NYTimes points to two 2026 movie trends: AI stories and city life

In short: A New York Times piece describes a split in 2026 movies, with some films centered on AI-run decision systems and others focused on everyday city life.

What's going on

The New York Times notes a contrast in 2026 cinema. On one side are movies that make AI the main topic. AI, short for artificial intelligence, is software that can make choices based on patterns in data, like a very fast calculator that also ranks options.

A clear example in this “AI and algorithms” strand is Mercy, directed by Timur Bekmambetov and starring Chris Pratt and Rebecca Ferguson. The film is set in a near-future Los Angeles where a court run by an AI decides whether a defendant is guilty and what happens next. The story leans on a real-world worry, whether data-driven systems can be fair when they may reflect human bias or be used for heavy surveillance.

The article also mentions “human stories” as a welcome reminder of “what life in the city is really like.” That points to films built around ordinary relationships and daily routines, rather than stories where technology is the main driver. However, based on the available information, it is not clear which specific “city life” films the writer meant, so naming titles would be guesswork.

What to watch

More movies are using AI as a plot engine because it touches everyday life, from hiring to policing to the courts. Viewers can expect more stories that ask who should make big decisions, a person or a system that scores you (like a report card you cannot see). It is also worth watching whether critics and audiences keep rewarding smaller, grounded city stories as a counterweight to tech-focused plots.

Source: NYTimes