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7 best streaming original movies of 2026 (so far)



Most lists like this consist of theatrically released movies, but we are nine years deep into the era of streaming original movies being nominated for Oscars, and there’s still the sense that “real movies” go straight to theaters. That conclusion is absurd.

Six months into 2026, we’ve already seen several platforms prove that their originals can stand toe-to-toe with any traditional theatrical release. So far, these are the seven best streaming original movies of 2026. Our top pick is shockingly inspired by a true story.

One of Netflix’s sleeper hits of the spring

One of 2026’s standout streaming releases is Remarkably Bright Creatures, a heartwarming drama adapted from Shelby Van Pelt’s bestselling novel. Its emotional restraint and feel-good execution pair with stellar performances that have earned the coveted “Certified Fresh” badge on Rotten Tomatoes.

Sally Field (Steel Magnolias) stars as a grieving widow working as a night-shift aquarium janitor. She forms an unlikely friendship and moving connection with a giant Pacific octopus named Marcellus — brilliantly voiced by Alfred Molina (Spider-Man 2) — who helps her piece together a decades-old family mystery, rekindling hope and restoring the sense of wonder.

6

Mother of Flies

Slow-burn horror full of atmospheric tension

Released by the low-budget horror filmmaking collective known as the Adams Family (Hellbender), Mother of Flies is one of those Shudder movies you want to go into knowing as little as possible. That’s the case with all the Adams Family productions. This one boasts a 94% Rotten Tomatoes score, and that may be the impetus needed for the Adams Family’s breakthrough to the mainstream.

This eerie movie’s plot follows a terminally ill woman who seeks a mysterious healer from her dreams to help her. What follows is a journey as captivating as it is disturbing through folk-horror weirdness with some of the most impressive practical effects seen in recent cinema. If you’re a genre purist who loves a slow-burning, meticulously crafted movie chock-full of atmospheric tension, Mother of Flies is a must-see.

5

The Wrecking Crew

Fight like brothers, wreck like legends

Directed by Ángel Manuel Soto, massive buddy action-comedy The Wrecking Crew pairs Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista as estranged brothers reuniting in the wake of their father’s death to seek vengeance.

As a crowd-pleasing, nostalgic throwback to the explosive action-thrillers of the 1980s and 1990s, the movie showcases undeniable buddy-cop chemistry between its charismatic leads. The movie relies heavily on the charm and physical comedy of its leads, serving up a highly entertaining and explosive popcorn flick to watch on Prime Video.

4

War Machine

Not your standard military drama

Not to be confused with the 2017 military satire featuring Brad Pitt, 2026’s War Machine is a military sci-fi movie about a group of elite U.S. Army Ranger recruits, led by Alan Ritchson, whose final training exercise turns into a brutal fight for survival against an otherworldly killing machine.

The movie takes an unexpected left turn into sci-fi and places itself more in line with 1987’s Predator. It definitely has a throwback feel, and it will absolutely please viewers who feel like Hollywood just doesn’t make action movies of that caliber anymore. This one doesn’t take itself too seriously but delivers satisfying set pieces and plenty of action.

3

Honey Bunch

A psychological horror-thriller to remember

Boasting a 93% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes, Shudder’s Honey Bunch is a horror thriller about a woman who seeks unorthodox treatment in the woods for her illness. You might be wondering what makes this one so different from Mother of Flies, and that would be that this story takes place inside the female lead’s head. Yikes.

When Diana (Tito’s Grace Glowicki) wakes from a coma with memory loss, she and her husband seek experimental treatments at a remote facility. As the procedures intensify, their marriage faces a strong test as Diana begins to question her husband’s true motives. Diana remains thrillingly unpredictable right up to the very end, keeping viewers constantly surprised and consistently off balance while also making their skin crawl.

2

Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man

The conclusion to an epic crime saga

Cillian Murphy returns for one final, explosive chapter as Tommy Shelby in the highly anticipated movie sequel to Netflix’s beloved Peaky Blinders series. Gritty crime drama The Immortal Man works extremely well as both a fitting conclusion to the hit franchise and a self-contained work of art.

The movie successfully scaled up the show’s signature moody atmosphere and brought in powerhouse supporting actors like Saltburn slurper Barry Keoghan, who plays the prodigal Shelby son, and Silo’s Rebecca Ferguson. It also delivers a satisfying conclusion to a decade-long saga, which has spawned both a sequel series and a spin-off series. While current Peaky Blinders fans will get the most out of seeing what Tommy chooses to do about his past, those coming in fresh will still be able to enjoy the story as its own thing.

