Year splitting seems to be particularly important for some of the foreign films. Someone mentioned Cemetary of Splendor, which was playing at international film festivals last year and is listed as 2015 on IMDB. Similarly Embrace of the Serpent, which would be my favorite film of the year if I counted it as 2016.

Meanwhile, many of the films that made the list, including both Oscar fare and high-profile foreign releases like The Handmaiden, are clearly part of the 2016 discussion. These films are designed to develop buzz for awards and end up on lists like this.

I actually think longer-term lists like "Best of the 00's" are better suited for r/truefilm to properly digest foreign and indie films alongside their more-advertised counterparts.

I look at this list as a way to put high-potential films on my radar -- I added The Neon Demon to my watch list -- and I think it's entertaining to watch people debating the merits of individual films or the culture of r/truefilm based on the results of a quick-response popular vote.