2016 in Film: Mid-Year Recap

Despite a release schedule that looked pretty underwhelming on paper, the first six months of 2016 have been very solid in the world of film. The spring was loaded with small-budget gems (10 Cloverfield Lane, Hardcore Henry, Keanu) and the summer season is off to a tremendous start with both big-budget blockbusters (Now You See Me 2, X-Men: Apocalypse) and smaller-scale original fare (The Nice Guys, Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping) delivering the goods. Of course there's been the inevitable big disappointments (Deadpool, Zoolander 2) and widely-praised films I found to be vastly overrated (Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War) but 2016 has been such a pleasant surprise on the whole that I can't really complain too much about these traditional missteps. With a promising final two months of summer that sees the likes of Star Trek Beyond, Suicide Squad and Sausage Party hitting theaters and a nice fall/awards slate still on the horizon, I'm cautiously optimistic that the second half of 2016 can at least match the quality of the first. Below is a complete list of every film that I've seen in 2016 so far ranked from worst to best with star ratings. I encourage you to share your favorite and least favorite 2016 films, trash my picks, etc. in the comment section located at the bottom of the page.     

24.The Finest Hours (1.5/5)

23.Zootopia (2.5/5)

22.Ride Along 2 (2.5/5)

21.Mr.Right (2.5/5)

20.Zoolander 2 (3/5)

19.Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (3/5)

18.Dirty Grandpa (3.5/5)

17.The Do-Over (3.5/5)

16.Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (3.5/5)

15.Captain America: Civil War (3.5/5)

14.The Brothers Grimsby (3.5/5)

13.Eye in the Sky (3.5/5)

12.Deadpool (3.5/5)

11.The Fundamentals of Caring (3.5/5)

10.Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising (4/5)

9.The Purge: Election Year (4/5)

8.Central Intelligence (4/5)

7.X-Men: Apocalypse (4/5)

6.Hardcore Henry (4/5)

5.Now You See Me 2 (4/5)

4.10 Cloverfield Lane (4/5)

3.Keanu (4/5)

2.Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping (4.5/5)

1.The Nice Guys (4.5/5)

Still Need to See:
Kung Fu Panda 3
Jane Got a Gun
Hail, Caesar! 
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Race
The Witch
Eddie the Eagle
Triple 9 
London Has Fallen
The Divergent Series: Allegiant
Midnight Special
Everybody Wants Some!
Miles Ahead
The Boss
Demolition
Green Room
Barbershop: The Next Cut
Criminal
Sing Street
The Jungle Book
The Huntsman: Winter's War
The Meddler
The Lobster
Money Monster 
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows
The Conjuring 2
Finding Dory
Free State of Jones
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Neon Demon
The Shallows
Swiss Army Man