O, Brazen Age 

This list was made with the intention of celebrating the craft. I love seeing more women of colour on this list than before and more newcomers on the scene as well!

Hulu's 'Crush' leaves you giddy, light, hopeful, and, yes, all crushed out on the possibility of what? You got it, your next crush.

'Motherless Brooklyn' is a 1950s whodunit made by its star, Edward Norton. Like most detective films in this setting, the cast is mostly white males (with a few notable exceptions).

In 'Maestro,' we're left with an impression but not with an understanding of the main character.

What seems like such a simple story of survival is so much more than that—it’s a story of family, and of war, and of destruction. It’s painful to watch, but not in a bad way. It makes its audience reflect on their own actions, and in how they are complicit in the sufferings of others as the adults in this film are. Grave of the Fireflies does not hold back from being heartbreaking, and it shouldn’t. It tells a message that needs to be heard decades after the war, and a story that cannot be forgotten by history.

Narnia, Avengers: Doomsday, Jumanji 3 are some compelling ones! Some of the biggest 2026 movies tied to popular franchises, books, video games, comics, and existing series. Marvel and DC, Disney and Pixar.