By C. Ramsay
Honourable Mentions
In alphabetical order, these are the films that have so far stood out to me without quite reaching my current Top 10.
- Backrooms | Dir. Kane Parsons | Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction
- An entryway to an alternate dimension of never-ending liminal spaces and mostly empty rooms is discovered in the basement of a furniture store, and the store owner, his employees, and his therapist become drawn to exploring what’s on the other side. This feature-length directorial debut from (at the time of production) 20-year-old Kane Parsons mostly falters in its writing, but otherwise cultivates a uniquely stressful atmosphere and showcases the acting abilities of Chiwetel Ejiofor and Renate Reinsve, among others. Full review here.
- The Drama | Dir. Kristoffer Borgli | Comedy, Drama, Romance
- A couple nearing their wedding day suddenly find their entire relationship in flux after one of them reveals something about their past that the other feels completely shocked by. With Zendaya and Robert Pattinson at the forefront, and memorable supporting performances from Mamoudou Athie, Hailey Benton Gates, and Alana Haim, especially, the film is nuanced in finding the humour surrounding its situations, and provides compelling discussion points for its audience.
- I Want Your Sex | Dir. Gregg Araki | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
- A young man, recently hired to assist a prominent visual artist, finds himself in over his head when she initiates a sexual BDSM relationship with him and things get out of control. A fun addition to the erotic comedy canon that keeps its thriller components secondary, light, and airy to its musings on desire, casual sex, consent, and kink.
- Magalhães (Magellan) | Dir. Lav Diaz | Adventure, Drama, History
- Gael García Bernal plays Portuguese nobleman Ferdinand Magellan in this epic about his 16th-century expedition across the then uncharted Pacific Ocean, which culminated in him trying to force Catholicism onto the people he meets in Cebu. Featuring visually stunning cinematography, while the central figure of the film is Magellan, the focus is on the ruptures caused by colonial campaigns and the devastation faced by Indigenous Peoples, though community agency is also explicitly highlighted.
- The Moment | Dir. Aidan Zamiri | Comedy, Drama, Music
- Charli xcx fulfills this self-satirizing music comedy by portraying a pop star who begins to reconsider her values and goals with the approach of her first arena tour. Shot as a mockumentary, the boldness of this endeavour succeeds on the strength of Charli’s performance, through which she reveals a natural capability to hit both comedic beats and a range of emotional notes.
- The Odyssey | Dir. Christopher Nolan | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
- After the Trojan War, King Odysseus and his crew spend years struggling to achieve their homecoming. Christopher Nolan’s take on the ancient Greek epic is as sparse as it is bountiful, utilizing a degree of sterility to better accentuate each set piece. While the talents of some of the cast feel underutilized or misdirected given their screen time, and much of the comedic delivery feels out of place, the audiovisual experience of seeing this in theatres (in any format!) is exceptional, and Nolan’s contemporized interpretations of the the story’s themes allow for his adaptation to be faithful in many ways without sacrificing creativity and modern relatability.
- The Plague | Dir. Charlie Polinger | Drama, Thriller
- At a water polo summer camp for tweens, an awkward boy attempts to navigate securing his place among the more popular kids while contending with betraying his morals in regards to the treatment of an even more socially maligned boy. Featuring gorgeous cinematography that’s often used to amplify the tension of the film, the horrors of coming of age are exemplified in both metaphorical and very real ways.
- 黒牢城 (The Samurai and the Prisoner) | Dir. Kiyoshi Kurosawa | Drama, History, Mystery
- When a lord is forced from within the confines of his castle to defend against a tyrant he has opposed, he begins to see various crimes and murders take place and seeks assistance from a rival strategist he has imprisoned in the castle’s dungeon. Playing out like a game of Clue set in 16th century Japan, the film uses humour and intrigue to examine what it means to follow social expectations and what it takes to break them.
Current Top 10
10. Pillion | Dir. Harry Lighton | Drama, Romance
- An introverted gay man meets a stoic biker with whom he enters into a BDSM relationship as the submissive. Director Harry Lighton uses his feature directorial debut to consider how devastating and freeing self-discovery can feel when its achievement is incremental and dependent on the actions of other people. Features a profound performance by Harry Melling, whose portrayal of Colin suggests that it’s vulnerability that’s most foundational to the development of healthy relationships, no matter the overarching dynamic.
9. The Wrong Girls | Dir. Dylan Meyer | Comedy, Crime, Science Fiction
- Two burnout best friends accidentally acquire a briefcase full of experimental drugs that end up making them telepathic. Written and directed by Dylan Meyer in her directorial debut, and starring Kristen Stewart, Alia Shawkat, LaKeith Stanfield, Zack Fox, and Tony Hale, among others, this is a fantastic comedic achievement that’s stylish, has great pacing, and invites rewatchability.
8. Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie | Dir. Matt Johnson | Adventure, Comedy, Science Fiction
- In an attempt to play local Toronto venue The Rivoli, best friends and bandmates Matt and Jay unintentionally travel back in time to 2008. Using a combination of guerrilla filmmaking and their own archival footage from nearly two decades ago, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol have crafted a hilarious and uniquely intricate entry into the body of time travel works.
7. ხმელი ფოთოლი (Dry Leaf) | Dir. Alexandre Koberidze | Drama, Fantasy
- A young photographer who had been taking pictures of football pitches across rural Georgia is presumed to be missing, and her father decides to retrace her steps with her best friend, who happens to be an invisible person, in an attempt to find her. Shot in digital 144p, the highly pixelated imagery creates a sense of surreal timelessness that parallels the use of invisible people to chronicle shifting national values and a growing loss of communal sentiment. Firmly in the arthouse corner, if this clip doesn’t reach you then it’s likely safe to assume that the full three-hour runtime won’t either.
6. The Testament of Ann Lee | Dir. Mona Fastvold | Drama, History, Music
- Follows Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers religious sect in the 1700s, and her journey with her supporters to find a safe and permanent location to establish roots and grow as a devotional community. Music, song, and dance are portrayed as deeply primal activities akin to both prayer and creation, a way to simultaneously commune with and channel divinity, and it’s through this medium that themes of chosen family and autonomy in the face of imposed conformity are explored.
5. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple | Dir. Nia DaCosta | Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
- The continuation of last year’s 28 Years Later (2025), itself a follow-up to 28 Days Later (2002), The Bone Temple reintroduces Dr. Kelson, Samson, Spike, and Sir Lord Jimmy Crystal and his Fingers in a centripetal spiral that converges around the treatability of various types of monstrosity. Oftentimes quiet and ponderous in its approach, the film—true to form—still wields some gnarly violence and gore, and isn’t afraid to engage in the relatability of certain emotions through grandiose and unconventional means.
4. Maddie’s Secret | Dir. John Early | Comedy, Drama
- Bubbly and optimistic aspiring chef Maddie is suddenly thrust into the limelight when a video of her making one of her recipes goes viral, causing renewed struggles with a secret that she had previously buried deep. Writer-director John Early stars as Maddie in his directorial debut that doubles as a masterpiece. Comedy and melodrama are blended to a nearly incomprehensible harmony, contributing to the flair of the film without ever overshadowing its key dramatic moments, dehumanizing any of the characters, or detracting from the seriousness of their struggles.
3. Blue Heron | Dir. Sophy Romvari | Drama
- Through the perspective of Sasha, the youngest child in a family that has recently relocated to Vancouver Island, the audience is given insight into the increasingly intense behavioural issues of Jeremy, the oldest child, and the turmoil building amongst those around him as a result. This semi-autobiographical feature directorial debut from Sophy Romvari interrogates the overlaps and disconnects between experiences, memory, and understanding, and manages to prioritize empathy without disregarding the gravity of consequences faced by those at the periphery of mental health and behavioural struggles.
2. Sirāt | Dir. Oliver Laxe | Drama, Thriller
- A man and his young son enter the Moroccan rave scene in search of their missing daughter and sister who was known to frequent such events. Lacking new information, they embark on a cross-desert expedition with another group in a desperate effort to seek out a last, possibly even mythical, rave that could finally provide a new lead. Following closely in the footsteps of its predecessors—Le Salaire de la Peur (The Wages of Fear) (1953) and Sorcerer (1977)—Sirāt evokes tested stress-inducing visuals while maintaining a fresh take on the material, and boasts a phenomenal score that regularly feels just as characterized as the cast and just as imposing as the landscape.
1. Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma | Dir. Jane Schoenbrun | Comedy, Horror, Romance
- A meta horror that’s equally as poignant as it is funny, Camp Miasma follows an up-and-coming filmmaker who’s slated to revive an already leached slasher franchise and feels a necessity to cast the actress, now a recluse, who played the franchise’s original final girl. Director Jane Schoenbrun expertly uses pastiche to dissect the conventions of the slasher subgenre while relying on their familiarity to help establish the tone and atmosphere of the film. Visual surrealism is made complementary to explorations of sex, kink, despondency, dissociation, and their intersections with various states of queerness to create an untethered sense among the audience that invites us, in many ways as our own form of voyeur, to stake our place within the plight of the protagonists.
Most Anticipated Upcoming Titles
In alphabetical order, these are 20 of the titles I’m most anticipating (hopefully) releasing in 2026.
- 急に具合が悪くなる (All of a Sudden) | Dir. Ryusuke Hamaguchi | Drama
- A woman running a nursing home hopes to introduce new practices meant to result in better care for the residents, a mission only deepened through her friendship with a terminally ill playwright.
