The Best (and Worst) Movies of 2016 So Far

by Jason Dietz, Metacritic Features Editor
and Keith Kimbell, Metacritic Film Editor
Publish Date: July 1, 2016
Comments: ↓ 9 user comments

Highest-scoring films from the first half of the year

Below are the best-reviewed movies released between January 1, 2016 and June 30, 2016 with a minimum of 7 reviews from professional critics, ranked by Metascore (prior to rounding). All scores are from July 1, 2016. Re-releases are excluded.

90 The Fits Oscilloscope
Director Anna Rose Holmer’s impressive feature narrative debut is a psychological portrait of 11-year-old Toni (Royalty Hightower), a tomboy assimilating to a tight-knit dance team in Cincinnati's West End. The film impressed observers during festival screenings in Venice and Sundance before adding more glowing reviews upon its theatrical release in early June.	Watch now:

90 Paths of the Soul Icarus Films
Chinese director Zhang Yang (Shower) blends documentary with fiction as he follows a group of real Tibetan Buddhist villagers on a pilgrimage to Tibet's capital—a truly unique journey that involves lying flat on the highway every few steps of the 1,200-mile trip.

87 Krisha A24
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at SXSW last year, this debut feature from writer-director-actor-editor Trey Edward Shults stars his own aunt, Krisha Fairchild, at the titular character, who shows up at her sister’s house on Thanksgiving morning and attempts to reconcile with her relatives, resulting in an emotionally taxing day for everyone.

87 Cemetery of Splendor Strand Releasing
The latest from Thai writer-director Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul already landed on some year-end top 10 lists (in 2015) thanks to an excellent debut at Cannes last year. The enigmatic film centers on a housewife who volunteers to look after soldiers suffering from a a mysterious sleeping sickness.	Watch now:

87 My Golden Days Magnolia Pictures
Director Arnaud Desplechin (A Christmas Tale and Kings & Queen) returns to the story of Paul Dédalus (Matheiu Amalric) that he began in 1996 with My Sex Life… or How I Got Into an Argument. About to return to Paris, Dédalus reflects on his childhood relationships with his mother, his father, and, most of all, the love of his life, Esther. Quentin Dolmaire, making his screen debut, plays the young Dédalus.	Watch now:

... and the rest of the top 50
Movie		Score
6	Love & Friendship DRAMEDY	87
7	The Treasure FOREIGN/COMEDY	87
8	April and the Extraordinary World FOREIGN/ANIMATION	85
9	Aferim! FOREIGN/DRAMA	85
10	Weiner DOCUMENTARY	84
11	Everybody Wants Some!! COMEDY	84
12	De Palma DOCUMENTARY	83
13	The Witch HORROR	83
14	Kaili Blues FOREIGN/DRAMA	83
15	The Lobster SCI-FI/COMEDY/DRAMA	83
16	Rams FOREIGN/DRAMA	82
17	Embrace of the Serpent FOREIGN/ADVENTURE	82
18	Nuts! DOCUMENTARY	82
19	A War FOREIGN/DRAMA	81
20	The Wailing FOREIGN/HORROR/THRILLER	81
21	Right Now, Wrong Then FOREIGN/DRAMA	81
22	Neon Bull FOREIGN/DRAMA	81
23	Pervert Park DOCUMENTARY	80
24	Hunt for the Wilderpeople COMEDY/DRAMA	80
25	Green Room THRILLER	80
26	Colliding Dreams DOCUMENTARY	79
27	Sing Street MUSICAL	79
28	The Witness DOCUMENTARY	79
29	Mountains May Depart FOREIGN/DRAMA	79
30	The Last Man on the Moon DOCUMENTARY	79
31	No Home Movie DOCUMENTARY	78
32	Zootopia ANIMATION/FAMILY	78
33	Trapped DOCUMENTARY	78
34	Finding Dory ANIMATION/FAMILY	77
35	The Dark Horse DRAMA	77
36	The Jungle Book ANIMATION/FAMILY	77
37	Presenting Princess Shaw DOCUMENTARY/MUSIC	77
38	Dheepan FOREIGN/DRAMA	77
39	Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures DOCUMENTARY	76
40	Maggie's Plan DRAMA/COMEDY	76
41	Midnight Special SCI-FI/THRILLER/DRAMA	76
42	Tickled DOCUMENTARY	76
43	10 Cloverfield Lane SCI-FI/THRILLER	76
44	Marguerite FOREIGN/DRAMA	76
45	Chevalier FOREIGN/DRAMEDY	76
46	Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words DOCUMENTARY/MUSIC	76
47	Diamond Tongues DRAMA/COMEDY	75
48	Dark Horse DRAMA/DOCUMENTARY	75
49	Time to Choose DOCUMENTARY	75
50	Captain America: Civil War ACTION-ADVENTURE/SCI-FI/THRILLER	75

