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100 Movies to Watch in 2016

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20. Girl on a Train

Release Date: October 7th

Synopsis: The story centers on Rachel, a woman who’s jobless and an alcoholic and who spends her daily train ride fantasizing about the seemingly perfect couple living in a house that she passes. After coming home one night covered in blood and unable to remember much from a blackout drinking episode, she begins to realize that she may have witnessed or been involved in a crime.

Director: Tate Taylor (The Help)

Genre: Thiller

Starring: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Luke Evans

 

 

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19. Moana

Release Date: November 23rd

Synopsis: In the ancient South Pacific world of Oceania, Moana, a born navigator, sets sail in search of a fabled island. During her incredible journey, she teams up with her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui, to traverse the open ocean on an action-packed voyage, encountering enormous sea creatures, breathtaking underworlds and ancient folklore.

Director: Ron Clements,John Musker (Aladdin, Little Mermaid, Princess and the Frog)

Genre: Animated

Starring: The Rock

 

 

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18. Risen

Release Date: February 19th

Synopsis: Risen is the epic Biblical story of the Resurrection and the weeks that followed, as seen through the eyes of an unbelieving Clavius, a high-ranking Roman Military Tribune. Clavius and his aide Lucius are instructed by Pontius Pilate to ensure Jesus’ radical followers don’t steal his body and claim resurrection. When the body goes missing within days, Clavius sets out on a mission to locate the missing body in order to disprove the rumors of a risen Messiah and prevent an uprising in Jerusalem.

Director: Kevin Reynolds (Count of Monte Cristo, Robin Hood Prince of Thieves)

Genre: Biblical

Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth

 

 

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17. La La Land

Release Date: July 15th

Synopsis: A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.

Director: Damien Chazelle (Whiplash)

Genre: Musical-Drama

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, JK Simmons, John Legend

 

 

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16. Knight of Cups / Weightless

Release Date: March 4th

Synopsis: Follows Rick, an uninspired screenwriter living on the event horizon of all the vice, and some of the virtues, Los Angeles has to offer. He is a slave to the Hollywood system; addicted to success but simultaneously despairing at the emptiness of his life.

Director: Terrance Malick

Genre: Drama

Starring: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Jason Clarke, Ben Kingsley, Dane Dehaan, Nick Offerman, Joel Kinnaman, Joe Manganiello, Antonio Banderas

 

Release Date: TBD

Synopsis: Two intersecting love triangles. Obsession and betrayal set against the music scene in Austin, Texas.

Director: Terrance Malick

Genre: Drama

Starring: Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Natalie Portman, Val Kilmer, Michael Fassbender, Benicio Del Toro

 

 

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15. X-Men: Apocalypse

Release Date: May 27th

Synopsis: Since the dawn of civilization, Apocalypse was worshipped as a god. He was the first and most powerful mutant from Marvel’s X-Men universe, and amassed the powers of many other mutants, becoming immortal and invincible. Upon awakening after thousands of years, he is disillusioned with the world as he finds it and recruits a team of powerful mutants, including a disheartened Magneto, to cleanse mankind and create a new world order, over which he will reign. As the fate of the Earth hangs in the balance, Raven with the help of Professor X must lead a team of young X-Men to stop their greatest nemesis and save mankind from complete destruction.

Director: Bryan Singer

Genre: Comic Book

Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac, Nicholas Hoult, Rose Byrne

 

 

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14. Everyone Wants Some

Release Date: April 15th

Synopsis: The movie centers on freshmen who work their way through the first year of college life as they try to make the baseball team.

Director: Richard Linklater (Dazed and Confused)

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Starring: TBA

 

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13. Passengers

Release Date: December 21st

Synopsis: Set on a spacecraft in the future, with thousands of passengers making an interstellar voyage to a distant new planet. One passenger awakens from cryogenic sleep 90 years before anyone else and decides to wake up a female passenger, sparking the beginning of a love story.

Director: Morten Tyldum (Imitation Game)

Genre: Science Fiction

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Chris Pratt, Michael Sheen

 

 

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12. Nice Guys

Release Date: May 20th

Synopsis: The Nice Guys takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March and hired enforcer Jackson Healy must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.

Director: Shane Black (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3)

Genre: Comedy

Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling

 

 

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11. The Light Between Oceans

Release Date: September 2nd

Synopsis: Set on an island off the coast of Western Australia after World War I. A lighthouse keeper and his wife find a 2-month-old girl and a dead body in a rowboat and decide to raise the baby as their own. But what seems like a blessing soon turns tragic, as morality and love are tested.

Director: Derek Cianfrance (Place Beyond the Pines, Blue Valentine)

Genre: Drama

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Alicia Vikander, Rachel Weisz

 

 

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10. Silence

Release Date: TBA

Synopsis: An adaptation of the Shusaku Endo novel about 17th century Jesuits who risk their lives to bring Christianity to Japan.

Director: Martin Scorsese

Genre: Historical Drama

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, Liam Neeson

 

 

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9. Deadpool

Release Date: February 12th

Synopsis: Deadpool tells the origin story of former Special Forces operative turned mercenary Wade Wilson, who after being subjected to a rogue experiment that leaves him with accelerated healing powers, adopts the alter ego Deadpool. Armed with his new abilities and a dark, twisted sense of humor, Deadpool hunts down the man who nearly destroyed his life.

