Three challengers enter the field: film, games and theatre – which takes the trophy?
As we are now just past the halfway mark for 2026, DownUpJourney thought it would be a good idea to reflect on the year so far. And with that, here’s Jack’s top films, games and theatre of the year.
Top 3 Films:
I’ve seen 62 films this year, with 16 having premiered in 2026 (looking at my Letterboxd, this is pretty standard, as I generally see around 35 new films a year). There have been some fantastic releases, from a wide range of genres. My top 3? Well, you might see some cross-over with another writer on this site…
The Sheep Detectives
I loved this. And I think Harry says it best:
“The perfect blend of cosy mystery, an old-school Disney kind of darkness, stellar voice acting and an all-star cast (including a, once again wasted, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith).
For once, I’m not actually convinced this would be better animated – though stop motion could be cool.”
It’s what I wanted The Magic Faraway Tree to be and proved that the wholesome film set in the British countryside hasn’t lost its magic yet. It just took a sheep to look for it.
Obsession
Well, that was certainly intense. An incredible cast, with Inde Navarrette rightly gaining all of the plaudits for her role of Nikki, but all of the cast being worth a hearty (and slightly scared) round of applause at the end of the film.
Without going into spoiler territory, Obsession deftly balances comedy, drama and horror, with an almost singular focus on the central storyline. Everything works together to create a feeling of unease without feeling overindulgent and when it all comes together it’s just *chef’s kiss*.
Send Help
I love a self-aware horror, like the Scream series or Ready or Not, so I was very excited to see the sequel to the latter was being released this year.
Alas, it missed the mark slightly, with some rules that held back the fun, but thankfully Sam Raimi came to the rescue with a delightfully gory vacation gone-wrong/revenge/survival story.
Grounded by two fantastic performances by Rachel Addams and Dylan O’Brien, the film knows when to use Raimi’s penchant for gore to fantastically… sticky ways.
Top 3 Games:
So, I’ve got a confession to make. I don’t think I’ve officially completed a game from 2026 yet. I’ve played through Stray on the Switch 2, but that’s a port of an older game, and Handmancers, but that’s in early access… Instead, I’ve been working on my backlog, including Balatro, Jusant and a mammoth Cuphead push last week, finally beating The Devil after a good 80 tries.
What else am I playing? Well, I’ve got Pokémon ZA, Final Fantasy X, Clair Obscur, Kingdom Come Deliverance, Ghost of Tsushima and most recently, Ocarina of Time and Return of the Obra Dinn on shuffle depending on the mood! So, lots to be cracking on with, and who knows? Maybe a few will be finished soon! Let me know below of any tips.
Top 3 Theatre Shows:
I’ve seen 89 theatre shows so far this year, with a mix of West-End, Off-West End and drama school shows. Here’s my 3 favourites, in no particular order:
American Psycho:
Who would have expected an adaptation of a book which was considered unfilmable would work so well as a musical? But that’s exactly what American Psycho does, with its techno beats, 80s homages and a fantastic score by Duncan Sheik, of Spring Awakening fame.
The acting was masterful, especially by Arty Froushan, who plays Bateman doesn’t get caught up in trying to imitate Christian Bale, instead making Bateman his own creation. Let’s hope for a West-End transfer.
Godot’s To Do List:
This play made me rethink my entire IRP for college, with its excellent meta take on Waiting for Godot. Imagining what’s happening to Godot to make him so late, while also examining stage craft, existentialism, absurdism and how far we’ll go if we’re instructed to do something, Godot’s To-Do List kept me guessing throughout its 15-minute run time.
Guess How Much I Love You?:
Guess How Much I Love You? is a naturalistic actor’s dream. A, mostly, two-hander about two parents to be faced with an impossible but very real choice, the play dances between dry, sarcastic wit, drama and pathos wonderfully.
Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo pull off showcasing a couple who are squarely not in the honeymoon phase now, but have something deeper, which can transcend arguments, debates and even worse. There’s so much to love about this show, and while two-handers about love are a dime a dozen, this one is certainly one to check out.
Got to have some honourable mentions as there’s just so much good theatre on at the moment: Are You Watching? (Royal Court Jerwood Upstairs), Eclipse (Minerva Theatre), Equus (Menier Chocolate Factory), A Doll’s House (Almeida Theatre), Arcadia (Old Vic), FlyBy (Southwark Playhouse Borough), John Proctor is the Villain (Royal Court Jerwood Downstairs), Redcliffe (Southwark Playhouse Borough), Welcome to Pemfort (Soho Theatre), End of the Rainbow (Soho Theatre Walthamstow)
So, what’s your favourite media at the moment? Let us know in the comments.
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