Oscars checklist, take two: ratings, trailers, and more for every movie
In my last post, I made a list of the movies most likely to be nominated for Oscars, assigning them points based on Gold Derby’s odds in each category. But I didn’t know much about many of the films themselves, other than their title. So I went through and compiled Rotten Tomatoes & Metacritic scores, trailers, ratings, runtimes, actors, and more. Hope this helps some of you too!
(You can click on the movie names in the table below to jump down to more info about each one.)
| Num | Points | Title | RT | MC | Genre | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 504.46pts | La La Land | 95% | 92 | Comedy | PG-13 |
| 2. | 230.70pts | Jackie | 88% | 80 | Biography | R |
| 3. | 194.60pts | Manchester by the Sea | 97% | 96 | Drama | R |
| 4. | 165.78pts | Fences | 92% | 77 | Drama | PG-13 |
| 5. | 152.67pts | Silence | 96% | 83 | Drama | R |
| 6. | 139.74pts | Moonlight | 98% | 99 | Drama | R |
| 7. | 103.18pts | Hacksaw Ridge | 87% | 71 | Drama | R |
| 8. | 75.50pts | Arrival | 94% | 81 | Drama | PG-13 |
| 9. | 71.54pts | Rogue One: A Star Wars Story | 84% | 65 | Action | PG-13 |
| 10. | 57.51pts | The Jungle Book | 94% | 77 | Adventure | PG |
| 11. | 55.33pts | Zootopia | 98% | 78 | Animation | PG |
| 12. | 51.49pts | Lion | 83% | 66 | Drama | PG-13 |
| 13. | 50.73pts | Loving | 89% | 79 | Biography | PG-13 |
| 14. | 49.29pts | Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them | 75% | 66 | Adventure | PG-13 |
| 15. | 39.33pts | Doctor Strange | 90% | 72 | Action | PG-13 |
| 16. | 34.07pts | Nocturnal Animals | 72% | 67 | Drama | R |
| 17. | 30.43pts | Hidden Figures | 95% | 66 | Drama | PG |
| 18. | 28.11pts | Florence Foster Jenkins | 87% | 71 | Biography | PG-13 |
| 19. | 26.29pts | 20th Century Women | 91% | 77 | Comedy | R |
| 20. | 23.38pts | Hell or High Water | 98% | 88 | Crime | R |
| 21. | 20.71pts | Sully | 86% | 74 | Biography | PG-13 |
| 22. | 20.00pts | Kubo and the Two Strings | 97% | 84 | Animation | PG |
| 23. | 18.37pts | Live By Night | TBD | n/a | Crime | R |
| 24. | 15.38pts | Moana | 95% | 81 | Animation | PG |
| 25. | 13.85pts | Deepwater Horizon | 84% | 68 | Action | PG-13 |
| 26. | 13.50pts | Finding Dory | 94% | 77 | Animation | PG |
| 27. | 12.28pts | A Monster Calls | 85% | 77 | Drama | PG-13 |
| 28. | 11.17pts | Rules Don’t Apply | 56% | 59 | Comedy | PG-13 |
| 29. | 9.09pts | The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge) | 90% | 92 | Animation | PG |
| 30. | 7.14pts | Sing | 70% | 57 | Animation | PG |
| 31. | 7.00pts | Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children | 63% | 57 | Adventure | PG-13 |
| 32. | 5.50pts | Captain Fantastic | 82% | 72 | Comedy | R |
| 33. | 5.00pts | Passengers | 31% | 40 | Adventure | PG-13 |
| 34. | 4.57pts | Deadpool | 84% | 65 | Action | R |
| 35. | 4.25pts | Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk | 45% | 53 | Drama | R |
| 36. | 4.00pts | Captain America: Civil War | 90% | 75 | Action | PG-13 |
| 37. | 3.57pts | Sausage Party | 83% | 66 | Animation | R |
| 38. | 3.57pts | Allied | 60% | 60 | Action | R |
| 39. | 3.04pts | Hail, Caesar! | 85% | 72 | Comedy | PG-13 |
| 40. | 3.00pts | The Birth of a Nation | 72% | 68 | Biography | R |
| 41. | 2.77pts | Love & Friendship | 98% | 87 | Comedy | PG |
| 42. | 2.52pts | The Founder | 78% | 64 | Biography | PG-13 |
| 43. | 2.52pts | Star Trek Beyond | 84% | 68 | Action | PG-13 |
| 44. | 2.52pts | Elle | 89% | 89 | Drama | R |
| 45. | 2.50pts | The Little Prince | 93% | 69 | Animation | PG |
| 46. | 2.50pts | Miss Sloane | 69% | 64 | Drama | R |
| 47. | 1.52pts | Denial | 81% | 64 | Biography | PG-13 |
| 48. | 1.25pts | Trolls | 76% | 56 | Animation | PG |
| 49. | 1.00pts | Warcraft | 28% | 32 | Action | PG-13 |
| 50. | 1.00pts | The Lobster | 90% | 82 | Comedy | R |
| 51. | 1.00pts | The Hollars | 43% | 53 | Comedy | PG-13 |
| 52. | 1.00pts | The BFG | 75% | 66 | Adventure | PG |
| 53. | 1.00pts | Snowden | 62% | 58 | Biography | R |
| 54. | 1.00pts | Queen of Katwe | 92% | 73 | Biography | PG |
| 55. | 1.00pts | Patriots Day | 93% | 72 | Drama | TBD |
| 56. | 1.00pts | My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette) | 100% | 85 | Animation | TBD |
| 57. | 1.00pts | Miss Hokusai (Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai) | 93% | 74 | Animation | PG-13 |
| 58. | 1.00pts | Gold | TBD | n/a | Adventure | R |
| 59. | 1.00pts | Café Society | 70% | 64 | Comedy | PG-13 |
| 60. | 1.00pts | Bleed for This | 70% | 62 | Biography | R |
(Note: I updated all movies to the latest Rotten Tomatoes/Metacritic scores, so they are slightly different from my previous post.)
Legend
- ● = No longer playing in theaters.
- ● = Currently in theaters.
- ● = Not yet released in theaters.
Most of the information in the tables below is from IMDB.1 I’ve updated the release dates to when the movie goes out in wide release, if I knew it (this is surprisingly hard-to-find data!).2 The plot synopses for each movie are from IMDB, because I noticed their synopses don’t spoil major details revealed an hour into movies (why do other sites do this? It’s maddening!). And finally, the critics consensuses are from Rotten Tomatoes and do a pretty good job of whetting your appetite without spoiling the films either.
