Before I watch a movie, I almost always look at the reviews on Letterboxd. I like looking at the lowest reviews and then the most popular ones because I want to see what people hated and what people loved about it. Then, after I watch it, I go back and see if I agree or disagree. I think critics are an essential part of film, theater, TV, etc. because they give you a different perspective and can point out things about the production you might not have noticed. I like having an idea of what I’m going into before watching a movie, but I don’t think critics should decide for me whether a movie is good or bad or whether I should watch it. Everything is opinionated, and everyone’s opinion is going to be different.

(minor spoilers for Destination Wedding, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Avengers: Age of Ultron)

Destination Wedding is probably my best example. I watched it because Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder together in a movie where it’s just them was a no brainer to me. However, I didn’t know if I was going to like it. I hate rom-coms, and it was listed as one. I don’t enjoy them at all. The reviews were also awful. People called it boring, annoying, a waste of time, and said it had a horrible script.

I ended up loving it. I think people heavily overlooked the script. In my opinion, the script was genius. Again, I’m not a rom-com person, and this didn’t feel like a rom-com to me. It felt more like a dark comedy where love was just involved. I loved how much of a realist they both were. Maybe they reminded me of me because I’m not much of an optimist, but I absolutely adored the script and their relationship. Many reviews said they were not made for each other at all, but I think it’s quite the opposite. I think being together gave them a better perspective of the world. They had very different perspectives yet the same negativity, and although they were incredibly stubborn, they both learned and changed in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible in the first 30 minutes.

One of my favorite scenes is when they’re sitting together watching a movie and talking for hours. The script is straight dialogue, and I think it’s incredible how the screenwriters delivered it. I loved seeing how comfortable they were around each other even though they had just met, and I loved seeing the impact Lindsay had on Frank. It’s those small details that interest me so much about this film, and for that, I adore it. It has also become one of my most rewatched movies.

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is another movie I refused to let reviews influence me. The original was a childhood favorite, so I had to see the sequel in cinemas. I had seen people call it a weird, an awful sequel, a flop, a waste, or say it never should have been made. However that didn’t deinfluence me, I was determined to step into Tim Burton’s world again, even if it was bad.

Instead, I thought it was a well-done sequel. I love sequels and seeing characters all grown up. I loved seeing the relationships between each character grow and struggle, and I loved seeing where Lydia would end up. The wedding scene is one of my favorite scenes of all time. The moment “MacArthur Park” started playing, I was sat. I adore that song, and seeing it in my now favorite scene of all time was incredible. I loved the dancing, the small details, and how weird it was. It was truly Tim Burton magic. To the people saying it’s weird, what did you expect? It’s a Tim Burton movie?

Then there’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. I had heard many people say it was the worst Avengers film, people thought it was horrible, that it couldn’t keep their attention, or was a waste of the cast. But I think people underestimated what this movie was for. To me, it was about expanding the relationships of the Avengers. I loved the dinner party, the relationship between Natasha and Bruce, and especially the scenes at Clint’s house. We got to see the Avengers in a more normal and comfortable environment. To me, understanding these relationships makes watching how they split in Captain America: Civil War even more heartbreaking.

I don’t necessarily disagree with every criticism of these movies. But I can understand why people would hate them. I think that’s because I see films differently. I have different taste, and I know that everyone does. I hate rom-coms, so How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and 27 Dresses weren’t for me. I love Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey, but I hated Enchanted. Many of my friends adore Purple Hearts, and I hated it. That doesn’t mean they’re wrong for loving them, just like people aren’t wrong for disliking the movies I love.

That’s why I think reviews are useful but shouldn’t decide for you. They come from people’s experiences, lives, and taste. Sometimes they even make me appreciate a movie more. After watching The Odyssey, I looked more closely at reviews and realized how many little details I had missed. After rewatching it, I appreciated it even more. The same happened with Spider-Man: No Way Home. I didn’t enjoy it the first time, but after watching more Spider-Man and Marvel films and rewatching it, I absolutely adore it now.

Even on Letterboxd, an average rating doesn’t represent every person’s experience. A movie can have an average rating of 2 or 3 stars while still having thousands or even tens of thousands of people who gave it 5 stars. That’s still a lot of people who genuinely loved it. Just because the majority didn’t like something doesn’t mean you won’t.

