New Film Releases Seen in 2026

The newly released films I see in 2026 will appear here. The list includes films seen in cinemas and new releases watched via streaming at home, as many films of the kind I like go straight to streaming now. The text reviews below each film are what I said on social media about each film. 

2026 Total: 15. (Seen in cinema: 7. Seen via home streaming: 8.)

The 2025 page is here. Althought it needs the films from the second half of 2025 added! It links to the previous year, and so do the others, going back to 2015 when I started the One Film Per Week cinema thing. In the next few months, I’ll create a consolidated page covering all years from 2015 onward. A decade! Interrupted by the pandemic, sadly.

April

Film poster for "The Map That Leads to You," an Amazon Prime original starring Madelyn Cline and KJ Apa, showing the two leads in a romantic close-up.
The Map That Leads to You - 11th April 2026. 9/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prime on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 9 out of 10

Gosh. I loved The Map That Leads to You. Several genuinely funny scenes. Plus, many that made me think. And I got a free eyewash at the end.

It wasn’t what I was expecting – a romcom in the typical mould. It was that, and more. Recommended. I gave it a 9/10 rating. Making it the third film I’ve waatched this year that will appear on my Favourite films of 2026 list next December.

Film poster for "You, Me & Tuscany," showing a man and woman framed by a stone archway with rolling Italian countryside behind them.
You, Me & Tuscany - 10th April 2026. 8/10.
🎥 in Omniplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 8 out of 10

You, Me & Tuscany is pretty standard romcom fare. It reminded me of Under the Stars, which I watched on Prime recently. Both have a lot of sunny Italian landscape porn. And Italian food porn. You, Me & Tuscany adds in some Italian car porn. Maserati specifically. Plus lots of ivy-covered red stone buildings.

I enjoyed it a lot. Which will surprise nobody who’s been following my film tastes for the last decade or so. Worth seeing. In the cinema or when streaming. 

March

The UK film poster for Ready or Not 2 features a montage of characters against a dark red backdrop. A blonde woman, played by Samara Weaving, dominates the top left, while another blonde woman played by Kathryn Newton who is blowing a bubblegum bubble stands to the right. Various people hold weapons, including shotguns and swords, amidst a scene filled with lit candles and a man in a red suit at the bottom. The title "Ready or Not 2: Here I Come" appears in gold and red lettering in the centre.
Ready Or Not 2: Here I Come - 20th March 2026. 8/10.
🎥 in Omnliplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 8 out of 10

Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is not as funny as the first one. But it’s also not as violent either. The violence in both is still of the cartoonish dark comedy variety. The original is better because of its surprise on first viewing. This one starts immediately where the first one finished. The last scene of the original is the opening scene of the sequel. Literally. Great bit of continuity to mesh the new stuff with the old footage.

You don’t need to watch the first one to understand what’s happening, as they outline it in this one, but you should because it’s magnificent. It’s on Disney+ and the usual rental sites. Cinemas should show both.

Samara Weaving and Kathryn Newton are both fantastic. They play estranged sisters brilliantly. Elijah Wood is excellent as the Lawyer. The rest of the cast is good too. Definitely worth watching. Also, one to buy when available on VOD stores.

The UK film poster for Project Hail Mary. It features a close-up of a wide-eyed man, played by Ryan Gosling, floating upside down in a weightless environment. He wears a white ringer T-shirt with the words "Horse Shoe Bend" and a chequered flag. The background shows blurred orange and yellow lights against a dark, celestial space. Text at the top credits the author of The Martian and filmmakers Phil Lord and Christopher Miller.
Project Hail Mary - 19th March 2026. 7/10.
🎥 in Omniplex MAXX Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Project Hail Mary didn’t really float my boat. I liked the Earth-based flashback sequences a lot. I’d have watched a whole film about that. The space sequences and the alien bits were just okay. The special effects are standard on-screen. Some of the music choices didn’t work for me. I didn’t read the book. Like many books, I did buy it. 

