Hello and welcome to week three of Movie Reviews 2026. Yep, we are already three weeks in, and the good news is that (so far) 2026 has served up a number of strong movies.
Week one offered up Song Sung Blue and The Housemaid, while last week delivered a run of top titles including Rental Family, Hamnet, and Marty Supreme, as well as the five-star film, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple.
Will this week prove just as fruitful? You’ll have to keep reading to find out.
And of course you should keep reading because this week you’ll be treated to reviews of The Rip, Cosmic Princess Kaguya!, and Primitive War. Plus it’s time to Return to Silent Hill.
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Now streaming…
The Rip (2026)
First up this week, when a police captain is murdered on the job, the finger of suspicion is pointed in the direction of her colleagues in the Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT). So, keen to create some goodwill with their superiors, Lieutenant Dane Dumars takes the team on a job which should paint them in a more positive light.
Dumars has received a tip-off about a house containing a large sum of cartel cash. If he can recover the money, he believes things will run more smoothly with the investigation.
Upon arrival at the house, Dumars and fellow officer Detective Sergeant JD Byrne search the attic, where they discover over $20 million hidden in the wall. Realising this amount of money could suddenly bring a lot of trouble to the house (and maybe tempt one or two members of the team), Dumars orders them to begin counting the bills so the cash can be transferred back to police headquarters ASAP.
All procedures must be followed to the letter, to ensure no slip ups, no corruption, and no further heat can be brought to the department. Doing things by the book is imperative.
But as the team begin to count the money, an unexpected police car arrives outside the house, spooking Dumars and Byrne. Moments later, the team receive a phone call informing them to leave within the next 30 minutes or they will be killed.
With danger imminent, the team arm themselves and prepare for the worst. But with $20 million dollars sitting in their laps, can every member of the team be trusted to follow through on their mission?
Written and directed by Joe Carnahan, and inspired by true events, The Rip stars Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Steven Yeun, Teyana Taylor, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Kyle Chandler, and Sasha Calle. The movie is an action-thriller, packed with twists, turns, and potentially dirty characters, and it’s a must-watch for Netflix subscribers.
Well-written and steeped in paranoia, this is a slick picture which boasts stylish visuals, and excellent performances. Damon and Affleck are on fine form, as is director Carnahan, while the plot twists keep the guess-rate high.
The Rip is designed to have audiences engaged at all times and weighing up what’s transpiring, and for the most part it holds up very well. Sure, it loses a little bit of momentum towards the end, but it is largely solid stuff and if you’re looking for something to invest time in, then this is the movie for you.
All-in-all, The Rip is a captivating caper and one which is something of a triumph for Netflix. When it comes to crime-thrillers and action movies the streaming service often struggles to get it right (and that’s being kind), but this time around it has hit the target and then some!
I guess the real crime here is the sad fact The Rip didn’t go to cinemas, as this has ‘big screen material’ written all over it. But hey, cinema’s loss is streaming’s gain, and if you wish to check it out, you merely need to plonk yourself in front of the TV.
The Rip is now streaming on Netflix.
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Now streaming…
Cosmic Princess Kaguya! (2026)
Sticking with Netflix for this next movie, which is the anime, Cosmic Princess Kaguya!. Directed by Gavin Harrison and Shingo Yamashita, and featuring the voice talents of Anna Nagase and Yuko Natsuyoshi, the film follows the story of teenager Iroha and her friendship with the mysterious Kaguya.
In the film, Iroha Sakayori is a self-motivated teen who lives alone and spends her day juggling school work with part-time jobs. However, Iroha’s life is soon upended when she finds a strange baby in a neighbourhood utility pole and decides to temporarily care for her.
Over the next couple of days the baby – who may or may not be alien in origin – ages rapidly and becomes a young girl. Iroha names the girl Kaguya and the pair become friends.
From here Kaguya becomes a streamer and the duo work on a plan to win a contest to perform alongside another popular streamer. Various song and dance sequences then follow, while Iroha adjusts her outlook on life.
Boasting beautiful animation, adorable characters, and some cutesy tunes, Cosmic Princess Kaguya! is a likeable fantasy anime which is sure to be a hit with young Netflix audiences. The visuals are imaginative, the colour palette is luscious, and the story has teen appeal.
This is a tale about growth and friendship, with a dash of action, some games, and one or two laughs along the way. It’s bright and breezy, often whimsical, and largely enjoyable stuff.
The film clocks in at over two hours, so the novelty might wear off for audiences over a certain age, but those who adore anime of this nature will be happy. All-in-all it’s another win for Netflix.
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On disc…
Primitive War (2025)
Sliding over to physical media now for the disc release of the Australian sci-fi action-horror movie, Primitive War. A film in which a reconnaissance team in search of missing soldiers, cross paths with dinosaurs!
In the movie, the year is 1968 and a platoon of Green Berets disappear in Vietnam under mysterious circumstances. A short while later, a team of operatives known as the Vulture Squad are sent to locate the missing soldiers.
Upon arrival they find themselves encountering prehistoric creatures and Russian forces. And if that wasn’t enough, the end of the world is nigh!
Directed and co-written by Luke Sparke, and starring Ryan Kwanten, Tricia Helfer, Jeremy Piven, and Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Primitive War is a daft, yet surprisingly decent B-movie. OK, so the story is complete hokum, starting off with a Vietnam rescue mission before descending into full-on sci-fi territory with dinosaurs(!), a Russian science experiment(!!), and wormholes(!!!), but the special effects are shockingly good.