Reviews can give you an idea of what you’re going into, and I enjoy reading them, but I don’t want someone else’s opinion to become my opinion before I’ve even watched the movie. You could be the outlier. You could love the movie everyone else hated, or hate the movie everyone else loved. You have no idea what you will think about a movie until you watch it.

So far, my goal for August has been trying to get through my watchlist. I have an endless number of incredible films just sitting in my watchlist, and my goal for this month was to try to get through as much of it as I can.

So far, I’ve watched 16 films in August. It didn’t feel like I watched as much as it sounds. I try to watch a film a day before I go to bed, and sometimes I’ll go to the gym and just walk or run while finishing up a movie. So far, 9 of all 16 were from my watchlist, 5 were rewatches, and 2 were random films that looked interesting in the moment.

I feel like Letterboxd makes realize how many movies I really watch. I feel insanely lazy when I look at how many movies I’ve already watched this month. But also, I don’t just sit and watch movies. I watch around one a day, and not because I feel like I have to from a Substack article or for a Letterboxd log, but because I genuinely enjoy watching films. So I take 2–2:30 hours before bed to just relax and watch a movie, and so far, August has been incredible.

My Watchlist

I have around 120 and counting films on my watchlist this year. So many of them are incredible, and I’m so excited to get through them. So far this year, I’ve only watched around 30–40 movies from my watchlist, so my goal for the second half of the year is to get through as much of it as I can!

Sometimes I enjoy the fact that I got into film a lot later in life, because a lot of these films I feel I wouldn’t have appreciated as much if I had watched them earlier in life. I’ve even noticed that films I watched when I first started Letterboxd I didn’t enjoy until I rewatched some of them later.

I feel like I’ve grown so much with my love of cinema. So although I’m eager to get through each my list, I’m excited to just enjoy it!

2026 Releases

Three of the films I’ve watched in August so far were 2026 releases, including The Drama, Michael, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I really enjoyed all three. Out of all of them, my favorite is definitely Spider-Man: Brand New Day. I thought the film was so well done.

It was so good I went back to watch it again about a week after. I find that when I rewatch films, especially ones that I watched for the first time in theaters, I tend to notice so much more. I loved watching Spider-Man the first time, so I knew I wanted to rewatch it, and I’m glad I did.

I felt like I noticed so much more detail in the film and had a deeper appreciation, especially for the choreography and cinematography. The film was very well done, and it’s getting me incredibly excited for Doomsday!

Michael was one I was anticipating, yet I wasn’t able to see it in theaters. I rented it and absolutely adored it. I am hoping they make another biopic following the other parts of his life, as I really would’ve loved to see more. However, the music is unbeatable, and it goes to show how big of a legend he was and still is.

The Drama was an interesting film. I was excited to watch it, and can say I weirdly enjoyed it. It was such a weird film, and very original, which I loved. The film was well done and very fitting for an A24 movie.

My Comfort Films This August

Some comfort films for me this August were The Princess Diaries. I have been holding off watching the two movies for so long, and I’m not even mad I waited. Both films were incredible, and I officially love a sequel more than its original.

Julie Andrews is timeless. Her role as Queen of Genovia in those movies is just so classy, and I couldn’t imagine it being played by anybody else. I hate rom-coms. It has always been a genre I could never get behind for some reason. However, for a while, the second movie joined my top four despite being a rom-com.

It was so incredible, and Anne Hathaway is just so iconic in the films.

Those two films reminded me to rewatch Mary Poppins, which I forgot how magical and beautiful the film is. It’s such a well done film, and I remember loving it as a child. The movie is so beloved and will forever be, and Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke did an incredible job in the film.

That also led me to rewatch Mary Poppins Returns as well, another film I absolutely adore. Emily Blunt and Lin-Manuel Miranda both do an incredible job, as the tunes in both movies are forever some of my favorites.

The Sound of Music—I can’t believe it took me so long to get around to watching this movie, and it was incredible. It also introduced me to more ’60s and ’50s movies, which I am loving. I absolutely adore those decades of film, and I’m excited to watch more.

