Best of the Best 2026 Movie Review
Best of the Best is exactly the kind of movie you put on expecting to have a good time rather than expecting something groundbreaking cinematic achievement and thankfully, it mostly delivers. The Netflix comedy follows childhood best friends Maya (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) and Anjali (Priyanka Kedia) as they join UCLA’s competitive Bollywood-fusion dance team, where friendship, ambition, cultural identity and a lot of dance-floor drama collide.
Let’s talk about what works. The biggest strength of the movie is its energy. The dance sequences are vibrant, the humour is quick, and the film has a genuinely infectious sense of fun. Maitreyi Ramakrishnan is also extremely fun as Maya. There are moments where the character feels reminiscent of the personality that made her famous in Never Have I Ever, but her natural charisma carries the role. Her chemistry with Priyanka Kedia is arguably more important to the film than the romantic subplot, because the friendship between Maya and Anjali gives the story its emotional centre.
I also like that the film doesn’t shy away from making South Asian cultural identity and integral part of the actual story rather than simply throwing in pretty Indian costumes and music. The dance sequences mix Bollywood with contemporary and hip-hop styles particularly the final dance sequence which is probably the biggest highlight of the whole movie.
That said, the movie also has some pretty noticeable issues with the biggest one being it’s predictability. The competition structure, character conflicts and eventual reconciliation follows a very familiar and somewhat cliche pattern. Some supporting characters also feel more like plot devices than fully developed people. There are some cheezy Bollywood references and dialogues that may not always land well.
Overall, Best of the Best isn’t particularly groundbreaking, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s fun, colourful, funny and surprisingly warm, with strong chemistry between its leads and enough drama and charm to be a pleasant Netflix watch.