There’s no poor prehistoric pixelations here, just damn good dinos and bloodthirsty beasts! The likes of which are worth watching, even when things get a little too serious and long-winded with the rest of the movie.
For a film crammed with goofy plot points, Primitive War sure does drop the ball at times in the human department. Instead of leaning into the nonsense at every opportunity, it spends too much of its runtime fannying around with the dull soldiers, who are all a bit strait-laced for their own good.
The film would work far better by cutting back in this area and devoting more time to the dino-action instead. However, as it stands there are plenty of dinosaurs (certainly in the back-half of the film), and they elevate Primitive War from a two-star release to a three-star affair, so it’s not bad going, all considered.
Anyway, should you wish to grab a copy of Primitive War, the film is available on DVD and Blu-ray. The former is priced at £9.99, while the latter is £14.99.
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In cinemas…
Return to Silent Hill (2026)
And finally, new to UK and US cinemas this week is the supernatural horror sequel, Return to Silent Hill. Directed and co-written by Christophe Gans, the movie is the latest entry in the Silent Hill movie series, and stars Jeremy Irvine and Hannah Emily Anderson.
In the film, Irvine plays James Sunderland – an alcoholic struggling with mental health issues. His problems have been brought on by the end of his relationship to Mary (Anderson), who he misses very much.
So, when James receives a letter from Mary, beckoning him to her old home town of Silent Hill, he is keen to reconnect. But Silent Hill is not quite the idyllic place James remembers and he soon finds himself tackling more than a lost love.
For those who are less-than familiar with the Silent Hill movie series, Return to Silent Hill is the third instalment in the franchise, following 2006’s Silent Hill and 2012’s Silent Hill: Revelation. However, unlike those two films which were directly linked through actors, characters, and plot points, this latest offering is a standalone affair, which for all intents and purposes acts as a new jumping on point.
This is (at the very least) a wise decision as it creates a bit of distance between what came before (i.e. two not very well-received movies), and what comes now. It’s just a shame then the distance ultimately proves pointless, because Return to Silent Hill is still a load of old bobbins.
The script is woeful, the acting is dire, and some of the leaps in logic are outstanding. Various parts of the film feel like cutscenes from a game, gaffer taped together, and the whole thing drags – which is impressive for a movie which is only 106 mins long.
Filmmaker Christophe Gans is back on directing duties, having helmed the original, and to his credit he does manage to create a good atmosphere and some scary visuals (a highlight of the 2006 film), but he struggles to make the story appealing. All the emotional weight of James and Mary’s story gets lost in an over abundance of green screen and CGI, and there’s simply not enough substance to keep things going.
The film might appeal to longtime fans, but there’s not much here for newcomers. The script isn’t good enough.
Return to Silent Hill presumably exists because a.) horror is a bankable genre right now, and b.) movies based on video games are hot property. But simply having a recognisable brand name doesn’t equate to much when there isn’t the story or acting talent to back it up.
Return to Silent Hill is another misfire in a series which has already had a bumpy ride, and it’s a poor video game movie in general. Similar to last year’s Until Dawn, it fails to do anything interesting and irritates more than it entertains.
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Also out…
Recent Releases
Not quite done yet? Want more movies? The above suggestions aren’t enough?! Well, here’s what’s also doing the rounds:
28 Years Later: The Bone Temple (2026)
“The Bone Temple is top-notch viewing, which never really lets up from the moment it starts, and will surely please those who have enjoyed the series so far.”
Marty Supreme (2025)
“The brilliance of Marty Supreme is that it is masterfully controlled chaos, which means you never quite know where it is going to go next, but you never worry that it’s going to lose itself in the process.”
Hamnet (2025)
“Emotive, heartbreaking, and beautifully crafted, Chloé Zhao’s Hamnet is a striking picture. It’s a historical drama, a folk tale, and a tragedy all rolled into one.”
Rental Family (2025)
“Rental Family is a lovely little film which touches upon loneliness, well-meaning deception, and the importance of human connection.”
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Movie of the Week
Over to Movie of the Week now, and this week the top title is awarded to The Rip. Netflix doesn’t always get it right with action-thrillers, but this Matt Damon/Ben Affleck picture from filmmaker Joe Carnahan works a charm!
And if you like The Rip, you may also like:
- Narc (2002) – Joe Carnahan writes and directs this crime thriller about two detectives investigating the murder of an undercover police officer.
- The A-Team (2010) – Based on the iconic ‘80s television series of the same name, Carnahan directs and co-writes this action comedy about a special forces team imprisoned for a crime they didn’t commit.
- 21 Bridges (2019) – Director Brian Kirk’s action-thriller about an NYPD detective who shuts down 21 bridges so he can track down two cop killers.
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Stay Tuned
And that’s your lot for this week, but before you dash off let me take this opportunity to point you in the direction of something you may wish to check out. And that something is TV Showcase 2026!
Each week, TV Showcase 2026 highlights and previews many of the new shows heading your way. From future classics and hidden gems, to the must-see series you probably need to check out.
If you’re struggling for viewing inspiration, or you can’t keep up with all the different streaming services, TV Showcase 2026 is for you. One quick glance and you’ll be in TV heaven!
Alex
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Thank you for stopping by It’s A Stampede! to read this edition of Movie Reviews 2026. For more posts be sure to check out the recommended reads below.
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