Julie Andrews is truly one of a kind. She is so many generations’ childhoods, and will forever be a timeless classic.

Another comfort film of mine is Back to the Future. I rewatched the first and second one at the beginning of August, as they are both big comfort films for me. The first one is one of my favorites from the ’80s and forever will be. I rewatched it solely for inspiration for my senior parking spot, and it does inspire it!

Weirdly, IT also is a comfort film for me. I watched it for the first time a few years ago and rewatched it this month and forgot how comforting the film is despite the killer clown. I love the Losers Club, and rewatching both IT and Chapter Two reminded me how badly I wanted to read the book, which I will be getting shortly and getting through slowly.

What I Want to Watch Next!

I have a few films I’m thinking about finishing off my watchlist next. I would love to hear your thoughts on these movies, spoiler-free please, and let me know which ones I should definitely put first in line:

• Kiss of a Spider Woman

• La Haine

• Billy Elliot

• Psycho

• Aftersun

• The Silence of the Lambs

• Rocky

I’m really excited to keep getting through my watchlist and see what I end up loving. I have so many films sitting there that I know I want to watch, and although I’m excited to get through them, I’m also trying to remind myself to just enjoy each one.

So far, August has been one of my favorite months of film this year for me. I’ve watched so many wonderful films, some I already knew I loved, and a lot I absolutely loved after watching.

I’m excited for what is to come with the rest of August, as when school starts I doubt I’ll have as much time to watch films. However, I am definitely enjoying my free time this summer and excited to start getting through my watchlist!

For me, a good adaptation isn’t necessarily one that copies the book perfectly. I think it’s more about understanding what made the original story special and figuring out how to translate that to film. Sometimes that means keeping certain scenes exactly as they are, while other times it means changing things that work better on screen. I’ve definitely become more accepting of changes in adaptations as I watch more of them. However, I’ve learned that I don’t need a movie to be exactly like the book for me to love it.

Sometimes I don’t figure out a film was based off of a book until after watching it. As I started watching more movies, I began to realize most films are based off of books and/or adaptations of books.

In every adaptation for a book I’ve read, I always become more critical of the film, and there will always be details from the book I think would have been great additions to a film. However, book adaptations are usually longer films anyway, and it’s already hard for screenwriters and the crew to figure out which details to keep, which details to add, and which to cut. So, I’ve learned to appreciate book adaptations more.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir is one of my favorite books of all time. I love science, so the way Weir takes you through scientific processes was incredible to me. I don’t think I was ever bored while reading that book. When I found out they were making an adaptation, and not only that, but who was in the cast, I was ecstatic. I was so excited, and I don’t think the film disappointed. After watching it in theaters, I went back twice, and then watched it again a few weeks ago, right after rereading the book when it was released on streaming. I really enjoyed the film. Although it wasn’t as science heavy as the book, I thought it was an incredible adaptation. I loved the added details, such as seeing where Stratt ended up, and just so much more. From the book, I do wish they would have shown more scenes from his time on Earth, and as a fan of Eva Stratt, I wished they showed her court scene. However, I wasn’t mad watching it the first time, and I’m still not upset over it. I felt that the crew did an excellent job choosing what to keep/discard for the film. Although I don’t enjoy it more than the book, it’s a great film. It was even in my top four for a few months.

I also love discovering a film has a book after watching it, especially when I’m in love with the story and want more, because the book gives you exactly that. With Remarkably Bright Creatures, I discovered its book after it came out, and reading it was such an incredible experience. I got more of a backstory on Cameron, and more on Tova. It also made me pay more attention to parts of the movie, such as its casting. After reading the book, I realized how well the casting director did. I will say, after reading the book, I didn’t enjoy the adaptation as much just because of how much I felt was missing, however, I still loved and enjoyed it.

I feel like I’m also overwhelmed with how many books I want to buy now. There are so many adaptations I adore, and my library is growing so fast. I volunteer at my local library and check out books from time to time, but I also love having my own copies of books more than anything, so I buy more than I do check them out. Which is not only getting expensive, but I need a new bookshelf. However, I don’t read as fast as I watch movies, which is expected. So, here are some books I’m excited to read after watching their adaptations.

• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

• Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Bram Stoker

• The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

• It by Stephen King

There are a lot more, however, those are the ones I’m most excited to read!

Other books I’ve loved both its adaptation and the book itself are Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I have watched most of its adaptations, however, the 1994 adaptation is forever my favorite, and one of my most beloved comfort films. The Odyssey by Homer is also a classic. I absolutely loved Christopher Nolan’s adaptation; I’ve gone back to see it in theaters twice! Another wonderfully done adaptation is The Martian, based off The Martian by Andy Weir.

As a kid, I also grew up as a huge Harry Potter fan. I would read the series all the way through, then pick up the first book again and read them all again. I would do this over and over again for a year or two, so I think I’ve read the series around 20 times. The movies I didn’t watch after reading it the first time, and I absolutely adored them. Although nothing can beat the books, the movies were very well done, and became my favorites for a while. There are plenty more, but for now, those are some of my favorites!

I’m really excited for 2 adaptations coming out based on books from my favorite author, Kristin Hannah. The Nightingale just wrapped up filming and is going to be released in spring of 2027. It follows the lives of 2 sisters living in France during WWII. One sister is both a mother and wife, trying to keep her job and protect her daughter from Nazi-occupied France while her husband is overseas, and the other is fighting the war as a part of the resistance. The film stars Dakota and Elle Fanning, and is directed by Michael Morris. I’m incredibly excited for this film. The book has been my favorite for years, I’ve reread it a few times, and absolutely adore it.

Another book that is turning into a film is The Great Alone, a story following a family that moves to Alaska to start over, after their move they face many challenges, some even testing their will to survive. It’s such a wonderfully written book and was just recently announced as a in progress adaptation-which I’m incredibly excited about!

Although it’s impossible to read every book that inspired an adaptation, I try to at least watch the movies for books I’ve loved, and read the books of films I’ve loved. I actually highly recommend reading the book of your favorite film adaptation, because it can give you so much more backstory to the film, more details, more information, and even make you a better critic! Although I am very loyal to books and haven’t found an adaptation I love more than its inspiration, I still love film adaptations and have grown to even appreciate the adaptations I’ve been dissatisfied with.

I’d also love to connect with more people on Goodreads! I’m new to the app and would love to find mutuals!

I’ve always been fascinated by the Criterion Collection, especially its dedication to celebrating the art of film, because that’s what I love most about cinema.

Before I discovered my love for movies, I never realized just how magical filmmaking truly is. Now, I find myself just as fascinated (if not more) by what happens behind the camera as what happens on screen. I love learning about the history of films, how they were made, the creative decisions behind them, the people who brought them to life, and the themes that continue to resonate long after the movie ends.

Film is one of the most collaborative art forms in the world. Hundreds of people come together to create something that can change the way we think, become forever tied to our childhood memories, inspire future filmmakers, or simply bring people together for a few unforgettable hours. Every project represents an incredible amount of creativity, dedication, and passion.

That love for cinema is what inspired me to start writing on Substack. At first, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to write about-I just knew that I loved film. I loved making connections, learning the stories behind movies, and seeing what other people had to say. Then I got busy , and struggled with what to write about. Now I’m excited to come back with a clearer vision of what I want this account to be, and I wanted to share that vision with you.

The Chlo Collection is my own growing collection celebrating the art of cinema. Every article becomes a new addition to the collection, whether it’s a deep dive into a single film, a spotlight on an actor or filmmaker, a review of a recent release, or an exploration of a piece of cinema that deserves a closer look.

My goal isn’t to decide which films are “worthy,” because I believe nearly every film has something valuable to say. Instead, I want to shine a light on the artistry behind the movies and the people who create them: the history, the production, the performances, the creative decisions, and the lasting impact they leave behind.

Along the way, I’ll also share reviews of new releases, spotlights on actors, actresses, directors, and filmmakers who inspire me, and just random notes. Whether it’s a classic from decades ago or a film released this year, every post will be created with the same purpose: to celebrate and appreciate the magic of movies.

I’d love for this collection to grow with your suggestions. If there’s a film, filmmaker, actor, or actress you’d love to see featured, let me know!

