News Article Picks 25 Best U.S. Films of First-Half 2026

Q: With environmental films trending in Hollywood, which movie could win the prestigious new Robert Redford award?

No film has been chosen yet, but Sara Dosa’s *Time and Water* looks like the strongest early contender for the new Robert Redford Environmental Vision Award. That assessment fits both the midyear film list and the award’s stated mission. *Time and Water* was singled out in the publication’s first-half favorites as a major example of 2026’s environmental cinema, and the broader reporting describes it as a climate-focused work about melting glacial ice in Iceland and humanity’s relationship to a changing natural world. The award, created by Film Independent and The Redford Center, is meant to honor narrative film or television that tackles environmental issues with creativity, emotional impact and a sense of possibility. While the inaugural award has not opened submissions yet and no nominees exist, *Time and Water* stands out because it already has strong critical backing, a high-profile director in Oscar-nominated filmmaker Sara Dosa, and a subject that directly matches the award’s emphasis on climate, natural resources and human agency. It has also built prestige through festival attention and strong reviews. Other environmentally themed titles mentioned in the wider coverage, such as *Project Hail Mary* or SXSW’s *Plantman & Blondie: A Dress Up Gang Film*, could also enter the conversation depending on eligibility. But based on the available reporting, *Time and Water* is the clearest answer to which film could plausibly win the new Redford prize.

Q: After a critically acclaimed sequel flopped, is the future of the '28 Years Later' trilogy now in jeopardy?

Yes, there is real uncertainty around the trilogy’s future, even though it is not dead. The problem is not critical reception. *28 Years Later: The Bone Temple* was widely praised, with reported approval scores around 92% from critics and 88% from audiences, and it has since been highlighted by a major film publication as one of the best releases of 2026 so far. The issue is commercial performance: the film grossed about $58 million worldwide against a reported $63 million budget, making it a box-office disappointment. That underperformance has put pressure on Sony’s plans for *28 Years Later III*. Reports indicate the studio is reconsidering or at least reassessing the third installment despite Alex Garland having already written the script and Danny Boyle expressing interest in directing. Production had already been pushed back, with Boyle saying timing and location constraints prevented filming sooner. At the same time, the project still has meaningful momentum. The third film was previously greenlit, Garland’s script is finished, Boyle has said the creative team remains enthusiastic, and Cillian Murphy is involved as a producer and is expected to return in some capacity. That suggests the film is delayed and under review rather than canceled. So the trilogy is in a more fragile position after *The Bone Temple* flopped financially, but the available evidence points to jeopardy in business terms, not a collapse in creative support.

3 articles · Updated · The Film Stage · Jun 25

A midyear roundup selected 25 top U.S. theatrical and digital releases from the first six months of 2026, with the films listed alphabetically rather than ranked.
The list spans studio and arthouse titles, including Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day, Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, Olivia Wilde’s The Invite and Kenji Tanigaki’s The Furious.
It also highlights lower-profile releases such as Dry Leaf, Blue Heron, Romería, With Hasan to Gaza and Fiume o morte!, underscoring the article’s focus on films that may have flown under the radar.
An additional honorable-mentions section broadens the survey beyond the main 25, framing the package as a snapshot of the strongest U.S.-released cinema so far in 2026.