1. La La Land (504.46pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 95% |
| METASCORE | 92/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 08min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-16 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Musical |
| WRITTEN BY | Damien Chazelle |
| DIRECTED BY | Damien Chazelle |
| STARRING | Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart.
2. Jackie (230.70pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 88% |
| METASCORE | 80/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 39min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-02 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Noah Oppenheim |
| DIRECTED BY | Pablo Larraín |
| STARRING | Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, Greta Gerwig |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy fights through grief and trauma to regain her faith, console her children, and define her husband’s historic legacy.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Jackie offers an alluring peek into a beloved American public figure’s private world – and an enthralling starring performance from Natalie Portman in the bargain.
3. Manchester by the Sea (194.60pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 97% |
| METASCORE | 96/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 17min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-18 ● |
| GENRE | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Kenneth Lonergan |
| DIRECTED BY | Kenneth Lonergan |
| STARRING | Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An uncle is forced to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy’s father dies.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Manchester by the Sea delivers affecting drama populated by full-bodied characters, marking another strong step forward for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan.
4. Fences (165.78pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 92% |
| METASCORE | 77/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 18min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-25 ● |
| GENRE | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | August Wilson (screenplay), August Wilson (play) |
| DIRECTED BY | Denzel Washington |
| STARRING | Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Mykelti Williamson |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An African-American father struggles with race relations in the United States while trying to raise his family in the 1950s and coming to terms with the events of his life.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
5. Silence (152.67pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 96% |
| METASCORE | 83/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 39min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-23 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / History |
| WRITTEN BY | Jay Cocks (screenplay), Martin Scorsese (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Martin Scorsese |
| STARRING | Adam Driver, Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In the seventeenth century, two Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and propagate Christianity.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
6. Moonlight (139.74pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 98% |
| METASCORE | 99/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 51min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-18 ● |
| GENRE | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Barry Jenkins (screenplay), Tarell Alvin McCraney (story by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Barry Jenkins |
| STARRING | Mahershala Ali, Shariff Earp, Duan Sanderson |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A timeless story of human connection and self-discovery, Moonlight chronicles the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he struggles to find his place in the world while growing up in a rough neighborhood of Miami.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Moonlight uses one man’s story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.
7. Hacksaw Ridge (103.18pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 87% |
| METASCORE | 71/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 19min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-04 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / History / War |
| WRITTEN BY | Robert Schenkkan (screenplay), Andrew Knight (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Mel Gibson |
| STARRING | Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Hacksaw Ridge uses a real-life pacifist’s legacy to lay the groundwork for a gripping wartime tribute to faith, valor, and the courage of remaining true to one’s convictions.
