The Witch

It’s officially 2016. Our Best of 2015 lists have all been published and the new year is upon us, which means it’s time to start looking to the future. Yes, 2015 was a particularly good year for movie fans, but 2016 looks pretty impressive too. You like Coen Bros. movies? We got one of those. You like Star Wars? Yup, one of those too. Critically acclaimed horror movies? Sure. Pixar? Of course. Movies where your favorite superheroes beat the crap out of each other? WE GOT TWO OF THOSE. We put together a quick list of the 25 movies — a mix of both blockbusters and indies — that we can’t wait to see next year. This will probably change as the year goes on (our 2015 list included Jupiter Ascending, Aloha and Tomorrowland so we’re not perfect), but based on what we know right now, this is it. Here are the movies we’re looking forward to the most in 2016, in the order of release date (those with no release date are listed in alphabetical order).

Mark your calendars for February 26, 2016. That’s the day your minds will be blown by The Witch, the exceptional and eerie debut film from Robert Eggers that’s been stirring up film festival audiences all year. If you’re familiar with The Witch, you’re probably familiar with the film’s supporting character and mascot, a mischievous goat named Black Phillip. A new poster offers another form of evil by introducing a sharp-eyed raven, while A24 has opened an official website for the upcoming horror film.

Fantastic Fest’s annual programming offers some of the most exciting genre films from around the world, and every year there are a few horror films which stand out among the rest, inevitably landing on year-end top 10 horror lists when they eventually hit theaters. Fantastic Fest 2014 brought us The Babadook and It Follows, two of the greatest horror films of the past year, and this year’s festival is no exception with intensely great offerings like The Witch, The Devil’s Candy, Crimson Peak, February, The Invitation and more.

Fantastic Fest is easily one of the best, most fun, most insane, and most booze-soaked film festivals in the world. Held every year at the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin, Texas, the festival created by Drafthouse owner Tim League is filled with genre film selections from all over the world, offering a unique experience and atmosphere. This year's fest includes highly-anticipated films like Green Room, High-Rise, The Martian, and The Witch, as well as smaller and equally exciting titles like The Devil's Candy, Demon, and Son of Saul.

If you follow even a couple of film critics on Twitter, then you know The Witch. This debut film by director Robert Eggers was a sensation at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Best Director award and also the award for Most Orgasmic Tweets By Film Critics. To wit:

While we didn’t make it over to Park City this year for the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, we’ve definitely been keeping track of the reactions to this year’s lineup from our critics and colleagues. The Sundance awards were announced last night, and as many predicted, the big winner of the evening was ‘Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,’ from director Alfonso Gomez-Rejon.