Decider’s 12 Best Movies Of 2016 (So Far)

There have been several powerful installments in ESPN’s 30 for 30 series, but few have been more shocking than this documentary on the Duke lacrosse rape scandal. Fantastic Lies smartly guides the viewer through an expected case, only to raise the veil of lies and miscommunication at the last minute. Fantastic Lies rips the narrative rug from under viewers’ feet time and time again, but there’s no joy in these revelations. You’ll leave this watch feeling less certain about the goodness of our legal system, societal structures, and people as a whole.—Kayla Cobb

[Where to stream 30 For 30: Fantastic Lies]

Every so often, you stumble upon a gem on Netflix that rocks your world. For me this past spring, that gem was The Barkley Marathons: The Race That Eats Its Young. The documentary doubles as a dark comedy about the toughest race on Earth. Basically, The Barkley Marathons is a dangerous three day race that involves five back-to-back marathons in the treacherous Tennessee backwoods. Only a dozen or so have even finished. The film is informative, hilarious, and, yes, inspirational.—Meghan O’Keefe

[Where to stream The Barkley Marathons]

Rick Famuyiwa’s Dope hit Netflix in February, and staying in to watch it on a Saturday night was the best decision ever! This witty coming-of-age tale follows high schooler Malcom (Shameik Moore) and his band of nerdy, 90s-hip-hop-obsessed friends who are trying to keep their noses clean in a rough LA-adjacent neighborhood in oder to get into college. That plan doesn’t exactly go smoothly when a backpack full of the club drug Molly accidentally falls into Malcom’s hands. We laugh as hilarious and crazy obstacles get in the three friends’ way of trying to get the drugs back to their rightful owner (or else) but the end of the movie packs a powerful punch when we see how easy it is for a good kid to fall into a criminal urban youth stereotype.—Terri Ciccone

[Where to stream Dope]

Hands-down the best time I had watching a movie in 2016 has been the Coen Brothers’ Hail Caesar!, a loving yet ludicrous vision of the old Hollywood studio system, populated by simpletons and schemers, and presided over by a man whose love for the moviemaking biz is so pure he’d do anything to preserve it. While the Coens do their usual great job drawing A-list talent to their sandbox — kudos to Channing Tatum, Ralph Fiennes, and Frances McDormand for their wonderful performances — there is no question that the show was entirely stolen by the performance of one Alden Ehrenreich, who played wide-eyed actor Hobie Doyle so perfectly that he ended up landing the role of young Han Solo in the process.—Joe Reid

[Where to stream Hail Caesar!]

This movie will punch you square in the heart and take all of your feelings on a joyride in the best way possible. Sally Field is in another universe of acting with how good she is. As the older, unhip, often over-looked lady in the office, she falls for new stud Max Greenfield, whose hotness in this film is only transcended by his sweetness, and tries her best to become cool, hip, and very much the center of his attention. A lovely friendship develops, but could it ever be more? The film will tap into each and every one of your emotions trying to figure it out.—Lea Palmieri

[Where to stream Hello My Name Is Doris]

There’s been a disturbing trend developing in horror films during this Blumhouse era that we’re currently mired in, and that is an over reliance on LOUD NOISES THAT TRY TO SCARE YOU! That’s why we appreciate Hush so much. The setup is fairly conventional —a woman alone in a cabin in the woods is pursued by a masked maniac— but with one thrilling twist: the female protagonist is deaf. An authority no less than Stephen King proclaimed it to be “How good is HUSH? Up there with HALLOWEEN and–even more–WAIT UNTIL DARK. White knuckle time. On Netflix.”—Mark Graham

[Where to stream Hush]

A perfectly calibrated suspense tale that might be the scariest the Hollywood Hills have seemed since the Manson Family. Director Karyn Kusama tips the balance towards dread early on and never lets up as a reunion of friends after a couple years goes from dinner party to cult wariness to … whatever comes next. The way the movie moves the vibe from the bougie nightmare scenario of “uh oh, my friends came back from South America vegan and now they want to convert me” to the actual nightmare scenario of “I don’t trust what’s in this wine” is handled with a sublime touch. And it’s still the best ending of any movie I’ve seen in a year.—Joe Reid

[Where to stream The Invitation]

I’m a sucker for any movie that includes Coraline or Oculus eyes into the plot, so I knew right off the bat that Midnight Special would be my favorite movie of 2016. Even though it was a dud in the box office, the star-studded cast fails to disappoint in this super original sci-fi drama. Between the creepy cults, supernatural child, and the knock-off NIN-sounding soundtrack, Midnight Special is truly a gem.—Jaclyn Kessel

[Where to stream Midnight Special]

My decision to watch Queen Of Earth when it came out on Netflix a few months ago was predicated on two factors: I’ll watch anything that Elisabeth Moss stars in, and I really enjoyed director Alex Ross Perry’s previous effort, the prickly Listen Up, Philip. I hadn’t watched the trailers, hadn’t read any reviews, or done any other research; I just hit play. So I was completely unprepared for the trajectory of what was to follow, which I must say was an incredibly satisfying way to experience a film in 2016. Might I recommend you do the same? As Kaa once proclaimed, just trust in me.—Mark Graham

[Where to stream Queen Of Earth]

In my younger days I would head to a record store to purchase an album on the actual day it was released—such a purchase was always a thrill. It’d been awhile since I’d done anything like that, but I did it for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, the digital version of which I purchased on Amazon the first day it was available. And almost as good as the movie itself? The feature-length ‘making of’ documentary that came with purchase. Required viewing.—Conrad Doucette

[Where to stream Star Wars: The Force Awakens]

Remember the first time you were finally able to play Street Fighter? This Canadian dystopian horror comedy completely captures that bizarre mixture of innocence and an awe of hyper-violence. However, what’s most surprising about Turbo Kid isn’t it’s horrifyingly graphic death scenes. It’s the movie’s genuine sweetness. Turbo Kid definitely isn’t for everyone, but if the idea of a beautifully shot, $0.99 Mad Max knock-off that completely embraces its low budget special effects appeals to you, then you’re going to be in love. Turbo Kid is unlike anything you’ve ever seen.—Kayla Cobb

[Where to stream Turbo Kid]

If you’re feeling lost in your career, relationship, or city, let Tina Fey make it all better for you. She plays a reporter who really switches things up in her life by taking an assignment in Afghanistan. It’s there that she discovers how to break down the boundaries in both her personal and professional life, and realizes which stories and which people really matter the most. The film is funny, touching and will inspire you to life yourbest life no matter where you are in the world.—Lea Palmieri

[Where to stream Whiskey Tango Foxtrot]