With ticket prices higher than ever, going to the movies feels more and more like a mediocre experience for a luxury price. Between prices, the rise of streaming services, COVID and an exorbitant number of remakes or sequels to movies that really didn’t need them, it is understandable that fewer people go to the movies than before 2020. 

The best way to see movies in 2026?

I worked at a movie theater.

This summer, I worked at my local movie theater and got to see 30 movies on the big screen for free — some classics brought back, a few new blockbusters and several soulless duds. While there are many benefits to seeing a movie on the silver screen — better sound, increased image quality and the excitement of seeing a movie with a group, to name a few — it is challenging for people to afford seeing movies weekly, even if they pay for a movie theater subscription — we see you, AMC A-Listers. Although the summer is coming to an end, here is the ultimate guide to the movies that you can’t have missed and the ones that should not even be enjoyed on an airplane. Ordered from the worst to the best.

 A quick note about the ratings: The ratings are based on my opinion of the plot, the acting, the cinematography, other behind-the-scenes fun facts, and how the movie made me feel walking out. For different movies, these aspects weigh differently. Generally speaking, movies with a 3.5 and above are ones that readers should consider watching via streaming or if they ever return to theaters. Movies with a three or lower can be skipped over for another time.

30. “Passenger”

I do not like being scared. But I can respect when a horror movie has a good story, characters or an interesting twist. “Passenger” has none of the above. It was far funnier than it was frightening. The main characters were less interesting than the two random guys in the opening scene and the demon should have taken them down 20 minutes in. The only reason this film got half a star instead of a zero is that there were some interesting shots and uses of lighting — but even half is generous. 5/5 

29. “Gail Daughtry and The Celebrity Sex Pass”

Seeing this movie for free was the only way to watch it. “Gail Daughtry” tries to be a satirical take on every Hollywood genre, from western to spy. However, it both takes itself too seriously and not seriously enough, with almost no funny moments. Beyond the shock of random celebrity cameos — Weird Al with a gun? — you couldn’t pay me to watch “Gail Daughtry” again. The only saving grace is Zac Oyama’s two cameos. 1/5 

28. “Moana”

The live-action “Moana” was a disgrace. Just watch the original. This version has no emotion, no color and horrible hair. 2/5

27. “Leviticus”

Another terrible horror movie that relied on characters making dumb choices. The inciting incident should never have occurred — if you live in a repressive, culty town, do not go out with your gay situationship in front of the leader. 2/5

26. “Forastera”

“Forastera” is a Spanish film focusing on a family managing the grief that comes with the death of an important family member. While it had the potential to be very moving, it struggled with too many loose ends and tried to insert a magic plotline that did not really go anywhere. 2.5/5

25. “Power Ballad”

“Power Ballad” was a cheesy but sweet film. Peter McDonald completely stole the show as the main supporting character, Sandy. While “Power Ballad” is rife with cringeworthy moments and has a story almost as shallow as a tide pool, it has one sweet twist that makes the film more than just a bunch of Irish and boyband jokes. 2.5/5

24. “Minions & Monsters”

This was the first “Minions” movie that I had seen other than “Despicable Me,” and it was surprisingly entertaining. However, the best moments are when the Minions are not on screen. For example, the second act mostly forgets about the Minions and explores film history in a very consumable way. Then it remembers to be a Minions movie in the third act, considerably lowering the quality. 2.5/5

23. “Supergirl”

DC Studios’ “Supergirl” had a high bar to meet after the strong reception of “Superman” last year. But, with a script that clearly prioritizes plot convenience, a wildly underwhelming villain and a sidekick who annoyed me and felt mostly useless for the almost two-hour runtime, this movie was no more than “Ok.” 2.5/5

22. “Michael”

“Michael” struggles by both starting its story too late and too early in Michael Jackson’s life. It begins after his father created the Jackson Five but before they are household names, and then zooms through vignettes of his life before revealing that there will be a part two. Of course, the music and dancing are remarkable, but not enough to hold up the poor story structure. 3/5

21. “2001: A Space Odyssey”

While “2001” is a revolutionary film that opened the gates to modern science fiction movies, it needed to be cut down considerably. All the editing went to special effects instead of pacing. It was impressive how well the effects held up and unsettling how relevant the story felt to the present day — let’s all hope we do not have to beg ChatGPT to open the airlock doors, as Dave does with Hal. 3/5

20. “The Furious”

The action is awesome, but the story is incredibly lacking. The final 20 minutes could have been cut without a problem, even though it is one of the most complicated fights I have seen on film. 3/5

19. “The Mandalorian and Grogu”

“The Mandalorian” played it overly safe. The plot is predictable, and it was missing the elements that made the original “Mandalorian” show great — the sci-fi western with an intelligent outlaw hunting bounties across the galaxy. Instead, there was one bounty and a lot of other people saving the day. Ludwig Göransson’s score is truly marvelous, however. 3/5

18. “Mamma Mia!”

