Movies seen in 2026
(Work in progress, as the year progresses, so remember to check every now and then if anything new popped up in the meantime.)
Beware: There are a couple of spoilers ahead, as those are predominantly notes for myself. Nothing all too serious, but one or two twists are revealed.
Cutthroat Island
The first movie to finish this year (but not start) was 1995's "Cutthroat Island," the infamous record holder of the biggest box-office bomb. It's a very classic pirate movie, plot-wise, although the closer we get to the end, the more boring it becomes. That being said, there are motifs that looked like re-used in "Pirates of the Caribbean" movies later, so it's curious that this movie was such a failure. Music brings back the old Star Wars.
As a side note, I recognised that Jamaica's Port Royale was shot in Malta, namely in St. Elmo Fort, which was used for a Turkish prison in "Midnight Express." As I am a fan of "Midnight Express," I visited the aforementioned fort many times during my living there; though, I never got to that part. But here, there's more: they also use the streets and the shore in Valletta, where we used to walk many times. And that was a weird part, which was breaking the immersion for me a little. Not that it's anyone's fault, but still, I could clearly see that it's not Jamaica. Similarly to the later part, which was shot in Thailand; and while I was not there, I saw those mountainy islands in "White Lotus 3."
Snake Eyes
"Snake Eyes" (1998) is a thriller about a cop who unexpectedly ends up running an ad-hoc investigation, when a murder happens during a boxing gala. It got old very well, with all the then-growing surveillance technology and cameras everywhere, which are pretty normal now. There is also a number of mastershots here, which are always welcomed. And the plot is more about why, not who, which was criticised at the time but tastes better years later. Also, I did not expect to see young Carla Gugino.
Roma
Federico Fellini's "Roma" (1972) is, on paper, a semi-autobiographical movie, but it feels more like a set of vignettes. Luckily for both of us, I like vignettes. The autobiographical part is rather implied, and the whole movie is a love postcard to the city of Rome. It feels more like a documentary on old times and a vibrant Italian culture (those Italian suppers). We agreed with my wife that if we didn't live in the South of Europe, we would think it's more of a metaphor. But no, it's how it is.
Eden
Ron Howard's "Eden" from 2024, based on true events, is a story of 8 people who inhabited the island of Floreana in Galápagos Archipelago. As an aficionado of islands, I really liked the setting. It's a pretty well painted picture of why living on a remote island is not the paradise that people like to think it would be. Good casting, but the main award goes to Ana De Armas as a phony baroness who sows a dissent among all the islanders.
After the movie, I went to Wikipedia to read a bit more on the location, and I found it somewhat amusing that this happened on an island of size of 173 km². After living for almost 3 years on Malta, which size is 330 km² (although the main island itself is around 250 km²), I can clearly imagine all the 3 groups of people living in such a distance that they wouldn't have to see each other. And yet. But it's probably the baroness' fault.
Another interesting fact is that in 1800s the island burned down, due to a prank gone wrong; a prank that was pulled by a sailor from "Essex," or fully, "Essex of Nantucket," the ship which was attacked and sunk by a whale; all which was depicted in "In the Heart of the Sea," which I have seen last year. And which inspired "Moby Dick." It all connects nicely.
Eddington
"Eddington" (2025) is a story of a small-town sheriff who, in the midst of COVID-19 pandemics, decides to run for the mayor. At first, it seemed that was going to be the plot, but as the movie progressed, it began expanding its scope, mixing a lot of stuff in (like conspiracy theories and Antifa, albeit with artistic licence). Overall, it was interesting because it was not possible to predict what will happen next.
Spoiler: The idea started as a western, something like a decade ago, and was covidified only recently. Lockdowns made the empty town plausible. The final shooting with Antifa goons plays out like a video game, especially taking the heavy gun that the sheriff brought (it tore off half of a leg of one person).
The plot was a lot, but was still more manageable to follow than the one from "Beau Is Afraid" from the same director. Due to epicness and a lot of things going on, it reminded me of "One Battle After Another," and perhaps, that's a new direction of movies. Less three-act arcs, and more dynamic stories that can even shift its focus halfway through. Now, I know this is probably not for everyone, but we are getting it, so I'm not gonna complain.
