Best-Reviewed Dramas 2016

Critics Consensus: Moonlight uses one man's story to offer a remarkable and brilliantly crafted look at lives too rarely seen in cinema.

Synopsis: A look at three defining chapters in the life of Chiron, a young black man growing up in Miami. His epic journey to manhood is... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Mahershala Ali, Alex R. Hibbert, Ashton Sanders, Trevante Rhodes

Directed By: Barry Jenkins

Critics Consensus: Manchester by the Sea delivers affecting drama populated by full-bodied characters, marking another strong step forward for writer-director Kenneth Lonergan.

Synopsis: After the death of his older brother Joe, Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked that Joe has made him sole guardian of his teenage nephew... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Casey Affleck, Michelle Williams, Kyle Chandler, Lucas Hedges

Directed By: Kenneth Lonergan

Critics Consensus: Little Men takes a compassionate look at the ways in which adult problems impact childhood friendships -- and offers another affecting New York drama from director Ira Sachs.

Synopsis: Two teens develop a growing friendship in Brooklyn, N.Y., while the feud between their respective parents (Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle) continues to escalate.

Starring: Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, Paulina García, Michael Barbieri

Directed By: Ira Sachs

Critics Consensus: From its reunited Broadway stars to its screenplay, the solidly crafted Fences finds its Pulitzer-winning source material fundamentally unchanged -- and still just as powerful.

Synopsis: Troy Maxson makes his living as a sanitation worker in the 1950s Pittsburgh. Maxson once dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, but was deemed... View Full Synopsis

Starring: Denzel Washington, Viola Davis, Stephen Henderson, Jovan Adepo

Directed By: Denzel Washington

Critics Consensus: As gripping as it is unique, the thrillingly kinetic The Fits marks debuting writer-director Anna Rose Holmer as a singular talent.

Synopsis: An 11-year-old tomboy (Royalty Hightower) tries to fit in with her peers after joining an all-girl dance team.

Starring: Royalty Hightower, Makyla Burnam, Inayah Rodgers, Alexis Neblett

Directed By: Anna Rose Holmer