8. Arrival (75.50pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 94% |
| METASCORE | 81/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 56min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-11 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / Mystery / Sci-Fi |
| WRITTEN BY | Eric Heisserer (screenplay), Ted Chiang (based on the story “Story of Your Life” written by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Denis Villeneuve |
| STARRING | Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A linguist is recruited by the military to assist in translating alien communications.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Arrival delivers a must-see experience for fans of thinking person’s sci-fi that anchors its heady themes with genuinely affecting emotion and a terrific performance from Amy Adams.
9. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (71.54pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 84% |
| METASCORE | 65/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 13min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-16 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi |
| WRITTEN BY | Chris Weitz (screenplay), Tony Gilroy (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Gareth Edwards |
| STARRING | Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The Rebellion makes a risky move to steal the plans to the Death Star, setting up the epic saga to follow.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Rogue One draws deep on Star Wars mythology while breaking new narrative and aesthetic ground – and suggesting a bright blockbuster future for the franchise.
10. The Jungle Book (57.51pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 94% |
| METASCORE | 77/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 46min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-04-15 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Drama / Family |
| WRITTEN BY | Justin Marks (screenplay), Rudyard Kipling (based on the books by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Jon Favreau |
| STARRING | Neel Sethi, Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: After 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: As lovely to behold as it is engrossing to watch, The Jungle Book is the rare remake that actually improves upon its predecessors – all while setting a new standard for CGI.
11. Zootopia (55.33pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 98% |
| METASCORE | 78/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 48min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-03-04 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Byron Howard (story by), Rich Moore (story by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Byron Howard, Rich Moore |
| STARRING | Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: The brilliantly well-rounded Zootopia offers a thoughtful, inclusive message that’s as rich and timely as its sumptuously state-of-the-art animation – all while remaining fast and funny enough to keep younger viewers entertained.
12. Lion (51.49pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 83% |
| METASCORE | 66/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 58min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-25 ● |
| GENRE | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Saroo Brierley (adapted from the book “A Long Way Home” by), Luke Davies (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Garth Davis |
| STARRING | Dev Patel, Nicole Kidman, Rooney Mara |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Lion’s undeniably uplifting story and talented cast are more than enough to make up for a fact-based story whose traditional Hollywood formula skims over a number of interesting real-life details.
13. Loving (50.73pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 89% |
| METASCORE | 79/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 03min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-04 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Jeff Nichols |
| DIRECTED BY | Jeff Nichols |
| STARRING | Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, an interracial couple, whose challenge of their anti-miscegenation arrest for their marriage in Virginia led to a legal battle that would end at the US Supreme Court.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Loving takes an understated approach to telling a painful – and still relevant – real-life tale, with sensitive performances breathing additional life into a superlative historical drama.
14. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (49.29pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 75% |
| METASCORE | 66/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 13min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-18 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Family / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | J.K. Rowling |
| DIRECTED BY | David Yates |
| STARRING | Eddie Redmayne, Katherine Waterston, Alison Sudol |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York’s secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them draws on Harry Potter’s rich mythology to deliver a spinoff that dazzles with franchise-building magic all its own.
15. Doctor Strange (39.33pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 90% |
| METASCORE | 72/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 55min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-04 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | Jon Spaihts, Scott Derrickson |
| DIRECTED BY | Scott Derrickson |
| STARRING | Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A former neurosurgeon embarks on a journey of healing only to be drawn into the world of the mystic arts.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Doctor Strange artfully balances its outré source material against the blockbuster constraints of the MCU, delivering a thoroughly entertaining superhero origin story in the bargain.
16. Nocturnal Animals (34.07pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 72% |
| METASCORE | 67/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 56min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-09 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Tom Ford (screenplay), Austin Wright (novel) |
| DIRECTED BY | Tom Ford |
| STARRING | Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband’s novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a veiled threat and a symbolic revenge tale.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Well-acted and lovely to look at, Nocturnal Animals further underscores writer-director Tom Ford’s distinctive visual and narrative skill.
17. Hidden Figures (30.43pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 95% |
| METASCORE | 66/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | TBD |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-06 ● |
| GENRE | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Allison Schroeder (screenplay), Theodore Melfi (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Theodore Melfi |
| STARRING | Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A team of African-American women provide NASA with important mathematical data needed to launch the program’s first successful space missions.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
18. Florence Foster Jenkins (28.11pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 87% |
| METASCORE | 71/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 51min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-12 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Comedy / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Nicholas Martin |
| DIRECTED BY | Stephen Frears |
| STARRING | Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Florence Foster Jenkins makes poignant, crowd-pleasing dramedy out of its stranger-than-fiction tale – and does its subject justice with a reliably terrific turn from star Meryl Streep.
