Masters of the Universe was released on June 5, 2026, to generally positive acclaim. Although the film may have underperformed at the box office, so too have others that Director Travis Knight worked on, like Transformers One. Box office numbers never tell the whole story, as Masters of the Universe delivers on the nostalgic fun of He-Man in live-action form.
That being said, 2026 has seen a slew of other fantasy, horror, and action films that have done what Masters of the Universe attempted but much better. Nothing against Masters of the Universe, but there are other films that fill the void much easier and with much more emotional punch and weight.
Forgotten Island Does Portal Fantasy Tropes Best
Forgotten Island is in the same boat as Masters of the Universe: despite the effort put into both films, they both underperformed at the box office. Forgotten Island is loaded with heart, soul, and authenticity that make it a good film. It also does the portal fantasy, better known as isekai in anime fan circles, tropes a lot better than Masters of the Universe.
The main protagonists enter the titular island by accident and have a kind of Hangover-style journey of retracing their steps from the previous night on Nakali since they lost their memories. Usually, when someone enters a mystical land from the real world, they’re already tagged for brilliance, as Adam was in Masters of the Universe, whereas Jo and Raissa are literally just regular girls in an Alice in Wonderland situation. Likewise, Eternos feels more like a backdrop, whereas Nakali feels lived-in and alive.
Another important difference is that the main girls go back home: they choose to grow up but also return to Nakali years later. Forgotten Island is likewise loaded with Philippine mythology and experiences, all tied up in the fear of losing oneself and one’s best friend.
The Odyssey Is the Ultimate Journey Back Home
Christopher Nolan’s version of The Odyssey was neck-and-neck with Spider-Man: Brand New Day for the box office, with theaters full for both. The reason is obvious: it’s a long film about Odysseus’ journey home, while his son Telemachus attempts to hold down Ithaca and find out what became of him, and it’s very well-acted and well-shot.
From the visceral scene of Circe turning Odysseus’ men into pigs, to the giants slaughtering half the crew, to Odysseus’ final return home and slaughtering the suitors, the fantasy aspects and more grounded perspective make The Odyssey harder-hitting than Masters of the Universe. It does add levity at points, which doesn’t detract from the emotional journey.
Above all, The Odyssey is a far more serious journey. It knows when to amp itself up and when to show restraint. Everyone does well in their roles, from Matt Damon as Odysseus to Tom Holland as Telemachus and even Zendaya as Athena.
Project Hail Mary Is the Perfect Buddy Dramedy
Hurtling through space can be very scary, especially when one wakes up alone and with amnesia, as Ryan Gosling’s character Ryland Grace does in Project Hail Mary. While Adam at least kept his memories throughout Masters of the Universe, even had The Sorceress helping him get to safety and Teela to rescue him from the Beast Man, Grace was forced to stumble around for a while before he got his bearings and eventually had to knuckle down by himself at first.
The core of Project Hail Mary is Grace and the alien Rocky’s friendship. The two start as scared strangers, morphing into coworkers, and finally becoming friends who practically sacrifice themselves for each other by the end of the movie.
Rocky is actually one thing Project Hail Mary has over Masters of the Universe: the lovable rock alien is half visual effect, half real puppetry with a puppet made for the film. Everything is as practical as it can be in Project Hail Mary, with visual effects compensating where they are needed.
The End of Oak Street Is a Unique Dinosaur Film
The End of Oak Street asks a fun question: what would happen if an entire neighborhood was teleported into the past? A very unique idea for a film, as it expands the danger of time travel and stars an entire family, the Platts, rather than just a single person. Most films of this type usually have only one person or two get sucked into wormholes.
It also doesn’t exactly play itself safe with who lives and dies, either. Neighbors vanish, homes are devastated, and everyone is equally in danger at every turn. For Jurassic Park fans, it’s as if the ramifications of Jurassic World: Dominion were explored in full, or if A Sound of Thunder got a proper movie adaptation.
The Platts are obviously the heart of the movie, growing closer together even as their chances of dying get closer the longer they’re stuck in the past. Not bad for a family that was on the verge of dysfunction and divorce in the opening act of the film.
