The 10 Best Movies of 2026 … So Far
6/29/20262 hr 42 min
Sean and Amanda are joined by some Ringer all-stars to share their favorite movies of the year so far, including big blockbusters, small indies, and everything in between. Later, Sean is joined by John Early to discuss his new film, ‘Maddie’s Secret,’ and break down the crazy journey of making this movie, shed light on his cinematic influences, and explain why he wants to prioritize filmmaking in his career going forward.
(0:00) Intro
(1:00) Chris Ryan’s favorite movie of 2026
(7:01) Joanna Robinson’s favorite movie of 2026
(17:20) Charles Holmes’s favorite movie of 2026
(27:22) Mallory Rubin’s favorite movie of 2026
(44:36) Van Lathan’s favorite movie of 2026
(58:21) Adam Nayman’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:12:12) Yasi Salek’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:26:19) Rob Mahoney’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:37:17) Jack Sanders’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:45:04) Amanda Dobbins’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:52:44) Sean Fennessey’s favorite movie of 2026
(1:58:23) John Early joins the show!
Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins
Guests: Chris Ryan, Joanna Robinson, Charles Holmes, Mallory Rubin, Van Lathan, Adam Nayman, Yasi Salek, Rob Mahoney, and John Early
Producer: Jack Sanders
Production Support: Lucas Cavanagh
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsSean Fennessey· Host0:01
[upbeat music] I'm Sean Fennessey.
Amanda Dobbins· Host0:16
I'm Amanda Dobbin.
Sean Fennessey· Host0:17
And this is The Big Picture, a conversation show about the best movies of the year so far. Today on the show we are joined by eight Ringer friends who share their favorite movies of 2026, unless Rob Mahoney has stolen their pick, in which case they'll roll with their number two choices. [laughs] Later in this episode I'll be joined by Jon Early, who is the writer-director of Maddie's Secret, one of the films picked for this episode. Jon is a hilarious comedian, actor, and writer, and it turns out a damn good director too. His feature debut manages to blend Douglas Sirk, David Wain, and Lifetime movies into an elegant, heartbreaking, quasi-camp stew. Jon is a great guest, a super smart guy. Most definitely stick around for this conversation. But first, let's go to our favorite movies of the year so far. And first up, who else? CR, Chris Ryan.
Speaker 30:58
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Sean Fennessey· Host1:23
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