Director: Tim Miller

Genre: Comic Book

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Ed Skrein

 

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8. Doctor Strange

Release Date: November 4th

Synopsis: Dr. Strange was a self-centered New York surgeon robbed of his touch after a car accident. After a stint as a wandering derelict, he encounters a healer in the Himalayas and learns to tap into psychic powers to battle wrongdoers.

Director: Scott Derrickson (Sinister)

Genre: Comic Book

Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Mads Mikkelsen, Tilda Swinton

 

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7. Captain America: Civil War

Release Date: May 6th

Synopsis: Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War finds Steve Rogers leading the newly formed team of Avengers in their continued efforts to safeguard humanity. But after another incident involving the Avengers results in collateral damage, political pressure mounts to install a system of accountability, headed by a governing body to oversee and direct the team. The new status quo fractures the Avengers, resulting in two camps—one led by Steve Rogers and his desire for the Avengers to remain free to defend humanity without government interference, and the other following Tony Stark’s surprising decision to support government oversight and accountability.

Director: Russo Brothers

Genre: Comic Book

Starring: Everybody

 

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6. Trespass Against Us

Release Date: TBA

Synopsis: A man looks to find a way to escape the criminal ways of his outlaw family.

Director: Adam Smith

Genre: Crime Drama

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Brendan Gleeson

 

 

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5. Suicide Squad

Release Date: August 5th

Synopsis: A mix of well-known and unknown villains (Deadshot, King Shark, Captain Boomerang and Harley Quinn) are recruited by the government to accomplish a task deemed too dangerous for superheroes. The historically independent operators must bury their own interpersonal conflicts and agendas to form a cohesive unit to take on a singular task.

Director: David Ayer (Fury, End of Watch)

Genre: Comic Book

Starring: Will Smith, Jared Leto, Margot Robbie, Joel Kinnaman, Jai Courtney

 

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4. Assassin’s Creed

Release Date: December 21st

Synopsis: Through a revolutionary technology that unlocks his genetic memories, Callum Lynch experiences the adventures of his ancestor, Aguilar, in 15th Century Spain. Callum discovers he is descended from a mysterious secret society, the Assassins, and amasses incredible knowledge and skills to take on the oppressive and powerful Templar organization in the present day.

Director: Justin Kurzel (MacBeth, Snowtown Murders)

Genre: Fantasy

Starring: Michael Fassbender, Marion Cotillard, Jeremy Irons, Brendan Gleeson

 

 

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3. Free State of Jones

Release Date: May 13th

Synopsis: Set during the Civil War, The Free State of Jones tells the story of defiant Southern farmer Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy.

Director: Gary Ross (Hunger Games, Pleasantville, Seabiscuit)

Genre: Historical Drama

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Keri Russell, Brendan Gleeson

 

 

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2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Release Date: December 16th

Synopsis: Following the formation of the Galactic Empire, a rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a daring mission to steal the Death Star plans.

Director: Garreth Edwards (Godzilla)

Genre: Science Fiction

Starring: Felicity Jones, Ben Mendelsohn, Mads Mikkelsen

 

 

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1. Jungle Book

Release Date: April 15th

Synopsis: The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli  a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera , and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa, a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.

Director: Jon Favreau (Chef, Iron Man 1 & 2)

Genre: Fantasy

Starring: Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken

 

 

Well there you have it. 100 films to look forward to in 2015. I know even with 100 movies I left some off. What movies are you looking forward to? What is ranked too high? Too low? Sound off in the comments below.

A few statistics for you as well:

Action: 6             |             Animated: 7             |             Biblical: 2             |             Biopic: 8             |             Comedy: 14

Comic Book: 6             |             Crime: 7             |             Disaster: 1             |             Drama: 10             |             Epic: 1

Fantasy: 12             |             Heist: 2             |             Historical: 4             |             Horror: 3             |             Martial Arts: 1

Mockumentary: 1             |             Musical: 2             |             Science Fiction: 8             |             Thriller: 8             |             Western: 2

Also perhaps due to more information being available for the first half of the year but an interesting view at what looks like a very busy spring movie season.

January: 5             |             February: 9             |             March: 15             |             April: 11

May: 10             |             June: 5             |             July: 7             |             August: 6

September: 4             |             October: 4             |             November: 5             |             December: 5

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Kevin "OptimusSolo"

OptimusSolo is a Cartoon Historian and even has an actual History degree to go with it. He's also an avid Toy collector boasting an over 1,000 piece Star Wars collection and nearly 400 Transformer toys. He is one of the hosts of the Powers of Grayskull series. He also has a passion for cartoon Theme Songs, Star Trek, MacGyver, Baseball, and is a major Movie Geek!

3 Comments

  1. So Huntsman is essentially a live action “Frozen” … meh.

    Good list though, but I would not have put Jungle Book at #1 lol

  2. So Huntsman is essentially a live action “Frozen” … meh.

    Good list though, but I would not have put Jungle Book at #1 lol

  3. Awesome list. I’m a little taken a back that you have a Terrance Malick movie in your Top 20. Though from what I’m hearing about Knight of Cups it is not looking all that good but you never know.

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