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While we are now a full decade from the beginning of 2016, it still feels like yesterday for many people around the world, as the events and prospects of 2016 proved to be some of the most prominent, groundbreaking revelations of world culture. One specific part that amplified the effect of 2016 on wider culture were the various films released during the year, ranging from massively celebrated critical darlings to some of the biggest and most successful films of the 21st century.
What is interesting to look back on is which films stood at the absolute height of critical acclaim in 2016, with the then-highest rotten tomatoes scores and overwhelming appreciation from critics. Due to not being able to include every critical hit, this list is surprisingly missing several icons of 2016 cinema, including Split, Captain America: Civil War, and La La Land, as it speaks more to the year’s biggest crowd-pleasers and widely accepted critical darlings.
10
‘Moana’
Easily standing out as one of the defining original musical masterpieces from Walt Disney Animation Studios in the 21st century, Moana’s mixture of striking and groundbreaking animation with bundles of personality and charm quickly made it a fan-favorite film of the entire studio. Praise and appreciation for this film has only grown that much more in the decade since its release, to the point where it continues to be one of the most streamed movies of all time and received both a sequel and an upcoming live-action remake.
Moana is emblematic and symbolic of the highest highs that Disney has achieved in recent memory, continuing to push the studio forward with its continued success long after its release. As such, it isn’t particularly surprising that a film of such overwhelming staying power made such an impact on critics when it first released, standing as one of Disney’s shining beacons of cinematic greatness, much like their exceptional films from their golden and renaissance eras.
9
‘Manchester by the Sea’
An absolute tearjerker of a film that isn’t afraid to delve into some incredibly dark and difficult territory with its storytelling, Manchester by the Sea achieved unanimous praise thanks to its grounded and extremely potent emotional storytelling. Its story of a reclusive older brother returning home to face his demons following a tragic death in the family does just about everything one would want out of a compelling, R-rated drama. The film’s Academy Award wins for Best Actor and Best Original Screenplay further cemented its status as one of 2016’s greatest filmmaking achievements.
Praise and appreciation from critics for Manchester by the Sea technically lasted the entire year, as its early premiere at Sundance allowed for conversation and reputation to build-up towards the film throughout the year until its eventual release at the end of the year. Its masterclass exploration of emotional grief continues to make it a defining masterclass of the era and one of the absolute best films not just of 2016, but of the entire 2010s.
8
‘Kubo and the Two Strings’
Standing as arguably the magnum opus from already legendary stop-motion animation studio LAIKA, Kubo and the Two Strings sees the studio at the absolute height of their abilities in terms of mesmerizing visuals mixed with captivating, layered storytelling. Even today, the film continues to stand as one of the absolute greatest claymation films to have ever been released, pushing the very method of animation to its absolute limits with sheer perfection exuding from every frame of fine-tuned animation.
The exceptional craft alone was enough to make the film an absolute fan-favorite in the eyes of critics, feeling like the culmination of nearly a decade of masterful filmmaking from LAIKA transformed into a striking cinematic epic. It’s a celebration of the very strengths and weight that storytelling can hold over a communicating, while at the same time playing out like a timeless fairy tale epic with its mixture of mystical creatures and an impactful battle of good vs. evil and the intricacies behind the truth of it all.
7
‘Finding Dory’
It’s rare that a Pixar film isn’t overwhelmingly appreciated and loved by critics, especially during the 2010s, so it isn’t exactly surprising that the long-awaited sequel to Finding Nemo, Finding Dory, was overwhelmingly praised and appreciated by critics of the era. What’s interesting is that, while its score was high enough to earn the film a spot in the top 10 of 2016, its staggering 94% on Rotten Tomatoes puts it right outside the top half of Pixar’s filmography at #16 of 30.
This isn’t to say that Finding Dory is a bad film, far from it in fact, as it features a lot of the same inherent strengths and emotional moments of the all-time great Pixar films. The film even stands out as one of the most well-received non-Toy Story sequels in Pixar history, although it undeniably doesn’t have nearly the staying power or continued legacy that the all-timer original film has had, now standing a decade removed from its release.
6
‘Love & Friendship’
Easily the most obscure of the films that made Rotten Tomatoes top 10 list of 2016, Love & Friendship‘s delightful execution of a classic period drama setup out of the classic Jane Austen novella made it the type of film that critics just absolutely fawn over. The film largely follows the plot of the original novel, seeing a cunning young woman (Kate Beckinsale) in her calculating plots and exploits to secure suitably wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter.
