As we move closer to awards season, I’ve been crossing some 2026 movies off my watch list. It’s been middling quality, unfortunately, but, nevertheless, a couple of flicks deserve mild recommendations.

Michael (2 ¾ stars on 0-5 scale), the Michael Jackson biopic, received mixed reviews, but I mostly dug its vibe thanks to great performances by Jaafar Jackson (Michael’s nephew) in the title role and the always sensational Colman Domingo as Joseph Jackson. (Expect a supporting-acting Oscar nom.) I wish the movie had been paced better, had more to say about Michael’s brothers and sisters, and had hewn closer to the facts, but most of my historical complaints were forgotten while watching the reenactment of the famous “Thriller” video. For a second or two, you’ll swear it’s the real deal.

Netflix’s The Whisper Man (3 stars), a crime thriller with a slight supernatural bent, tells a mostly ridiculous tale but does so with just enough aplomb to make it worth a watch. Powered by the solid performances of Robert De Niro, Adam Scott, Michelle Monaghan and a great actor who will go unmentioned here (it’s a nice surprise), director James Ashcroft’s film wants to be a new Silence of the Lambs. It never rises that high, but despite some pacing issues and the aforementioned tough-to-swallow plot, it turns into an interesting, twisty treat.

I wish I could say the same for one of this year’s horror darlings, Obsession (1 ¾ stars), but the paper-cutout characters and lack of serious tension doom this predictable romance-gone-wrong from the start. It’s also downright unpleasant and uncomfortable, which I guess was the point. Skip it and see the real best horror of the year so far, Backrooms (3 ¾ stars).

The Last House (1 ¼ stars), like The Whisper Man, is a straight-to-Netflix thriller, but this absurd (not in a good way) flick should have embraced its dramatic, survivalist, surreal roots instead of going full horror toward the end. Despite competent turns by Wagna Moura and Greta Lee, it’s as if high school students decided to remake Luis Buñuel’s 1962 classic, The Exterminating Angel. Director Louis Leterrier’s film is all wet. (You’ll get my meaning if you see it, which you shouldn’t.)

For a continually updating list of films I’ve seen recently, visit my New Views page. And, of course, you can find all my films lists here.