La La Land – Do Not Resist – Moonlight – Manchester by the Sea – Love & Friendship – Zootopia – The Birth of a Nation

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: World Premieres
 By Title // By Grade // By VOR Rating

Complete Reviews
= Full Review   /   = Capsule   /   = Feature or Blog Post   /   = Grain of Salt

 20th Century Women Dir. Mike Mills. Annette Bening, Lucas Jade Zumann A
 24 Weeks Dir. Anne Zohra Berrached. Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf A–
 Aquarius Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho. Sônia Braga, Humberto Carrão, Zoraide Coleto A–
 Do Not Resist Dir. Craig Atkinson. Documentary about the militarizing of U.S. police A–
 Fire at Sea Dir. Gianfranco Rosi. Documentary about kids and refugees in Lampedusa A–
 Moonlight Dir. Barry Jenkins. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes A
 Raising Bertie Dir. Margaret Byrne. Documentary about black teens in North Carolina A–
 Things to Come Dir. Mia Hansen-Løve. Isabelle Huppert, Roman Kolinka, André Marcon A
 Toni Erdmann Dir. Maren Ade. Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Thomas Loibl A

Full Listing of Films Screened

10 Cloverfield Lane Dir. Dan Trachtenberg. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman C
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
24 Weeks Dir. Anne Zohra Berrached. Julia Jentsch, Bjarne Mädel, Johanna Gastdorf A–
4 Days in France Dir. Jérôme Reybaud. Pascal Cervo, Arthur Igual, Fabienne Babe B
93 Days Dir. Steve Gukas. Somkele Idhalama, Bimbo Akintola, Seun Kentebe B–

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail Dir. Steve James. Documentary about a bank on trial B
Abortion: Stories Women Tell Dir. Tracy Droz Tragos. Clinic-based documentary B
After the Storm Dir. Hirokazu Kore-eda. Hiroshi Abe, Yôko Maki, Lily Franky B
All This Panic Dir. Jenny Gage. Documentary about adolescent girls coming of age B–
Allied Dir. Robert Zemeckis. Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris, Lizzy Caplan C–
Almost Christmas Dir. David E. Talbert. Danny Glover, Kimberly Elise, Gabrielle Union C–
American Anarchist Dir. Charlie Siskel. Documentary about The Anarchist Cookbook B–
American Honey Dir. Andrea Arnold. Sasha Lane, Shia LaBeouf, Riley Keough B+
American Pastoral Dir. Ewan McGregor. Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly D+
Among Wolves Dir. Shawn Convey. Documentary about humanitarian biker gang B
Aquarius Dir. Kleber Mendonça Filho. Sônia Braga, Humberto Carrão, Zoraide Coleto A–
Are We Not Cats Dir. Xander Robin. Michael Patrick Nicholson, Chelsea LJ Lopez B–
Arrival Dir. Denis Villeneuve. Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker B
The Assignment Dir. Walter Hill. Michelle Rodriguez, Sigourney Weaver D
Audrie & Daisy Dirs. Bonni Cohen, John Shenk. Documentary about assault survivors B

The Bad Batch Dir. Ana Lily Amirpour. Suki Waterhouse, Jason Momoa, Jayda Fink C–
Before the Fall Dir. Byrum Geisler. Ethan Sharrett, Chase Conner, Jonathan Horvath D
Being 17 Dir. André Téchiné. Kacey Mottet Klein, Corentin Fila, Sandrine Kiberlain B
Below Her Mouth Dir. April Mullen. Erika Linders, Natalie Krill, Sebastian Pigott C
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk Dir. Ang Lee. Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel C
The Birth of a Nation Dir. Nate Parker. Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Aja Naomi King B
Blair Witch Dir. Adam Wingard. James Allen McCune, Callie Hernandez, Brandon Scott C
Bridget Jones's Baby Dir. Sharon Maguire. Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth B–
Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Dir. Fisher Stevens, et al. B
bwoy Dir. John G. Young. Anthony Rapp, Jimmy Brooks, De'Adre Aziza, Ashton Randle B–
By the Time It Gets Dark Dir. Anocha Suwichakornpong. Arak Amornsupasiri B–