And honestly, I prefer "Beau Is Afraid" and "Eddington" to "Hereditary" and "Midsummer," director's earlier movies, which were straight horrors that disappointed me with their endings. Like, no, thanks, we had enough of those.
Nomadland
"Nomadland" (2020) depicts a live of Fern, a Usonian nomad: she's moving in her van, adjusted to living, through the U.S., and catching seasonal jobs, from Amazon during the Christmas frenzy, to beet root plant. The movie feels like a half-documentary, and for a good reason: nomads that Fern meets in her journey are real people playing themselves. It starts with a premise of a downer, but ends up to be a very heartwarming and touching story. Plus marvellous landscapes.
The movie reminded me predominantly of two things: the first are Wim Wenders' "Perfect Days," due to showing a sort of solace in every day's rhythm and routine; and the second is generally Werner Herzog movies, due to using naturals as actors; albeit, it mildly brings fond memories of "Stroszek," however without the horrible ending.
Sinners
I didn't know what was the story behind "Sinners" (2025), so it surprised me a bit when vampires showed up; and this was after I joked that it starts like "Lovecraft Country." Similarly to there, there is strong historical background presented. Moving forward, however, the movie started resembling "From Dusk Till Down," which is not a bad thing, as some sort of homage was maybe overdue. There is a lot of singing, bordering the movie on musical, but somehow, they made it work.
That being said, it was our plan B, after the selection for the evening had trouble with sound (those smart TVs do get dumbfounded by various compression methods, I reckon), and I don't think I would go for it on my own. As horror, it doesn't really work; I would categorise it more as supernatural action movie.
But the vampire leader was pretty interesting, by how deceptively affable he was.
The Hidden
"The Hidden" (1987) is a glorious, shameless sci-fi action horror. Kyle MacLachlan plays here an aloof FBI agent, pre-Twin-Peaks, and it's a perfect casting. He brings all his Kyleness to the role, which initially helps to fool us, the viewers. Something that would be a twist and major reveal in other movies happens almost immediately, thus making us guessing when the detective on the case will catch up with that. Fantastic 80s rock completes the picture.
There is a sequel, but it's a direct-to-video follow-up done by a completely different crew, so I'll skip it.
Alice in Wonderland
"Alice in Wonderland" (2010) is Tim Burton's take on the classical classic, and he does it with some changes: Alice has a different last name (although, I don't remember if she had one in the book) and is older, and in the movie she returns to Underland (that she calls Wonderland), but she doesn't remember that; a bit like "Hook." Characters are expanded and there is more linear plot and standard good-versus-bad story, which I'm not sure I like. But visually it holds.
The House with Laughing Windows
"The House with Laughing Windows", 1976, is a giallo horror, but it's not very scary by today's standards. Probably the most scary part is when the main character is kicked out of his hotel and has to move to an old mansion, which checks all the boxes in the haunted-or-at-least-creepy-house form, which he does as if it was nothing; then he wanders to the attic. Apart from that, it's a slow-paced mystery about a weird village with a dark secret. Not bad, but only for connoisseurs of the genre.
Alice Through the Looking Glass
"Alice Through the Looking Glass" (2016) is a follow-up to "Alice in Wonderland," but it deviates even further from the source material; not that it's bad: with Tim Burton gone, the story takes more standard approach, and in the end, I liked it better, even if it's a sort of a low ball in the creativity department. Sacha Baron Cohen is excellent as Time, complete with his Werner Herzog accent. Luckily, there were no more books, so we can call it a day.
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer
"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is a 1986's cult classic, which I was planning to see for years but kept forgetting. Now I remembered. It's very bleak, both thematically and visually, but it aged like fine wine. Due to budgetary constraints, most of the murders are shown as a detailed aftermath, with voice over of the murder. At the same time, scenes between Henry and Otis look like taken out of a sitcom. It could easily be an entry in the "Monster" anthology.
The drone music, combined with slow pacing, reminded me heavily of "Too Old To Die Young," which I am currently rewatching. This further shows that the movie was ahead of its time. And due to problems with rating and finding distribution, it was not until 1990 that many people could see it.