19. 20th Century Women (26.29pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 91% |
| METASCORE | 77/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 58min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-25 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Mike Mills |
| DIRECTED BY | Mike Mills |
| STARRING | Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The story of three women who explore love and freedom in Southern California during the late 1970s.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
20. Hell or High Water (23.38pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 98% |
| METASCORE | 88/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 42min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-26 ● |
| GENRE | Crime / Drama / Western |
| WRITTEN BY | Taylor Sheridan (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | David Mackenzie |
| STARRING | Dale Dickey, Ben Foster, Chris Pine |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A divorced father and his ex-con older brother resort to a desperate scheme in order to save their family’s ranch in West Texas.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Hell or High Water offers a solidly crafted, well-acted Western heist thriller that eschews mindless gunplay in favor of confident pacing and full-bodied characters.
21. Sully (20.71pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 86% |
| METASCORE | 74/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 36min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-09-09 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Todd Komarnicki (screenplay), Chesley Sullenberger (based on the book “Highest Duty” by) (as Chesley ‘Sully’ Sullenberger) |
| DIRECTED BY | Clint Eastwood |
| STARRING | Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The story of Chesley Sullenberger, an American pilot who became a hero after landing his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight’s passengers and crew.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: As comfortingly workmanlike as its protagonist, Sully makes solid use of typically superlative work from its star and director to deliver a quietly stirring tribute to an everyday hero.
22. Kubo and the Two Strings (20.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 97% |
| METASCORE | 84/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 41min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-19 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Family |
| WRITTEN BY | Marc Haimes (screenplay), Chris Butler (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Travis Knight |
| STARRING | Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A young boy named Kubo must locate a magical suit of armor worn by his late father in order to defeat a vengeful spirit from the past.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Kubo and the Two Strings matches its incredible animation with an absorbing – and bravely melancholy – story that has something to offer audiences of all ages.
23. Live By Night (18.37pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | TBD |
| METASCORE | n/a |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 08min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-13 ● |
| GENRE | Crime / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Ben Affleck (screenplay), Dennis Lehane (novel) |
| DIRECTED BY | Ben Affleck |
| STARRING | Ben Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Elle Fanning |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A story set in the Prohibition Era and centered around a group of individuals and their dealings in the world of organized crime.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
24. Moana (15.38pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 95% |
| METASCORE | 81/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 43min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-23 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Jared Bush (screenplay), Ron Clements (story by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Ron Clements, Don Hall |
| STARRING | Auli’i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain’s daughter’s island, she answers the Ocean’s call to seek out the demigod to set things right.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: With a title character as three-dimensional as its lush animation and a story that adds fresh depth to Disney’s time-tested formula, Moana is truly a family-friendly adventure for the ages.
25. Deepwater Horizon (13.85pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 84% |
| METASCORE | 68/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 47min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-09-30 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Matthew Michael Carnahan (screenplay), Matthew Sand (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Peter Berg |
| STARRING | Mark Wahlberg, Kurt Russell, Douglas M. Griffin |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A dramatization of the April 2010 disaster when the offshore drilling rig, Deepwater Horizon, exploded and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Deepwater Horizon makes effective use of its titular man-made disaster to deliver an uncommonly serious – yet still suitably gripping – action thriller.
26. Finding Dory (13.50pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 94% |
| METASCORE | 77/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 37min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-06-17 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Andrew Stanton (original story by), Andrew Stanton (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Andrew Stanton, Angus MacLane |
| STARRING | Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ed O’Neill |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The friendly but forgetful blue tang fish begins a search for her long-lost parents, and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Funny, poignant, and thought-provoking, Finding Dory delivers a beautifully animated adventure that adds another entertaining chapter to its predecessor’s classic story.
27. A Monster Calls (12.28pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 85% |
| METASCORE | 77/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 48min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-06 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | Patrick Ness (screenplay), Patrick Ness (based upon the novel written by) |
| DIRECTED BY | J.A. Bayona |
| STARRING | Sigourney Weaver, Felicity Jones, Lewis MacDougall |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A boy seeks the help of a tree monster to cope with his single mom’s terminal illness.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: A Monster Calls deftly balances dark themes and fantastical elements to deliver an engrossing and uncommonly moving entry in the crowded coming-of-age genre.
