Watched 2016 Releases - RANKED Best to Worst
Every 2016 release I saw this year ranked.
List activity
459 views
• 0 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
74 titles
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.Deeply profound, honest, moving, romantic-- it's not an exaggeration to say that Moonlight is a transcendent piece of art, and one of the best films ever made.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.A truly fascinating, captivating and defining piece of science fiction.
- DirectorOlivier DucastelJacques MartineauStarsMario FanfaniGeoffrey CouëtFrançois NambotTwo men meet in a sex club, become entangled in a passionate embrace, and spend the night getting to know each other. As they wander through the empty streets of Paris, they must confront the feelings that are growing between them.Gets to places of emotional honesty and raw intimacy. In eighty minutes, I felt like I was watching a real connection grow into a relationship and then into love right before my eyes. It's beautiful.
- DirectorAndrew HaighStarsJonathan GroffFrankie J. AlvarezMurray BartlettPatrick returns to San Francisco in search of closure and resolution regarding his relationships with Richie and Kevin.An truthful and emotionally satisfying conclusion to one of my most beloved television series. It's a better ending than I could have ever hoped for.
- DirectorByron HowardRich MooreJared BushStarsGinnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris ElbaIn a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.Might go down as one of Disney's best films. Timely and honest in unexpected ways, and provides incredibly sophisticated commentary on our society.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsAdam DriverGolshifteh FarahaniNellieA quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.Mundane, gentle - but profound.
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.It's brilliant - from the performances to the period detail, the story alone is astonishing. I was a little misty-eyed when it was over.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsNeel SethiBill MurrayBen KingsleyAfter a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.Jaw-dropping. Not since James Cameron's Avatar has a movie-going experience been this immersive and genuinely breathtaking.
- DirectorTim MillerStarsRyan ReynoldsMorena BaccarinT.J. MillerA wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal yet hideously scarred, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.A refreshing and inventive take on a genre that has become numbing and repetitive. Reynolds is stellar, the script is sharp, the laughs are consistent and the action is thrilling. One of the best comic-book movies ever.
- DirectorPapu CurottoStarsIgnacio RogersEsteban MasturiniJoaquín ParadaTwo boyhood chums, separated soon after sexually awakening together, re-meet as young men with unspoken sexual tensions lying between them.Subtlety is key here. The chemistry between the two leads is palpable and aching. So much is said without dialogue and the intimacy is so organic. It's a story I've seen told before but not quite like this.
- DirectorRaoul PeckStarsSamuel L. JacksonJames BaldwinMartin Luther KingWriter James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
- DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerDon HallStarsAuli'i CravalhoDwayne JohnsonRachel HouseIn ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out Maui to set things right.Perhaps Disney's best film with a female heroine since "Mulan", dare I say.
- DirectorMarco BergerMartín FarinaStarsGabriel EpsteinLucas PapaNicolás BarsoffA man invites another guy he trains with to spend some time in his country house among other male friends.If you were to pick a film to be an example for the dictionary definition of 'homoerotic', it would probably be this one. I was very surprised by this one. It's incredibly nuanced and has terrific performances. Perhaps my favorite Berger film so far.
- DirectorAndrew AhnStarsJoe SeoYoun Ho ChoHaerry KimA closeted Korean-American teenager takes a job at a Korean spa to help his struggling family, only to discover an underground world of gay sex at the spa that both scares and excites him.
- DirectorJames WanStarsVera FarmigaPatrick WilsonMadison WolfeEd and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.Still terrifying the second time around. Absolutely terrifying.
- DirectorAndrew StantonAngus MacLaneStarsEllen DeGeneresAlbert BrooksEd O'NeillFriendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.I laughed a lot - I cried a lot more. I have no shame. There was no way this film could have lived up to my expectations - but it did.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsKim Min-heeHa Jung-wooCho Jin-woongA woman is hired as a handmaiden to a Japanese heiress, but secretly she is involved in a plot to defraud her.