Café Society Dir. Woody Allen. Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell C
Cameraperson Dir. Kirsten Johnson. Collaged footage from cinematographer's career B+
Captain Fantastic Dir. Matt Ross. Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler B
Catfight Dir. Onur Tukel. Sandra Oh, Anne Heche, Alicia Silverstone B–
Certain Women Dir. Kelly Reichardt. Laura Dern, Michelle Williams, Lily Gladstone B
The Challenge Dir. Yuri Ancarani. Documentary about Qatari falcon enthusiasts B–
Chemical Cut Dir. Marjorie Conrad. Marjorie Conrad, Ian Coster, Leah Rudick D
Christine Dir. Antonio Campos. Rebecca Hall, Tracy Letts, Michael C. Hall, Maria Dizzia B–
Colossal Dir. Nacho Vigalondo. Anne Hathaway, Jason Sudeikis, Dan Stevens D+
The Conjuring 2 Dir. James Wan. Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Madison Wolfe C+
Crosscurrent Dir. Yang Chao. Qin Hao, Xin Zhilei, Tan Kai, Wang Hongwei, Wu Lipeng B+

Daddy's Boy Dir. Daniel Armando. Al Miro, Jonathan Iglesias, Joe Lopez, James Koroni B+
The Darkness Dir. Daniel Castro Zimbrón. Brontis Jodorowsky, Aliocha Sotnikoff C+
The Daughter Dir. Luis Sampieri. María Laura Cuarhavilca, Santiago Paz Posse C+
Deadpool Dir. Tim Miller. Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller C
The Death of Louis XIV Dir. Albert Serra. Jean-Pierre Léaud, Patrick d'Assumçao B+
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
Do Not Resist Dir. Craig Atkinson. Documentary about the militarizing of U.S. police A–
Don't Breathe Dir. Fede Alvarez. Jane Levy, Dylan Minnette, Stephen Lang D–

The Edge of Seventeen Dir. Kelly Fremon Craig. Hailee Steinfeld, Haley Lu Richardson B+
Elle Dir. Paul Verhoeven. Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny A–
Everybody Wants Some!! Dir. Richard Linklater. Blake Jenner, Glen Powell C–
The Eyes of My Mother Dir. Nicolas Pesce. Kika Magalhães, Diana Agostini, Paul Nazak B

Fado Dir. Jonas Rothlaender. Golo Euler, Luise Heyer, Albano Jerónimo, Pirjo Lonka C
Fences Dir. Denzel Washington. Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Jovan Adepo B
Finals Dir. Adel Yaraghi. Shahab Hosseini, Amir Salamati, Behnam Asgari, Leila Zare C+
Fire at Sea Dir. Gianfranco Rosi. Documentary about kids and refugees in Lampedusa A–
Florence Foster Jenkins Dir. Stephen Frears. Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg B–
Frantz Dir. François Ozon. Paula Beer, Pierre Niney, Ernst Stötzner, Marie Gruber C+
From the Land of the Moon Dir. Nicole Garcia. Marion Cotillard, Àlex Brendemühl B–

Genius Dir. Michael Grandage. Colin Firth, Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Laura Linney F
Ghostbusters Dir. Paul Feig. Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon D+
The Girl on the Train Dir. Tate Taylor. Emily Blunt, Haley Bennett, Rebecca Ferguson D
Girls Don't Fly Dir. Monika Grassl. Documentary about Ghanaian aviation academy B+
Goat Dir. Andrew Neel. Ben Schnetzer, Nick Jonas, Danny Flaherty, Gus Halper B–
Graduation Dir. Cristian Mungiu. Adrian Titieni, Maria-Victoria Dragus, Malina Manovici B