28. Rules Don’t Apply (11.17pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 56% |
| METASCORE | 59/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 06min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-23 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Warren Beatty (screenplay), Warren Beatty (story by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Warren Beatty |
| STARRING | Lily Collins, Haley Bennett, Taissa Farmiga |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An unconventional love story of an aspiring actress, her determined driver, and the eccentric billionaire who they work for.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: With Rules Don’t Apply, Warren Beatty takes an overall affable – but undeniably slight – look at a corner of old Hollywood under Howard Hughes’ distinctive shadow.
29. The Red Turtle (La tortue rouge) (9.09pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 90% |
| METASCORE | 92/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 20min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-20 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | Michael Dudok de Wit (story), Pascale Ferran (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Michael Dudok de Wit |
| STARRING | n/a |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The dialogue-less film follows the major life stages of a castaway on a deserted tropical island populated by turtles, crabs and birds.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
30. Sing (7.14pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 70% |
| METASCORE | 57/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 48min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-21 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Comedy / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Garth Jennings |
| DIRECTED BY | Garth Jennings, Christophe Lourdelet |
| STARRING | Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Seth MacFarlane |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A koala named Buster Moon has one final chance to restore his theater to its former glory by producing the world’s greatest singing competition.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
31. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children (7.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 63% |
| METASCORE | 57/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 07min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-09-30 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Drama / Family |
| WRITTEN BY | Ransom Riggs (based upon the novel written by), Jane Goldman (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Tim Burton |
| STARRING | Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Samuel L. Jackson |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: When Jacob 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children proves a suitable match for Tim Burton’s distinctive style, even if it’s on stronger footing as a visual experience than a narrative one.
32. Captain Fantastic (5.50pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 82% |
| METASCORE | 72/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 58min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-07-29 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Matt Ross |
| DIRECTED BY | Matt Ross |
| STARRING | Viggo Mortensen, George MacKay, Samantha Isler |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Captain Fantastic’s thought-provoking themes – and an absorbing starring turn from Viggo Mortensen – add up to an above-average family drama with unexpected twists.
33. Passengers (5.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 31% |
| METASCORE | 40/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 56min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-21 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Jon Spaihts |
| DIRECTED BY | Morten Tyldum |
| STARRING | Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in its sleep chambers. As a result, two passengers are awakened 90 years early.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
34. Deadpool (4.57pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 84% |
| METASCORE | 65/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 48min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-02-12 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick |
| DIRECTED BY | Tim Miller |
| STARRING | Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, T.J. Miller |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A fast-talking mercenary with a morbid sense of humor is subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers and a quest for revenge.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Fast, funny, and gleefully profane, the fourth-wall-busting Deadpool subverts superhero film formula with wildly entertaining – and decidedly non-family-friendly – results.
35. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (4.25pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 45% |
| METASCORE | 53/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 53min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-18 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / War |
| WRITTEN BY | Ben Fountain (based on the novel by), Jean-Christophe Castelli (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Ang Lee |
| STARRING | Joe Alwyn, Garrett Hedlund, Arturo Castro |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: 19-year-old Billy Lynn is brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks the film shows what really happened to his squad contrasting the realities of war with America’s perceptions.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk has noble goals, but lacks a strong enough screenplay to achieve them – and its visual innovations are often merely distracting.
36. Captain America: Civil War (4.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 90% |
| METASCORE | 75/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 27min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-05-06 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi |
| WRITTEN BY | Christopher Markus (screenplay), Stephen McFeely (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Anthony Russo, Joe Russo |
| STARRING | Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Political interference in the Avengers’ activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Captain America: Civil War begins the next wave of Marvel movies with an action-packed superhero blockbuster boasting a decidedly non-cartoonish plot and the courage to explore thought-provoking themes.
37. Sausage Party (3.57pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 83% |
| METASCORE | 66/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 29min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-12 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Kyle Hunter (screenplay), Ariel Shaffir (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Greg Tiernan, Conrad Vernon |
| STARRING | Seth Rogen, Kristen Wiig, Jonah Hill |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A sausage strives to discover the truth about his existence.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Sausage Party is definitely offensive, but backs up its enthusiastic profanity with an impressively high laugh-to-gag ratio – and a surprisingly thought-provoking storyline.