I recently watched Project Hail Mary after already reading the novel by Andy Weir, and while I loved both versions, the thing that fascinated me most was Eva Stratt.

Sandra Hüller’s performance was incredible. She brought a completely different side to Stratt than the one we see in the book. In the film, you can see more emotion behind her decisions, more frustration, more exhaustion, and at times even guilt. There are moments where she seems exhausted, frustrated, even conflicted. The movie humanizes her far more than the book does.

However, I absolutely love the side of Stratt portrayed originally in the book. Stratt is intense. She is completely focused, unshaken, and she walks into every room already in control of it. She is willing to push past laws, morality, public opinion, and even basic human comfort if it means the mission succeeds. Eva Stratt holds a type of determination I’ve never seen in any character. She doesn’t let anything get in the way of saving humanity, she doesn’t portray doubt, and she holds her focus solely on the mission.

What I find really interesting is how divided people are on Eva Stratt. A lot of people absolutely hate her and hate the choices she made, but in a way I understand not only why she made them, but also her. Stratt needed to be the way she was. I’m not sure she truly wanted to do the things she did, but somebody had to step up and fight for humanity in the way she did. I believe the reason people are way too hard on her character is because they judge her as if she ever had the luxury to think emotionally.

The entire world was ending. Humanity was collapsing. Every decision she made carried the weight of billions of lives behind it. She was not thinking about fairness or likability or whether people would forgive her afterward. She was thinking about survival. While the movie humanized her far more, the book presents her as colder, more ruthless, and emotionally detached. But no matter what people say, I don’t think she was evil.

What she did was not humane. I fully understand why people are disturbed by her choices, especially what she did to Grace. At the same time, I completely understand Grace’s perspective too. He was a teacher pulled into something unimaginably terrifying. He did not want to die, and that is an incredibly humane reaction.

I honestly think part of the reason she became so furious with Grace for refusing the mission was because she herself had sacrificed so much already. We never fully see who she was before all of this, but it feels as though she sacrificed her empathy, parts of her humanity, and maybe even herself entirely in order to make the mission succeed. To her, hearing someone say they wanted to save the world and protect humanity, but then completely refuse to go on the mission, was incomprehensible to her.

But the reason I still understand Stratt is because somebody had to think beyond humanity on an emotional level in order to save it. I could never do what she did, but somebody needed to. That sounds horrible, but I genuinely believe it is true.

If the mission had been led by someone more empathetic, someone unwilling to push boundaries, someone too concerned with laws, public opinion, or emotional attachment, I genuinely think the mission would have failed. Eva Stratt was just as important to saving the world as Ryland Grace was, arguably even more important.

She knew she would be hated for her decisions. She knew people would see her as monstrous. She knew she would likely spend the rest of her life imprisoned and blamed for everything she had done. But none of that stopped her. She understood the consequences of what would happen to her after the Hail Mary took off.

That is exactly what makes her so interesting to me. People often talk about the astronauts sacrificing their lives for the mission, but in a way, Stratt sacrificed hers too. Maybe not physically, but mentally, emotionally, and socially, completely. She gave up her humanity piece by piece for the project because somebody needed to. I think in a way she gave up more. The astronauts would be seen as heroes. She even says it herself to Grace: “you will be seen as a hero.” But Stratt made an even harder sacrifice. She knew the rest of her life would be hell. She knew what would happen to her, but she sacrificed it anyway. She will never be labeled the hero. She will never be praised. She will be sentenced to life in prison. When in reality, I think she saved the world, and yes, in a way that hurt people, but it was absolutely necessary.

That is why I can’t see her as evil. Terrifying? Yes. Extreme? Absolutely. But evil? No, not at all.

She worked harder for that project than almost anyone else. She carried the pressure of the entire world on her shoulders while knowing history would probably never forgive her for how she handled it.

Eva Stratt was not kind. She was not comforting. But she was exactly what the mission needed.

And honestly, I think that is what makes Eva Stratt one of the most compelling characters in Project Hail Mary. I absolutely hate that people portray her and force opinions on her that she is a terrible person, evil, when she literally did what I believe nobody else would have the strength to do.

