Matthew Liedke on Film

2026 Summer Movie Awards

The 2026 summer movie season has come to a close and, honestly, it hasn’t been a favorite of mine when it comes to tentpole blockbusters.

Major genre movies “Mortal Kombat II,” “Masters of the Universe,” “Disclosure Day,” “Supergirl” “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “The End of Oak Street” all failed to impress yours truly. Even the surprise hit of the season, “Obsession,” ended up being a miss for me (find my reasons here).

With that said, there was still a lot of movies that were quite good this summer, and like always, I want to give them their due as we enter fall. So, here are the winners of the annual Summer Movie Awards presented by Matthew Liedke on Film.

REVIEW: ‘Mutiny’ is an OK, but unremarkable action flick at sea

Jason Statham was the Transporter. Then, he was the Beekeeper. Now, he is, the Sailor? The Seaman? Let’s just call this one “Mutiny.”

In the latest flick to feature the action star, Statham once again plays a tough but humble badass. In “Mutiny,” he portrays Cole Reed, a former special operations soldier and decorated police officer who now works as a bodyguard for the head of a major corporation. Unfortunately, in an ambush, his employer, and friend, is murdered.

On top of that, Reed is then framed as the one who killed his own boss. To clear his name, and get back at those who killed his friend, Reed boards a ship connected to one of the assassins. There, he uncovers a trafficking operation, which he sets out to stop during his quest for vengeance.

REVIEW: ‘Oak Street’ struggles in establishing right tone

It’s not a good sign when a film leaves a person asking “who is this movie for?” That’s unfortunately, a common occurrence in this dinosaur-filled movie, though.

The picture, written and directed by David Robert Mitchell, stars Anne Hathaway and Ewan McGregor as suburban married couple, Denise and Greg. All is not happy in their home, though, as their marriage is on the rocks, with Denise particularly tired of the way the relationship is going.

They’re forced to put their marital issues aside, though, to protect their two children when a strange event happens. One morning, they wake up to find their entire neighborhood has been transported back in time to a dangerous age of dinosaurs. Now, the family has to band together to survive and find a way back to their own time.

REVIEW: While acting is strong, Bourdain biopic ‘Tony’ is too safe

Another film this summer where Leo Woodall plays a character working under a mentor who’s portrayed by a noteworthy actor.

Unlike “Tuner,” though, where Woodall played opposite Dustin Hoffman, “Tony” has him acting as a cook working under the direction of a chef (Antonio Banderas) at a New England seafood restaurant. Woodall is also in a side role this time, whereas main character duties are with Dominic Sessa, who’s portraying the titular character.

Before he went by Anthony Bourdain while running restaurants and traveling the world as a documentarian, the late chef went simply by Tony, and was a bit lost in life. However, he found some direction when in a summer job at the seafood spot, where he works and learns the trade, while at the same time pursuing a relationship.

REVIEW: ‘I Want Your Sex’ is a stellar erotic dramedy

Talk about an attention-grabbing title. Good news, though, director Gregg Araki’s new film has more intrigue than just a notable name.

The film stars Cooper Hoffman as Elliot, a recent college graduate who’s landed himself a job working for a successful, provocative artist. That artist is Erika (Olivia Wilde), a confident, forward and blunt woman who’s demanding of her staff. That especially becomes true when she enlists Elliot as her submissive sexual partner.

The two begin a relationship with a clear power dynamic at play. However, while Erika sees it as a loose relationship serving a purpose, Elliot, who’s more naïve, wants to believe something more exists. As they continue their relationship, Elliot’s life begins unraveling until the entire situation becomes chaotic.

REVIEW: ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ is a web of disappointments

Odd that it’s called “Brand New Day” when it’s so fixated on yesterday and tomorrow.

“Brand New Day” is set four years after the events of “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Following the spell that erased memories, no one knows Peter Parker, but everyone in New York City is aware of, and loves, Spider-Man. The webslinger is popular with law enforcement and the public alike.

His personal life isn’t as good as his hero time, though, as he still misses his girlfriend MJ (Zendaya) and best friend Ned (Jacob Batalon). Because they have no memory, he just has to watch from afar. His overall life only gets more complicated when a new threat arises and his powers start to fluctuate.

REVIEW: New ‘Avatar’ adventure offers fun reunion with lovable cast

Shame on Paramount for not putting this film in theaters.

While it was once set for release on the big screen, “Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender” was pushed to Paramount Plus as a streaming title. The movie, deserving a theatrical outing, picks up just over a decade after the original series from the 2000s ended. The flick picks up with Aang (Eric Nam) maintaining peace in the world while also trying to preserve Air Nomad culture.

On one of his travels, a series of events leads him to discovering another airbender, Tagah (Dave Bautista), who’s been frozen in ice for centuries. Upon awakening, Tagah informs Aang he knows a way to bring more airbenders back to the world. To make this happen, Aang recruits his old team to help. However, their journey becomes more perilous than originally thought.

REVIEW: To its detriment ‘A Private Life’ is largely scattered

If I had a nickel for every indie film I watched via streaming set in France and starring an Academy Award winning American actress this summer, I’d have two nickels. Which, isn’t a lot but still strange it happened twice.

After reviewing “Couture” with Angelina Jolie a couple weeks ago, another movie with a limited theatrical release turned up on the radar. “A Private Life,” directed and co-written by Rebecca Zlotowski, stars Jodie Foster as therapist Lilian Steiner. The movie opens with Lilian learning one of her patients has taken her own life and it sets her off on a revealing journey.

While it first appears to be an open and shut case of suicide, Lilian notices things that lead her to believe there may have been something nefarious at play. Driven to learn more, she looks for clues while also connecting with people from her past, in doing so learning more about her patients and herself.

REVIEW: Nolan’s ‘Odyssey’ is an extraordinary cinematic experience

The word epic is sometimes thrown around loosely, but Christopher Nolan’s films usually earn the title. His latest flick once again qualifies.

“The Odyssey” is the latest from the Academy Award winning filmmaker. Based on Homer’s ancient text, the film stars Matt Damon as Odysseus, the Greek king of the city state Ithaca. Following the victory by Greece at Troy, Odysseus and his army are now trying to sail back to their home, but as legend tells, their journey is a perilous one.

Meanwhile, back in Ithaca, Odysseus’ son Telemachus (Tom Holland) is anxiously waiting for his father to return and deal with an escalating situation. The issue in question is the group of suitors wanting to marry Ithaca’s queen, Penelope (Anne Hathaway), as most believe Odysseus is dead leaving the throne vacant.

REVIEW: Modern crime drama ‘Carolina Caroline’ has classic vibes

The intersection of crime and romance can create some great cinematic drama, and it’s a well still worth going back to, as this film shows.

“Carolina Caroline” is a road trip flick centering on the titular character played by Samara Weaving. Caroline is a young woman from a small Texas town where she lives with her dad and works at a service station. Someday, she’d like to leave home and visit South Carolina to finally meet her estranged mom, but hasn’t taken steps to do so.

That changes when she meets Oliver (Kyle Gallner), a traveling hustler who runs small money scams to keep moving on the road. The two hit it off after meeting and decide to travel together, with Caroline learning the scams on the way to Carolina. As they travel, their outlaw activities get more daring.