This summer of movies has seen its fair share of mega-budget blockbusters and darling dramas for the critics. Between the months of May and July, the better part of summer for most people my age, there was everything from superhero action to a little blue fish that finds her memory. Having seen many of these movies this summer, I want to review and rank the five best movies that wowed me and help beat the awful summer heat this year.

Honorable Mention – X-Men Apocalypse

While I cannot say that the latest X-Men installment was my favorite in the franchise (That title belongs to X-Men Days of Future Past, and rightfully so), this movie was by no means a bad one. Halfway into the film I came to the conclusion that it was a combination of The Mummy and The Avengers, but in a bad way. It seemed to retreat many common action-thriller tropes, such as the “forget everything you think you know” scenario, and the “we’ve lost all hope scenario”. However, this movie was still loads of fun, as I found myself in awe by the action scenes, and blown away by the finale. I am excited to see where the franchise takes viewers next, and I hope it will return to the form of the previous two films.

5 – Ghostbusters

Say what you want about it, Ghostbusters is one of my favorite films of the summer. This movie has been perhaps the most polarizing I have ever seen in my life, with some of my friends walking out in the middle of the movie, while others in tears from laughing so hard. I am somewhere in the middle of that spectrum, and I still thoroughly enjoyed the lady-led cast of the reboot. Many of the criticisms come from the heavy use of CGI (computer generated imagery), unlikable acting, and a choppy script. However, I found myself laughing throughout the entire film and drawn in by the women’s quick wit and what I feel was incredible acting. This reboot is worthy of the Ghostbusters name that took the eighties by storm, and I am excited to see what else is next no matter how many people hated it.

4 – Money Monster

Money Monster is the most underappreciated movie on this list, because not many people I know knew about this movie, and it obviously did not get as much attention as blockbusters like X-Men and Ghostbusters. Money Monster appealed to me because it had a mystery that I had not seen in a film before being led by the wonderful George Clooney and Julia Roberts. I sat with my jaw hanging open at every turn and walked out of the theater with a new outlook on money and what it can make people do. If you have not seen this movie yet I highly recommend it, because this film deserves its due credit.

3 – The Shallows

The Shallows may be a “Jaws Remix”, but it was an intense and exciting ride nonetheless. Naysayers may shout that it was boring, slow paced, or anything of the like, but you truly have to see it for yourself to decide. Blake lively puts on a masterful performance that truly makes you feel her pain and share her fear, and by the second half of the movie you will find yourself rooting for her like you would your favorite sports team. There were scenes that I was unable to keep my eyes open for, yet was not able to keep them closed due to the gravity of the situation on screen. I was truly in shock by the events that occur and I walked away not wanting to swim in the ocean for the next couple of months! However you feel after you see it, just know that The Shallows is much more that a “Jaws remix”, and has earned the right to stand on its own as one of the best films of the summer, and quite possibly 2016.

2 – Finding Dory

Weather you are four or forty years old, Pixar has the uncanny ability to make you feel emotions for everything from a rat to a robot, and Finding Dory is no exception. Pixar movies always hold a special place in my heart, and this movie adds to why that is. Not five minutes into the film and I found myself feeling like eight year-old me seeing the original Finding Nemo in theaters for the first time, and I could not stop smiling. Pixar is always able to make the audience empathize with their characters on screen, whether they be fish or toys, and was going from tears of laughter, to sadness, and back to laughter again all over the course of this two hour animated masterpiece. Finding Dory may not be at the top of this list, but it is certainly the best animated movie of the summer, and also the best animated movie of 2016.

1 – Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond is hands down the best movie of this hot 2016 summer. I was extremely excited for this movie and I was not disappointed. After counting down the days until I could go to my favorite theater to see it, I went in with the highest of expectations for Captain Kirk and his crew. What I was greeted to was an adventure full of everything one could ask for; suspense, action, a truly hateful villain, and a seemingly hopeless situation that brings out the best of its characters. The performances by Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg and all of the enterprise crew ensnared the audience in their story and they did not let go until the very end. It was driven by themes of hopeless wandering, defining who oneself is, and never giving up. All other movies this year should strive to match the levels of fun that Star Trek achieves. Star Trek Beyond deserves to be called the best movie of the summer and possibly 2016.