7 Underrated Films You Might Have Missed This Year
Every year there are big heavy hitters like The Odyssey and Obsession that everyone talks about- but always a few good films that just seem to fly under the radar. We’ve put together a list of a few of the more overlooked films of 2026 that are worth your time catching up on, which may not have lit the world on fire but are nonetheless a good watch.
Tuner
Starring Leo Woodall, Tuner released earlier this year to not much fanfare but with good reviews from critics. It follows Niki (Woodall), a gifted piano tuner whose unusually sensitive hearing gives him an unexpected talent for cracking safes. When criminals discover his abilities, he becomes involved in a dangerous world of high-stakes robberies. Meanwhile, Niki develops a romantic connection with composition student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), complicating his increasingly risky double life. Intriguingly, Dustin Hoffman also stars as Niki’s mentor in this solidly entertaining crime thriller directed by Daniel Roher.
The Christophers
Directed by the eclectically prolific Steven Soderbergh, The Christophers is another one from this year that has some fantastic acting talent and yet didn’t make much of a splash. Julian Sklar (played by Ian McKellen), a once-celebrated London artist, has withdrawn from public life and is now in old age. Hoping to secure their inheritance, his estranged children (played by James Corden and Jessica Gunning) recruit Lori (Michaela Coel), a young painter and occasional art forger, to infiltrate his home studio. Her mission involves gaining access to a collection of unfinished paintings, but the elaborate deception threatens to become considerably more complicated.
Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die
Sam Rockwell stars in Martin McDonagh’s much-anticipated Wild Horse Nine this month, but earlier this year he starred in the underrated Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die, a sci-fi comedy about AI. The Oscar winner plays a mysterious time traveller recruiting unsuspecting customers to help prevent an impending AI apocalypse. It’s a little bit Terminator in its premise, only with a very scruffy Rockwell instead of Arnie- and the time traveller’s mission is to make the artificial intelligence safer rather than destroying it. Haley Lu Richardson, Michael Peña and Juno Temple round out the cast.
The Sheep Detectives
The Sheep Detectives came out to a fair bit of attention, but perhaps still went overlooked due to the premise. Hugh Jackman surrounded by talking sheep who solve mysteries? Surely this must be like a terrible 2000s comedy, savaged by critics? But it was released to warm reviews and proved to be unexpectedly emotional family fun to boot. George (Jackman) is a shepherd who takes his mind off things by reading mystery novels to his flock. However, unbeknownst to him, they can actually understand him, and when their shepherd is suddenly found dead, the sheep come together to solve what happened. It’s got an impressive voice cast including Bryan Cranston, Chris O’Dowd, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Bella Ramsey, Regina Hall and the late Patrick Stewart.
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
I mostly put this on the list because I’ve been struck by how many people I’ve talked to who have seen the first 28 Years film, but not this sequel, the second in a new trilogy following the original 28 Days Later. This one is directed by Nia DaCosta rather than Danny Boyle, with the film following Dr Kelson (Ralph Fiennes) as he becomes involved in a shocking new relationship, while Spike (Alfie Williams) encounters a dangerous group led by the sinister Sir Jimmy Crystal (Jack O’Connell). It received plenty of acclaim from critics, but went under the radar at the box office- perhaps because it came out only seven months after 28 Years Later.
Rose of Nevada
Rose of Nevada premiered in 2025, but didn’t end up getting a full cinema release here until earlier this year. Starring George MacKay and Callum Turner, it centres around a mysterious and apparently supernatural event in a Cornish fishing village. When a fishing boat that disappeared with its crew 30 years earlier suddenly reappears, locals see it as a chance to restore the village’s fortunes. Young father Nick (George MacKay) joins a new crew on the boat, but their return from sea brings an extraordinary discovery: they appear to have travelled back in time without realising it.
Crime 101
This crime thriller starring Chris Hemsworth released all the back in February, and again perhaps fell afoul of looking more generic than it is. Crime 101 is set against the sun-soaked streets of Los Angeles, and features a starrier cast than its under-the-radar status suggests. Hemsworth plays an elusive jewel thief whose carefully planned robberies along the 101 Freeway have baffled police for years. When he sets his sights on one final, potentially life-changing heist, he crosses paths with a disillusioned insurance broker (Halle Berry) and a determined detective (Mark Ruffalo). Directed by Bart Layton, the film also features Barry Keoghan and Monica Barbaro.