Lowest-scoring films of 2016 so far

Movie		Score
1	Cabin Fever HORROR/COMEDY	14
Travis Zariwny's remake of Eli Roth's 2003 horror film about a flesh-eating virus uses Roth's original script almost in its entirety—and couples that with a largely incompetent cast—leading to understandable complaints about the new film's utter pointlessness. But at this time last year, the lowest-scoring movie had a 1, so ... consider this an improvement?
2	Mother's Day DRAMA/COMEDY	18
3	Dirty Grandpa COMEDY	18
4	Martyrs DRAMA/THRILLER/HORROR	19
5	Norm of the North ANIMATION/FAMILY	21
6	God's Not Dead 2 DRAMA	22
7	Search Party COMEDY	22
8	The Do-Over ACTION-ADVENTURE/COMEDY	22
9	Misconduct DRAMA/THRILLER	24
10	Gods of Egypt ACTION/FANTASY	25

What are your favorites?

What are your top films from 2016 so far? Let us know in the discussion section below.

Comments (9)

First to Last
Latest

DanBurrito
- Oct 29, 2016 4:33AM
Well, it looks like Moonlight will be the highest scoring film of the year. I can't see any movie getting a higher score by this stage.
DanBurrito
- Sep 16, 2016 10:30AM
To be honest, this hasn't been a great year. A lot of great movies came out in 2015, but this year has been a bit "meh" so far. Hopefully, things will pick up during awards season.
CoriolanX
- Aug 8, 2016 6:50AM
i've never even heard of the top five
RafaelDB464
- Jul 7, 2016 8:53PM
Digimon Tri Part 2 should have been on the worst list...
PerksOfBeingNat
- Jul 7, 2016 2:29AM
Top 5 based on UK release (meaning films like Finding Dory haven't come out here yet and some films that were released late last year in the US are considered 2016 releases here).

1. Room
2. Captain America: Civil War
3. Spotlight
4. The Jungle Book
5. Joy/Zootopia

Be sure to check out my reviewed films of 2016, if you're interested, and let me know what you thought of them too! - http://perksofbeingnath.blogspot.co.uk/p/film-index_8.html?m=1
applescruff
- Jul 5, 2016 12:30PM
1. The Lobster
2. Green Room
3. The Witch
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. The Nice Guys
6. Midnight Special
7. Zootopia
8. Everybody Wants Some
9. Deadpool
10. Finding Dory/Hail Caesar (tie)
DanBurrito
- Jul 4, 2016 7:19AM
My favourites (so far). 1. Captain America: Civil War. 2. Sing Street. 3. Miles Ahead. 4. Zootopia. 5. The Jungle Book.
Coldplayer
- Jul 3, 2016 4:23PM
Not so unpopular! I think it's my favorite of all time now. Were you talking about the ultimate cut as well or the theatrical cut? I loved both, but I prefer the ultimate of course.
TelephonePole
- Jul 1, 2016 9:44PM
Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice for me. I can see that this is an incredibly unpopular opinion; especially for me choosing this as the best movie of 2016 so far.

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