2016: World Premieres
2016: U.S. Releases
2016: Still Left to See
2016: Cannes Festival
2016: Venice Festival
2016: Chicago Festival
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The Movies of 2016: U.S. Releases
By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating (what's this?)
Full Listing of Films Screened
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⑤ Indispensable to film fans, even if it's flawed
13th Dir. Ava DuVernay. Documentary about the racial history of U.S. incarceration B
20th Century Women Dir. Mike Mills. Annette Bening, Lucas Jade Zumann A
American Honey Dir. Andrea Arnold. Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough B+
Aquarius Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho. Sonia Braga, Humberto Carrão, Zoraide Coleto A
Cameraperson Dir. Kirsten Johnson. Collaged footage from cinematographer's career B+
Cemetery of Splendor Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Jenjira Pongpas B
The Club Dir. Pablo Larraín. Alfredo Castro, Marcelo Alonso, Antonia Zegers B+
Do Not Resist Dir. Craig Atkinson. Documentary about the militarizing of U.S. police A
Elle Dir. Paul Verhoeven. Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny A
Fire at Sea Dir. Gianfranco Rosi. Documentary about kids and refugees in Lampedusa A
The Fits Dir. Anna Rose Holmer. Royalty Hightower, Alexis Neblett, Makyla Burnam B+
Francofonia Dir. Aleksandr Sokurov. Benjamin Utzerath, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing A
The Lobster Dir. Yorgos Lanthimos. Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Léa Seydoux A
Moonlight Dir. Barry Jenkins. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes A
Mountains May Depart Dir. Jia Zhangke. Zhao Tao, Zhang Yi, Liang Jing Dong B
No Home Movie Dir. Chantal Akerman. Documentary about the filmmaker's mother B+
The Other Side Dir. Roberto Minervini. Mark Kelley, Lisa Allen, James Lee Miller B+
The President Dir. Mohsen Makhmalbaf. Misha Gomiashvili, Dachi Orvelashvili B+
Right Now, Wrong Then Dir. Hong Sang-soo. Jeong Jae-yeong, Kim Min-hee A
Silence Dir. Martin Scorsese. Andrew Garfield, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Adam Driver B+
Toni Erdmann Dir. Maren Ade. Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Thomas Loibl B+
Trapped Dir. Dawn Porter. Documentary about abortion providers in the U.S. South B
Weiner Dirs. Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg. Documentary about political campaign B
Zootopia Dirs. Byron Howard, Rich Moore. Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman B
④ Good or bad, this is risky and original work
Abortion: Stories Women Tell Dir. Tracy Droz Tragos. Clinic-based documentary B
Arrival Dir. Denis Villeneuve. Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker B
As I Open My Eyes Dir. Leyla Bouzid. Baya Medhaffar, Ghalia Benali, Montassar Ayari B+
A Bigger Splash Dir. Luca Guadagnino. Tilda Swinton, Ralph Fiennes B
The Birth of a Nation Dir. Nate Parker. Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King B
Certain Women Dir. Kelly Reichardt. Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone B
Chevalier Dir. Athina Rachel Tsangari. Panos Koronis, Sakis Rouvas, Makis Papadimitriou B
Crosscurrent Dir. Yang Chao. Qin Hao, Xin Zhilei, Tan Kai, Wang Hongwei, Wu Lipeng B+
Dheepan Dir. Jacques Audiard. Jesuthasan Antonythasan, Kalieaswari Srinivasan A
Embrace of the Serpent Dir. Ciro Guerra. Nilbio Torres, Antonio Bolivar, Jan Bijvoet B
Everybody Wants Some!! Dir. Richard Linklater. Blake Jenner, Glen Powell C
Hail, Caesar! Dirs. Joel and Ethan Coen. Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Ralph Fiennes B
The Handmaiden Dir. Park Chan-wook. Kim Tae-ri, Kim Min-hee, Ha Jung-woo B
Henry Gamble's Birthday Party Dir. Stephen Cone. Cole Doman, Elizabeth Laidlaw B+
I Am Not Your Negro Dir. Raoul Peck. Nonfiction collage drawn from James Baldwin B+
Ixcanul Dir. Jayro Bustamante. María Mercedes Coroy, María Telón, Manuel Manuel Antún A
Jackie Dir. Pablo Larraín. Natalie Portman, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig C
Julieta Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suárez, Daniel Grao B+
Kubo and the Two Strings Dir. Travis Knight. Animated. Voice of Art Parkinson B
La La Land Dir. Damien Chazelle. Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, John Legend B
Lace Crater Dir. Harrison Atkins. Lindsay Burdge, Andrew Ryder, Jennifer Kim B+
Life, Animated Dir. Roger Ross Williams. Documentary about autistic animation fan B
