With Summer about to hit its final 2016 sunset, one might think that all the good movies for the year have already hit the big screen. Well, if popcorn fare with big explosions and bigger than life characters are your thing, then you would be one hundred percent correct. However, if your tastes veer to the eclectic, unusual, uplifting and “Oscar worthy” then there are still many gems left to see.
The films on this list, culled fromIMDB, fall all over the spectrum. From the heroic (Sully), to the inspirational (Deepwater Horizon), to the historical (Allied). The best part? There’s still plenty of popcorn-fueled fun to be had.
Doctor Strange andRogue One: A Star Wars Storyare just a couple of the films on this list. What really sets these bigger budget, spectacle pieces apart is that they just seem smarter than the average Hollywood offering. Just a look at their trailers will show you that they are dealing with bigger themes and ideas.
Making this final movie stretch of 2016 even more tantalizing is what an interesting shadow Netflix is casting over all of this. Back in the old days (ie. 2-3 years ago), art films used to open small and hope that good word of worth,Oscar buzzand other factors could make them go wider. Well, in today’s jumbled world, movies like Mascots are actually available in your home so you don’t have seek them out in the theater.
Alright, enough of the history lesson. 2016 has been a very interesting year. We have a political climate that it seems like nobody (not even the two candidates vying for the top spot) want to be a part of. We have violence and protests in the street. And as always, we have movies to take us away from all of this, and also, in some circumstances, they help us illuminate the greater truth of it all. So here’s 17 Big Movies Still Coming in 2016
17Rogue One: A Star Wars Story- 12/16
From Lucasfilm comes the first of the Star Wars standalone films, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, an all-new epic adventure. In a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire’s ultimate weapon of destruction. This key event in the Star Wars timeline brings together ordinary people who choose to do extraordinary things, and in doing so, become part of something greater than themselves. It’s anotherStar Wars movie. If you’re not excited about this tale of the Rebellion attempting to steal the plans to the Death Star, or if you don’t know about it then you may want to find another hobby.
16Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them- 11/18
A magizoologist makes a brief stop in 1926 New York but is waylaid by a Muggle, a misplaced magical case and the escape of some fantastic beasts. Eddie Redmayne finally steps into a big budget film, but’s not the usual popcorn fare. As part of the Harry Potter universe,Fantastic Beastshas a great deal of anticipation behind it. That it seems every bit as arty as its big budget makes it look, seems to bode quite well for this new offering from the beloved J.K. Rowling.
15Doctor Strange- 11/4
Dr. Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) loses his ability to operate after a terrible accident, but finds new purpose when a mystical being known as the Ancient One reveals that Dr. Strange is the newly designated Sorcerer Supreme. If ever a Marvel movie had chance at garnering an award for best actor, this film might be it. With Benedict Cumberbatch as the erstwhile Dr. Stephen Strange hatching plans to save the world, even the stodgiest of Academy members can’t ignore how much they love this actor. With a release date over a month before Rouge One makes its debut, it seems safe to say that this film should receive both critical and box office acclaim.
14Passengers- 12/21
Two passengers aboard a spaceship awake from cryogenic sleep 90 years before anyone else. With Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt as these two astronauts, audiences seem destined to see the first space age love story of the year. Or, are they? One never really knows what to expect from director Morten Tyldum (The Imitation Game), but Passengers looks like the kind of film that is going to transport moviegoers to another planet.
13The Magnificent Seven- 9/23
Desperate townspeople hire seven mercenaries (Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke) to battle a ruthless industrialist (Peter Sarsgaard) in the Old West. We need action this time of year andThe Magnificent Sevenseems poised to provide moviegoers with exactly that. The story is simple, thieves are pillaging a small town and seven gun men come in to stop it. From ultra-violent director Antoine Fuqua, this film is both big budget and big on story.
12The Girl on the Train- 10/7
InGirl on the Train, A commuter investigates a mystery revolving around a couple whose house she passes every day. Emily Blunt is that rare actress that can do action and drama equally well. With it’s Hitchcockian-like story and a bestseller behind it, The Girl on the Train could be this years Gone Girl. In a year that has seen some amazing spectacle on screen, this film appears to be quieter than some of the other offerings but no less intense.
11Assassin’s Creed- 12/21
Callum Lynch, a descendant of the mysterious secret society the Assassins, must use his deadly skills to battle the powerful Templar organization. Michael Fassbender is another actor that bridges the worlds of high and low art quite nicely. As Callum Lynch, Fassbender plays a man who must come terms with his family’s past. Throw Marion Cotillard into this rich mix (not to mention Boardwalk Empire alumni Michael Kenneth Williams), and Assassin’s Creed could be another popcorn film that people are talking about come awards time. Everybody says that fall is when the best movies are released, this idea could be proving itself to be very true.
10Arrival- 11/1
When alien crafts land across the world, a linguist expert is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat. Amy Adams stars in this Contact-like sci-fi tale about the art of alien communication. With the supremely talented Denis Villeneuve (Sicario) at the helm, this transcendent story seems like it will fit quite nicely into an already stacked fall schedule.
9La La Land- 12/2
Mia, an aspiring actress, and Sebastian, a dedicated jazz musician, are struggling to make ends meet in a city known for crushing hopes and breaking hearts. In this musical with (where else?) Los Angeles as the backdrop, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone show what its like to be truly in love while contending with the harsh realities of modern life. With an almost 1950s air about it and Damien Chazelle (Whiplash) directing, this movie is either going to be Moulin Rogue or Heaven’s Gate. Truthfully, with all the thingsLa La Landhas going for it, it seems impossible that it could fail.
8Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk- 11/11
Stationed in Iraq, a young soldier (Joe Alwyn) and his squad return to the United States for a hero’s welcome at a Thanksgiving Day football game. Ang Lee is a master at taking simple stories and giving them the gravitas that film affords. This tale ultimately centers on the redemptive factors and acceptance that the Academy loves. With audiences looking for something to cheer for, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk might just be the film to give them what they need.
