The 17 best movies of 2016 you haven't seen yet

No matter what, the major Hollywood blockbusters are always going to dominate the conversation.

After all, films like Finding Dory, Captain America: Civil War and Zootopia attracted such broad audiences this year that all three Disney-owned properties managed to crack the $1 billion mark worldwide. Although those films were largely lauded by critics and fans, there is a growing disparity between releases that sit atop the box office charts and those that frequent critics’ lists.

Sometimes, this is the result of a film’s subject material just being too bizarre or offbeat to earn the attention of the masses or perhaps it’s simply because the distributor lacks the marketing budget to effectively build up anticipation.

Whatever the case may be, we’re turning our attention to the 2016 films that many of you may have missed so far this year. First, a few ground rules: We’re including both major studio releases that underperformed at the box office and indie darlings that failed to break into the mainstream. More specifically, qualifying films must have received at least a limited theatrical run in 2016 and grossed less than $50 million domestically. Now, let’s the spotlight on these under-seen gems.

Here are the 17 best movies of 2016 you haven’t seen:

SEE ALSO: The 10 best movies since 2000, according to critics

17. "Swiss Army Man"

Starting things off, we have a film that may very well be among the most divisive films of the year. Soon after its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Swiss Army Manbecame known as Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe’s “farting corpse movie” and elicited such a mixed reaction from the crowd there that some viewers walked out of the screening. However, for those that do appreciate the film’s twisted sense of humor and darkly powerful third-act twist, Swiss Army Man offers a distinct viewing experience that invites viewers to unravel the subtext in search of even deeper layers of meaning.

Filmmakers Dan Kwan and Daniel Scheinert — credited as simply “Daniels” — make an incredibly ambitious debut here, and the film features what many are calling Radcliffe’s best performance to date. If there’s one role we never thought we’d see the former Harry Potter take on, it’s that of a flatulent corpse. That certainly should count for something.

16. "Don't Think Twice"

Comedian Mike Birbiglia wrote, directed and stars in this comedy-drama centering on a New York-based improv troupe that begins to crumble when one of the comics (Keegan-Michael Key) is selected to join the cast of a Saturday Night Live-esque sketch show. Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher and Chris Gethard round out the main cast of Don’t Think Twice and riff off of each other beautifully as this all-too-common scenario plays out.

Praised for its hilarious script and poignant subject matter, the film has received universal praise from critics for balancing its delicate tone and capturing the fragile dynamic between performers and friends all striving to “make it big.” Prior to Don’t Think Twice, Birbiglia’s only directorial credit was the 2012 indie comedy Sleepwalk with Me, but given the unanimous love for his latest film, we’re betting it won’t take long for him to step behind the camera again.

15. "Hail, Caesar!"

Joel and Ethan Coen are routinely cited as two of the best filmmakers working today. Much like their early hit Barton Fink (which is also connected to the fictional Capitol Pictures), Hail, Caesar! examines the life of those in the movie business, albeit from the perspective of a studio fixer (Josh Brolin) tasked with locating the leading man (George Clooney) of an upcoming Roman-set epic.

Part screwball comedy and part genuine satire of the Hollywood system, Hail, Caesar! unites a large group of gifted actors — including Ralph Fiennes, Scarlett Johansson, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand — to play one outlandish character after another. Moreover, it introduced the world to Alden Ehrenreich, the young actor who nabbed the role of Han Solo in the upcoming Star Wars spinoff film. It might not be one of the Coens’ finest hours at the box office, earning just $30 million domestically, but it was enough for Hail, Caesar! to become a modest hit during its theatrical run.