Well, you can’t win them all.
Most art, at least on a percentage basis, is not very good, and falls somewhere in the middle of the vast bell curve of creative quality. At the far opposite extremes of that bell curve sit the much smaller quantity of films that are either masterpieces or disasters, and probably in equal measure too. So far in 2026, we have seen some really wonderful masterpieces … and our fair share of disappointing disasters.
We’ll cover the best movies of the year so far once we catch up with a couple of the buzziest titles of 2026. In the meantime, it’s time hop to the downside of the bell curve and discuss the worst titles of 2026 to date. Regrettably, I have seen a more than a few, including one or two from directors I would consider among my favorites working today. (Or they were among my favorites working today until, well, recently…)
There have also been some true stinkers on streaming, some of the most mind-bogglingly awful performances of the decade, plus a massively successful blockbuster — one of the biggest movies of the year to date! — that barely made any sense on a moment to moment level.
Obviously, financial success and creative success are two very different things. The movies below had very different outcomes in the former category; in the latter area they all performed exceptionally poorly. Through half of the year, here are my picks for the worst films of 2026 so far.
The Worst Movies of 2026 So Far
About halfway through 2026, here are the worst new films we’ve seen.
READ MORE: The 10 Best Movies of the Last 10 Years
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