Film poster for "Under the Stars," a film by Michelle Danner, showing four characters in a warm, sunlit outdoor setting.
Under the Stars - 8th March 2026. 7/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prime on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Under The Stars is a cliché fest romcom. It hits all the beats you’d expect. The shots of London and then Italy in the sunshine are stunning. Partly funded by the Puglia (Apulia in Italian) Tourism Agency. They got their money’s worth.

Story-wise, it’s predictable. The script could have used more time in the writers’ room.

Overall, it’s okay. Not a classic of the genre. And not a dud.

Movie poster for "Eternity" starring Miles Teller, Elizabeth Olsen, and Callum Turner, showing a couple repeated infinitely into the distance.
Eternity - 7th March 2026. 7/10.
🖥️ via Apple TV.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Eternity made me think about a selection of films I’ve seen before. Including Passengers, The Adjustment Bureau, and A Matter of Life and Death. With a sprinkling of themes from The Good Place TV show.

I liked it. And laughed out loud several times. The first time at the booth for the “men-free” eternity world choice that had the “Full” sign on it.

Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic in the lead role as the person with a terrible choice to make. Worth watching.

The film poster for F*ck Valentine's Day. It shows the lead character Gina (played by Victoria Gardner), standing holding a red shiny heart shapped balloon that's floating above her head on the end of a string. The background is Valentine's Day pink!
F*ck Valentine's Day - 2nd March 2026. 8/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prime on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 8 out of 10

F*ck Valentine’s Day is better than I expected. And better than a cursory glance at the reviews would suggest. People need to lighten up.

It made me happy, and I also laughed out loud several times. Which are separate metrics. I’d happily watch it again. It’s not at the level of how much I liked The Valet on the romcom scale. But not too far behind.

Virginia Gardner is fantastic. The way emotions play out on her face is fantastic. She should get more leading roles. Recommended.

The poster for the film Maintenance Required. It shows the two lead characters from the film sitting on a bench with a pale yellow wall behind them.
Maintenance Required - 1st March 2026. 7/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prime on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Maintenance Required is a paint-by-numbers will-they-won’t-they rom-com. With a few twists. It has all the beats and tropes you’d expect from such a film. Plus lots of vintage cars, San Francisco shots and driving in Big Sur. And Madelaine Petsch looks good in mechanics overalls.

It’s the film equivalent of fast food. And, much like fast food, it’s sometimes enjoyable to consume. I enjoyed it. It won’t make my list of favourite films. But I’m glad I finally hit play on it. It was in my watch list since October last year!

February

The poster for the Paul McCartney documentary film called Man On The Run. It shows a side-on view of Paul McCartney sitting in the countryside looking off into the distance. There is a white Dalmatian dog with black spots beside him, looking in the same direction. I have placed a yellow five-pointed star in the top-right corner of the image, with the number 9 in it. To show that I rated the film 9 out of 10 stars.
Man On The Run - 28th February 2026. 9/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prime Video on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 9 out of 10

I enjoyed Paul McCartney: Man On The Run documentary immensely. I knew next to nothing about the history of Wings beforehand. I know a bit more now. And enjoyed how I found out. Recommended. It’s available to stream on Amazon Prime.

The poster for the film Is This Thing On? It shows a man and a women walkking on a New York street at night.
Is This Thing On? - 2nd February 2026. 7/10.
🎥 in Omniplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

I loved The Marvelous Mrs Maisel on Prime Video. Is This Thing On? is basically S1 of that story in film form. In the film’s case, it’s about a couple both getting jaded after a 20-year marriage and drifting apart. Both then return to the things they loved when they met 26 years previously. Then they fall for each other again. It’s okay. Mrs Maisel is better.

I didn’t recognise Bradley Cooper. He disappeared into his role. Worth seeing.

January

The poster for the film Sorry, Baby. It shows a woman who is the main protagonist of the film holding a stray cat up in front of her face while she talks to it. The sky behind the woman and cat is partly blue but with a large white fluffy cloud.
Sorry, Baby - 18th January 2026. 7/10.
🖥️ via Apple Store Rental on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Sorry, Baby tackles a subject I usually avoid: sexual assault. Rather than focusing on the act itself, the film explores the aftermath, focusing on the victim’s internal struggle without ever showing violence on screen.