1

The Rip

An intense crime thriller based on a true story

While The Rip has many great elements to it, most appealing is the on-screen reunion of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. Early in their careers, it seemed the real-life friends were on a path to write many movies together, especially after the Oscar-winning success of Good Will Hunting, but that didn’t happen. At least we’ve gotten sporadic appearances of the two’s chemistry on screen over the years, the latest being Netflix hit The Rip.

Directed by Joe Carnahan (The Grey), this intense, high-stakes action thriller reunites the undeniable cinematic chemistry of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, alongside The Walking Dead’s Steven Yeun. Inspired by a true story, the narrative follows a high-stakes police raid operation in Miami, Florida, and delivers exactly what it promises — tight pacing, sharp dialogue, and intense, relentless action sequence choreography.​​​​​​​

More to come

Honorable mentions include Paul McCartney: Man on the Run on Prime Video and Mike and Nick and Nick and Alice on Hulu. As for what other streaming movie gems the rest of the year will bring remains to be seen, but whatever awaits us, we’re here for it.



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Recent Reviews

I’m a lawn expert, and here’s my favorite trick for finding your perfect robot mower


Robot mowers on a yard

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

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The perfect robot mower for you is not nearly as fancy and feature-heavy as you may think. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: it’s not the lawn mower, it’s all about the yard. A robot mower may be a market leader with top-of-the-line specs and still not be a good fit for your yard.

Here’s the great news: There’s a perfect robot mower for almost any yard. As someone who’s tested numerous types of robot lawn mowers, I’ve learned that many of the specs that brands market as groundbreaking are simply not vital for most shoppers. A mostly flat, fenced-in 0.10-acre yard doesn’t need the power that a hilly, sectioned, unfenced one-acre yard does.

Also: I tested the Ferrari of robot mowers for a month – here’s my verdict

If you’re looking to choose the best mower for your home, be sure to check out ZDNET’s robot mower buying guide. 

Here’s what you don’t need to stress over when buying a robot mower

Eufy E15 Robot Mower

Maria Diaz/ZDNET
For yards with… Best robot mower type Examples
No fences A wired boundary is best, but a great GPS/RTK robot mower can stick to the map you make with it. Yardcare E400, Mammotion Luba 3
Fences A LiDAR robot mower that can be dropped to mow with little setup and learn its map as it navigates. Eufy E15, Ecovacs Goat A3000
A lot of trees A LiDAR or wired boundary mower, since trees can interfere with satellite signals. Husqvarna iQ series (optional wire, EPOS)
Unbordered garden beds A GPS/RTK robot mower that you can set up to avoid flower beds when mapping. Mammotion Luba 3, Husqvarna iQ Series
Bordered garden beds A LiDAR, GPS, or wired boundary robot mower works for these yards. If you choose a wired boundary, you may have to bury wire around the flower beds, unless the borders are tall enough for the mower to avoid. Mammotion Yuka, Navimow Series H
pets A LiDAR robot mower that can adjust its navigation in real-time in reaction to its surroundings. Mova LiDAX Ultra 2000, Segway Navimow i2
Hills and uneven terrain An AWD robot mower capable of handling steep slopes, regardless of the navigation type. Mammotion Luba 3, , Husqvarna iQ

1. Don’t focus on: ‘AI-powered’ or other marketing buzzwords

Segway Navimow X3 Series robot mower

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Artificial intelligence (AI) has surpassed the popularity of acid-wash jeans in the 80s and Baby G watches in the early 2000s. And tech companies — including robot lawn mower manufacturers — are capitalizing on its appeal.

Most of these “AI-powered” or “intelligent mowing” terms are vague, geared to grab shoppers’ attention with buzzwords. That doesn’t mean that the robots don’t use AI to navigate, however. 

The key is to find out how the robot uses AI to its benefit, and whether that will meet your AI expectations. 

Also: This robot mower took care of my lawn for months – and it’s currently $300 off

AI algorithms typically process data captured by the robot’s hardware to help it make quick decisions and adjustments. For example, a robot lawn mower may have a set of sensors and cameras to capture its surroundings. The robot’s processor then uses AI to convert that information into actionable data, so it knows whether to swerve to avoid an obstacle or slow down around a retaining wall.

