2026 Emmy predictions: best TV movie
The race is dominated by just-under-the-wire releases, with three of the seven projected nominees dropping this month (the end of the eligibility window is May 31).
Matt Roush says, “Star-powered late arrivals ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ (with Sally Field, Lewis Pullman and the voice of Alfred Molina — as an octopus!) and ‘Miss You, Love You’ (with Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells) suddenly make this category a bit more interesting than usual.”
Trey Mangum says of the runaway No. 1 pick, “Dropping just in time is Netflix’s ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures,’ anchored by Sally Field and an absolute shoo-in.”
While several panelists continue to plead ignorance as to what, exactly, makes a movie debuting on television a TV movie or not a TV movie, some find titles to champion.
“This category continually confounds me, but I have to admit I still love a good, weird, chaotic stoner comedy despite having aged out of that demo,” says a somewhat responsible-sounding Tracy Brown, definitely not typing her comment at a Taco Bell. “All that is to say, I was charmed by ‘Pizza Movie,’ my dark horse pick.”
More predictions: Limited / TV movie actor | Limited / TV movie actress
1. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Deep Cover”
3. “Swiped”
4. “Miss You, Love You”
T5. “Heads of State”
T5. “Jack Ryan Ghost War”
T5. “Straw”
Los Angeles Times
Lorraine Ali
1. ““Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Swiped”
T3. “Deep Cover”
T3. “Miss You, Love You”
T3. “Straw”
“Expect to see ‘Deep Cover,’ ‘Miss You, Love You,’ ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures,’ ‘Straw’ and ‘Swiped’ in the running. And what qualifies as a TV movie in 2026, when TV and film mediums are beyond fluid? No idea. I’m just here to blurb.”
Freelance Critic
Kristen Baldwin
1. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Swiped”
3. “Straw”
4. “Deep Cover”
5. “Miss You, Love You”
“Vince Vaughn’s lightweight culinary comedy, ‘Nonnas,’ managed to earn a nomination for Netflix in 2025. Does that mean voters will be twice as likely to put Hulu’s ‘Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice’ — in which the actor plays two versions of the titular Nick — on their ballot?”
Los Angeles Times
Tracy Brown
1. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Miss You, Love You”
3. “Deep Cover”
4. “Jack Ryan Ghost War”
5. “Pizza Movie”
“This category continually confounds me, but I have to admit I still love a good, weird, chaotic stoner comedy despite having aged out of that demo. All that is to say, I was charmed by ‘Pizza Movie,’ my dark horse pick. ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ is the likely front–runner but I wouldn’t count ‘Deep Cover’ out.”
Blavity
Trey Mangum
1. “Heads of State”
2. “Deep Cover”
3. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
4. “Swiped”
5. “People We Meet on Vacation”
“Dropping just in time is Netflix’s ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures,’ anchored by Sally Field and an absolute shoo-in. Then there’s last year’s ‘Deep Cover,’ which is buoyed by the likes of Orlando Bloom and Bryce Dallas Howard.”
TV Insider
Matt Roush
1. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Miss You, Love You”
3. “Jack Ryan Ghost War”
4. “Deep Cover”
5. “The Best You Can”
“Star-powered late arrivals ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ (with Sally Field, Lewis Pullman and the voice of Alfred Molina — as an octopus!) and ‘Miss You, Love You’ (with Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells) suddenly make this category a bit more interesting than usual. A ‘Jack Ryan’ movie gets in by name recognition.”
Los Angeles Times
Glenn Whipp
1. “Remarkably Bright Creatures”
2. “Swiped”
3. “Deep Cover”
4. “Miss You, Love You”
5. “People We Meet on Vacation”
“Six years after ‘My Octopus Teacher,’ we find there’s still much to learn from eight-limbed marine mollusks in ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures.’ Shameless, yes, but also sweet.”
