15 Most Critically Adored Films 2016 - Ranked
9. Manchester By The Sea
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 97% (178 reviews)
Since its Sundance premiere back in January, Manchester by the Sea quickly rose as one of the most acclaimed films of year. Recently listed amongst the best films of 2016 by the American Film Institute and currently nominated for six Golden Globe Awards including Best Drama and Best Director, it’s hotly tipped to scoop a few Oscar nominations too.
Directed by Kenneth Lonergan, the movie stars Casey Affleck as Lee – a lonely Boston janitor forced to return to his hometown after his brother dies leaving him as the sole guardian of his teenage nephew. There he is forced to face his ex-wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the tragic past they share after losing their kids in a housefire years previously. Sounds depressing, and while it is indeed a sad movie it’s also a moving and often very funny meditation on loss and grief.