From Ryan Gosling in Space to Ranveer Singh's Bloodbath: The Best Films of 2026 So Far

The first quarter of 2026 has been a remarkable stretch for cinema.

The best films of 2026 so far span across genres, budgets, and borders.

A science-fiction film about saving the solar system, a Bollywood epic crossing a thousand crore, a gothic romance that broke the internet, and an animated sequel setting box office records.

Hollywood and Bollywood are both delivering. Here is what has defined the year so far.

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

With a 6.5 IMDb rating, this movie has emerged as the highest-grossing Hollywood film of 2026 so far.

The animated sequel has amassed $629 million at the global box office, with $308 million from North America and $320 million from overseas.

Chris Pratt and Charlie Day reprise their roles as Mario and Luigi, and the film is reportedly expected to cross the $1 billion milestone in the coming weeks.

Project Hail Mary

This sci-fi movie is the critical favourite of the year boasting a rating of 8.4 IMDb.

It opened to a record-breaking $140.9 million worldwide, the biggest March opening for a non-franchise film.

Ryan Gosling plays an amnesiac biologist who wakes up alone on a spacecraft tasked with saving Earth, and the film is being widely described as emotionally gripping and surprisingly funny.

The film’s portrayal of interstellar travel and extraterrestrial life has breathed new life into the science fiction genre, rekindling a sense of wonder and bringing the ‘Amaze! Amaze!’ factor of scientific discovery back into public consciousness.

Dhurandhar: The Revenge

Dhurandhar: The Revenge is 2026's defining Bollywood moment with a staggering IMDb rating of 8.5.

The film crossed Rs 1,006 crore worldwide in its first week, making director Aditya Dhar only the second Indian director after S.S. Rajamouli to deliver two consecutive Rs 1,000 crore films.

The Ranvir Singh starrer revenge drama continues its record-shattering run at the box office, crossing a massive Rs. 1,712.98 crore worldwide by Day 25.

Wuthering Heights

Wuthering Heights, holding a 6.2 IMDb rating and directed by Emerald Fennell and starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi, abandons period-piece conventions entirely.

According to the BBC, Fennell restores the frank sexuality and class cruelty of Brontë's novel, deploys a Charli XCX soundtrack, and has left literary purists deeply unhappy.

28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

Directed by Nia DaCosta and scripted by Alex Garland, the film weaves folk-horror mythology into zombie terror.

Ralph Fiennes and Jack O'Connell lead a cast that is, reportedly, uncompromisingly British in its cultural references - gaining a jaw-dropping rating of IMDb 7.3.

Hoppers

Hoppers, rated 7.5 by IMDb, follows a schoolgirl whose mind is placed into a robotic beaver, allowing her to understand animals.

Jon Hamm voices a corrupt mayor, and director Daniel Chong delivers a sharp environmental message that most live-action blockbusters avoid entirely.

The Drama

Zendaya and Robert Pattinson play an engaged couple whose charming courtship turns dark when Emma reveals a devastating secret days before the wedding.

Director Kristoffer Borgli's provocative dramedy is a tonal high-wire act, but both stars navigate it beautifully - making ‘The Drama’ a rare film that is equal parts star power and provocation with a strong IMDb rating of 7.5.

(With inputs from yMedia)