- Major Draw(s): Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi; festival buzz from Cannes.
- Behemoth! | Dir. Tony Gilroy | Drama, Music
- A musician returns to LA after years away.
- Major Draw(s): Starring Pedro Pascal, Olivia Wilde, Eva Victor, and Will Arnett.
- La Bola Negra | Dir. Javier Ambrossi, Javier Calvo | Drama, War
- Explores the lives of three gay men across different eras.
- Major Draw(s): Festival buzz from Cannes.
- Boorman and the Devil | Dir. David Kittredge | Documentary
- A documentary on director John Boorman and the production of Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), a failure so drastic that it caused riots in theatres and nearly ended his career.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- Clayface | Dir. James Watkins | Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
- A Hollywood star contends with his literal monstrosity and what it means for his overall identity.
- Major Draw(s): A DC movie that purportedly leans fully into its body horror subgenre stylizations; starring Tom Rhys Harries and Naomi Ackie.
- Club Kid | Dir. Jordan Firstman | Comedy, Drama
- A chronic partyer’s clubbing is upended when his 10-year-old son he didn’t know about suddenly shows up.
- Major Draw(s): Festival buzz from Cannes.
- Dune: Part Three | Dir. Denis Villeneuve | Drama, Science Fiction
- The final part of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy, Paul Atreides, now Emperor, must face the consequences of his holy war as he fights to maintain power.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- Fjord | Dir. Cristian Mungiu | Drama
- A couple uproot their family from Romania to Norway, where they face scrutiny over how they treat their children.
- Major Draw(s): Festival buzz from Cannes; starring Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve.
- ゴジラ-0.0 (Godzilla Minus Zero) | Dir. Takashi Yamazaki | Action, Horror, Science Fiction
- Set two years after ゴジラ-1.0 (Godzilla Minus One) (2023), a new catastrophe threatens the tentative peace and overall recovery of Japan.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- La Gradiva | Dir. Marine Atlan | Drama
- A group of high schoolers visiting Pompeii for a school trip are overcome with an odd feeling that they each succumb to.
- Major Draw(s): Feature directorial debut from Marine Atlan; co-written by Atlan and Anne Brouillet.
- The History of Concrete | Dir. John Wilson | Documentary
- Writer-director John Wilson takes the knowledge he’s gained from a workshop on writing and selling a Hallmark movie and instead applies it to a documentary on concrete.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- 호프 (Hope) | Dir. Na Hong-jin | Action, Mystery, Science Fiction
- A creature begins to attack a South Korean village and the population fights to defend themselves.
- Major Draw(s): Festival buzz (and fury) from Cannes.
- Jaripeo | Dir. Rebecca Zweig, Efraín Mojica | Documentary
- Uses the jaripeo, a form of rodeo, to explore queerness, gender expression and machismo, traditionalism, and desire.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- Josephine | Dir. Beth de Araújo | Crime, Drama, Thriller
- A young girl begins to act out after witnessing a crime, and her parents struggle to find ways to help her.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- Once Upon a Time in Harlem | Dir. William Greaves, David Greaves | Documentary
- Using archival footage shot by the late documentary filmmaker William Greaves of a party he threw in 1972, this documentary covers the reuniting of surviving notable figures from the Harlem Renaissance.
- Major Draw(s): General interest.
- Primetime | Dir. Lance Oppenheim | Crime, Drama, Thriller
- Chronicles the production of the mid-2000s reality show To Catch a Predator and Chris Hanson’s actions as host.
- Major Draw(s): Lance Oppenheim’s narrative feature directorial debut; starring Robert Pattinson; cinematography by David Bolen.
- Resident Evil | Dir. Zach Cregger | Horror, Science Fiction
- A medical courier must fight against infected monsters to survive in Raccoon City after arriving to make a delivery.
- Major Draw(s): Directed and co-written by Zach Cregger; starring Austin Abrams; prioritization of practical effects in some key sequences.
- Werwulf | Dir. Robert Eggers | Fantasy, Horror
- A gothic folk horror film set in 14th-century England in which a man and his family are terrorized by a werewolf.
- Major Draw(s): Directed by Robert Eggers; cinematography by Jarin Blaschke; features Middle English.
- Whalefall | Dir. Brian Duffield | Thriller
- A diver is swallowed by a sperm whale and must find a way out with only an hour of oxygen left.
- Major Draw(s): Starring Austin Abrams; directed by Brian Duffield.
- Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother | Dir. Bassam Tariq | Crime, Drama
- After the death of his wife, a religious hitman seeks to protect his children while trying to balance his faith and fatherhood with the work that he does.
- Major Draw(s): Starring Mahershala Ali, John Cho, Giancarlo Esposito, and Tramell Tillman.