Hacksaw Ridge Dir. Mel Gibson. Andrew Garfield, Teresa Palmer, Sam Worthington 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–
The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki Dir. Juho Kuosmanen. Jarkko Lahti B
Harmonium Dir. Kôji Fukada. Tadanobu Asano, Taiga, Mariko Tsutsui B
Heal the Living Dir. Katell Quillévéré. Gabin Verdet, Bouli Lanners, Tahar Rahim B
Heartstone Dir. Guðmunder Amar Guðmundsson. Balður Einarsson, Blær Hinriksson C+
Hell or High Water Dir. David Mackenzie. Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges B
Hermia & Helena Dir. Matías Piñeiro. Agustina Muñoz, María Villar, Mati Diop B
Hidden Figures Dir. Theodore Melfi. Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe B
Hounds of Love Dir. Ben Young. Emma Booth, Ashleigh Cummings, Stephen Curry B
The Human Surge Dir. Eduardo Williams. Sergio Morosini, Shine Marx B
Hunt for the Wilderpeople Dir. Taika Waititi. Julian Dennison, Sam Neill B–

I Am Not Your Negro Dir. Raoul Peck. Nonfiction collage drawn from James Baldwin B+
I, Daniel Blake Dir. Ken Loach. Dave Johns, Hayley Squires, Briana Shann B
Illegitimate Dir. Adrian Sitaru. Robi Urs, Alina Grigore, Bogdan Albulescu C+
In Bed with Victoria Dir. Justine Triet. Virginie Efira, Vincent Lacoste, Melvil Poupaud B–
In Between Dir. Maysaloun Hamoud. Mouna Hawa, Sana Jammelieh, Shaden Kanboura B–
Indignation Dir. James Schamus. Logan Lerman, Sarah Gadon, Danny Burstein C
The Intervention Dir. Clea DuVall. Melanie Lynskey, Cobie Smulders, Vincent Piazza B
It's Only the End of the World Dir. Xavier Dolan. Gaspard Ulliel, Nathalie Baye C–

Jackie Dir. Pablo Larraín. Natalie Portman, Billy Crudup, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig C
Jason Bourne Dir. Paul Greengrass. Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones C–
Julieta Dir. Pedro Almodóvar. Adriana Ugarte, Emma Suárez, Daniel Grao B+
The Jungle Book Dir. Jon Favreau. Neel Sethi, voices of Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong'o C+

Karl Marx City Dirs. Petra Epperlein, Michael Tucker. Documentary about the Stasi B
Kate Plays Christine Dir. Robert Greene. Documentary about an actress's preparation B
Kati Kati Dir. Mbithi Masya. Nyokabi Gethaiga, Elsaphan Njora, Paul Ogola B+
Kékszakállú Dir. Gastón Solnicki. Laila Maltz, Natali Maltz, María Soldi B
Kiki Dir. Sara Jördeno. Documentary about the New York ball-walking scene B
King Cobra Dir. Justin Kelly. Garrett Clayton, Christian Slater, Keegan Allen D–
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–
Lady Macbeth Dir. William Oldroyd. Florence Pugh, Cosmo Jarvis, Paul Hilton B
The Landscape Within Dir. Andrea Capranico. Documentary about queer Filipino artist B+
The Last Face Dir. Sean Penn. Charlize Theron, Javier Bardem, Jared Harris F
Last Men Standing Dirs. Erin Bethauer, Tim Hussin. Documentary B+
Layla M. Dir. Mijke De Jong. Nora El Koussour, Ilias Addab, Hassan Akkouch B
Lazy Eye Dir. Tim Kirkman. Lucas Near-Verbrugghe, Aaron Costa Ganis B–
Life, Animated Dir. Roger Ross Williams. Documentary about autistic animation fan 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–
Little Men Dir. Ira Sachs. Theo Taplitz, Michael Barbieri, Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle B
The Lost City of Z Dir. James Gray. Charlie Hunnam, Sienna Miller, Robert Pattinson B+
Love & Friendship Dir. Whit Stillman. Kate Beckinsale, Xavier Samuel B
The Love Witch Dir. Anna Biller. Samantha Robinson, Laura Waddell, Gian Keys C
Lovesong Dir. So Yong Kim. Riley Keough, Jena Malone, Jessie Ok Gray, Sky Ok Gray B+
Loving Dir. Jeff Nichols. Joel Edgerton, Ruth Negga, Terri Abney, Marton Csokas B–

