The Indie Gems of Summer 2026: 5 Films Worth Watching Beyond the Blockbusters
June 2026 is loud. Pixar, Spielberg, dragons, sequels, reboots β the multiplex is doing what multiplexes do. But on the next screen over, and one tap away on streaming, the most interesting movies of the summer are showing up quietly. Here are the five indie pickups I'm circling on the calendar this month β and exactly where to find them.
Before Mandalorian Lands Friday: 5 Indie Films Quietly Streaming Right Now
The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters this Friday and is about to eat every screen for ten days. Before then, here are five quietly excellent indie films that landed on streaming in the first half of May β verified platforms, no fake hype, all watchable tonight.
The Streaming Week That Eats Your Calendar: Boys S5 Wraps, Theaters Belong to Mandalorian
This week ends an era β Wednesday May 20, the Boys series finale lands on Prime Video after a Tuesday-night 4DX theatrical preview. Then the weekend hands theaters over to one Star Wars title, with Boots Riley quietly counter-programming on the same day. Here is exactly where to spend your attention from May 18 to May 24.

W20 Preview: The Odyssey Trailer, Cannes Kicks Off Tuesday, and Jude Law Is Putin
π¬ This week splits the calendar in half. The first half belongs to Cannes β the 79th festival opens Tuesday with Park Chan-wook chairing the jury, and Christopher Nolan's massive The Odyssey trailer is still echoing from its Late Show drop last Monday. The second half belongs to Wednesday's penultimate The Boys episode and Friday's most interesting new release: Olivier Assayas's political thriller The Wizard of the Kremlin, with Jude Law as Vladimir Putin and Paul Dano as his fictional whisperer. Here's everything worth your screen time between Monday and Sunday.
This Week in Theaters and Streaming: The Terror Returns, Hugh Jackman Talks to Sheep, and Mortal Kombat Crashes the Party
We're three days into May and this is finally the week things get interesting again. The Terror returns to AMC+ for its long-awaited third season, Hugh Jackman of all people is voicing a shepherd who reads detective novels to his sheep, Mortal Kombat II is crashing the party with $40-50M tracking, and Devil Wears Prada 2 keeps stealing the weekend after that monster $77M opening. Here's what's actually worth your time May 4-10.
This Week in Theaters and Streaming: Miranda Priestly Returns and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II Sets Netflix on Fire
Big week. Bigger than I expected, honestly. The Devil Wears Prada 2 finally hits theaters Friday, Man on Fire drops on Netflix Thursday, and there's an animated Animal Farm sneaking into multiplexes too. Here's what's worth your time between April 27 and May 3.
This Week in Movies (Apr 20-27): A Michael Jackson Biopic, The Boys Go Nuclear, and The Mummy's Crash Landing
Last week CinemaCon told us what Hollywood is planning. This week, Hollywood shows what actually works β and what doesn't. Michael drops Friday, Boys S5 gets its midpoint shake-up Wednesday, and The Mummy's $13.5M debut is exactly the crash-landing skeptics predicted.
The Mummy Returns to Horror, CinemaCon Takes Over, and The Boys Keep Killing β Your Week of April 14
CinemaCon is live in Vegas with every major studio showing off their biggest guns, Lee Cronin's R-rated The Mummy is already scaring the hell out of early audiences, and The Boys keeps dropping bodies in its final season. Here's everything worth watching this week.
Spider-Man Just Broke the Internet β Now He's About to Break the Box Office
Tom Holland returns as Peter Parker on July 31 with a 1-billion-view trailer, a $300 million opening weekend in sight, and the biggest cast a Spider-Man movie has ever assembled. Plus Gregg Araki's Sundance sensation as counter-programming and summer holdovers that refuse to quit.
Evil Dead Just Refused to Stay Dead β And Spider-Man Is One Week Away
SΓ©bastien VaniΔek brings the deadites back on July 24 with Evil Dead Burn, Christopher Nolan's Odyssey dominates its second weekend, and Tom Holland's Spider-Man: Brand New Day is exactly seven days out. July 2026 is the summer that won't stop giving.
Christopher Nolan Just Brought Homer to IMAX β And July Isn't Done Yet
The Odyssey lands on July 17 with a $250 million budget, the most stacked cast of the year, and the first film ever shot entirely on IMAX 70mm cameras. Plus Jonah Hill's counter-programming comedy, Moana's second weekend, and the July gauntlet rolls on.
Disney Just Bet Everything on Moana Going Live-Action β And July's Only Getting Bigger
Catherine Laga'aia steps into the biggest Disney live-action debut since Halle Bailey's Little Mermaid, Dwayne Johnson returns as Maui, and this is just the warmup β Nolan, Evil Dead, and Spider-Man are all coming before August.
Minions Take Over, Washington Gets the Hollywood Treatment, and July Is About to Go Nuclear
This week brings Illumination's Minions & Monsters to the July 4th corridor, Angel Studios bets on Young Washington, and the holdover lineup β Supergirl, Jackass 5, Toy Story 5 β is still pulling crowds. Plus: July's upcoming slate might be the strongest of the entire summer.
Pixar's Back, Hugh Jackman Is Robin Hood, and Your Childhood Is Under Attack
Toy Story 5 asks whether tablets have made toys obsolete, A24 reimagines Robin Hood as a dark thriller with Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer, and Hayley Kiyoko brings her bestselling queer romance to theaters. Three films, three completely different vibes, one great week.
This Week Belongs to Spielberg β And It's Not Even Close
Steven Spielberg returns to alien sci-fi for the first time in 21 years with Disclosure Day, John Williams comes out of retirement at 94 to score it, and Emily Blunt faces extraterrestrials on live TV. Plus: two series finales and a romance novel adaptation on streaming.
Cannes 2026 Preview: Everything You Need to Know Before the Croisette Lights Up
The 79th Cannes Film Festival kicks off May 12, and this year's lineup is shaping up to be one of the most auteur-driven editions in recent memory. Here's your complete guide to what's coming, who's competing, and why you should be paying attention.
Your Binge Guide: 5 Series You Can Finish Before Monday
Short on time but drowning in options? These five series clock in at 8 episodes or fewer β perfect for a weekend blitz. From a psychological thriller with an A-list trio to Richard Gadd's explosive follow-up to Baby Reindeer, here's what deserves your next binge.
The Week of May 5 Has a Sequel Everyone's Been Waiting 20 Years For
The Devil Wears Prada 2 finally struts into theaters, Daredevil: Born Again wraps its second season with what might be Marvel's best TV finale yet, and Netflix drops a bestseller adaptation starring Sally Field and an octopus. Yeah, this week is stacked.
This Week's Biggest Releases: Super Mario Galaxy Takes Off, Star Wars Goes Dark, and Beef Gets a Second Helping
The first week of April 2026 is stacked. Nintendo's animated juggernaut returns to theaters, Disney+ drops its most ambitious Star Wars series yet, and Netflix brings back one of the best shows of the decade. Here's everything you need on your radar.
Season Premiere Watchlist: April 2026 β The 8 Shows You Need to Queue Up Right Now
April is absolutely stacked with season premieres. From The Boys going out with a bang to Euphoria finally coming back after four years, here are the eight shows that should be at the top of your list this month.