Little Men Dir. Ira Sachs. Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle B
Love & Friendship Dir. Whit Stillman. Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel, Emma Greenwell B
The Love Witch Dir. Anna Biller. Samantha Robinson, Laura Waddell, Gian Keys C
Midnight Special Dir. Jeff Nichols. Jaeden Lieberher, Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst B
Moana Dirs. Ron Clements, John Musker. Animated. Voice of Auli'i Cravalho B+
Neon Bull Dir. Gabriel Mascaro. Juliano Cazzaré, Maeve Jinkings, Carlos Pessoa A
Neruda Dir. Pablo Larraín. Luis Gnecco, Gael García Bernal, Mercedes Morán B+
O.J.: Made in America Dir. Ezra Edelman. Documentary about the fallen athlete B
Pervert Park Dirs. Frida and Lasse Barkfors. Documentary about sex offenders B+
Queen of Katwe Dir. Mira Nair. Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o B
Southside with You Dir. Richard Tanne. Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers B+
Spa Night Dir. Andrew Ahn. Joe Seo, Cho Youn Ho, Haerry Kim, Song Tae B+
Sully Dir. Clint Eastwood. Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Mike O'Malley B
Things to Come Dir. Mia Hansen-Løve. Isabelle Huppert, Roman Kolinka, André Marcon A
Tikkun Dir. Avishai Sivan. Aharon Traitel, Khalifa Natour, Gur Sheinberg, Riki Blich B+
Til Madness Do Us Part Dir. Wang Bing. Documentary about Chinese insane asylum B
③ Try to make time, but don't cry if you miss it
10 Cloverfield Lane Dir. Dan Trachtenberg. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman C
Bang Gang (A Modern Love Story) Dir. Eva Husson. Marilyn Lima, Daisy Broom B+
Being 17 Dir. André Téchiné. Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila, Sandrine Kiberlain B
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Dir. Ang Lee. Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel C
Café Society Dir. Woody Allen. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell C
Captain Fantastic Dir. Matt Ross. Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler B
Christine Dir. Antonio Campos. Rebecca Hall, Tracy Letts, Michael C. Hall, Maria Dizzia B
Deadpool Dir. Tim Miller. Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller C
Demon Dir. Marcin Wrona. Itay Tiran, Agnieszka Zulewska, Andrzej Grabowski B+
The Edge of Seventeen Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig. Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson B+
Eisenstein in Guanajuato Dir. Peter Greenaway. Elmer Bäck, Luis Alberti, Lisa Owen B
Evolution Dir. Lucile Hadžihalilović. Max Brebant, Julie-Marie Parmentier, Roxane Duran B
The Eyes of My Mother Dir. Nicolas Pesce. Kika Magalhães, Diana Agostini, Paul Nazak B
Fences Dir. Denzel Washington. Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo B
Fourth Man Out Dir. Andrew Nackman. Evan Todd, Parker Young, Jon Gabrus B
From Afar Dir. Lorenzo Vigas. Alfredo Castro, Luis Silva, Jericó Montilla B
Green Room Dir. Jeremy Saulnier. Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat F
Hell or High Water Dir. David Mackenzie. Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges B
Hidden Figures Dir. Theodore Melfi. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe B
High-Rise Dir. Ben Wheatley. Tom Hiddleston, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons B
I, Daniel Blake Dir. Ken Loach. Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Briana Shann B
In the Shadow of Women Dir. Philippe Garrel. Clotilde Courau, Stanislas Merhar B+
Indignation Dir. James Schamus. Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Danny Burstein C
Knight of Cups Dir. Terrence Malick. Christian Bale, Wes Bentley, Brian Dennehy D+
Krisha Dir. Trey Edward Shults. Krisha Fairchild, Trey Edward Shults, Robyn Fairchild C+
Loving Dir. Jeff Nichols. Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Terri Abney, Marton Csokas B
Manchester by the Sea Dir. Kenneth Lonergan. Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges B
The Measure of a Man Dir. Stéphane Brizé. Vincent Lindon, Karine de Mirbeck B
The Meddler Dir. Lorene Scafaria. Susan Sarandon, Rose Byrne, J.K. Simmons B+
Mekong Hotel Dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Sakda Kaewbuadee B
Mia Madre Dir. Nanni Moretti. Margherita Buy, Giulia Lazzarini, John Turturro C
Miles Ahead Dir. Don Cheadle. Don Cheadle, Ewan McGregory, Emayatzy Corinealdi C+
Mirzya Dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Harshvardhan Kapoor, Saiyami Kher B
My Golden Days Dir. Arnaud Desplechin. Quentin Dolmaire, Lou Roy-Lecollinet B