The director made a documentary before "Henry," and was gonna make another one, but the project collapsed. However, they had money in place, so they did this horror instead. Hence, I think, still docu vibes.
Knox Goes Away
"Knox Goes Away" is 2023's Michael Keaton's, both directed and starred, movie about a contract killer who discovers is being devoured by dementia and has literally a couple of weeks left. The movie feels like a long-overdue spiritual successor to "Memento," with Knox writing things down, and slowly losing it. There is a whole noir layer in the movie, but it felt more like a pretext to show dealing with own's impeding death. And it's funny at the same time.
State of Grace
"State of Grace" (1990) is a gangster movie telling a story of an Irish gang in New York's Hell's Kitchen; it's loosely based on an actual gang of the Westies. A lot of now very well-known actors (maybe even then): Sean Penn, Ed Harris, Gary Oldman, Robin Wright, or John Turturro. It's not bad, but as of 2026, it's sort of mediocre. I have to agree with Roger Ebert on this one: it starts quite originally, but we end up with same old, same old. It's still a solid piece of cinema, though.
Hot Shots!
I saw "Hot Shots!" when I was young, and I don't really remember if it was very funny. I do remember quoting stuff with my classmates, but I can't recall the extent to which it was amusing me. Now, years later, it rather has funny moments at best. Overall, it's so and so. The funniest I found was the manner in which Charlie Sheen and Valeria Golino talk, as if they were parodying something but it was forgotten what.
The character of the general, played by Lloyd Bridges, reminds me of the nowadays Donald Trump, who wanders off the topic and has aloof monologues about, well, hard to say about what.
It was also interesting to see Kevin Dunn from "Veep" in a younger role. He was also in "Snake Eyes," which is an example of retro recognition, when you see an actor and then they're in all the other movies, all of a sudden.
Brussels by Night
"Brussels by Night" is a Belgian movie from 1983. The story starts with a man who tries to commit a suicide in the very first scene, but decides not to, and instead, he leaves his house and starts wandering the streets. On his way, he meets an old acquaintance, then a bartendress and a Moroccan from a bar. There's a sense that he tries to achieve something on the way, but doesn't know himself what. I liked the bleak colours of December and 80ish music. I wasn't happy with the finale, though.
A spoiler revealing another movie with the same twist: The movie reminded me of Swedish "The Ape," where the main character was wandering more or less aimlessly, too, and at some point, I started suspecting there is the same explanation in both movies. And I was right. I understand that "Brussels by Night" is an early example of this, so I cannot really complain, nor accuse the movie of anything, but I would like to see a movie with a lighter reason to wander here and there.
"Brussels by Night" reminded me in the beginning of Jim Jarmusch's "Limits of Control." But then it spiraled into its dark backstory. I still recommend it, as it's a solid piece of cinema. And because it was shot in real scenery, it documents a world which is forever gone.
The Forgiven
"The Forgiven" is a story of a marriage that, driving to a party in a middle of Moroccan desert, hits and kills a young boy, which starts a chain of reaction. I was so afraid that it's gotta be a silly, Columbo-flavoured plot, but nothing of such: it's actually very well research and interesting journey of a man, intertwined with his rich (other) rich friends who party like there's no tomorrow. It reminded me a bit of "White Lotus." And Morocco is beautiful and shown quite decently.
Nope
"Nope" is a movie whose trailer I must have seen when it was released, and it caught my attention because I was not able to figure out what the plot is about; far too many movies these days have trailers explaining the plot ahead, I guess to attract more people, but it doesn't work for me. It's a science-fiction movie, with subtle touches of horror, and it tells a story of a young horse rancher who discovers that something's not right. Something not right being UFO.
A lot of times, movies try to explain things; and to do that, they have to make up a lot of stuff, so we end up with elaborate alien dynasties, which are thinly-veiled human stories. Which is fine, I guess, if you're using aliens as an aesthetics. But not here. It's closer to Stanisław Lem's "Solaris," where they first had to understand what they're up against, and it was not human, so it didn't share our mental models. In other words, the alien here is alien, not a humanoid speaking English.
