After thirteen years of writing exclusively about music, we’re trying out something new here at All Things Loud: film! Over the last few months, it’s become pretty clear that 2026 is the best year for cinema in a long time, with the likes of The Odyssey, Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Obsession all smashing records at the box office. With the exception of that Peter Parker franchise and the abysmal Michael, 2026 has also proven to be incredibly successful for new ideas and stories as opposed to franchises, reboots and biopics. The list of impressive films – as well as those still to come – is so long that we can barely keep track. Today we’re taking a look at three brand new releases worth your time and attention.
THE RIVALS OF AMZIAH KING ★★★★☆
The Rivals of Amziah King is an absolutely exhilarating movie with so much heart, community and music that you easily forget you’re watching a crime thriller. It’s also Matthew McConaughey’s first proper big screen appearance in seven years.
McConaughey plays the captivating bee expert-cum-musician Amziah King, a charismatic local legend who seems universally loved and respected within his Oklahoma community. And while he may be the big name here, it’s debutant Angelina LookingGlass who absolutely steals the show from the moment we first see her. She plays Kateri, a former foster child of King’s who returns some years later and runs into King in a restaurant. It doesn’t take long for Amziah to take her back under his wing, teaching her the ins and outs of the lucrative (and cutthroat) honey industry. It doesn’t take long for Kateri to learn the trade, encountering chaos and drama along the way. Said chaos reaches an early peak when Kateri, King and the unintelligible Timmy arrive to rid an elementary school of a bee swarm. There’s enough anxiety-inducing tension here to rival Uncut Gems and Marty Supreme, which is saying something.
The movie makes an incredibly bold decision to kill off a key character early on into the story, but it provides the second half of the 130-minute adventure with so much emotional ammunition that you’ll be on the edge of your seat till the very end. It’s particularly fun watching LookingGlass’ Kateri and cohorts pull off an elaborate plan to get back all of Amziah’s honey and bees (which are stolen by an unknown group), but you’ll have to see for yourself how it pans out. Kurt Russell plays antagonist Dob McCoy here, presenting himself as your typically sleazy Middle American business tycoon. However, the movie could have benefited from letting Russell show us his bad side more explicitly. We only learn of the bad things he has done through stories told by others; the man we see on screen is a tad too ‘human’ for the supposed bastard antagonist he’s supposed to be.
There aren’t many crime thrillers with as much heart, emotion and sense of community as The Rivals of Amziah King, let alone ones about the billion dollar honey industry. The fascinating story of bees is woven intricately into the fabric of the overarching story, alongside a foot-stomping soundtrack and picturesque scenery. This is a unique story, and one which you’re going to want to see again and again and again.
THE END OF OAK STREET ★★★★☆
If you thought The Odyssey was the only bow & arrow film starring Anne Hathaway to come out this summer, then you’d be horribly wrong. Family friendly dinosaur action horror The End of Oak Street is a thrilling ride back in time, and it’s potentially the best dinosaur movie Hollywood has released since the first instalment of Jurassic Park (which is a big compliment, because we’ve seen a LOT of dinosaurs over the years). Anne Hathaway is joined by Ewan McGregor as they play a husband and wife whose marriage is on the rocks.
With divorce looming, the pair (plus their two stubborn and anxious children) are transported back to prehistoric times along with the entire neighbourhood. Because when you’re on the verge of a divorce, the last thing you need is a grisly Allosaurus decapitating your neighbours. Hathaway and McGregor’s marriage problems provide the basis for a heartwarming core which prevents the movie from becoming a full on dino horror, instead steering it down an entertaining path which at times feels somewhat cliché, but at other times feels like the movie equivalent of a rollercoaster ride. There’s enough of both the dinosaurs and the family-centric emotional stuff to keep the film grounded, even making room for a frankly hilarious scene involving two dinosaurs getting their freak on. Because who doesn’t want to see dinosaurs having sex up against someone’s garden shed, right?
Joking aside, The End of Oak Street is just really good fun. It takes the best elements of your favourite dinosaur films and fuses them with the heartfelt families from your average 80s hit. This is the movie Disclosure Day could have been, had it not taken itself so seriously. Because when The End of Oak Street doesn’t take itself seriously, it’s at its very best.
SUNNY DANCER ★★★ ½
We’ve had more than our fair share of summer camp teen movies over the years, but you’d be hard pressed to find one about kids in remission getting together to celebrate life. Enter Sunny Dancer, a heartwarming coming of age story starring Bella Ramsey and Neil Patrick Harris. It follows the adventures of Ramsey’s character Ivy as she reluctantly attends a summer camp for teenagers who used to have cancer, making friends along the way as well as memories – both good and bad.
It’s pretty much everything you’d expect from a summer camp movie aimed at a slightly younger audience (think late teens, early twenties), with a couple of twists and bittersweet moments, one of which might take you very much by surprise. The comedy writing is strong, with a hefty dose of British humour, and there’s even room for the special guest to end all special guests: James Blunt. Make sure to bring some tissues if you watch Sunny Dancer, because chances are you’ll probably need them.
All three reviews initially appeared on Jack Parker’s Letterboxd account, and have been adapted or rewritten for this article.
