Brilliant Movies Of 2016 You Totally Missed

This year gave us so many great blockbusters that even the most ardent film fan could be forgiven for missing out on a few of the better offerings that flew under the radar at the cineplex. With that in mind, here's a look back at some of the releases that deserved more love from the box office in 2016. Adjust your queue accordingly—many of these titles are already available on your favorite streaming service.

This charmingly offbeat Sundance selection focuses on a young boy starting a new life with his foster family in New Zealand. With his new life in the balance, young Ricky (Julian Dennison) goes on the run with his new Uncle Hec (a bearded Sam Neill) in the New Zealand wilderness. As many reviewers have noted, the film is essentially a quirky Pixar movie brought to life (think Up without so many balloons), telling a sweet story that can appeal to the entire family. The film was a hit in New Zealand, but is more than deserving of a global audience.

You've heard of snakes on a plane, but how about zombies on a train? This South Korean zombie flick from Yeon Sang-ho takes that pitch and runs with it, creating a white knuckle thriller and political allegory tied up in one exceptionally terrifying package. Much like George Romero used the undead as a societal allegory for consumerism a few decades ago, Sang-ho tackles some social commentary of his own. Critics have praised Train to Busan for its simple setup and deft execution, and it was so good Hollywood is cooking up a U.S. remake as you read this.

If you only know Chris Pine from the Star Trek movie, Hell or High Water serves as a reminder of just how much range the young version of Kirk actually has when given a meatier role. This modern Western drama focuses on a pair of bank robbers being tracked by a Texas Ranger (played by Jeff Bridges). Touted by critics as one of the best films of the year, Hell or High Water rises on the strength of an excellent cast, subverts all the old genre clichés, and packs an emotional sting in its closing act.

Kenneth Lonergan's (You Can Count On Me) latest project is the full-bodied family story of an emotionally stunted man who returns to his hometown to raise his 16-year-old nephew. Critics have raved about the performances of stars Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler and Gretchen Mol—and for good reason. It uses a simple setup to tackle complex themes, delving into crippling grief while dissecting everything from the meaning of family to how those left behind deal with death.

Before breaking big as Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Adam Driver got his start in indie films. Despite his box office success, Driver hasn't forgotten his roots. He put in an acclaimed effort in this Jim Jarmusch drama, which focuses on a bus driver (Driver) and his wife (Golshifteh Farahani) as they navigate the interesting simplicity of their daily lives. It shows the contrast of how each life is different, while simultaneously reminding us how they can weave together through relationships. Critics have praised the small scale and how it relishes in small everyday moments.

This stop-motion fantasy adventure sadly got lost in the shuffle between Zootopia and Finding Nemo, but it's still definitely among the best animated films of the year. The story follows a young boy whose quiet life is thrown upside down when he's caught up in an ancient battle that sets him off on an epic adventure. Joined by his magical companions Monkey and Beetle (voiced by Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Matthew McConaughey, respectively), Kubo sets out to unravel the mysteries of his family history while carving out his own life. The visuals are stunning, and the story weaves together in a way that will have you laughing one minute and sobbing the next.

A slow-burning mystery thriller that doubles as an appealingly nasty dig into the emotional fallout from a tragic divorce, The Invitation has Jennifer's Body director Karyn Kusama making an assured return to feature filmmaking after a few years in the TV trenches. Unfolding at a house party thrown by the ex-wife (Tammy Blanchard) and new husband (Michael Huisman) of a man (Logan Marshall-Green) who's starting over with a new relationship, the story starts with a simmering stew of potentially toxic ingredients and spends the next 100 minutes expertly ramping up the tension.

Green Room falls a little off the beaten path, but it's still well worth checking out for anyone who likes their action movies to have a sharp set of teeth—or anyone who enjoyed Blue Ruin, writer-director Jeremy Saulnier's 2014 debut. This time out, Saulnier plunges viewers into the hellish ordeal experienced by a punk band (including Anton Yelchin, Imogen Poots, and Arrested Development vet Alia Shawkat) who attract the bloodthirsty ire of a pack of murderous neo-Nazi skinheads. Did we mention that Patrick Stewart is the homicidal owner of the club where the band is trapped? Green Room is equal parts smart and nasty—and one of the more sinfully enjoyable indie efforts of 2016.

You may not have heard of this film, but you probably know a few of its stars. This indie comedy pulls together Key and Peele alum Keegan-Michael Key, plus Community co-star Gillian Jacobs, as members of an improv troupe in New York City trying to break big in a Saturday Night Live-style series. The film received a ton of critical acclaim, and takes a deep dive into the challenges of trying to make it as a comedian—or any type of creative professional, really—in the 21st century. It's a bit inside baseball about the comedy industry, though it's actually a really fun world to get a peek into. It's also a nice reminder that funny people are just like all of us. Just, you know, a bit funnier.

This high-concept drama pulls together an A-list cast to explore a modern wartime story in a taut thriller. The film follows a colonel played by Helen Mirren as she commands a top secret done strike operation. But an operation goes awry, and the life of a young girl is thrown into the balance when a drone strike mission gets far more complicated than anyone had planned. The battlefield operation eventually reaches the top of the U.S. and British government, as viewers get a bird's-eye view of all the factors that go into these types of military operations. The film stars Mirren (Trumbo, The Queen), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad, Need for Speed), Barkhad Abdi (Captain Philips), Iain Glen (Game of Thrones) and the late Alan Rickman (Die Hard, Harry Potter).

This international production was written and directed by Iranian filmmaker Babak Anvari, and follows a mother and daughter who are haunted by a strange evil during the Iran-Iraq war, aka the War of the Cities, in the 1980s. Critics applauded the film, saying it deftly blends family drama and subtle horror. It's creepy in some devilishly clever ways, using its lo-fi approach to maximum effect as it weaves a personal story through twisted horror tropes. Under the Shadow stars Narges Rashidi, Avin Manshadi, Bobby Naderi, Ray Haratian, and Arash Marandi.

This supernatural horror flick is based on Dan Wells' 2009 novel of the same name. The twisty thriller follows a 16-year-old (played by Max Records) who is not a serial killer—though he has some of the same obsessions with morbidity and homicidal tendencies. Things get complicated when a real serial killer starts wreaking havoc on his Midwestern hometown, and a mission to find the real killer ramps up. The film stars Christopher Lloyd, Max Records, Laura Fraser, and Christina Baldwin. Critics called it a taut thriller that manages to tie together its darkness and gore with wry humor. It's also drawn some comparisons to Netflix's surprise hit Stranger Things.