The later part reminded me of "Jaws," in a similar manner to "Jeepers Creepers 2." And at some point, I had suspicion that it might have similarities to the plot of "Under the Skin" with Scarlett Johansson (but you need to see it to see if I was on track with this one). I also liked the main character, OJ, who was very methodic; autistically even, we could say. Other characters were solid too. And the subplot with monkey! Really strong writing here.
I don't need to add that I was hyped to learn that a sequel might be on the way.
Lady Snowblood
"Lady Snowblood" from 1973 is a Japanese gory movie about a young woman seeking a revenge for what was done to her family. The film is known to inspire "Kill Bill," with The Bride's storyline and all. I was surprised when Meiko Kaji's song, which I knew from "Kill Bill, Vol. 1," started playing at the beginning. And then it turned out that Meiko Kaji is the actress. It's very bloody, and, similarly to Tarantino's movies, told out of order. As such, it got old extremely well. Kudos.
T2 Trainspotting
I recall that when "T2 Trainspotting" came out in 2017, the general opinion was that it was so-and-so, therefore, I skipped it. But now Netflix served it to me on a plate, so I decided to give it a shot, after all. And once again, I am proven that I should not listen to the general public, for they know shit. The movie's okay, telling a story of Mark, who visits old friends and catches up with them. I suppose it's not as breakthrough as the first movie, but I was never captured by it as much as people around me.
It could be that I have seen the first movie in my 20s, and this one now when I'm at age close to the characters again, and it just found the right moment. Timing is everything. I liked the music and how stuff that felt random turned out to be a Chekhov's gun. Always welcomed.
Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man
"Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man," 2026, is a movie set in the same universe as the show; and with action set 6 years later, it acts as a distant finale. Some characters are gone by now, the rest moved on. I liked the plot with Nazis intending to flood Great Britain with counterfeit money, but generally, this movie was unnecessary and doesn't really contribute much. That being said, Barry Keoghan as Duke Shelby was a nice addition to the crew. And excellent music, well composed into the scenes.
The movie follows in steps of "Luther," which was also taken over by Netflix and had a movie afterwards. Though, "Luther: The Fallen Sun" looked like open for continuation, which I just confirmed, whereas for Peaky Blinders, it's probably the end of the road.
One day later...
Apparently not. Alas, there will be another actor to play Duke Shelby.
Orlando
And now, for something completely weirder -- "Orlando" (1992), an adaptation of Virginia Woolf's book. A story of a man who lives for 400 years and turns into a woman at some point. Due to his/her age, they meet many historical people on the way. I liked the scenes in the Middle East, which were shot in Azerbaijan; there is something appealing about their raw architecture. The movie was getting weirder with each minute, and I liked that, not being able to guess where it's heading.
Naked Gun
"The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!" which I always thought to be titled simply "Naked Gun," is a 1988's comedy about Frank Drebin, a goofy policeman and his goofiest adventures. It might be known more for its most recent new movie. I've seen "Naked Gun" many times before, so I was curious how it holds, and -- similarly to "Hot Shots!" -- it's not as funny as it used to be, though funnier than "Hot Shots!" I like how everything funny is overdone at least twice.
The Void
"The Void" is a cosmic horror from 2016. The plot follows a small-town sheriff who finds a beaten-up man emerging from the forest; he then takes the man to a hospital, where things begin to get weirder and weirder. It was the last cosmic horror that I had on my watchlist, though I am not sure if it's so cosmic. Visually well thought out, but there was something off all the time. I think I have to agree with the "paper-thin plot" criticism that some reviewers brought up.
I had problems with guessing what could be happening next, despite the movie being a pretty standard horror, because it doesn't explain almost anything. On paper, it should be good, the "show, not tell" principle, but practically, it's closer to a patchwork of various horror tropes and concepts put together; and while this, on the other hand, makes it sound bad, the creators actually pulled that part off quite nicely. A really mixed beast, this one.
Spoilers: I was lost as to who were the two guys from the beginning, but we put it together with my wife afterwards. Then, it's not really explained who the cultist in white robes are, as they're more of decoration. What cosmic powers the doctor serves is completely not named, which is probably a good thing, because those explanations are usually lame, anyway. So, after the movie, it all makes sense, more or less, but not when you're watching it.
