Best Movies of 1996

An argued cross-language ranking of films first publicly released in1996. Fargo and Secrets & Lies lead for their different ways of making social observation carry dramatic tension; documentary, Iranian visual storytelling, Japanese comedy and American independent cinema widen the field. Festival premieres count: Hard Eight screened at Cannes as Sydney in1996 before its1997commercial release. Microcosmos offers a gentler route in, while Crash and Breaking the Waves are demanding adult choices. Branagh's Hamlet runs about four hours. Rankings judge complete films rather than awards or ticket sales.