- DirectorYeon Sang-hoStarsGong YooJung Yu-miMa Dong-seokWhile a zombie virus breaks out in South Korea, passengers struggle to survive on the train from Seoul to Busan.Even though it reminded me of Snowpiercer - a lot, this film is really well made, tense, scary, violent, and it doesn't ever force you to like its characters. These people want to survive - but some of them do terrible things, it's more human than most zombie films.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.The definitive Star Wars prequel and perhaps the darkest entry in the saga to date. Rogue One almost plays out like a grim fable or war story that would be told around a campfire by the characters in the original trilogy - in the best way possible.
- DirectorAndré TéchinéStarsSandrine KiberlainKacey Mottet KleinCorentin FilaDamien lives with his mother Marianne, a doctor, while his father is on a tour of duty abroad. He is bullied by Thomas, whose mother is ill. The boys find themselves living together when Marianne invites Thomas to come and stay with them.An emotionally honest, melancholy and sweet coming-of-age film. It's emotionally satisfying and compelling in ways I didn't expect.
- DirectorJaume Collet-SerraStarsBlake LivelyÓscar JaenadaAngelo Josue Lozano CorzoA mere 200 yards from shore, surfer Nancy is attacked by a great white shark, with her short journey to safety becoming the ultimate contest of wills.This film is terrifying, beautifully shot and pretty gruesome in places. Much better than it really has any right to be.
- DirectorHideaki AnnoShinji HiguchiStarsHiroki HasegawaYutaka TakenouchiSatomi IshiharaJapan is plunged into chaos upon the appearance of a giant monster.
- DirectorTravis KnightStarsCharlize TheronArt ParkinsonMatthew McConaugheyA young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armour worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.Gorgeously dark and dazzling. Clearly a labor of love in every single frame - there's nothing else quite like it.
- DirectorGlenn FicarraJohn RequaStarsTina FeyMargot RobbieMartin FreemanA journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.
- DirectorJeff NicholsStarsMichael ShannonJoel EdgertonKirsten DunstA father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to the child's special powers.
- DirectorAlessandro CarloniJennifer Yuh NelsonStarsJack BlackBryan CranstonDustin HoffmanContinuing his "legendary adventures of awesomeness", Po must face two hugely epic, but different threats: one supernatural and the other a little closer to home.Rounds out a solid trilogy for DreamWorks. It builds even further on the emotional arcs of the previous films, and finds new and inventive ways to dazzle us visually and make us laugh. These movies are a real treat - would not be opposed to another one.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.As much as I love it, I do have problems with it - it's a little self-indulgent at times, and it did not need to be over two hours long. Minor quibbles though - it's fantastic.
- DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.An extremely tense and uncomfortable experience. It builds fear in a fascinating way, and scared me in ways that I didn't expect.
- DirectorKerstin KarlhuberStarsMichael GrantTom WopatGregory HarrisonA young man returns to his family farm, after a long stay in ex-gay conversion therapy, and is torn between the expectations of his emotionally distant father, and the memories of a past, loving relationship he has tried to bury.One of the better gay indie films I've seen (and I've seen a lot). It handles its controversial subject matter with a certain level of restraint, and allows its characters to be painted with complexity and honesty.
- DirectorJustin LinStarsChris PineZachary QuintoKarl UrbanThe crew of the USS Enterprise explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a new ruthless enemy, who puts them, and everything the Federation stands for, to the test.An unexpectedly poignant look at humanity and unity in the face of adversity - all the while providing the wit, action and adventure I've come to love with this reboot series.
- DirectorDavid LoweryStarsBryce Dallas HowardRobert RedfordOakes FegleyThe adventures of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who happens to be a dragon.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRussell CroweRyan GoslingAngourie RiceIn 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.I love this movie. It's a lot of fun, the performances are great, the period details are neat and clever. Crowe and Gosling are fantastic and have terrific chemistry - would love to see them together again.