But that doesn’t mean I have no empathy for Grace, I feel terrible for him, and how he ended up on the ship. However, in the end it was the best possible outcome, they lost both the initial scientist and the backup, Stratt ultimately made the right choice, even if it was in an unfortunate way. Thankfully he got his happy ending, and both Earth and Erid was saved.

2026 is shaping up to be the year of cinema. It’s already one of the most stacked movie years in a LONG time. It’s achieving this not just with blockbusters, but with huge directors, franchise finales, long-awaited sequels, and prestige films all coiled into one year. Many fans already agree that 2026 could become the biggest cultural movie year since 2019, and maybe even since before the pandemic entirely.

Why? Well, the release slate is absolutely packed. Films including The Odyssey, Avengers: Doomsday, Dune: Part Three, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Devil Wears Prada 2, Toy Story 5, Project Hail Mary, Michael, and The Mandalorian & Grogu are all releasing within the same year. Nearly every genre is represented: sci-fi, fantasy, superhero films, animation, prestige dramas, horror, and action epics. For movie fans, it almost feels unreal.

One of the biggest reasons for the excitement is Christopher Nolan’s upcoming film, The Odyssey. Nolan, known for films such as Interstellar, Inception, and Oppenheimer, has become one of the few directors whose name alone can sell movie tickets. After the cultural phenomenon that Oppenheimer became in 2023, audiences are trusting Nolan more than ever to create a true theatrical experience.

The Odyssey is already generating massive hype because of both its scale and cast. The film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus alongside Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, Lupita Nyong’o, and more. Nolan is reportedly filming entirely with advanced IMAX cameras, continuing his dedication to practical effects and immersive filmmaking. The film releases July 17, 2026, and some IMAX showings reportedly sold out nearly a year in advance, proving just how anticipated the film already is.

Another major contributor to the “year of cinema” conversation is Avengers: Doomsday. Marvel has experienced both massive successes and criticism in recent years, but many fans believe this movie could mark a turning point for the MCU. The film is expected to begin the endgame of the Multiverse Saga and could become one of the biggest crossover events since Avengers: Endgame. The pressure surrounding the film is enormous because many viewers believe it will determine the future of superhero movies as a whole.

Sci-fi fans are also especially excited for Dune: Part Three. Director Denis Villeneuve transformed Dune into one of the most visually acclaimed modern film franchises, praised for its cinematography, sound design, and scale. Many believe the third film could become one of the defining cinematic epics of the decade.

At the same time, audiences are seeing a huge return of nostalgia-driven films. Toy Story 5 continues one of the most beloved animated franchises ever created, while The Devil Wears Prada 2 brings back a world audiences have wanted revisited for years. Meanwhile, Michael has generated attention because of both the legacy and controversy surrounding Michael Jackson.

Even outside of franchise filmmaking, original projects are gaining attention. Project Hail Mary, based on the novel by Andy Weir, has already attracted major excitement from fans of intelligent sci-fi storytelling. The combination of emotional narratives and large-scale spectacle is becoming a huge theme of 2026’s releases overall.

What makes 2026 especially interesting is that it may also represent the continued recovery of movie theaters themselves. Following the COVID-19 pandemic and the rise of streaming services, many people questioned whether theaters would ever fully recover. However, recent statistics show that theaters are improving significantly. Domestic box office revenue in early 2026 reportedly increased compared to 2025, with premium formats like IMAX and Dolby Cinema experiencing especially strong growth. Studios are increasingly focusing on “event films” designed specifically for theaters rather than streaming-first releases.

This shift matters because audiences are beginning to crave communal movie experiences again. Films like Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023 proved that audiences still want packed theaters, opening-night crowds, and massive cultural conversations surrounding movies. Now, 2026 appears ready to build on that momentum even further.

Social media has also played a massive role in reigniting film culture. Platforms such as Letterboxd, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have transformed movies into daily online discussion topics. Trailer reactions, fan edits, fancasts, ranking videos, soundtrack discussions, and opening-night experiences have made movie culture feel larger and more interactive than it has in years. Instead of movies disappearing after release, audiences continue discussing them online for months.