38. Allied (3.57pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 60% |
| METASCORE | 60/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 04min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-23 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Steven Knight |
| DIRECTED BY | Robert Zemeckis |
| STARRING | Brad Pitt, Marion Cotillard, Jared Harris |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In 1942, an 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Allied has its moments, but doesn’t quite achieve epic wartime romance status – a disappointment made more profound by the dazzling talent assembled on either side of the camera.
39. Hail, Caesar! (3.04pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 85% |
| METASCORE | 72/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 46min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-02-05 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Mystery |
| WRITTEN BY | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen |
| DIRECTED BY | Ethan Coen, Joel Coen |
| STARRING | Josh Brolin, George Clooney, Alden Ehrenreich |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio’s stars in line.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Packed with period detail and perfectly cast, Hail, Caesar! finds the Coen brothers delivering an agreeably lightweight love letter to post-war Hollywood.
40. The Birth of a Nation (3.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 72% |
| METASCORE | 68/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 00min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-10-07 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / History |
| WRITTEN BY | Nate Parker (screenplay), Nate Parker (story by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Nate Parker |
| STARRING | Nate Parker, Armie Hammer, Penelope Ann Miller |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: The Birth of a Nation overpowers its narrative flaws and uneven execution through sheer conviction, rising on Nate Parker’s assured direction and the strength of its vital message.
41. Love & Friendship (2.77pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 98% |
| METASCORE | 87/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 32min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-06-03 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Jane Austen (based on her novella “Lady Susan”), Whit Stillman |
| DIRECTED BY | Whit Stillman |
| STARRING | Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, Xavier Samuel |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Lady Susan Vernon takes up temporary residence at her in-laws’ estate and, while there, is determined to be a matchmaker for her daughter Frederica – and herself too, naturally.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Love & Friendship finds director Whit Stillman bringing his talents to bear on a Jane Austen adaptation – with a thoroughly delightful period drama as the result.
42. The Founder (2.52pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 78% |
| METASCORE | 64/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 55min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-20 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / History |
| WRITTEN BY | Robert D. Siegel |
| DIRECTED BY | John Lee Hancock |
| STARRING | Linda Cardellini, Patrick Wilson, Michael Keaton |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The story of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
43. Star Trek Beyond (2.52pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 84% |
| METASCORE | 68/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 02min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-07-22 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi |
| WRITTEN BY | Simon Pegg, Doug Jung |
| DIRECTED BY | Justin Lin |
| STARRING | Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The USS Enterprise crew 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Star Trek Beyond continues the franchise’s post-reboot hot streak with an epic sci-fi adventure that honors the series’ sci-fi roots without skimping on the blockbuster action.
44. Elle (2.52pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 89% |
| METASCORE | 89/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 10min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-11 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Philippe Djian (based on the novel by), David Birke (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Paul Verhoeven |
| STARRING | Isabelle Huppert, Laurent Lafitte, Anne Consigny |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A successful businesswoman gets caught up in a game of cat and mouse as she tracks down the unknown man who raped her.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Elle finds director Paul Verhoeven operating at peak power – and benefiting from a typically outstanding performance from Isabelle Huppert in the central role.
45. The Little Prince (2.50pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 93% |
| METASCORE | 69/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 48min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-05 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Irena Brignull (screenplay), Bob Persichetti (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Mark Osborne |
| STARRING | Jeff Bridges, Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A little girl lives in a very grown-up world with her mother, who tries to prepare her for it. Her neighbor, the Aviator, introduces the girl to an extraordinary world where anything is possible, the world of the Little Prince.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Beautifully animated and faithful to the spirit of its classic source material, The Little Prince is a family-friendly treat that anchors thrilling visuals with a satisfying story.
46. Miss Sloane (2.50pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 69% |
| METASCORE | 64/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 12min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-12-09 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Jonathan Perera |
| DIRECTED BY | John Madden |
| STARRING | Jessica Chastain, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, John Lithgow |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In the world of political power-brokers, Sloane takes on the most powerful opponent of her career and will do whatever is required to win.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Miss Sloane sits squarely on the shoulder’s of Jessica Chastain’s performance – and she responds with awards-worthy work that single-handedly elevates the film.
47. Denial (1.52pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 81% |
| METASCORE | 64/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 49min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-10-21 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / History |
| WRITTEN BY | David Hare (screenplay), Deborah Lipstadt (book) |
| DIRECTED BY | Mick Jackson |
| STARRING | Rachel Weisz, Tom Wilkinson, Timothy Spall |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Acclaimed writer and historian Deborah E. Lipstadt must battle for historical truth to prove the Holocaust actually occurred when David Irving, a renowned denier, sues her for libel.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: If Denial doesn’t quite do its incredible story complete justice, it comes close enough to offer a satisfying, impactful drama – and another powerful performance from Rachel Weisz.