- DirectorPaul GreengrassStarsMatt DamonTommy Lee JonesAlicia VikanderThe CIA's most dangerous former operative is drawn out of hiding to uncover more explosive truths about his past.I'm an incredibly biased fan of this franchise (FULL DISCLAIMER: I really liked The Bourne Legacy from 2012) - your mileage however, may vary. It is admittedly more of the same.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsTom HanksAaron EckhartLaura LinneyWhen pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew, some consider him a hero while others think he was reckless.Hanks is terrific in the lead role. The story is told in an interesting way, and Eastwood creates palpable unease every time he shows us the incident.
- DirectorDavid YatesStarsEddie RedmayneKatherine WaterstonAlison SudolIn 1926, magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York during his worldwide tour to research and rescue magical creatures as something mysterious leaves trails of destruction in the city, threatening to expose the wizarding world.A lot of fun and expands the Potter mythology in a fascinating and inventive way and makes the most of its unique period setting. It's tone is a little uneven though - shifting from being whimsical to incredibly dark is a trick that the movie doesn't always pull off.
- DirectorPaul FeigStarsMelissa McCarthyKristen WiigKate McKinnonFollowing a ghost invasion of Manhattan, paranormal enthusiasts Erin Gilbert and Abby Yates, nuclear engineer Jillian Holtzmann, and subway worker Patty Tolan band together to stop the otherworldly threat.Solidly funny and entertaining - I thought it was really charming. The cast give it their all - but I have to say that Kate McKinnon and Chris Hemsworth are the secret weapons of this film.
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.
- DirectorDave GreenStarsMegan FoxWill ArnettTyler PerryThe Turtles get into another battle with their enemy the Shredder, who has acquired new allies: the mutant thugs Bebop and Rocksteady and the alien being Krang.Much more fun than its annoying predecessor. It's more playful and less self-serious. I liked it I'm surprised to say.
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsBenedict CumberbatchChiwetel EjioforRachel McAdamsWhile on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.Do you really need another Tony Stark?
- DirectorFede AlvarezStarsStephen LangJane LevyDylan MinnetteHoping to walk away with a massive fortune, a trio of thieves break into the house of a blind man who isn't as helpless as he seems.It's a lot smarter than I expected, and it was truly scary in more ways than one. If anything, I came away more shocked than terrified.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsJames McAvoyMichael FassbenderJennifer LawrenceIn the 1980s the X-Men must defeat an ancient all-powerful mutant, En Sabah Nur, who intends to thrive through bringing destruction to the world.Doesn't reach the heights of its predecessor but still a solid entry in the franchise.
- DirectorRichard TanneStarsTika SumpterParker SawyersVanessa Bell CallowayChronicles the 1989 summer afternoon when the future President of the United States, Barack Obama, wooed his future First Lady, Michelle Obama, on a first date across Chicago's South Side.Tika Sumpter and Parker Sawyers have terrific chemistry, and the evolution of the relationship is honest but never maudlin. There are a few technical issues - and the score is a little irritating, but the two leads are enough to carry the film - and carry it they do.
- DirectorMatt SchraderStarsMarco BeltramiJon BurlingameLeonard MaltinA look at the cinematic art of the film musical score, and the artists who create them.
- DirectorRobert ZemeckisStarsBrad PittMarion CotillardJared HarrisIn 1942, a Canadian intelligence officer in North Africa encounters a female French Resistance fighter on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. When they reunite in London, their relationship is tested by the pressures of war.
- DirectorNicholas StollerDoug SweetlandStarsAndy SambergKatie CrownKelsey GrammerStorks have moved on from delivering babies to packages. But when an order for a baby appears, the best delivery stork must scramble to fix the error by delivering the baby.Zany and consistently amusing. A very touching message to boot.
- DirectorJohn LeeStarsPaul ReubensJordan BlackDoug CoxA fateful meeting with a mysterious stranger inspires Pee-wee Herman to take his first holiday ever in this epic story of friendship and destiny.Thoroughly bizarre and yet infectiously entertaining. Joe Manganiello is absolutely adorable as himself.
- DirectorKevin BurkeStarsPaul AinsworthDave AlexanderAndrea AlvinA documentary exploring the birth, death, and resurrection of the illustrated movie poster.
