When it comes to movies, why wait for the end-of-year best-of lists? A number of movies have already garnered 3.5 stars or more from The Washington Post’s critics and contributors (Travis M. Andrews, Michael Andor Brodeur, Ty Burr, Thomas Floyd, Monica Hesse, Philip Kennicott, Chris Klimek, Naveen Kumar, Michael O’Sullivan, Janice Page, Sonia Rao and Jada Yuan — identified by their initials below).
Throughout the year, we’ll update this list — bookmark it! — with the films we loved and where to watch them. (Note that all movies reviewed by The Post in 2026 are eligible for inclusion.)
Arco
The French Oscar nominee for best animated feature, co-produced by Natalie Portman, is an altogether different beast from the kind of contemporary cartoons that Disney, Pixar and DreamWorks export around the world. There are no pop songs (or K-pop songs) or pop culture references to date it. There’s no scatological humor, no irony, no sarcasm. The sheer earnestness of director Ugo Bienvenu’s elegiac, even mournful tale feels as appealingly anachronistic as its lush 2D animation. (PG, 89 minutes) — Chris Klimek
Where to watch: In theaters
Magellan
Whatever seafaring saga your imagination may conjure upon hearing the name Magellan, it’s nothing like “Magellan.” The most recent offering from Filipino director Lav Diaz (who also wrote, co-edited and served as its cinematographer), it’s at once a sprawling historical epic; a quietly subversive indictment of global politics; and a visually breathtaking meditation on violence, grief and power. (Unrated, 160 minutes) — Michael Andor Brodeur
Where to watch: Not yet available for streaming
The Testament of Ann Lee
In 1774, a small group of splintered-off Quakers from Manchester sailed to America, led by the visions of an illiterate woman named Ann Lee (Amanda Seyfried). Their faith’s central tenets included celibacy and gender equality, and a worship practice defined by shaking during prayer. Director Mona Fastvold’s dramatization of that history is surprising — for one thing, it’s a musical — as well as luminous and transporting. It’s a deeply strange and deeply human examination of faith and vision, unlike anything you’ve seen but sure-footed enough to convince you there was no other way to tell this story. (R, 137 minutes) — Monica Hesse
Where to watch: In theaters
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
Director Nia DaCosta steps in to helm the fourth film in the series launched by Danny Boyle’s 2003 sci-fi thriller “28 Days Later.” The new movie, written by returning screenwriter Alex Garland, continues to explore how a laboratory-created “rage virus” affects human life in a quarantined Britain. Rather than try to replicate previous efforts in the popular series, DaCosta turns in a film that is funnier, more stylish and just as poignant. Ralph Fiennes returns to anchor the sequel with a remarkably layered performance. (R, 109 minutes) — Sonia Rao
Where to watch: In theaters
No Other Choice
Park Chan-wook is a master of dark delights, with a string of classics that include “Oldboy,” “The Handmaiden” and Decision to Leave”; he’s a little like a South Korean Hitchcock with a more evil sense of fun and a buried undercurrent of social outrage. Here, he takes a 1997 Donald E. Westlake novel, “The Ax,” and applies it to his home country with malice aforethought. The result is an entertainment that draws blood. (R, 139 minutes) — Ty Burr
Where to watch: In theaters
The Plague
This psychological horror film reminds viewers of just how cruel adolescence can be. Ben (Everett Blunck) is the new kid in town. He isn’t sure whether to listen to the other middle-schoolers at water polo camp who tell him to avoid Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), a chubby boy they claim has “the plague” because of rashes covering his body. This is well-trodden territory, but director Charlie Polinger’s impressive debut paints such a vivid portrait of boyhood bullying that it feels like discovering pubescent misbehavior anew. (R, 95 minutes) — S.R.
Where to watch: Not yet available for streaming
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