Ma' Rosa Dir. Brillante Mendoza. Jaclyn Jose, Julio Diaz, Felix Roco, Jomari Angeles A–
Malaria Dir. Parvaz Shahbazi. Saed Soheili, Saghar Ghanaat, Azarakhsh Farahani B
Manchester by the Sea Dir. Kenneth Lonergan. Casey Affleck, Lucas Hedges B
Maudie Dir. Aisling Walsh. Sally Hawkins, Ethan Hawke, Kari Matchett, Gabrielle Rose B+
A Mere Breath Dir. Monica Lãzurean-Gorgan. Documentary about Romanian family B+
Midnight Special Dir. Jeff Nichols. Jaeden Lieberher, Michael Shannon, Kirsten Dunst B
Mimosas Dir. Oliver Laxe. Ahmed Hammoud, Shakib Ben Omar, Saïd Aagli A–
Ministry of Love Dir. Pavo Marinković. Stjepan Perić, Dražen Kühn, Ecija Ojdanić B–
Mirzya Dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. Harshvardhan Kapoor, Saiyami Kher B
Miss Sloane Dir. John Madden. Jessica Chastain, Mark Strong, Gugu Mbatha-Raw C+
Moana Dirs. Ron Clements, John Musker. Animated. Voice of Auli'i Cravalho B+
Money Monster Dir. Jodie Foster. George Clooney, Jack O'Connell, Julia Roberts C–
Moonlight Dir. Barry Jenkins. Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes A
My Entire High School Sinking into the Sea Dir. Dash Shaw B
My Life as a Zucchini Dir. Claude Barras. Voices of Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat A–

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
Neruda Dir. Pablo Larraín. Luis Gnecco, Gael García Bernal, Mercedes Morán B+
The Nice Guys Dir. Shane Black. Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angourie Rice C+
Nocturama Dir. Bertrand Bonello. Finnegan Oldfield, Laure Valentinelli, Hamza Meziani B+
Nocturnal Animals Dir. Tom Ford. Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon D

O.J.: Made in America Dir. Ezra Edelman. Documentary about the fallen athlete B
The Ornithologist Dir. João Pedro Rodrigues. Paul Hamy, Xelo Cagiao, Wen Han A–
Other People Dir. Chris Kelly. Jesse Plemons, Molly Shannon, Bradley Whitford B

Paint It Black Dir. Amber Tamblyn. Alia Shawkat, Janet McTeer, Rhys Wakefield C
Panamerican Machinery Dir. Joaquin del Paso. Javier Zaragoza, Ramiro Orozco B+
Paradise Dir. Andrei Konchalovsky. Yuliya Vysotskaya, Peter Kurth, Filipp Dyuken B
Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo Dirs. Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau B
The Pass Dir. Ben A. Williams. Russell Tovey, Arinzé Kene, Lisa McGrillis D
Passengers Dir. Morten Tyldum. Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen C
Paterson Dir. Jim Jarmusch. Adam Driver, Golshifteh Farahani, Barry Shabaka Henley B
Personal Shopper Dir. Olivier Assayas. Kristen Stewart, Sigrid Bouaziz B
Prevenge Dir. Alice Lowe. Alice Lowe, Kayvan Novak, Gemma Whelan, Tom Davis C+

Queen of Katwe Dir. Mira Nair. Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong'o B
A Quiet Passion Dir. Terence Davies. Cynthia Nixon, Jennifer Ehle, Keith Carradine B+

Raising Bertie Dir. Margaret Byrne. Documentary about black teens in North Carolina A–
Rat Film Dir. Theo Anthony. Documentary about Baltimore, via its rat population B
Raw Dir. Julia DuCournau. Garance Marillier, Ella Rumpf, Rabah Nait Oufella B
The Red Turtle Dir. Michael Dudok de Wit. Voices of Emmanuel Garijo, Tom Hudson B
The Revival: Women and the Word Dir. Sekiya Dorsett. Documentary about poets B
Rocco Dirs. Thierry Demaizière, Alban Teurlai. Documentary about porn star B
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Dir. Gareth Edwards. Felicity Jones, Diego Luna B–