Naz & Maalik Dir. Jay Dockendorf. Kerwin Johnson Jr., Curtiss Cook Jr., Annie Grier B
Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising Dir. Nicholas Stoller. Seth Rogen, Zac Efron C
The Neon Demon Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn. Elle Fanning, Jena Malone, Abbey Lee C
Paterson Dir. Jim Jarmusch. Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley B
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Dir. Gareth Edwards. Felicity Jones, Diego Luna B
Sing Street Dir. John Carney. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Ben Carolan B+
Sunset Song Dir. Terence Davies. Agyness Deyn, Kevin Guthrie, Peter Mullan, Ian Pirie C
Swiss Army Man Dirs. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan. Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe C
Tale of Tales Dir. Matteo Garrone. Salma Hayek, Christian Lees, Jonah Lees C
Tanna Dirs. Bentley Dean, Martin Butler. Marie Wawa, Mungau Dain, Marceline Rofit B
Tickled Dirs. David Farrier, Dylan Reeve. Documentary about online tickling network D+
The Treasure Dir. Corneliu Porumboiu. Toma Cuzin, Adrian Purcarescu A
Under the Shadow Dir. Babak Anvari. Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi B
White Girl Dir. Elizabeth Wood. Morgan Saylor, Brian Marc, India Mendez, Justin Bartha B
The Witch Dir. Robert Eggers. Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Ineson, Harvey Scrimshaw C
② Even if it's good, it's hardly groundbreaking
Beautiful Something Dir. Joseph Graham. Zack Ryan, Brian Sheppard C+
Bridget Jones's Baby Dir. Sharon Maguire. Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth B
Closet Monster Dir. Stephen Dunn. Connor Jessup, voice of Isabella Rossellini B
The Conjuring 2 Dir. James Wan. Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe C+
Deepwater Horizon Dir. Peter Berg. Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Gina Rodriguez C
Denial Dir. Mick Jackson. Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall, Andrew Scott C
Don't Breathe Dir. Fede Alvarez. Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Stephen Lang D
Florence Foster Jenkins Dir. Stephen Frears. Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg B
Front Cover Dir. Ray Leung. Jake Choi, James Chen, Elizabeth Sung, Ming Lee C+
Ghostbusters Dir. Paul Feig. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon D+
Goat Dir. Andrew Neel. Ben Schnetzer, Nick Jonas, Danny Flaherty, Gus Halper B
Hacksaw Ridge Dir. Mel Gibson. Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington C
Hello, My Name Is Doris Dir. Michael Showalter. Sally Field, Max Greenfield B
The Intervention Dir. Clea DuVall. Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Vincent Piazza B
The Jungle Book Dir. Jon Favreau. Neel Sethi, voices of Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o C+
Lazy Eye Dir. Tim Kirkman. Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Aaron Costa Ganis B
The Light Between Oceans Dir. Derek Cianfrance. Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander C+
Lights Out Dir. David F. Sandberg. Teresa Palmer, Gabriel Bateman, Maria Bello D
Lion Dir. Garth Davis. Dev Patel, Sunny Pawar, Rooney Mara, Nicole Kidman B
The Nice Guys Dir. Shane Black. Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice C+
Nocturnal Animals Dir. Tom Ford. Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon D
Other People Dir. Chris Kelly. Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford B
The Secret Life of Pets Dir. Chris Renaud. Voices of Louis CK, Eric Stonestreet C+
The Shallows Dir. Jaume Collet-Serra. Blake Lively, Óscar Jaenada, Sedona Legge B
Snowden Dir. Oliver Stone. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans C+
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four Dir. Deborah S. Esquenazi B
Star Trek: Beyond Dir. Justin Lin. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Idris Elba B
① Low ambition, little originality, easy to forget
Almost Christmas Dir. David E. Talbert. Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Gabrielle Union C
Blair Witch Dir. Adam Wingard. James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott C
Genius Dir. Michael Grandage. Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney F
Jason Bourne Dir. Paul Greengrass. Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones C
A Man Called Ove Dir. Hannes Holm. Rolf Lassgård, Filip Berg, Bahar Pars C
Money Monster Dir. Jodie Foster. George Clooney, Jack O'Connell, Julia Roberts C
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