Instead, look for: The navigation tech under (and on) the hood

Instead of AI and other buzzwords, you should focus on matching the robot lawn mower’s hardware and navigation system to your yard. This includes whether the robot uses RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) for positioning, and whether it features LiDAR, cameras, and sensors. 

Then look at real user reviews to assess how accurately the robot mower maps and how well it performs around various types of obstacles.

There’s no blanket rule for robot mowers, but most do well with the following guidelines.

2. Don’t focus on: Premium extras

Yardcare E400 robot lawn mower

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Skip the premium extras that don’t match your yard. You really don’t need the most advanced robot mower; you need the one that will best handle your lawn. 

Most US homeowners have mostly flat lawns, simple rectangular layouts, minimal obstacles, and small yards. Yet some of the most popular mowers advertise features that don’t match this, and you don’t want to spend an extra few hundred dollars on advanced features that won’t deliver a noticeable difference in your yard.

Instead, look for: Only as much as you need

Do you have a mostly flat lawn with no fences and need a robot that can navigate to several sections separated by paths? Then you can skip AWD models and commit to superior mapping and navigation features, like multi-zone intelligence.

Also: I let a modular yard care robot mow my lawn – here’s my verdict after a month

Similarly, if you have a yard with dense trees covering most of it, it’s safe to skip the RTK models and go for LiDAR or boundary wire options instead. 

3. Don’t focus on: Flashy app features

Mammotion Luba 2 robot mower path

The path lines created by the Mammotion Luba 2, as captured by our Bink Outdoor camera, is one flashy app feature I can’t quit.

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

Any dependable robot lawn mower requires an equally reliable mobile app to let you use it effectively. However, manufacturers market many flashy app features that end up being unnecessary for many users. 

Don’t make app features the deciding factor unless it’s something you genuinely care about. Many users don’t rely on voice control to run their mowers and don’t mind using a separate app for their robot rather than integrating it into an existing home automation system.

Also: I let a smart planter maintain itself for 2 months – here’s the result

A robot lawn mower with mediocre navigation and cutting performance can still have a flashy app — all while leaving behind missed patches or taking longer to finish mowing.

Instead, look for: The features you’ll actually use

Most robot mower users keep them running on a schedule to get the lawn-cutting chore off their minds. The majority of the most popular models offer basic features beyond scheduling, such as remote start and stop, basic mapping, automatic rain delay, and theft protection. 

It’s easy to find robot lawn mowers with these features, but if you’re looking for anything beyond that, just be sure that the feature is worth it, especially if you’re paying extra for that model.

Also: I’ve tested robot mowers for years – here’s my expert advice for every yard type

An example of a flashy app feature that is completely unnecessary, but I love having? The Mammotion’s pattern cutting. I can select the cutting pattern I want on the Mammotion app, whether I want lines or checkered, but I can also have the robot cut in custom patterns, like letters and numbers. I don’t care for mowed letters in my yard, but I like that it always has that freshly mowed checkered patterned with no effort from me. 

4. Don’t focus on: Cutting system extras

Segway Navimow X3 Series robot mower

Maria Diaz/ZDNET

The cutting width and system specs are important, as they can determine whether a robot can cover a given area in a day. However, most robot mowers use similar multiple-blade mulching systems. 

Unlike traditional lawn mowers with large blades for aggressive cutting in a single pass, robot mowers typically feature a set of small blades that constantly spin. Because of this, robot mowers trim smaller amounts of grass with each pass than a traditional mower, but they also cut more frequently and leave behind smaller grass clippings that decompose naturally.

Also: I powered my 3,000-sq-ft home with an EcoFlow battery in a blackout – here’s how it kept my AC on

Because the robot mowers have a smaller, compounding cutting system, the real-world differences between the cutting systems from one brand to another are often smaller than you’d expect. Other issues, like poor navigation, will be glaringly obvious before small differences in blade design.

Instead, look for: Cutting width and yard size

The average US yard would benefit more from navigation quality, consistency, and connectivity than blade design. Instead, you should focus on matching the mower to your yard size.

The robot’s capacity is measured in how many acres it can cover in a day. Among other features, this is calculated based on your robot’s battery size and cutting width. Essentially, most users want a robot that can mow an entire yard in a day, so you can set it and forget it and always come home to a mowed yard. You get this by getting the appropriate robot for your yard size.





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