The Salesman Dir. Asghar Farhadi. Shahab Hosseini, Taraneh Alidoosti, Babak Karimi A–
Samuel in the Clouds Dir. Pieter Van Eecke. Documentary about ski-lift operator B+
Santa y Andrés Dir. Carlos Lechuga. Lola Amores, Eduardo Martínez, George Abreu 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–
Sieranevada Dir. Cristi Puiu. Mimi Branescu, Marin Grigore, Rolando Matsangos B+
Silence Dir. Martin Scorsese. Andrew Garfield, Yôsuke Kubozuka, Adam Driver B+
Sing Street Dir. John Carney. Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Lucy Boynton, Ben Carolan B+
Slack Bay Dir. Bruno Dumont. Brandon Lavieville, Didier Després, Fabrice Luchini B
Snowden Dir. Oliver Stone. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Rhys Ifans B–
Southside with You Dir. Richard Tanne. Tika Sumpter, Parker Sawyers B+
Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four Dir. Deborah S. Esquenazi B–
Spa Night Dir. Andrew Ahn. Joe Seo, Cho Youn Ho, Haerry Kim, Song Tae B+
Star Trek: Beyond Dir. Justin Lin. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Idris Elba B
Starless Dreams Dir. Mehrdad Oskovei. Documentary about Iranian girls' prison A–
Staying Vertical Dir. Alain Guiraudie. Damien Bonnard, India Hair, Raphaël Thiéry B–
Strange Weather Dir. Katherine Dieckmann. Holly Hunter, Carrie Coon, Kim Coates C
Strike a Pose Dirs. Ester Gould, Reijer Zwaan. Documentary about backup dancers B–
The Student Dir. Kirill Serebrennikov. Pyotr Skvortsov, Viktoriya Isakova A–
Sully Dir. Clint Eastwood. Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Mike O'Malley B
Suntan Dir. Argyris Papadimitropoulos. Makis Papadimitriou, Elli Tringou, Marcus Collen C+
Swiss Army Man Dirs. Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan. Paul Dano, Daniel Radcliffe C

Taekwondo Dirs. Marco Berger, Martin Farina. Gabriel Epstein, Lucas Papa B
Things to Come Dir. Mia Hansen-Løve. Isabelle Huppert, Roman Kolinka, André Marcon A
Tickled Dirs. David Farrier, Dylan Reeve. Documentary about online tickling network D+
Tomcat Dir. Händl Klaus. Lukas Turtur, Philipp Hochmair, Thomas Stipsits A–
Toni Erdmann Dir. Maren Ade. Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Thomas Loibl A
Tower Dir. Keith Maitland. Documentary about 1966 University of Texas shootings B
Trapped Dir. Dawn Porter. Documentary about abortion providers in the U.S. South B

Una Dir. Benedict Andrews. Rooney Mara, Ben Mendelsohn, Ruby Stokes, Riz Ahmed C+
Under the Shadow Dir. Babak Anvari. Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi B
The Unknown Girl Dirs. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne. Adèle Haenel, Jérémie Renier B
The Untamed Dir. Amat Escalante. Ruth Ramos, Simone Bucio, Eden Villavicencio B
Upstairs Inferno Dir. Robert L. Camina. Documentary about a New Orleans hate crime B

Voyage of Time Dir. Terrence Malick. Collage of biological evolutions and modern life B

Wakefield Dir. Robin Swicord. Bryan Cranston, Jennifer Garner, Jason O'Mara F
We Are the Flesh Dir. Emiliano Rocha Minter. Noé Hernández, María Evoli B–
Weiner Dirs. Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg. Documentary about political campaign B
Where You're Meant to Be Dir. Paul Fegan. Documentary about Scottish ballads B–
White Girl Dir. Elizabeth Wood. Morgan Saylor, Brian Marc, India Mendez, Justin Bartha B
Wolf and Sheep Dir. Shahrbanoo Sadat. Sediqa, Qodrat, Amina, Sahar, Masuma, Zekria B+
The Woman Who Left Dir. Lav Diaz. Charo Santos, John Lloyd Cruz A–
A Woman's Life Dir. Stéphane Brizé. Judith Chemla, Swann Arlaud, Nina Meurisse A–

Year by the Sea Dir. Alexander Janko. Karen Allen, Michael Cristofer, Celia Imrie C–
Your Name Dir. Makoto Shinkai. Voices of Mone Kamishiraishi, Ryûnosuke Kamiki B+

Zootopia Dirs. Byron Howard, Rich Moore. Voices of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman B