{"id":542859,"date":"2026-07-10T14:49:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-10T14:49:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/542859\/"},"modified":"2026-07-10T14:49:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-10T14:49:13","slug":"summer-catch-up-15-best-films-of-the-year-so-far-and-where-to-find-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/542859\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer catch-up: 15 best films of the year so far, and where to find them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chloe Zhao\u2019s powerful, dramatic film brought us a history-making Best Actress Oscar win for Killarney\u2019s Jessie Buckley and strong support from Paul Mescal. Told through the eyes of Buckley\u2019s Agnes Shakespeare \u2014 and based on Maggie O\u2019Farrell\u2019s bestseller \u2014 it\u2019s a tale of parental grief and the redemptive power of storytelling. Buckley is bewitching and sensational throughout.<\/p>\n

\n Once We Were Punks (Apple TV)\n <\/p>\n

A group of friends are reunited and decide to get their garage band back together \u2014\u00a0three decades later \u2014 in Frank Shouldice\u2019s spirited and thoughtful documentary. Reunited at a funeral, The Panic Merchants are reborn as The Southern Sons of Ulster as they gear up for a reunion gig despite living in three different continents. It\u2019s a lovely rumination on friendship and the power of music.<\/p>\n

\n Toy Story 5 (in cinemas)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

\"Photo:Photo: 2026 Disney\/Pixar.<\/p>\n

Purists may have preferred if it had ended as a trilogy but Toy Story 5 shows there are still plenty of ideas for Woody, Buzz and co three decades after they first came to our screens. Jessie and her charge, shy youngster Bonnie, take centre stage in a movie co-written and directed by Pixar stalwart Andrew Stanton ( Wall.E). What follows is a timely tale of toys v tech peppered with wonderful sequences about the power of playtime.<\/p>\n

\n Nouvelle Vague (on rental platforms)\n <\/p>\n

\"(Left(Left to right) Aubry Dullin as Jean-paul Belmondo and Zoey Deutch as Jean Seberg in Nouvelle Vague. Photo: Jean-Louis Fernandez\/Courtesy of Netflix<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a joie de vivre to Richard Linklater\u2019s ( Boyhood) French language film that dances in monochromes to a Parisian beat. A homage to French New Wave cinema, it\u2019s a tale of the making of French movie classic A Bout de Souffle ( Breathless). Linklater gives us characters that are good company to hang out with, and its sense of fun and mischief is infectious.<\/p>\n

\n A Quiet Love (RT\u00c9 Player)\n <\/p>\n

Ireland\u2019s first feature film told entirely through sign language, this charming documentary focuses on three couples as they share the stories of their romance through Irish sign language. They include a forbidden romance due to religious divisions, an LGBT+ couple navigating parenthood, and a deaf boxer faced with a challenging choice along with his hearing girlfriend. Garry Keane ( Gaza) does a fine job of bringing their stories to screen.<\/p>\n

\n Hokum (on rental platforms)\n <\/p>\n

West Cork filmmaker Damian McCarthy follows his international horror hit Oddity with another well-crafted slice of tension. Shot at West Cork Studios and in and around his native Bantry, McCarthy cast Severance star Adam Scott in the leading role. He\u2019s a reclusive novelist staying at a remote Irish hotel as he scatters his parents\u2019 ashes. The Cork filmmaker again shows his knack for dark humour, Irish folklore and jumpy scares in the tale that unfolds.<\/p>\n

\n Shoot the People (in cinemas)\n <\/p>\n

\"MisanMisan Harrimanin Shoot the People<\/p>\n

Lensman and activist Misan Harriman examines how photos \u2014\u00a0and the power of protest \u2014can change the world in a thoughtful and timely documentary. In the film, the popular and acclaimed photographer explores the high-profile protests he has captured on camera over the years, and leans into the history of photography that helped fire his own imagination.<\/p>\n

\n Enola Holmes 3 (on Netflix)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

The charismatic Millie Bobby Brown reprises her role as the young English sleuth in the latest instalment of this fun family action drama. Solid on story and lavishly designed, Irish costume designer Consolata Boyle is one of the brains behind this good-looking escapist period adventure, featuring a female-centred character and a modern bent. Director Philip Barantini ( Adolescence, Boiling Point) is at the helm.<\/p>\n