“Mamma Mia!” was a lot of fun on a big screen. ABBA music is great to bounce to in a theater with a bunch of other excited moviegoers — but the story is truly holding on by a thread. 3/5

17. “The Breadwinner”

Nate Bargatze’s homage to the classic comedy requires viewers to let go of reality and accept some unbelievably cringey moments. But the humor and total buy-in from every performer kept the laughs coming and saved the movie from falling apart. 3/5

16. “The Devil Wears Prada 2”
This sequel did what a strong sequel should: paid homage to memorable elements of the first movie while expanding the story’s world and taking on a new issue. Unfortunately, every character except Miranda Priestly seemed to be unrealistically unchanged after 20 years. 3/5

15. “Backrooms”

I was left wanting more, in both a good way and a disappointed way. While the first two acts are trippy and compelling, the third act is one big exposition dump that follows an entirely underdeveloped character. The scariest part of this horror movie? The post-credit scene was added three weeks after initial release. 3/5

14. “Disclosure Day”

“Disclosure Day” is overall a fine film, with a lot of interesting ideas about human nature — but, especially for a Spielberg movie, it was lacking any character depth and left many loose ends, including Omitting footage of the aliens and an unbelievable scene where a character avoids being caught by police, despite being very loud. I also could not suspend my disbelief that everyone in the world would be watching the news, especially on an airplane. 3/5

13. “The Sheep Detectives”

A charming movie with a very poorly designed mystery. While the actors had unique performances and the CGI sheep looked very natural, the solution to the murder is built on the flimsiest logic I’ve seen in a long time. 3.5/5

12. “Toy Story 5”

This is Jessie’s movie, and it has a purpose. Unfortunately, many of the characters established in earlier movies get benched in a way that makes no sense. While “5” is weaker than the first three, it still hits with an unexpected emotional punch. 3.5/5

11. “The Odyssey”

While Nolan’s take on Homer’s epic is impressive from a technical standpoint, behind-the-scenes trivia is not enough to make a movie great. Damon gives a phenomenal performance, but between weak writing and an overall poor adaptation, “The Odyssey” misses the top ten of the summer. Full review coming soon. 3.5/5

10. “Project Hail Mary”

While “Project Hail Mary” had many fun and visually spectacular moments, the pacing and lack of convincing stakes were disappointing. There was not enough focus on the darker reality of Grace recollecting his memories, the dead crew or how he ended up in space to develop a legitimately nuanced character. 4/5

9. “The Death of Robin Hood”

One of the grittiest Robin Hoods put to screen, “The Death of Robin Hood” was a dark tale. Although the beginning is very intense, the story flattens a lot in the middle — but it was captivating for the entire two-hour runtime. Few movies are quite like it. 4/5

8. “Hadestown: The Musical”

The “Hadestown” proshot was a beautiful celebration of a wonderful musical. The camerawork and editing clearly learned from the continuity errors of “Hamilton,” and the energy was electric. Fun fact: This proshot sold out at least 3 times while I was working this summer. 4/5

7. “Tuner”

An unexpected hit, “Tuner” was one of the summer’s funniest movies with real, feeling characters. Dustin Hoffman was absolutely hilarious and Leo Woodall has a promising future. 4/5

6. “The Invite”

This is a drama disguised as a ridiculous comedy. This movie has an extraordinary soundtrack, unique cinematography and deep characters, with an ending that turns unexpectedly serious. Definitely watch it if you do not mind risqué topics. 4/5

5. “My Neighbor Totoro”

“Totoro” was shown as part of Ghibli-fest in my theater, and it was a touching experience to see it on a big screen. The animation is nothing short of gorgeous, and the story, even if it's wacky, is succinct and beautiful. 4.5/5

4. “Obsession”

As mentioned at the beginning, I do not like being scared — but “Obsession” is undeniably incredible. Not only because of its small budget, but also because every actor grabs your attention, and the story makes for one of the most unsettling films I have ever seen. 4.5/5

3. “Jaws”

Everything about “Jaws” shows why “Disclosure Day” was a weak Spielberg movie. It feels unfair to have such a stupendous classic on this list, but “Jaws” was re-released for its 51st anniversary around the Fourth of July. It is without a doubt the actual best movie of this summer, with real-feeling characters, strong pacing and a jump scare that rivals any horror movie of this summer — but I am going to give the title to a new movie that was released instead. 5/5

2. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day”

A superhero movie? At number 2? Yes. This Spider-Man movie was one of the best this summer, not just because of flashy effects, but because every character was unique and layered and the story has very few plot holes. Tom Holland, Zendaya and Jon Bernthal all perform with more emotional range in this movie than they do in “The Odyssey” — you actually care about them. 5/5

1. “Pressure”

You may not have heard of “Pressure,” but this film was extraordinary. While it is cursed with a very forgettable name, “Pressure” dives deep into the planning of D-Day and how the Allied Forces landed in Normandy. Unlike your usual war movie, however, “Pressure” does not focus on battle. Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser and Chris Messina bring to life the stress of making the decision that could end the war. It takes a lot to make a modern viewer watch and truly wonder how the Allies could win World War II, but “Pressure” makes the chance of losing feel real. 5/5

This summer has demonstrated that cinema is not a thing of the past. “Spider-Man” has become one of the highest-grossing movies of all time, and “The Odyssey” has taken the title of highest-grossing R-rated film from “Deadpool and Wolverine.” But when going to the movies with friends feels nearly impossible to budget for, why would anyone take the chance on an indie movie when they could take the safer bet of a big-studio movie or sequel? If this list shows one thing, it is that five of the best movies were not initially “mainstream movies,” and two of the remaining ones were released more than 35 years ago. So, when deciding which movie to sink $30 or more into, take a chance on films like “Tuner,” “Obsession,” “The Invite” and “Pressure.” You’ll remember why going to the movies can be a magical experience.