We’ve said it already, and we’ll say it again: Summer 2016 basically sucked. It was a non-stop cavalcade of non-starters, packed from start to finish with disappointing sequels and reboots and franchise cash-ins. But that doesn’t mean it was all bad. In fact, it only made the handful of truly excellent films we actually did get this summer seem all the more miraculous.
But man oh man, were they a random assortment. Only a couple of genuinely great, high-profile blockbusters poked their heads up this season, while a lot of wonderful, audience-friendly flicks completely failed to find an audience. Fortunately for all of us, an eccentric assortment of indies filled in the gaps. There was something for everyone in Summer 2016, but only if you knew where to look, and only if you paid more attention to word of mouth than to the marketing.
Also: When Blockbusters Break | The Worst Movies of Summer 2016
So let’s finish the season off on a positive note, and highlight the best movies the summer had to offer. Big and small, funny and terrifying, all of these films made our hottest months more bearable this year. The time has come to give our thanks.
The 10 Best Movies of Summer 2016:
Top Photo: Broad Green Pictures / Marvel Studios / Amazon Studios
The 10 Best Movies of Summer 2016
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10. The Purge: Election Year
It's as on-the-nose as political allegories get, but the latest installment of the rage-fueled sci-fi/horror series - in which Americans are allowed to commit any crime they want, one night out of the year, and reveal their inner monsters - is one of the most outlandishly entertaining thrillers in recent memory. Sick, twisted, and sharp.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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9. Star Trek Beyond
A welcome throwback to the character-driven, hopeful Star Trek that inspired a pop culture phenomenon in the first place. The cast is great, the adventure is thrilling. If only the villain had been a little more memorable, Star Trek Beyond would be one of the all-time great films in the series.
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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8. The Nice Guys
Shane Black is back with another retro private detective riff, this time starring Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as mismatched jerks who get swept into a conspiracy involving the automotive industry and pornography. Clever, hilarious and weird, but not quite as good as Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.
Photo: Warner Bros.
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7. Pete's Dragon
Disney's name-only remake transformed a quirky musical into a heartfelt fairy tale, about an orphaned boy who has to choose between living in the wild with his (imaginary?) friend or living with a new family. Sincere and lovely, but maybe the conclusion is a little too "Hollywood" to really sell the film's sweet, understated message.
Photo: Walt Disney
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6. Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
Criminally overlooked, The Lonely Island's new movie aims to out-Spinal Tap This is Spinal Tap and damn near succeeds. Andy Samberg plays a celebrity who believes his own hype, and belts one laugh out loud hilarious song after another as his career gradually falls victim to his denial and hubris.
Photo: Universal Pictures
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5. Don't Breathe
An impossibly tense thriller from director Fede Alvarez, about a group of teen robbers who break into the wrong house, and wind up trapped with a blind man who is more dangerous than they are. Suspenseful and genuinely disturbing, Don't Breathe might just be the scariest movie of the year.
Photo: Screen Gems
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4. The Neon Demon
Nicolas Winding Refn's films have been accused of being shallow before, but with The Neon Demon he flips the script and tells an alluring, unsettling story about the dangerous nature of beauty. Gorgeously filmed and deliciously evil, this movie will intoxicate some people and piss off all the rest.
Photo: Broad Green Pictures
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3. Captain America: Civil War
One of the only blockbusters that actually delivered on its promises this summer, Captain America: Civil War exploded the Marvel Cinematic Universe, severing old ties, introducing exciting new characters and showcasing the best superhero fight ever filmed. It's a little more convoluted than it needed to be, but no one could argue they didn't get enough bang for their buck.
Photo: Marvel Studios
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2. Love & Friendship
Kate Beckinsale stole the summer as Lady Susan, a smooth operator in 1794 who wraps polite society around her devious fingers. Is she a monster, or is she a hero born centuries ahead of her time? Whit Stillman's brilliant adaptation of Jane Austen's novel works both ways.
Photo: Amazon Studios
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1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
The best sort of family movie: strange, funny, heartbreaking and a little bit dangerous. Sam Neill plays the foster father of Julian Dennison, a "bad egg" who gets them both stranded in the bush and - to make matters worse - on New Zealand's most wanted list. Endless fun, truly inventive cinema. Hunt for the Wilderpeople is as artful as it is entertaining, and that means it's a whole lot of both.
Photo: The Orchard
