Movie theaters enjoyed a remarkable rebound in 2026, with box-office revenue surging and cinematic releases once again becoming major cultural events. Streaming films, by comparison, had a far rougher run. None of the major platforms produced a global sensation on the scale of “Bird Box,” “Soul,” “KPop Demon Hunters,” or “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm.” Instead, several of the year’s most heavily criticized movies arrived through streaming services, while releases such as “The Last House” struggled to attract a meaningful audience. Netflix and its rivals also faced significant executive turmoil as they continued trying to define the future of their film strategies.
Few examples capture streaming cinema’s 2026 problems more clearly than these five titles from Netflix, Prime Video, and Apple TV+. Each arrived with the ingredients for at least an entertaining watch. Yet promising concepts, recognizable stars, dependable genres, and accomplished filmmakers all failed to prevent these productions from collapsing creatively. What might have been lively entertainment instead became a slog.
These films may not represent the absolute bottom of 2026’s entire movie slate. Still, each fell dramatically short of expectations, in some cases by an astonishing margin. Together, they also highlight many of the shortcomings audiences have come to associate with streaming originals.
The Runner
A decade after Gal Gadot first appeared as Wonder Woman in “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,” she led Prime Video’s thriller “The Runner.” The movie resembles Gadot’s version of “Phone Booth” or “Getaway”: one central character is trapped in a dangerous, time-sensitive ordeal while a criminal issues orders over the phone. Gadot plays Maia, a mother whose son has been abducted and who is forced to do whatever it takes to bring him home. The setup sounds built for suspense, but the finished film struggles to hold attention. That is especially baffling given that it came from Kevin Macdonald, the director behind acclaimed films including “The Last King of Scotland” and “One Day in September.”
Today, “The Runner” is best known for generating memes about Gadot’s widely mocked line readings. The awkward performance choices associated with moments such as “enough champagne…to fill the Nile!” in “Death on the Nile,” “Kal-El, No!” in “Justice League,” and her painful rap sequence in “Snow White” — one of 2025’s most notorious movie moments — are amplified throughout this stripped-down thriller. With the story focused almost entirely on Gadot and her increasingly desperate actions, there is little else to divert attention from the performance.
The film’s 84-minute runtime might suggest a brisk, entertaining ride, but any hope of that disappears quickly. Beyond Gadot’s much-ridiculed performance, virtually nothing in “The Runner” inspired enthusiasm from critics or viewers. The movie goes through the motions, yet never develops a pulse.
Outcome
Jonah Hill’s evolution from supporting comic actor in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” to filmmaker has produced mixed results. His 2018 directorial debut, “Mid90s,” drew criticism but was generally well received, suggesting he could make something more substantial than a feature-length extension of his mainstream comedy persona. “Outcome,” however, turns him into another filmmaker struggling to match the promise of a first film. The Apple TV+ release centers on movie star Reef Hawk (Keanu Reeves), who is forced to confront the darker parts of his past after being blackmailed. The result is a Hollywood satire about the ways history shapes the present.
Critics largely rejected “Outcome,” focusing on the script Hill co-wrote with Ezra Woods. The film never settles into a convincing tone: its intimate dramatic passages lack force, while its comedic moments are too subdued to land. The visual confidence of “Mid90s” is missing as well. That debut stood out for its careful staging and 1.33:1 aspect ratio, whereas “Outcome” was criticized for looking and feeling like a generic television production. Martin Scorsese’s brief cameo was essentially the only element to earn broad praise.
Otherwise, “Outcome” plays as a major creative failure, raising doubts about whether Hill’s earlier directorial strengths were sustainable. After such a misfire, reports that he may return soon to the “21 Jump Street” franchise seem increasingly plausible.
