So, the first half of 2016 is behind us, and there have been movies being released nonstop. Five still have a good place in my mind as being some of the best. So, let's get into it.

5. "The Witch"

Rookie director Robert Eggers really delivers with his first feature length, "The Witch." The movie follows a family, pre-witch trials time, who get exiled from their settlement, but when their newborn child mysteriously disappears, tension rises between the family. Eggers is really good at building tension in "The Witch" and is able to make everything as unpredictable as possible, and when the scares happen they are extremely effective. The movie is very authentic in its production design, and in its dialogue as it has a very old English dialect applied to it.

"The Witch" is incredibly well done, and really deserves a watch if you're looking for a good scare.

4. "The Nice Guys"

Director Shane Black is no stranger to the buddy cop genre as he has writing credits on "Lethal Weapon" and also the absolutely hilarious, "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" and his mastery in the genre really shines in "The Nice Guys." The two big stars in this movie are, by far, Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Their chemistry in the movie is some of the best I've seen in a long time; these two work extremely well together, and every time they're together on screen, it's hard not to have a smile on your face. They're pretty great on their own as well, as their characters have some great material, but I have to say Ryan Gosling shines the most in this movie because he has some of the best lines and delivery. The jokes are also fantastic, with a good blend of dark comedy and visual comedy that is very much reminded me of Edgar Wright's buddy cop comedy "Hot Fuzz."

If you're looking for a good laugh, get some friends and go check out, "The Nice Guys."

3. "Green Room"

After directing "Blue Ruin," director Jeremy Saulnier outdoes himself with this twisted, claustrophobic and dark thriller called "Green Room." In this we follow as punk band named The Aint-Rights who are desperate for money, so as a last resort they perform at a venue ran by Neo-Nazis. Although the concept of punks vs. Nazis seem a bit laughable, "Green Room" is far from funny. Along with some spectacular performances from Patrick Stewart, and the late Anton Yelchin, this movie has incredible tension, moments that are extremely effective to its audience, and also a pretty great Dead Kennedys cover. This movie is set out to have its audience feel awful, so be warned before watching this and make sure you are prepared for what you're about to watch.

2. "Swiss Army Man"

This movie also comes from rookie directors, however, their work with music videos is pretty noticeable. This movie comes from a directing duo who call themselves "Danials," who are responsible from the incredible weird music video for "Turn Down For What." So, with that you know this movie is going to get a little weird, but dear god, "Swiss Army Man" is spectacular. Not only does this movie deliver its weird premise extremely well, you have two must-see performances from Paul Dano and the boy who lived himself, Daniel Radcliffe. Almost everything about this movie worked for me: the two lead performances, how its music was incorporated, and it's just genuinely one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. Although I have some mixed feelings about the ending, I can't deny that I had the time of my life watching this movie.

1. "Everybody Wants Some"

Following up the wildly loved, "Boyhood," Richard Linklater offers up a movie that gives us even more of his incredibly charming writing with "Everybody Wants Some." Intended as a spiritual sequel to his 1993 movie, "Dazed and Confused," this movie does an incredible job at building character, building location and also building upon the 1980s nostalgia that is very much present in "Everybody Wants Some." The soundtrack is amazing, the performances are charming and its a movie that surly will put a smile on your face.

Unfortunately, the trailer for "Everybody Wants Some" doesn't exactly do the movie justice, but trust me when I say that this movie is very much worth a watch.