2016 Ranked Films
The ranked list of 2016 films that I have seen so far.
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- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.10/10
With mind-blowing science-fiction and stunning visuals, Arrival finds director Denis Villeneuve navigating some unprecedented themes to astonishing effect. - 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.10/10
Honest, heartfelt and emotional, writer-director Barry Jenkins makes the most of a truly tremendous cast to present a sweeping narrative of the trials of growing up a human being. - 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.10/10
Perhaps the best musical of the decade, La La Land glides by on the remarkable chemistry of Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling, and is a showcase for upstart director Damien Chazelle. - 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.10/10
With an overall message that is at the same time topical and refreshing, Zootopia and its inspired universe are endlessly charming, standing out among the best of Disney's animated classics. - DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.10/10
Easily the best film to come from the musical mind of John Carney, Sing Street is a charming coming-of-age tale with as many catchy tunes as endearing characters. - DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.10/10
Sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes endearing, Manchester by the Sea is a powerful human tragedy due to the efforts of a powerhouse cast and an emotionally affecting screenplay by Kenneth Lonergan. - DirectorGarth DavisStarsDev PatelNicole KidmanRooney MaraA five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.10/10
With Dev Patel delivering a career-best performance in the lead role, Lion is an inspiring true human interest story whose message could span continents. - DirectorClaude BarrasStarsGaspard SchlatterSixtine MuratPaulin JaccoudAfter losing his mother, a young boy is sent to an orphanage with other orphans his age where he begins to learn the meaning of trust and true love.10/10
My Life as a Zucchini and its charming stop-motion animation offers a colorful viewing experience, but that's not to say it isn't able to adopt some hefty adult themes in a mature way. - DirectorDenzel WashingtonStarsDenzel WashingtonViola DavisStephen McKinley HendersonA working-class African-American father tries to raise his family in the 1950s, while coming to terms with the events of his life.10/10
Utterly faithful to August Wilson's celebrated play, Fences is also a showcase of Denzel Washington’s and Viola Davis's many talents as they chew up some hearty dialogue. - DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsLewis MacDougallSigourney WeaverFelicity JonesConor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.10/10
With fantastic visuals from director J. A. Bayona that never compromise the emotionality of the story, A Monster Calls is an imaginative and heartbreaking portrayal of childhood and grief. - DirectorMel GibsonStarsAndrew GarfieldSam WorthingtonLuke BraceyWorld War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.10/10
A return to form for Mel Gibson as director, Hacksaw Ridge joins the ranks of some of the greatest war epics of all time, and features a stellar performance from Andrew Garfield to boot. - DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineBen FosterJeff BridgesToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.10/10
Able to flesh out both sides of its cops-and-robbers paradigm, Hell or High Water has all its actors in top form on its way to delivering a thoughtful crime drama for the ages. - 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.10/10
A quasi sequel-spinoff worthy of its groundbreaking predecessor, Finding Dory has Pixar yet again being able to populate its narrative with vibrant characters and finding the dynamic story arcs within. - DirectorMatt RossStarsViggo MortensenGeorge MacKaySamantha IslerIn the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.9/10
With an enchanting and dramatic Viggo Mortensen leading the way, Captain Fantastic is an utterly charming voyage into alternative living and loving. - DirectorRobert EggersStarsAnya Taylor-JoyRalph InesonKate DickieA family in 1630s New England is torn apart by the forces of witchcraft, black magic and possession.9/10
A strong directorial debut from Robert Eggers in its own right, The Witch is an atmospheric, slow burn of a horror film that will leave viewers breathless. - 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.9/10
Continuing Disney’s winning streak of delivering top-notch animation and songwriting, Moana is thoroughly resonant even as it traverses uncharted waters. - DirectorMike MillsStarsAnnette BeningElle FanningGreta GerwigThe story of a teenage boy, his mother, and two other women who help raise him among the love and freedom of Southern California of 1979.9/10
With another dynamic script from writer-director Mike Mills as its foundation, 20th Century Women and its tremendous cast deftly create a psychedelic story on what it means to grow up. - DirectorAsghar FarhadiStarsShahab HosseiniTaraneh AlidoostiMaral BaniadamWhile Ranaa and Emad, a married couple, are participating in a production of "Death of a Salesman," she is assaulted in their new home, which leaves him determined to find the perpetrator over his wife's traumatized objections.9/10
The Salesman might go a step too far in the tragedy department, though it cannot be denied the level of raw emotionality writer-director Asghar Farhadi elicits to gain viewer sympathy. - 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.9/10
Hidden Figures is conventional in its approach, but plays that into its favor as it relies on its trio of strong leading ladies to tell a worthy, heretofore untold story. - 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.9/10
Eclipsing its animated inspiration in certain respects, The Jungle Book and its jaw-dropping visuals offer a thrilling new take on the classic story and is another surefire hit from director Jon Favreau. - DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsBlake JennerTyler HoechlinRyan GuzmanIn 1980 Texas, a college freshman meets his new baseball teammates, an unruly group of disco-dancing, skirt-chasing, and they navigate their way9/10
Finding Richard Linklater doing what he does best, Everybody Wants Some!! makes capturing a zeitgeist and assembling a charming, nuanced cast look easy. - 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.9/10
Wonderfully teasing a larger anthology universe yet telling its own compelling story, 10 Cloverfield Lane thrives off a magnetic leading trio and a genuine sense of suspense. - DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.9/10
Brutal and intense, Green Room employs a great use of atmosphere and anticipation to make for an unforgettable experience. - DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.9/10
Taking the MCU into fresh, innovative territory, Captain America: Civil War finds plenty of room for its familiar characters to explore with plenty of moral questions to go along with the action. - 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.9/10
Shocking and making good use of the senses, Don’t Breathe is confirmation that director Fede Álvarez is a talent in the horror field to last.