The Devil’s Mouth
The 15 best shark movies ever made demonstrate that even stories about enormous fish attacking humans can support genuine filmmaking craft. Shark fans, however, are also willing to forgive plenty when a movie delivers enough creature-feature thrills. Films such as “47 Meters Down” have obvious flaws but still maintain a loyal following, while the PG-13 “Meg” movies have found their audience. That makes Prime Video’s “The Devil’s Mouth” look even worse: not even the enduring appetite for shark movies could save it from earning a dreadful 1.7 average rating on Letterboxd.
The story follows college-aged characters including Sara (Kathryn Newton) and Max (Lana Condor), whose exploration of a cave turns deadly when they are trapped with a shark. It is a straightforward premise with obvious potential for pulpy fun. Instead, the movie bears the fingerprints of director Jeff Wadlow, whose filmography includes widely criticized titles such as “Fantasy Island,” “True Memoirs of an International Assassin,” and “Imaginary.” His choices prevent “The Devil’s Mouth” from functioning even as uncomplicated trashy entertainment.
Uncomfortable camerawork, stiff performances, and irritating characterizations pile up until the movie’s modest B-movie appeal disappears. Rather than waste time here, viewers would be better served swimming toward the many more effective shark films already available.
Ladies First
Sacha Baron Cohen’s early-2000s breakthrough made him one of comedy’s most provocative and recognizable figures, although characters such as Ali G were also criticized as harmful racial caricatures even at the time. “Borat” became a worldwide phenomenon in 2006, but few of Cohen’s later leading roles — apart from 2020’s “Borat Subsequent Moviefilm” — have had a comparable cultural impact. The performer once known for challenging social prejudices now appears as an occasional Marvel or Disney+ villain and in forgettable streaming comedies such as “Ladies First.” The problem is not merely that his comedy has lost its edge; his newer films often embrace the safe, predictable conventions his earlier work once mocked.
Directed by Thea Sharrock, Netflix’s “Ladies First” follows Damien Sachs (Cohen), a committed misogynist who suddenly wakes up in an alternate reality where women, including Alex Fox (Rosamund Pike), control society. Forced to navigate a world built without him in mind, Damien is expected to learn how to treat women as equals. The film’s gender commentary is shallow and overly simplistic, reducing both men and women to broad, unconvincing categories. Pike, who has delivered powerful performances in films such as “Gone Girl,” appears completely stranded by the material.
Those looking for sharp satire or genuinely thoughtful commentary will find little to enjoy. Cohen seems to be operating on autopilot, and “Ladies First” becomes another damaging entry in a disappointing phase of his career. His other 2026 release, “Ali G: Who Iz I?,” also flopped, making this an especially difficult year for the comedian.
Animals
Ben Affleck’s strongest acting roles have established him as a major mainstream talent, while his work behind the camera has produced acclaimed films including “Gone Baby Gone” and “Argo.” “Animals,” a Netflix original released simultaneously on the service and in select theaters, represents a far less successful chapter in his career. Affleck plays Los Angeles mayoral candidate Mark Kimball, whose troubled marriage to his wife (Kerry Washington) is further destabilized when kidnappers target their son. The plan goes wrong, however, and the abductors take the son of their housekeeper’s boyfriend instead. The premise is essentially a loose variation on Akira Kurosawa’s classic “High and Low.”
“Animals” fails not only as a thriller but also as a remarkably hollow piece of filmmaking. It offers no sharply defined political perspective, and its visuals lack any distinctive personality. The performances are similarly vague, without the memorable details that could give the material life — even “Gigli” had Christopher Walken’s unforgettable pie-related cameo. Instead, the film relies on flat arguments, underwhelming twists, and clumsy camerawork. Its lifeless execution is difficult to reconcile with the assured studio work Affleck delivered in “The Town.”
Once the credits roll, “Animals” leaves viewers with little beyond the urge to forget it. Even highly capable supporting actors such as Steven Yeun and Gillian Anderson cannot make the film memorable. For Affleck, the small consolation may be that “Animals” will remain buried on Netflix, where fewer viewers are likely to stumble across it.
