Films in 2026

Film in 2026 has already had some emotional highlights with Project Hail Mary - a film I wound up crying throughout, but friendship defying time and space and species is a classic thing I wind up losing my mind over. Any film with a modicum of what I call - sincerity - is undeniably in my good books forever. 

Sincerity is after all almost a lost art form in film these days. Most films feel like a big corporate meeting of "if we put two attractive people in this film, it's considered a romantic comedy classic, right?" - instead of considering actual chemistry or storytelling or a lot of things. 

A film can be visually stunning and have a good soundtrack, but feel a bit empty. Of course, I do not think Wuthering Heights benefitted at all with me knowing the original story, despite having not read it since I was a disgruntled 16 year old who was horrendously disappointed that it wasn't in the vein of Jane Eyre. But the story has been adapted too many times to count - oddly enough heavily focused on the smallest portion of the book. People do love toxic love stories, and not so much on the breaking out of a toxic family pattern, I guess? After all, this 2026 adaptation softens everything about Heathcliffe and Catherine. 

Besides this The Drama was astonishingly fun! I had high expectations coming in, which I lowered, because of fear, and also because of the internet. I managed to go in utterly unspoiled, so, the less said about the film - the better for the viewer. 

Because my brain was on a Zendaya high I finally saw Challengers (2024) just 2 years later. I was way too hyped to see it in 2024 (also I had other occupations that year). Anyway! I adored the soundtrack, the visuals, the acting, and also admired the sound editing. 

Odd how a film without very much sexual content got touted for being scandilous? There's like balls being slammed back in forth with heavy breathing and close-up shots of sweat. And three people who should just be in a throuple - or have a "it's complicated" status on Facebook. 

I think the media landscape might actually be a bit too sex starved. I know, you're thinking "but Emilie Bridgerton is out there!" Yeah, we've got lots of media with lots of sex scenes in them, but they're not necessarily erotic. There's lots of videos on youtube critiquing that these days, and again, I think that has to do with sincerity being a lack in popular media. Because what is erotic? What is sexy? It's hard to sate the thirst amongst the general public, especially when much of media consumed is supposed to be easily consumed with a phone in your hand. The general public has also varying tastes, as most people do have when it comes to media. It's also hard to get out there when it comes to films. The press tour has become a large looming part of the film, where every outfit can be seen as an extension of the film itself. 

Like Zendaya wearing different outfits based on the theme of the film during the press tour, while maintaining a good platonic bestie relationship with her co-star Robert Pattinson throughout. Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi were critiqued for trying to play into being obsessed about each other during their press tour. I think that might have just been a build up of the general hate-train on the Wuthering Heights adaptation from the moment it was announced. 

I gave the film a benefit of the doubt, and it's a completely alright film if one looks beyond the source material, but if it didn't have the book to lean on it wouldn't be very memorable? But it certainly isn't the worst film to ever exist. It is a massive pity that Emereld Fennell envisioned the main leads both white, while the rest of the key players are played by different ethnicities. Nelly being Asian and the one keeping the two apart - was a choice - which makes sense when one looks thinks of the perspective of Emereld Fennell - upper class - who's servants were probably... 

You know, I'm going to leave the train of thought there. 

But yeah, erotic film - what is erotic? James Spader's filmography? I don't know. Well, to any film girl out there who had a James Spader period. I can relate. I suppose what people are missing in popular media is out there already, though it's not in the public eye to begin with. The idea that the majority all enjoy Secretary (2002) is optimistic. There's always going to be films outside the scope of popular media - they just need to be found. Write about them, talk about those films, if you want them to be enjoyed by more people. Don't gate keep in our year 2026! Also, I need to watch Body Heat (1981) an erotic thriller ala crime noir that I've not seen since childhood. 

Yes, we don't have the time to unpack that, okay.