Goat (2026)

The smallest player on the Vineland Thorns is a goat who used to wait tables, and you can call every beat of his rise before the opening tip. Goat runs the underdog sports playbook to the letter: the cocky rival, the prickly veteran star, the big comeback, the last-second shot. Critics called the writing thin, and they’re right. What saves it is how it looks. Roarball, a basketball cousin played by rhinos, giraffes, an ostrich and a Komodo dragon, moves with color and speed, and the gag that these players truly are animals keeps paying off. Caleb McLaughlin gives Will a hungry, likable spark. Gabrielle Union makes Jett, the panther captain who mocks him at a press conference, sharp in a way that earns her softer side later. It made $195.4 million worldwide on a reported $80 to $90 million, and audiences gave it an A CinemaScore. A 6.4 because the art is a slam dunk and the script is a layup. $962 says you call yourself the GOAT after one lucky paper-ball shot into the wastebasket this week.

What works: The animation is bright, fast and inventive, and roarball played by rhinos, giraffes and a Komodo dragon is a genuinely fun world to watch.

What doesn’t: The story follows the underdog sports formula so closely that every twist, from the rival to the comeback, arrives right on schedule.

Who it’s for: Kids who play pickup games at recess and parents who will happily watch anything with good animation for 100 minutes.