- DirectorMike MitchellWalt DohrnStarsAnna KendrickJustin TimberlakeZooey DeschanelAfter the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends.I enjoyed it in spite of myself. It's funny, it's light - it's empty calories but it's a lot of fun.
- DirectorMichael BayStarsJohn KrasinskiPablo SchreiberJames Badge DaleDuring an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.Michael Bay's least annoying film in years. It's still annoying don't get me wrong - the characters lack in complexity (especially for a story based on true events) but it creates tension very well, the combat is suitably brutal (and coherent) and the drama is quite effective.
- DirectorAndrew NackmanStarsParker YoungEvan ToddChord OverstreetA car mechanic in a small, working class town comes out of the closet to his unsuspecting, blue-collar best friends.Predictable fluff - and a little outdated in its themes but passably entertaining nonetheless.
- DirectorChris RenaudStarsLouis C.K.Eric StonestreetKevin HartThe quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.Harmless and inconsequential. It's cute and amusing - and not a whole lot more, for better or worse.
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.There is a tonal shift in the second act that did not work for me in the slightest - and almost ruined the film for me. Otherwise, the film is breathtakingly animated and has an unusual sense of humor - even though its storytelling is totally convoluted half the time.
- DirectorJon LucasScott MooreStarsMila KunisKathryn HahnKristen BellWhen three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun and comedic self-indulgence.A little uneven in places but solidly funny in others. Kathryn Hahn is a star - someone please give her a leading role.
- DirectorGarth JenningsChristophe LourdeletStarsMatthew McConaugheyReese WitherspoonSeth MacFarlaneIn a city of humanoid animals, a hustling theater impresario's attempt to save his theater with a singing competition becomes grander than he anticipates even as its finalists find that their lives will never be the same.It's fine.
- DirectorBurr SteersStarsLily JamesSam RileyJack HustonFive sisters in 19th century England must cope with the pressures to marry while protecting themselves from a growing population of zombies.You're either gonna go with it, or not. I went with it - entertaining in the same way Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was entertaining.
- DirectorJosh GordonWill SpeckStarsJason BatemanOlivia MunnT.J. MillerWhen his uptight CEO sister threatens to shut down his branch, the branch manager throws an epic Christmas party in order to land a big client and save the day, but the party gets way out of hand...Kate McKinnon puts the movie in her pocket and walks away with it in every single scene. I laughed pretty consistently, but often it just made me wish Hollywood would give Kate McKinnon a lead role.
- DirectorCedric Nicolas-TroyanStarsChris HemsworthJessica ChastainCharlize TheronEric and fellow warrior Sara, raised as members of ice Queen Freya's army, try to conceal their forbidden love as they fight to survive the wicked intentions of both Freya and her sister Ravenna.I thought it was fun in spite of myself - though I guess I'm in the minority here. I don't think it's any good, and I didn't like the first film either so take that for what it's worth.
- DirectorAndrew BushStarsMamrie HartAdam LustickJoselyn HughesWhen the party is on, it is off the hook! Kate has only a few days to turn her life around before she turns Dirty 30, but with three besties and zero rules, anything is possible!A considerably more polished piece of work from the three leading ladies behind Camp Takota. It's still a little uneven but their charisma makes it work more than it probably should. Can't wait to see what they do next.
- DirectorRobert SchwentkeStarsShailene WoodleyTheo JamesJeff DanielsAfter the earth-shattering revelations of Insurgent, Tris must escape with Four beyond the wall that encircles Chicago, to finally discover the shocking truth of the world around them.A superficial improvement over Insurgent (for me, anyway).
- DirectorMorten TyldumStarsJennifer LawrenceChris PrattMichael SheenA malfunction in a sleeping pod on a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet wakes one passenger 90 years early.I'm in a really weird spot with this one. On one hand it is beautiful with a couple of cool ideas thrown in. On the other hand, its premise and other vital plot elements are borderline disturbing - but the film glosses over them and turns what could have been really fascinating into a Nicholas Spark-sian romance.
