The Lighthouse Journal

Well, nearly six months into 2026, and I’ve got so many projects I want to shout out that I’ll have to drop a second article at 3am! As of right now, nothing here is getting a dedicated review, so if something sounds intriguing, check it out and tell us below what you think. Without further ado (and in no particular order), here are some of my favorite works from the first half of 2026.

After The Martian, many would have expected Andy Weir’s next adaptation to be another slow-burn contemplation on the human spirit in the face of the unknown. And it is, but Project Hail Mary does so much more. While space exploration and real science undergird the film, it focuses on the buddy-cop relationship between Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) and Rocky (James Ortiz). Humor and a soundtrack stuffed full of throwback fun turn Grace’s journey into an adventure shared by two scientists at the top of their game.

But the story isn’t all play for our two astronauts. Project Hail Mary begins with Grace waking up from an induced coma, and regular flashbacks throughout the film slowly reveal the events that led to him becoming humanity’s only hope for survival. Eva Stratt (Sandra Hüller), leader of the program that sent Grace to the stars, provides a stoic realism in contrast to the film’s lighter moments. All three main actors provide incredible performances, playing off one another for comedic and emotionally charged moments. Though the tone shifts don’t always land as well as they could have, Project Hail Mary is nevertheless a phenomenally fun ride that becomes deeply moving when you least expect it.

On their sixth record, Mumford & Sons bear their souls in a bruised yet gentle reflection on masculinity. The album takes the perspective of a prizefighter past his prime. The character still has the instinct to fight, to struggle, but he struggles against the world instead of an opponent. There’s a mournful quality to the record as he considers his past glory and finds peace in the blessings he has accumulated.

Beyond its thematic depth, Prizefighter is gorgeously crafted. Aaron Dessner’s signature production style adds a softness to the weight of the band’s vocal tone and lyrics. Some tracks are a caress, others a eulogy, and still more a prayer. Featured performers and writers from different corners of the crossover between pop, folk, indie, and country add different textures to the record that layer into a cohesive vision of what it means for a man to age into maturity.

Madeleine L’Engle’s science fantasy classic has been inspiring readers for almost seven decades now. Elements of it don’t hold up well to modern standards for children’s literature. The story’s twists can feel abrupt and lacking in context—it certainly doesn’t spell out all the details. Christian references are integral to the story, though L’Engle’s universalist perspective informs her use of scripture. The children also speak in ways that feel strange, using stilted and oddly mature language that no child would think to use. Then again, children were very different in the 1960s.

While A Wrinkle in Time can be a strange read, its heart shines through the oddities. Meg is such an inspiring protagonist for anyone who feels out of place. Her qualities that appear like insurmountable flaws become strengths once she learns to embrace them. L’Engle compassionately champions both the weird kids and children struggling with grief. “It was a dark and stormy night” might be one of the most iconic opening sentences in literature, setting the tone for a story of characters persevering through literal and personal darkness to seek the light.

English pop-rock princess Maisie Peters returned after her widely acclaimed sophomore record, The Good Witch. Her breakout was feisty and full of ironic humor, swinging from self-deprecation to biting takedowns to painfully aware reflections on the turmoil of coming of age in the 2020s. Florescence softens her writing voice and her sound to a folky, acoustic-leaning palette better suited for an afternoon reading than screaming at a concert. Though the songs’ mellowness causes them to blend together at times, the record gently depicts a young woman blooming into adulthood.

With astronomical ticket prices, concerts have become a dream rather than a reality for many. Perhaps in response to this, high-demand artists have begun filming select shows and releasing them as movie-length features in the theater, creating an environment of anticipation similar to an actual concert with cheaper tickets and comfier seating.

For More Than We Ever Imagined, alternative-rock band Twenty One Pilots filmed one of the largest shows of their career at Mexico City’s Estadio GNP Seguros stadium. Their dynamic setlist made full use of the venue’s space, shifting locations regularly from the A to B stages, running beside the pit multiple times, appearing on a balcony overlooking the stadium, and even capping the night off while balanced on the shoulders of their fans. Even without the pyrotechnics, confetti, LED visuals, and lighting visualizing the story of their performance throughout the night, the strength of Twenty One Pilots’ songs would have made an incredible show.

The best science fiction takes what we currently know is possible and stretches that to conclusions far beyond our present circumstances. Adrian Tchaikovsky’s Children of Time applies our understanding of genetics and mutation to an otherworldly context—what could happen in a planet’s ecosystem if spiders were given the genetic tools to evolve human-like civilization? The story follows two locations: a planet abandoned post-terraforming and the last of humanity aboard an “ark” ship across millennia. The intelligence of an alien race and that of humans kept artificially alive so long that they cease to be human are pitted against one another in Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking meditation on time. At its core is how individuals and a society hold the tension between what science makes possible and what faith allows us to believe.

One of the best and most beloved Star Wars characters, former Sith Maul, returned in his own series set during the early days of the Galactic Empire. Maul’s animation style harkens back to The Clone Wars, the series that captured the attention of many in Gen Z, a deliberate reference that goes far beyond nostalgia. It uses a more impressionistic eye to create vivid, textured scenes that pop with emotion. Dynamically choreographed lightsaber battles—some of the best in Star Wars—bleed into the darkness surrounding the combatants, and the stills often look more like a painting than an art style originally for a children’s TV show. In fact, the team painted physical backdrops for many of the wide shots of the city and sky.

Maul is easily the strongest full-length Star Wars project released in years, sharing a deeply compelling story of the conflicting motivations that drive each character to survive in the face of absolute tyranny. Even the schemes of man as powerful and desperate as Maul fail against the Empire until he aligns himself with characters who may or may not be enticed into alliances. The characters are constantly in tension, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats, wondering not only who will survive, but who will be permanently altered by Maul’s influence?

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