This is my running list of every movie I’ve reviewed in a theater this year, with my score, how scary it actually is, and a one line take. I go solo with my AMC A-List, which lets me see up to four movies a week, and I write each review the same night while it’s still fresh in my head.
Everything here is spoiler free. If you’re stuck between two movies this weekend, or you just want to know if something is going to wreck you (hi, fellow dog people), start with the table and click through for the full review. That’s where I put the stuff a quick search won’t tell you, like which scenes to brace for and whether it’s worth the big screen.
My 2026 Movie Log at a Glance
| Reviewed | Movie | My Score | Scare Level | One Line Take |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept 25 | Heart of the Beast | 9/10 | 1/5 | Gorgeous and gutting. Read my dog scene notes before you go. |
| Sept 27 | Hope | 4.5/10 | 1/5 | Not for me. If you’re curious, rent it instead. |
| Sept 28 | Primetime | 8/10 | 3/5 | Uncomfortable, weirdly funny, and Robert Pattinson is great. |
| Sept 29 | Fall 2: Deadpoint | 8/10 | 1/5 | A heights thriller that’s an easy rental starting Oct 6. |
| Oct 1 | Verity | 8.5/10 | 2/5 | Dark, twisty and grown up. Book fans, go. Kids, skip it. |
| Oct 5 | Digger | 8.5/10 | 1/5 | Tom Cruise like you’ve never seen him. A wild satire, not for kids. |
| Oct 6 | The Nightmare Before Christmas (3D) | 9/10 | 1/5 | A classic that earns the big screen in 3D. Zero the dog is safe. |
| Oct 7 | Beware Boiuna | 7/10 | 4/5 | My one horror exception. A giant snake, lots of jumps and a lot of blood. 17+ only. |
| Oct 10 | The Social Reckoning | 7.5/10 | 1/5 | A sharp true story with a great cast. Good in a theater or at home, just not for young kids. |
| Oct 11 | Resident Evil | 8.5/10 | 4/5 | Fast, gross and so much fun. Eight big jump scares, and the dog scene is at about 20 minutes. |
Last updated: October 12, 2026. I add a new row every time a review goes up.
Quick Stats So Far
- Movies reviewed: 10
- Average score: 7.9 out of 10
- Highest score: Heart of the Beast and The Nightmare Before Christmas (3D), both 9/10
- Horror movies: 2, and both are creature movies, the one kind of horror I make an exception for: Beware Boiuna and Resident Evil
Pick a Movie by Mood
Worth the Big Screen
Heart of the Beast (9/10) is the one I’d pay full price for again. Primetime (8/10) takes its time, but the tension keeps stacking up as the show gets bigger, and it really pays off at the end. Fall 2: Deadpoint (8/10) is set on a plank walk about 3,000 feet up a mountain, and height scenes like that are made for a giant screen. Verity (8.5/10) is a dark, twisty adult thriller, and the sound in Dolby Cinema made every creak in that house land. Digger (8.5/10) was shot on VistaVision, and in IMAX the disaster scenes and Tom Cruise’s full transformation really fill the screen. The Nightmare Before Christmas (9/10) is the one to catch in 3D while the re-release is still in theaters. Beware Boiuna (7/10) is a creature feature that’s way more fun in a big dark room, as long as you can handle the blood. Resident Evil (8.5/10) has eight big jump scares spread from start to finish, and every one of them hits harder with theater sound.
Wait and Rent It
Hope (4.5/10) just didn’t work for me. It’s listed to rent or buy on Prime Video and Apple TV starting October 13, 2026, so if you’re curious, that’s the low risk way to try it. Fall 2: Deadpoint also hits Apple TV, Prime Video and Fandango at Home on October 6, 2026, if you missed it in theaters.
If You Have a Dog at Home
I have three dogs, including a 14 year old, so I’m the person who needs to know what happens to the animal before I buy a ticket. Heart of the Beast puts a dog at the center of the whole story, and I cried through the last act. My review breaks down how rough those scenes get and whether it’s OK for kids, so you can decide before you’re sitting in the dark.
Tense but Not Horror
I almost never do horror. Heart of the Beast, Hope, Fall 2: Deadpoint and The Social Reckoning all land at 1/5 on my scale, so they’re tense, but nothing that follows you home. Primetime is my only 3/5 so far. There are no jump scares, but the subject is disturbing and the last act is heavy, so go in knowing that. The one exception so far is Beware Boiuna (7/10, 4/5), a real horror movie with lots of jumps and a lot of blood, so I timed every scare for you.
How I Score Movies
I keep it simple so the numbers actually mean something from one review to the next.
- 9 to 10: I’d pay full price and see it again.
- 7 to 8: Worth the trip to the theater.
- 5 to 6: Fine at home, no rush.
- Under 5: Skip it, or wait until it’s free somewhere.
And since I’m a big scaredy cat, every review also gets a scare level:
- 0/5: Nothing scary at all.
- 1/5: Tense moments, no jump scares.
- 2/5: A few jolts, nothing that follows you home.
- 3/5: Real jump scares or disturbing scenes.
- 4 to 5/5: Horror territory. I almost never review these, and when I do, I’ll tell you exactly when every scare hits.
Before This Blog: My Favorite of the Year
I started writing reviews here in late September, so the movies I saw earlier this year aren’t in the table. One of them is still my favorite of 2026 so far: The Odyssey. I’ll share exactly where everything lands in my year end ranking in December.
On My List for October
- Wicker (Oct 23)
- A Talent for Murder (Oct 23)
Plans change, but those are the ones I’m eyeing right now. Each review goes up the same night I see it, and it’ll land in the table above.
If there’s a movie you want my take on, leave a comment on any of my Movie Nights reviews. If it’s not horror, there’s a good chance I’ll go see it.
I’m Emily. My AMC A-List lets me see up to four movies a week, I almost always go solo, and I write each review the same night. Thrillers yes, horror never. I always read up on a movie before I go, and I share that homework here too.
Fellow dog people, when you’re not at the movies: here’s how I knew my senior dog needed a stroller, and what it’s really like tent camping with dogs.