- DirectorAlex ProyasStarsBrenton ThwaitesNikolaj Coster-WaldauGerard ButlerMortal hero Bek teams with the god Horus in an alliance against Set, the merciless god of darkness, who has usurped Egypt's throne, plunging the once peaceful and prosperous empire into chaos and conflict.Hilarious and entertaining in a way I'm not sure it means to be.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsEva GreenAsa ButterfieldSamuel L. JacksonWhen Jacob (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time, he finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers.Feels like a really long pilot episode for a TV series. There are some really glaring flaws in its storytelling, it isn't edited very well, and I don't feel like I learned very much about anyone by the time it was over.
- DirectorJ BlakesonStarsChloë Grace MoretzMatthew ZukGabriela LopezFour waves of increasingly deadly alien attacks have left most of Earth in ruin. Cassie is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother.Not as bad as I was expecting - but nothing to really recommend here either. If you don't think it's your kind of thing, it's not your kind of thing.
- DirectorJake SzymanskiStarsZac EfronAdam DevineAnna KendrickTwo hard-partying brothers place an online ad to find the perfect dates for their sister's Hawaiian wedding. Hoping for a wild getaway, the boys instead find themselves out-hustled by an uncontrollable duo.I laughed enough times. And I'll probably never watch it ever again.
- DirectorJames BobinStarsMia WasikowskaJohnny DeppHelena Bonham CarterAlice is appointed to save her beloved Mad Hatter from deadly grief by travelling back to the past, but this means fatally harming Time himself, the noble clockwork man with the device needed to save the Hatter's family from the Red Queen.Meh. I don't hate it - but it's not very good.
- DirectorJustin KurzelStarsMichael FassbenderMarion CotillardJeremy IronsCallum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, before taking on the secret Templar society.
- DirectorJames WatkinsStarsIdris ElbaRichard MaddenCharlotte Le BonA young pickpocket and an unruly CIA agent team up on an anti-terrorist mission in France.Seen it done before - and seen it done better. Don't bother.
- DirectorKevin MunroeJericca ClelandStarsJames Arnold TaylorDavid KayeJim WardWhen the galaxy comes under the threat of a nefarious space captain, a mechanic and his newfound robot ally join an elite squad of combatants to save the universe.Disappointingly bland. I'm a fan of the games, and all of the charm and frenetic energy is absent here. Even worse, it doesn't distinguish itself from the pantheon of bland storytelling in direct-to-DVD animated fare.
- DirectorClay KaytisFergal ReillyStarsJason SudeikisJosh GadDanny McBrideWhen an island populated by happy, flightless birds is visited by mysterious green pigs, it's up to three unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.A little too juvenile for me - there's too much going on and nothing going on all at once. It didn't make me laugh either.
- DirectorDuncan JonesStarsTravis FimmelPaula PattonBen FosterAs an Orc horde invades the planet Azeroth using a magic portal, a few human heroes and dissenting Orcs must attempt to stop the true evil behind this war.It's an ugly snooze. Nothing more.
- DirectorPaul W.S. AndersonStarsMilla JovovichIain GlenAli LarterAlice returns to where the nightmare began: The Hive in Raccoon City, where the Umbrella Corporation is gathering its forces for a final strike against the only remaining survivors of the apocalypse.
- DirectorDavid YatesStarsAlexander SkarsgårdRory J SaperChristian StevensTarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.It meanders a lot, it's visually muddled and moves at an excruciatingly slow pace -- and commits the most cardinal sin for this kind of movie: it's boring.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsWill SmithJared LetoMargot RobbieA secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.Poorly edited, overstuffed, emotionally inept, visually ugly and incomprehensible most of the time. Margot Robbie and Viola Davis are its only redeeming qualities. Perhaps the worst big blockbuster film in quite some time.
- DirectorWoo-Ping YuenStarsDonnie YenMichelle YeohHarry Shum Jr.A story of lost love, young love, a legendary sword and one last opportunity at redemption.You can have it back Netflix. I don't want it. Take it away.