48. Trolls (1.25pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 76% |
| METASCORE | 56/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 32min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-04 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Adventure / Comedy |
| WRITTEN BY | Jonathan Aibel (screenplay), Glenn Berger (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Walt Dohrn, Mike Mitchell |
| STARRING | Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake, Zooey Deschanel |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: After the Bergens invade Troll Village, Poppy, the happiest Troll ever born, and the curmudgeonly Branch set off on a journey to rescue her friends.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Trolls brings its instantly recognizable characters to the big screen in a colorful adventure that, while geared toward the younger set, isn’t without rewards for parents.
49. Warcraft (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 28% |
| METASCORE | 32/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 2h 03min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-06-10 ● |
| GENRE | Action / Adventure / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | Charles Leavitt (screenplay), Duncan Jones (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Duncan Jones |
| STARRING | Travis Fimmel, Paula Patton, Ben Foster |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: As 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.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Warcraft has visual thrills to spare, but they – and director Duncan Jones’ distinctive gifts – are wasted on a sluggish and derivative adaptation of a bestselling game with little evident cinematic value.
50. The Lobster (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 90% |
| METASCORE | 82/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 59min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-05-13 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Yorgos Lanthimos, Efthymis Filippou (as Efthimis Filippou) |
| DIRECTED BY | Yorgos Lanthimos |
| STARRING | Colin Farrell, Rachel Weisz, Jessica Barden |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In a dystopian near future, single people, according to the laws of The City, are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in forty-five days or are transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: As strange as it is thrillingly ambitious, The Lobster is definitely an acquired taste – but for viewers with the fortitude to crack through Yorgos Lanthimos’ offbeat sensibilities, it should prove a savory cinematic treat.
51. The Hollars (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 43% |
| METASCORE | 53/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 28min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-26 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | James C. Strouse (as Jim Strouse) |
| DIRECTED BY | John Krasinski |
| STARRING | Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day, Richard Jenkins |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A man returns to his small hometown after learning that his mother has fallen ill and is about to undergo surgery.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: The Hollars gathers an impressive assortment of talented stars; unfortunately, it’s all in service of a story that’s been played out more effectively in countless other indie dramedies.
52. The BFG (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 75% |
| METASCORE | 66/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 1h 57min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-07-01 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Family / Fantasy |
| WRITTEN BY | Melissa Mathison (screenplay), Roald Dahl (book) |
| DIRECTED BY | Steven Spielberg |
| STARRING | Mark Rylance, Ruby Barnhill, Penelope Wilton |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A girl named Sophie encounters the Big Friendly Giant who, despite his intimidating appearance, turns out to be a kind-hearted soul who is considered an outcast by the other giants because, unlike them, he refuses to eat children.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: The BFG minimizes the darker elements of Roald Dahl’s classic in favor of a resolutely good-natured, visually stunning, and largely successful family-friendly adventure.
53. Snowden (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 62% |
| METASCORE | 58/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 2h 14min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-09-16 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Kieran Fitzgerald (screenplay), Oliver Stone (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Oliver Stone |
| STARRING | Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley, Melissa Leo |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The NSA’s illegal surveillance techniques are leaked to the public by one of the agency’s employees, Edward Snowden, in the form of thousands of classified documents distributed to the press.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Snowden boasts a thrilling fact-based tale and a solid lead performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt, even if director Oliver Stone saps the story of some of its impact by playing it safe.
54. Queen of Katwe (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 92% |
| METASCORE | 73/100 |
| RATING | PG |
| RUNTIME | 2h 04min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-09-30 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / Sport |
| WRITTEN BY | William Wheeler (screenplay), Tim Crothers (based on the ESPN Magazine article and book by) |
| DIRECTED BY | Mira Nair |
| STARRING | Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, Lupita Nyong’o |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: A Ugandan girl sees her world rapidly change after being introduced to the game of chess.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Queen of Katwe is a feel-good movie of uncommon smarts and passion, and outstanding performances by Lupita Nyong’o and David Oyelowo help to elevate the film past its cliches.