Another huge factor is the return of directors becoming “brands” themselves. In the 2010s and early 2020s, franchises often overshadowed filmmakers. But now directors like Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve, Greta Gerwig, and Ryan Coogler are becoming major attractions on their own. Audiences are once again paying attention to who is making films, not just what franchise they belong to.

Whether every single film succeeds or not, 2026 already feels like a defining year for modern cinema. It combines everything audiences love about movies into one era: giant blockbusters, emotional storytelling, ambitious directors, nostalgia, sci-fi epics, franchise finales, and massive theatrical experiences.

For the first time in years, theaters genuinely feel alive again. Audiences are showing up, online movie culture is thriving, and films are becoming major cultural events instead of just content to stream at home.

As someone whose favorite season is awards season (love you Catherine O’Hara), I’m incredibly excited for the 2027 award season already. With this lineup of films, I honestly think it’s going to be unforgettable.

Movies I’ve Already Watched and My Reviews:

The Devil Wears Prada 2 — ★★★½

Twenty years later and we finally got a sequel to one of my favorite movies ever. I absolutely adore the first film, so my expectations were incredibly high going into this. Overall, I definitely enjoyed it, but I also feel like it wasted some of its potential.

One thing I appreciated was the realism of the storyline and how the characters felt older and more mature. However, the movie felt like it tried to cram way too much into a two-hour runtime, and after a while parts of it became confusing. I also really disliked that Andy and more specifically Nate both had significant others. Especially Andy , I honestly think she works much better as a single character, and the relationships added almost nothing to the actual plot.

Another thing that frustrated me was how Andy basically had to climb her way back up all over again. It almost felt like nothing changed from the first movie except that she had more respect for herself this time around.

That being said, there were still so many things I loved. The cast was incredible, the soundtrack was immediately a 10/10 for me, and Nigel continues to be one of my favorite characters. I was so happy seeing Miranda finally give him the appreciation he deserved. And of course, Miranda Priestly herself is still just as funny, sharp, and entertaining as she was in the original film.

I ended up rating it a 3.5/5 on Letterboxd. I’m definitely biased because the first movie is so important to me, but despite my criticisms I still think it’s completely worth watching if you loved the original.

Project Hail Mary — ★★★★½

This film was an absolute masterpiece to me. I had already read the book beforehand, so I was incredibly excited to see how they would adapt it, and honestly it exceeded almost all of my expectations.

The visuals were beautiful, the soundtrack was amazing, and the cast was perfection. I ended up going back to theaters to watch it twice because I loved it that much. It’s not quite my Interstellar, but it’s definitely up there.

One of my favorite additions was the karaoke scene , it added so much personality and emotion to the story. Sandra Hüller absolutely killed her performance, and overall I just completely adored this movie.

I rated it a 4.5/5 on Letterboxd and would easily recommend it to almost anyone, especially sci-fi fans.

Wuthering Heights — ★★½

This movie was definitely a roller coaster. I really enjoyed the cast, the visuals, the costumes, and the production design, but overall the movie itself felt very overwhelming and strange at times.

I did enjoy the storyline, and I’ll admit the ending was heartbreaking, but there were still parts of the movie that just felt off to me. It’s been a little while since I watched it, so my opinions may change over time, especially after I finally read the book.

Still, I can appreciate the atmosphere and ambition of the film, even if it ultimately didn’t fully work for me. I rated it a 2.5/5 on Letterboxd.

Movies I’m Most Excited For:

Overall, I definitely recommend Project Hail Mary, and I would also recommend The Devil Wears Prada 2 if you loved the original film. It might not have been exactly what I expected, but it was still completely worth the watch.

As for upcoming releases, Avengers: Doomsday is one of my most anticipated movies by far. As a huge MCU fan, I already have the release date saved in my calendar. I’m really interested to see what Marvel does next with the franchise, even though I’m still heartbroken that Natasha Romanoff is no longer part of it.

I’m also extremely excited for The Odyssey, Dune: Part Three, and several other upcoming films that are already on my watchlist. Honestly, I still need to make time to get to theaters for some movies that have already released. I genuinely think I’ve gone to the movie theater more this year than any other year of my life so far.