If one thing stands out in the movies that came out in 2016, it is that many of my favorite filmmakers released a significant work within their respective filmographies. Richard Linklater, Joel and Ethan Coen, Martin Scorsese, and Barry Jenkins are just a few of the noteworthy directors that had big releases in 2016, highlighting a thirst for auteur work heading into the second half of the 2010s.
Animated movies and franchise fare also had a stranglehold on the box office, continuing the trend of the decade where revitalizing and reimagining previous material became a safe bet for studios. Some of their efforts were bad, but some of them were good – even to the point where they made this ranking. It wasn’t the deepest year for quality releases, but there were 25 that stood out. These are the 25 best movies of 2016:
25. A Quiet Passion
24. Train to Busan
Yeon Sang-ho’s Train to Busan is a visual feast as survivors band together on a speeding bullet train. It delivers the right amount of thrills and action set pieces. Although the dramatic elements and character development may seem underbaked, the film rarely faulters and crashes off course.
Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Train to Busan
23. La La Land
22. Finding Dory
21. Hail, Caesar!
20. Free Fire
19. American Honey
18. 10 Cloverfield Lane
17. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
16. Swiss Army Man
15. Deadpool
14. Kubo and the Two Strings
13. The Handmaiden
12. Manchester by the Sea
11. The Edge of Seventeen
10. Certain Women
9. Paterson
8. Hell or High Water
7. Personal Shopper
6. 20th Century Women
5. The Lost City of Z
4. Moonlight
3. Arrival
Arrival is a beautifully presented, excellently edited piece of work that stands as a testament to Denis Villeneuve’s directorial ability and taste. Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner costar in one of the 2010s best science fiction movies.
Read Cinephile Corner’s review of Arrival
2. Silence
1. Everybody Wants Some!!
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