What’s even more interesting compared to every other film that was among the highest-ranking films from 2016 on Rotten Tomatoes is that Love & Friendship does not have nearly the same appreciation from audiences as it did from critics. The audience score stands at a much lower 59%, as general audiences and rotten tomatoes users aren’t nearly as receptive to the prospects of a classic period drama as critics of the era were.
5
‘The Jungle Book’
Still standing as arguably the best live-action remake to come from Disney, The Jungle Book stands much taller than many of the other live-action remakes that floundered in the eyes of critics by actually building and improving upon the Disney classic in terms of its narrative. It weaves a greater story of manmade influence and danger over the jungle creatures that makes its story much more dynamic than the loose musical whims of the original, resulting in its overwhelming praise by the critics of 2016.
Even as live-action Disney remakes continue to be middling to downright lackluster at best in the years to follow, The Jungle Book still stands as a well-crafted cinematic evolution of the classic story, truly exemplifying what could be possible with adapting such an all-time classic to live-action. It isn’t without its issues, but there’s enough greatness within the film to make it an enjoyable time for the vast majority of critics and audiences alike.
4
‘Moonlight’
2016’s eventual Best Picture winner and the overwhelming choice by many as the greatest filmmaking achievement of the year, Moonlight‘s masterclass of drama and self-reflection told across three distinct eras of a man’s life has redefined and amplified the greatest strengths of modern independent filmmaking. It’s a film whose very perfection speaks for itself, as the mixture of an emotional, layered story with top of the line performances has made it one of the defining masterpieces of the 21st century.
What’s more surprising is not that the film earned a spot on this list, but that it only made #4 and that there were 3 other films from 2016 that had higher Tomatometer scores at the time. More than any other film on this list, it’s safe to say that Moonlight has had the largest and most celebrated legacy, standing the test of time in the decade since its release as an absolutely perfect coming-of-age film and one of the most important movies of the 21st century.
3
‘Arrival’
A layered and non-traditional sci-fi thriller from legendary filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, Arrival‘s mixture of striking imagery and abstract concept made the film an absolute smash hit for critics of the era, with the film continuously being in the conversation of the best original sci-fi films of recent memory. It utilized an exceptional mystery combined with top-notch performances and striking imagery to create a fully distinct and original sci-fi story that is still unlike anything else that the genre has to offer.
The story is as much about the human experiences and emotional weight of its characters as it is about the communication and impact of the aliens that land on earth, with its layered themes and phenomenal performances only further amplifying the impact and weight of said story. As Villeneuve continued to cement his status as a modern icon of sci-fi filmmaking in the years to follow, the ingenuity and brilliance of Arrival continues to leave a greater and greater legacy.
2
‘Hell or High Water’
The western genre is one that had gone massively unexplored within the 2010s as a decade. However, Hell or High Water stands as one of the striking exceptions to the rule that actively pushed the genre forward as the defining western masterpiece of the 21st century. This modern western crime drama sees two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) embarking on a dangerous mission in order to save their family ranch, as they set out to commit a series of bank robberies while being pursued by two Texas Rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham).
Hell or High Water does more than simply play to the classic strengths of the Western genre that critics and audiences alike have missed for so long, but it elevates and transforms these classic conventions into a striking, high-tension crime drama with exceptional execution. It’s a love letter to the genre that also stands on its own and doesn’t have to rely on the genre for its strengths, creating an experience that critics simply couldn’t get enough of when the film premiered at Cannes and continued to love when it had its wide release.
1
‘Zootopia’
It’s rare that one of the highest grossing films in a given year also happens to be the highest rated in the eyes of critics, but Zootopia found that absolute perfect mixture of charm, comedy, and then topical commentary that made it a complete package for critics and audiences alike. Even today, Zootopia is still the #2 highest rated theatrical Disney film out of their entire 76 film history, continuing to hold a spot as Disney’s most recognizable and highly acclaimed film since the Renaissance era.
If the film were only defined by its cutesy animals and the charm of its premise, it wouldn’t have nearly the critical reception and staying power that it has had, as its upbeat buddy cop style and dynamic themes of prejudice have given it a timeless staying power long after its initial release. The film surpassed all expectations and was a wildly fun, self-aware joyride for critics, with a legacy that continues to grow year after year, especially after the recent release of its long-awaited sequel, Zootopia 2.
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https://collider.com/best-movies-2016-rotten-tomatoes/
Robert Lee III
Almontather Rassoul