\n Obsession (in cinemas and on rental platforms)\n <\/p>\n

\"IndeInde Navarrette (left) as Nikki and Michael Johnston (right) as Bear in Obsession. Photo: Focus Features\/2026<\/p>\n

Curry Barker\u2019s smash horror hit cost a million dollars or so and is already flying north of $200 million at the box office, making it one of the year\u2019s great success stories. It centres on a romantic who makes a wish that his crush would fall in love with him, only to discover that you should be very, very careful what you wish for. What emerges is an original blend of horror, gore and dark comedy delivered by a spirited cast.<\/p>\n

\n Power Ballad (in cinemas)\n <\/p>\n

\"(Left(Left to right) Keith McErlean as Kyle, Peter McDonald as Sandy, Paul Rudd as Rick, Rory Keenan as Binzer, and Paul Reid as Bernard in Power Ballad. Photo: Lionsgate<\/p>\n

In movies such as Once and Sing Street, Irish filmmaker John Carney has always believed in the power of a song. Here, he harnesses a cast that includes Paul Rudd and Nick Jones for the tale of a wedding singer who embarks on a jamming session with a boyband star, only for the resulting song to become a contentious hit. The leads are US A-listers and the humour is wittily Irish throughout.<\/p>\n

\n Epic: Elvis Presley in Concert (on rental platforms)\n <\/p>\n

The King is back in a blend of documentary and concert movie brought to our screens by top filmmaker Baz Luhrmann ( Elvis, The Great Gatsby). The performer and director prove to be a beguiling combination in this film, featuring restored footage of Presley performing at Las Vegas in the height of his colourful, musical and gyrating power.<\/p>\n

\n Disclosure Day (in cinemas)\n <\/p>\n

\"EmilyEmily Blunt as Margaret Fairchild in Disclosure Day. Photo: Universal Studios<\/p>\n

Steven Spielberg directs a big-name cast including our own Eve Hewson in a blend of mystery and sci-fi that makes for a strong summer blockbuster. The less audiences know going in the better, but the plot revolves around a meteorologist (a very good Emily Blunt) who involuntarily broadcasts an alien message, and resulting efforts by a group of people to expose a cover-up. Though not among Spielberg\u2019s very best, it\u2019s a dense and entertaining thriller carried by an up-for-it cast.<\/p>\n

\n Project Hail Mary (on rental platforms)\n <\/p>\n

Ryan Gosling is transformed from science teacher to astronaut for the greater good in an immersive space thriller from Phil Lord and Christopher Miller ( The Lego Movie). Gosling proves a wise choice of casting for this blockbuster with environmental elements as Ryland, a reluctant hero who stays relatable throughout. It\u2019s the lead star who holds audience attention in this good-looking film throughout its 156-minute running time.<\/p>\n

\n Hoppers (Disney+ and Apple TV)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Creatives at Pixar take a high concept \u2014 and run a mile with it \u2014 in this witty and highly entertaining animation. When scientists discover a means of applying human consciousness to robotic animals, a precocious youngster, Mabel, goes along for the adventure. It\u2019s a wild premise that works, thanks to a wacky sense of humour and surrealism throughout.<\/p>\n

\n Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man (Netflix)\u00a0\n <\/p>\n

\"CillianCillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. Photo: Netflix\/Robert Viglasky \u00a9 2025<\/p>\n

Cillian Murphy \u2014 aided and abetted by a cast that includes Barry Keoghan \u2014\u00a0shows there is more life in the storytelling of Peaky Blinders while setting it in a new timeline. Directed by former series director Tom Harper for Netflix, the action is set in Birmingham in 1940, as WW2 chaos makes its presence felt. The Peaky Blinders gang is now being run by Tommy\u2019s son Duke (Keoghan) in what is a clever and fresh reboot. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Chloe Zhao\u2019s powerful, dramatic film brought us a history-making Best Actress Oscar win for Killarney\u2019s Jessie Buckley and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":542860,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[7328,79765,93,61,60,270],"class_list":["post-542859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-movies","tag-film-tv","tag-screen-scene","tag-entertainment","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=542859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/542859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/542860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=542859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=542859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=542859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}