Spider-Man: Brand New Day Is Tom Holland’s Best MCU Film
Spider-Man films have always triumphed, even Spider-Man 3 has its defenders. It’s not really a surprise then that Spider-Man: Brand New Day has been shattering box office records for Spider-Man films. It’s Tom Holland’s version of the iconic wall crawler at its finest, finally giving fans a Peter Parker who is depressed, run-down, and still doing the best he can.
If Masters of the Universe is about an unlikely hero returning to save a kingdom, Spider-Man: Brand New Day is about a hero frequently on his last legs somehow finding the strength to keep going. Peter is regularly tired, depressed, and undergoing terrifying changes to his body and mind in the movie as a result of his powers growing with him.
Add in a dash of Frank Castle, a returning green angry Avenger, a mind-bending new enemy, plus Peter trying to approach MJ and Ned and failing every time, and Brand New Day is Tom Holland’s best film in the MCU. It’s focused on Peter, it’s emotional, and it features a lot of surprises.
Resident Evil (2026) Is Pure Survival Horror
Video game films have improved since the days when a bunch of them were garbage, much like how nostalgic films like Masters of the Universe have come a long way. Nowadays, a video game adaptation is usually faithful to the spirit of the original, and Resident Evil is no exception.
Apparent fan backlash on social media aside, Resident Evil captures a lot of what it’s like to be in a Resident Evil game as one of the hapless civilians or side-story survivors. Though some fans complained that main character Bryan Hodukavich is far less competent than Grace Ashcroft from Resident Evil 9 or Ethan Winters from Resident Evil 7: Biohazard and Village, others argue that’s the point. He’s a regular guy who just got an assignment that turned hellish; he’s not going to be like Chris Redfield or Leon Kennedy.
What really tips the scale into Resident Evil’s favor is the mood, atmosphere, and creature design. The mood is dark and suspenseful throughout; the atmosphere is positively chilling, and when the creatures finally appear, they look and behave like they could be enemies from the video game series. It’s a great survival horror story from beginning to end.
Whalefall Is a Modern-Day Jonah Taken To Horrifying Extremes
Speaking of survival horror, Whalefall is another such movie that really emphasizes the survival aspect. Being swallowed by a massive whale like the Biblical story of Jonah or even Pinocchio is already unpleasant. Whalefall goes to great lengths to portray the claustrophobic nightmare protagonist Jay Gardner finds himself in. It is yet another subversion of Masters of the Universe, since Jay is just a regular human.
If Resident Evil is a good survival horror story in a zombie-infested city, Whalefall deserves credit for being at least somewhat plausible for its horror scenario. It’s still fantastical, as in a realistic scenario Jay would’ve died. His story of survival and attempt to reconcile with his estranged father post-mortem by recovering his remains is the crux of the film.
Once again, credit must be given to the practical effects on display. Per Deadline, the crew built the whale. The whale is 12 feet tall and 18 feet wide and is used as the majority of the focus of the film. It needed post-production visual effects to help compensate for the rest.
Obsession Is Literally Anti-Wish Fulfillment
The phrase “be careful what you wish for” is the coda of Clive Barker’s Obsession. It stands in strict opposition to Masters of the Universe in this respect. The fantasy aspect in Obsession is horrifyingly subverted, and not for the fact that Nikki is possessed by a demon either.
Masters of the Universe is straightforward wish fulfillment: the young prince Adam finds his way back to Eternia, fights Skeletor, and saves the day. Despite being mocked throughout his life for stating his very obvious truth, not to mention the rather numerous drawings in his room or the fact that he screwed up a date and got arrested for stealing the Sword of Power, the truth is ultimately as he recalls from his childhood. The only subversion is the idea that he needed the Sword to wield the Power.
Obsession shows the flip side to this. What happens when the wish fulfillment is selfish, and the person who made the wish is too cowardly or too possessive to let the person go? It becomes very clear throughout Obsession that Bear is a terrible person, not respecting Nikki’s wishes and yet not wanting the fantasy to end, even when things keep getting darker and darker. It’s a very effective and terrifying cautionary tale.
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