Writer, director, and lead Eva Victor is excellent across all aspects. She has Greta Gerwig vibes. And played the part in a way that felt like someone very intelligent, possibly on the autism spectrum. The sandwich stop scene is superb.

It’s well done. But not a keeper for me.

The Please Stand By film poster. It shows a closeup of the main protagonist's face with her doing a Star Trek Vulcan salute with her face frames by the split in her fingers. The text Please Stand By text is shown in Yellow over the palm of her hand. She has long blonde hair.
Please Stand By - 17th January 2026. 8/10.
🖥️ via Amazon Prim on AppleTV.
Rating:
Rated 8 out of 10

Please Stand By film is very good. Suitable amounts of mild peril for the main character, who is autistic and has issues interacting with people, trying to get from San Francisco to Los Angeles. To hand in her exceptionally long (500+ pages) script for a Star Trek fan writing contest at Paramount Pictures.

Dakota Fanning is ace playing the lead character.

Worth 1.5 hours of your time to watch it. 👍🏻

It’s included with Amazon Prime for streaming, and on VOD sites to rent or buy. 

Film poster for 'Rental Family' showing five main cast members standing in a row inside a Japanese train carriage. A large yellow Star symbol with the number '9' on it is placed in the top right of the poster. This is the rating I gave the film out of 10.
Rental Family - 16th January 2026. 9/10.
🎥 in Omniplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 9 out of 10

If you’ve been reading my posts on social media for a while, you’ll know that I like films that can be categorised as feel-good. I’m completely unapologetic about that. I want to emerge from the cinema with a warm glow. I’m not looking for films to impart some profound truth or revelation about the world or a particular topic. I want to be entertained and made happy. Rental Family is that type of film. I loved it.

The cinematography is superb and beautifully showcases Tokyo and then rural Japan. Several sequences look like direct homages to Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Both at the start and at a pivotal point near the beginning of the third act.

The music is also good – I’m listening to the soundtrack as I write this. The cast is excellent. Including Mari Yamamoto, whom I thought I recognised. Turns out she was in several episodes of Pachinko. I love that show.

At its core, the film is about loneliness, the goodness of human connections, and found families. While some may question the deceit in the friend or family member for rent concept at the core of the main character’s job, and the damage this can lead to for the people involved, the redemption arc, while foreseeable and predictable given the type of film, outweighs the harm in the cases shown. For me anyway.

It was easy for me to rate Rental Family 9/10 stars. I’ll be buying it on the Apple Store for future viewing.

A film poster for "Marty Supreme" showing a close-up of a young man with dark curly hair wearing round glasses and a white sleeveless athletic shirt. He appears focused and intense. Below the title are headshots of five cast members. The poster indicates the film is "A Josh Safdie film" and notes it's "from the director of Uncut Gems."
Marty Supreme - 9th January 2026. 7/10.
🎥 in Omniplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 7 out of 10

Marty Supreme is a manic film. The lead character, Marty Mauser, is an Arthur Daly or Del Boy like character in 1950s New York. It’s gritty. Marty is brash and is always hustling to get money to feed his habit.

Unusually, his habit is high level table tennis. At which he is very proficient. We see him in the British Open tournament in London. As a halftime novelty act on a Harlem Globetrotters tour, in Tokyo, when the World Championship is on. His need for money leads to many capers.

A film poster for "Sentimental Value" featuring two people on a beach at dusk. The man wears a white shirt without a tie plus a dark jacket, and the woman wears a light-coloured sequined party dress. Behind them is a harbour setting with buildings visible across the water. The poster displays five stars at the top, followed by several quoted reviews praising the film. The title appears in white text at the bottom against the twilight sky.
Sentimental Value - 7th January 2026. 8/10.
🎥 in Omniplex Dundonald.
Rating:
Rated 8 out of 10

Sentimental Value is a family drama at its core, with themes that have been explored before, such as a divorce that breaks up a family and how it affects the children, even when they have grown up.

The acting is superb, and the dialogue in the script is excellent. Significant parts of the film are in Norwegian with English subtitles. I hardly noticed when the dialogue switched to English the first time.

The four leads are excellent. Expect award nominations. Worth seeing.

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