakha
The Odyssey
Where to watch: The Odyssey available to watch in theaters and IMAX.
From our review: “Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is a must-watch cinematic experience, an epic film version of an epic poem that adapts many of the out-there concepts of Homer through a new eye that frequently brings a sense of horror and existential angst to the story – and even a bit of humor too! Matt Damon is fine as the title character if not revelatory, but the extensive supporting cast frequently prop up individual moments, as do some of Nolan’s unique additions to the story. While Odysseus’ emotional journey here can be as choppy as a rough day at sea, and the “civilization is eroding” theme is undercooked, the film’s bigger observations on the effects of war on those who are forced to participate in it are well met. The Odyssey isn’t perfect, but it’s a pretty great moviegoing experience all the same.” – Scott Collura
Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender
Where to watch: Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is available to stream with a Paramount+ subscription.
From our review: “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender is a lovingly crafted and gorgeously animated movie that features a welcome return for Team Avatar. While the plot might be a little thin, the action scenes and settings are thrilling and deserved to be seen on the big screen instead of streaming after a scuttled theatrical release and unfortunate leak changed plans that would have made this more of an event for fans.” – Alex Zalben
Her Private Hell
Where to watch: Her Private Hell is no longer available in theaters, you can preorder it on digital at Prime Video or Apple TV.
From our review: “Refn’s back on his business with Her Private Hell. At his best, he’s one of the most exciting and visually exquisite filmmakers working in the industry today. Everything you expect from the whole-hog Refn experience is back with a vengeance, including his brand of airy, somewhat interpretive storytelling that’s made titles like Only God Forgives and The Neon Demon so divisive. Her Private Hell is more of that, but in a way that’s still exciting despite its charitable highs and befuddling lows. At the very least, it’s splendid to look at throughout, and I don’t mean that as a snide jab. Her Private Hell could be screenshotted and framed, and headline its own gallery takeover, while the story will leave some viewers dazed and confused: The Nicolas Winding Refn Special.” – Matt Donato
It Ends
How to watch: It Ends will be released in select theaters on Friday, August 21, and enters wide release on August 28.
From our review: “It Ends manages to be both creepy and amusing thanks to its likable cast and filmmaker Alexander Ullom’s ability to exploit minimal resources to maximum effect. This is a movie that takes place in a car. In the woods. That’s it! And yet it’s scary, the characters really grow on you, and it also poses some self-aware and probing questions that will at the very least have you putting on the Talking Heads’ album Little Creatures when you’re done.” – Scott Collura
The Only Living Pickpocket in New York
How to watch: This movie doesn’t hit theaters until October 23. Our review came from the Sundance Film Festival where the film first debuted.
Read our review: “The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is a tremendous sophomore feature from Mr. Segan, who’s just as charming a filmmaker as he is an actor. There’s a twinkly, winky nature about his ode to professions being left in the dust by contemporary society – even the underbelly ones. Turturro is a phenomenal actor, adding another classic turn to his already illustrious catalog. It’s a melting pot of experiences from comical to romantic to thrilling to richly ruminative. Everything flows together gracefully in step through a delicate and beautiful dance that speaks to the ever-changing beast that is New York City. And, sometimes, you know the ride is over…when all you can do is reflect on how good you’ve had it.” – Matt Donato
