Beyond the Rotten Tomatoes Score: The 10 Most Underrated Films of 2026 (So Far)
As we cross the halfway mark of 2026, the cinematic landscape has proven to be as unpredictable as it is diverse. From the quiet, introspective corridors of indie horror to the thunderous, spectacle-driven arenas of billion-dollar blockbusters, the current year has delivered a dense tapestry of content. However, in an era defined by aggregate review scores and opening-weekend box office panic, the nuance of a film’s quality is often flattened by binary metrics.
While certain high-profile releases have struggled to find favor with critics or audiences alike, many of these "disappointments" actually contain hidden depths, daring narrative choices, and technical craftsmanship that deserve a second look. Whether these films were misunderstood by the critical establishment or unfairly maligned by casual moviegoers, they represent the most compelling, underrated cinema of the year.
1. Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass
Genre: Comedy/Satire
Director: David Wain & Ken Marino
Zoey Deutch has long been one of Hollywood’s most reliable comedic chameleons, but Gail Daughtry and the Celebrity Sex Pass represents a career-high for the actress. Under the direction of David Wain and Ken Marino, Deutch portrays a small-town hairdresser navigating a bizarre "sex pass" agreement with her fiancé—a premise that quickly descends into a surreal, high-stakes criminal caper.
The film serves as a brilliant, star-studded satire of celebrity culture, featuring cameos from the likes of Jennifer Aniston and "Weird Al" Yankovic. By framing the narrative as a warped, modern-day Wizard of Oz, the film elevates its raunchy premise into something surprisingly poetic. Despite a respectable 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film’s innovative structure and Jon Hamm’s impeccable deadpan performance as himself suggest that it is a piece of work destined to be rediscovered by future audiences as a cult classic.
2. The Bride!
Genre: Horror/Drama
Director: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Maggie Gyllenhaal’s The Bride! is arguably the most ambitious genre-bending project of the year. By synthesizing Mary Shelley’s classic Frankenstein with a 1930s Chicago crime-drama, Gyllenhaal crafts a story of rebirth and companionship that is as messy as it is beautiful. Jessie Buckley’s portrayal of the resurrected Ida, alongside Christian Bale’s Frank, provides the film with a grounded, humanistic core that transcends its macabre exterior.
With a 57% critic score, the film was clearly polarizing. Critics pointed to its erratic pacing, yet failed to appreciate the radical nature of the reimagining. It is an "imperfect" film in the traditional sense, but its willingness to take massive creative risks makes it far more interesting than the average, sanitized studio reboot.
3. Forbidden Fruits
Genre: Supernatural Horror/Comedy
Director: Various (IFC/Shudder)
Forbidden Fruits captures the specific anxiety of female friendship in the digital age, draped in the aesthetic of a supernatural mall-thriller. Centering on Pumpkin (Lola Tung), the film follows her induction into a coven of mall-working witches. As secrets unravel, the film shifts from a campy comedy to a tense, paranoid descent.
Holding a 75% rating, the film has faced criticism for its tonal shifts. However, these shifts are intentional; they reflect the volatility of the social dynamics being depicted. Forbidden Fruits is a sharp, self-aware piece of genre filmmaking that deserves a wider audience than its current theatrical footprint allowed.
4. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
Genre: Animated/Adventure
Studio: Universal Pictures
The discourse surrounding The Super Mario Galaxy Movie is a masterclass in how box office success can distort critical reception. Grossing over $1 billion—the first of 2026—the film was nonetheless greeted with a lukewarm 42% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics dismissed it as "flashy and empty," yet this assessment ignores the film’s remarkable attention to Nintendo’s legacy. By weaving in deep-cut references to the 8-bit and 16-bit eras, the film functions as a love letter to the franchise that surpasses the standard "sequel" formula.
5. Faces of Death
Genre: Meta-Slasher
Director: Various
Revisiting the infamous 1978 snuff-film hoax was a bold move, but the 2026 iteration of Faces of Death succeeds by pivoting into a sharp, meta-commentary on short-form content moderation. Barbie Ferreira’s performance as a content moderator targeted by the very videos she critiques provides a chilling, modern lens on the original’s legacy. While its 69% rating is solid, the film’s intellectual complexity is vastly underrated, making it a required viewing for those interested in the evolution of digital horror.
6. Lorne
Genre: Documentary
Subject: Lorne Michaels
As the Saturday Night Live empire celebrated its 50th anniversary, the documentary Lorne attempted to peel back the layers of its enigmatic creator. Though some critics felt the film remained too "surface level," it serves as an essential companion piece to the history of television comedy. Despite the inclusion of some distracting, low-budget animated reenactments, the film’s access to the "controlled chaos" of the show’s production makes it an invaluable historical record.
7. Mother Mary
Genre: Fantasy Drama
Director: David Lowery
David Lowery is a filmmaker who thrives on ambiguity, and Mother Mary is no exception. Starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, the film explores the volatile relationship between a pop star and her collaborator, all while flirting with supernatural undertones. While critics labeled it "emotionally distant," that distance is a stylistic choice intended to mirror the cold, isolated nature of fame. It is a film that demands multiple viewings and active debate, rather than passive consumption.
8. Mortal Kombat II
Genre: Action/Martial Arts
Studio: Warner Bros.
Mortal Kombat II is the rare sequel that actually listens to its audience. By fixing the omissions of the 2021 reboot—specifically the inclusion of the actual tournament and Johnny Cage—it delivers a "flawless victory" for the genre. With a 64% rating, it remains criminally undervalued. It is, quite simply, the best live-action fighting game adaptation produced to date, prioritizing visceral, game-accurate combat over unnecessary melodrama.
9. Masters of the Universe
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Studio: Amazon MGM Studios
The 2026 reboot of Masters of the Universe was a box office disappointment that found a second life on Prime Video. By embracing the camp of the 1980s while deconstructing the "hero’s journey," the film serves as a sophisticated meta-narrative on nostalgia. Critics who complained about its gags missing the mark failed to see that the humor was a deliberate, good-natured effort to ground a ridiculous premise. It is a rare example of a blockbuster that respects its source material enough to poke fun at it.
10. Supergirl
Genre: Superhero/Drama
Studio: Warner Bros.
Supergirl is perhaps the most unfairly maligned film on this list. While it has been labeled a "superhero bomb" (53% on RT), Milly Alcock’s performance as a disillusioned, self-destructive hero is one of the most compelling portrayals in recent DC history. It is a character study first and an action movie second. While it may struggle under the weight of the broader DC cinematic universe’s instability, it stands as a solid, character-driven entry that will likely be appreciated more once the dust settles on this era of superhero cinema.
Implications for the Industry
The disconnect between the films highlighted here and their aggregate review scores suggests an industry-wide issue: the "Rotten Tomatoes effect." When films are categorized primarily by whether they pass a binary threshold, the nuance of "imperfect but interesting" cinema is lost. As we move into the second half of 2026, it is vital for audiences to look beyond the percentages.
Each of these ten films offers something that a "perfect" movie often cannot: a unique voice, a daring experiment, or a willingness to fail in pursuit of something new. Whether through the lens of a $1 billion animated hit or an indie horror curiosity, these movies prove that the most interesting stories are often the ones the critics couldn’t quite agree on. For the cinephile, the message is clear: ignore the aggregate, trust your curiosity, and seek out the "underrated" gems of the year.