55. Patriots Day (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 93% |
| METASCORE | 72/100 |
| RATING | TBD |
| RUNTIME | 2h 10min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-13 ● |
| GENRE | Drama / History / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Peter Berg (screenplay), Matt Cook (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Peter Berg |
| STARRING | Melissa Benoist, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Monaghan |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An account of Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis’s actions in the events leading up to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing and the aftermath, which includes the city-wide manhunt to find the terrorists behind it.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
56. My Life as a Zucchini (Ma vie de Courgette) (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 100% |
| METASCORE | 85/100 |
| RATING | TBD |
| RUNTIME | 1h 10min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-11 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Family |
| WRITTEN BY | Gilles Paris (novel), Céline Sciamma (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Claude Barras |
| STARRING | Gaspard Schlatter, Sixtine Murat, Paulin Jaccoud |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: Courgette is an intriguing nickname for a 9-year-old boy. Although his unique story is surprisingly universal. After his mother’s sudden death, Courgette is befriended by a police officer … See full summary »
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
57. Miss Hokusai (Sarusuberi: Miss Hokusai) (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 93% |
| METASCORE | 74/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 33min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2015-10-14 ● |
| GENRE | Animation / Biography / Drama |
| WRITTEN BY | Hinako Sugiura (comic “Sarusuberi”), Miho Maruo (screenplay) |
| DIRECTED BY | Keiichi Hara |
| STARRING | Yutaka Matsushige, Anne Watanabe, Erica Lindbeck |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The life and works of Japanese artist and ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai, as seen from the eyes of his daughter, Katsushika O-Ei.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Miss Hokusai illuminates the life and creative legacy of its brilliant subject with a beautifully animated biopic whose absorbing visuals are matched by its narrative grace.
58. Gold (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | TBD |
| METASCORE | n/a |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | TBD |
| RELEASE DATE | 2017-01-27 ● |
| GENRE | Adventure / Drama / Thriller |
| WRITTEN BY | Patrick Massett, John Zinman |
| DIRECTED BY | Stephen Gaghan |
| STARRING | Bryce Dallas Howard, Matthew McConaughey, Toby Kebbell |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: An unlikely pair venture to the Indonesian jungle in search of gold.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: No consensus yet.
59. Café Society (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 70% |
| METASCORE | 64/100 |
| RATING | PG-13 |
| RUNTIME | 1h 36min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-08-05 ● |
| GENRE | Comedy / Drama / Romance |
| WRITTEN BY | Woody Allen |
| DIRECTED BY | Woody Allen |
| STARRING | Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Steve Carell |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: In the 1930s, a Bronx native moves to Hollywood and falls in love with a young woman who is seeing a married man.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Café Society’s lovely visuals and charming performances round out a lightweight late-period Allen comedy whose genuine pleasures offset its amiable predictability.
60. Bleed for This (1.00pts)
| ROTTEN TOMATOES | 70% |
| METASCORE | 62/100 |
| RATING | R |
| RUNTIME | 1h 57min |
| RELEASE DATE | 2016-11-18 ● |
| GENRE | Biography / Drama / Sport |
| WRITTEN BY | Ben Younger (screenplay), Ben Younger (story) |
| DIRECTED BY | Ben Younger |
| STARRING | Miles Teller, Aaron Eckhart, Katey Sagal |
| LINKS | Showtimes - Wikipedia - IMDB - Metacritic - Rotten Tomatoes |
SYNOPSIS: The inspirational story of World Champion Boxer Vinny Pazienza who, after a near fatal car crash which left him not knowing if he’d ever walk again, made one of sport’s most incredible comebacks.
CRITICS CONSENSUS: Bleed for This rises on the strength of Miles Teller’s starring performance to deliver a solid fact-based boxing drama that takes a few genre clichés on the chin but keeps on coming.
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At first, I was getting runtimes from Rotten Tomatoes. But weirdly enough, IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes have slightly different runtimes for a bunch of movies! I wonder why that is? For consistency’s sake, I’ve used IMDB’s runtimes for everything. ↩︎
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One major annoyance now that I’ve been getting into more serious/”Oscar-bait” movies lately: they don’t always have firm release dates, so you never know when they’ll show up at your local theater! Unlike major blockbusters, which open everywhere on the same date, these small films often open in only about 100 theaters (for comparison’s sake, Rogue One opened in 4,157, and then gradually expand if they do well. But some theaters drop these movies quickly, even as they expand to others! For example, I really wanted to see Moonlight when it debuted, but it was only playing at two theaters way out of the way for me. I had family in the hospital at the time, so by the time I had time to watch the movie, it was out of those theaters. I thought I was out of luck until it surprisingly showed up at my local theater weeks later. And even now, I’ve been driving to theaters all over the place to be able to watch films like The Edge of Seventeen or Nocturnal Animals (both so great!) because they’re not at my local theater and I don’t know if they ever will be. ↩︎