Further spoilers: The monster initially reminded me the alien from "The Hidden," but it quickly evolves into this pile of organs, which brought back fond memories of the final segment of "The Substance," but later monsters looked more like coming from Clive Barker, and I don't mean as much "Hellraiser" as rather the Tortured Souls toyline. So, then, throw the hospital sequence from "The Jacob's Ladder" into the mix. Some said it's in David Cronenberg style, but to me, it feels accidental.
The big bad spoiler: The final form of the doctor, who turns out to be the mastermind behind the whole thing, looks exactly like Vecna from "Stranger Things," season 4, and even has the same voice, which made us suspect that maybe there was an inspiration here.
And then that pyramid at the end, what the hell was that? Perhaps, feeling lost is the part that makes it a cosmic horror.
To summarise, it's a position rather for horror buffs only, as it recycles various elements so well that you don't really think how minimal the plot is. Then, it's well done horror, with practical special effects, and some sort of dread looming over everything. The hospital setting made me think mostly of "Halloween II" (1981). There was potential for more, but we can't always have nice things.
Kokuho
"Kokuho" is a Japanese epic movie, telling a story of an onnagata, an actor playing female roles in kabuki theatre. And when I say epic, I mean the volume of it: the action spans 50 years and has many twists on the way. It was very well researched and prepared (the main actors spend 18 months with an actual theatre). For all the Japan lovers, it's a must. It's also very educational. Just wow.
Strange Darling
"Strange Darling" is a thriller that starts with a woman running away from someone. But I don't wanna say too much. The plot is told out of order and offers a lot of twists; way more than there would be chronologically. Thanks to the selection of songs, the movie reminded me of Quentin Tarantino's style and a bit of "The End of the F***ing World." Shot on 35mm camera (by Giovanni Ribisi), it's a strong homage to the 1970s, but as if filtered through the 1990s, so the second order of abstraction.
The Surfer
"The Surfer" (2024) is a psychological thriller with Nicholas Cage. A man comes to a beach to show his son a place where he wants to buy a house, but gets stranded there due to a local gang of surfers. For the most time, the movie plays out like a nightmare that you can't wake up from, very much like the opening sequence of "Beau Is Afraid." Somewhere in the middle, I figured out how it will end. But it's a solid stuff. It felt weird because the beach and its parking reminded me of Għajn Tuffieħa, where I spent a lot of time when I lived in Malta.
Jules
"Jules" (2023) is a story of Milton, an elderly man slowly sliding into dementia. Early on, a flying saucer lands in his garden, but nobody believes him because he's old, so he starts helping the alien out. Then two of his friends join the party. Advertised as a comedy, which it is to a degree, it's rather a touching story of getting old. It was like "Knox Goes Away" but without crime aspect. Also, Ben Kingsley with long hair looks like Larry David.
The whole time, the movie felt like one of the 1990s Disney productions, or a Hallmark movie. There was this aura of friendliness and non-violence, and even police or secret service agents were more of a natural consequence, but they didn't do much in the end. But! While it might sound like a bad thing, "Jules" pulled that out successfully.
Exotica
"Exotica" (1994) is definitely a weird one, but in a good way. It's a rather ensemble cast, as the plot follows a couple of characters: a man obsessed with an erotic dancer, a DJ there, as well as the owner, then an owner of a pet shop. During the film, it all seemed coming from nowhere, but once it finished, all the pieces made sense. It was really good to see Don McKellar; I really like him. And young Bruce Greenwood; well, youngish -- that I didn't have on my bingo card.
The movie was advertised in the U.S. as an erotic thriller, but it's neither erotic, despite action set in a strip club, nor thriller. If anything, it's a drama.
The Captive
"The Captive" is a story of 5 years that Miguel de Cervantes, the creator of Don Quixote, spent in Algerian prison. It's not strictly biographic, as it heavily leans on Cervantes' gaiety, but it doesn't matter: it's a good story of someone who learns the power of telling stories. And visually, it's really well done. I liked how they threaded in Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. While it was shot in Spain, not Algiers, we have a lot of Muslim castles here to make it work.