Best of 2016
My favorite movies from 2016 in order
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22 titles
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.A fantastically intriguing story, along with an amazing twist ending, beautiful shots and camerawork, and the best performance by Amy Adams I've seen, this is easily one of the best, if not the best film of the year
- DirectorMichael Dudok de WitStarsEmmanuel GarijoTom HudsonBaptiste GoyA man is shipwrecked on a deserted island and encounters a big red turtle, which changes his life.There is nothing else like it that I've seen. From the beautiful score to the gorgeous animation, this is one of the best films I've ever seen
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.Fun characters and a fantastic soundtrack, this is easily one of the best movies of the year. The performances range from good to great, Jack Reynor in particular being the standout. Overall it certainly isn't something you'd want to miss out on this year
- DirectorMakoto ShinkaiStarsRyunosuke KamikiMone KamishiraishiRyo NaritaTwo teenagers share a profound, magical connection upon discovering they are swapping bodies. Things manage to become even more complicated when the boy and girl decide to meet in person.What starts as a fun, lovely movie grows into a complex dramatic romance full of heart, love, and authenticity, topped with a great soundtrack and gorgeously unique imagery. Truly this isn't just one of the best anime films, it is one of the best films. Period.
- DirectorJ.A. BayonaStarsLewis MacDougallSigourney WeaverFelicity JonesConor, a twelve-year-old boy, encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.
- DirectorMatt RossStarsViggo MortensenGeorge MacKaySamantha IslerIn the forests of the Pacific Northwest, a father devoted to raising his six kids with a rigorous physical and intellectual education is forced to leave his paradise and enter the world, challenging his idea of what it means to be a parent.Absolutely amazing, the performances were great, the characters were interesting, well-developed, well-rounded, and most of all, realistic. With plenty of heart and topped off with a statement about society that really needed to be said, Captain Fantastic is, as it's title suggests, simply fantastic
- DirectorKenneth LonerganStarsCasey AffleckMichelle WilliamsKyle ChandlerA depressed uncle is asked to take care of his teenage nephew after the boy's father dies.Fantastic direction, music, and writing. While Lucas Hedges does struggle with his performance on occasion, when it mattered he nailed it. Meanwhile every other performance is absolutely perfect.
- DirectorTom FordStarsAmy AdamsJake GyllenhaalMichael ShannonA wealthy art gallery owner is haunted by her ex-husband's novel, a violent thriller she interprets as a symbolic revenge tale.Perfectly acted, beautifully shot, and fantastically written, this is a story worth watching all the way through
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRussell CroweRyan GoslingAngourie RiceIn 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.Fun characters with great chemistry and performances. The comedy is few and far between, but most each joke is great.
- DirectorBarry JenkinsStarsMahershala AliNaomie HarrisTrevante RhodesA young African-American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence, and burgeoning adulthood.
- DirectorKelly Fremon CraigStarsHailee SteinfeldHaley Lu RichardsonBlake JennerHigh-school life gets even more unbearable for Nadine when her best friend, Krista, starts dating her older brother.An extremely well-performed, well-acted, well-written coming-of-age story lacking in a dull moment, with some good comedy sprinkled in there
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsBen AffleckAnna KendrickJ.K. SimmonsAs a math savant uncooks the books for a new client, the Treasury Department closes in on his activities, and the body count starts to rise.A reasonably complex story accompanied by one of the best performances I've seen from Ben Affleck and some of the best action choreography I've seen in a while. It's a movie that gets you excited when the fighting starts and makes you think about the story itself. All topped off with great humor, interesting characters, and particularly good chemistry between Anna Kendrick and Ben Affleck. I can't wait to see this movie again
- DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.Fantastic characters, even more fantastic acting, a great setting and story, and genuine tension throughout. Unfortunately weighed down just a tad by the ending, but I'm happy it did when it did
- DirectorJames WanStarsVera FarmigaPatrick WilsonMadison WolfeEd and Lorraine Warren travel to North London to help a single mother raising four children alone in a house plagued by a supernatural spirit.Genuinely unnerving with great performances all around and an outstanding climax
- DirectorDaniel KwanDaniel ScheinertStarsPaul DanoDaniel RadcliffeMary Elizabeth WinsteadA hopeless man stranded on a deserted island befriends a dead body, and together they go on a surreal journey to get home.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.Great performances all around, an engaging story, and great special effects, with an almost amazing climax to top it all off
- DirectorTaika WaititiStarsSam NeillJulian DennisonRima Te WiataA national manhunt is ordered for a rebellious kid and his foster uncle who go missing in the wild New Zealand bush.Hilariously clever or outright fun, this movie has it all, topped off with great performances and shot composition, this is a modern classic in one of it's finest forms
- DirectorSunao KatabuchiStarsNonAva PickardKenna PickardA spirited 18-year-old woman is married off to a man she barely knows as she combats the daily struggles of living in Hiroshima during World War II.
- DirectorNacho VigalondoStarsAnne HathawayJason SudeikisAustin StowellGloria is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in New York City and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon.
- DirectorKen LoachStarsDave JohnsHayley SquiresSharon PercyAfter surviving a heart-attack, a 59-year-old carpenter must fight bureaucratic forces to receive Employment and Support Allowance.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsAdam DriverGolshifteh FarahaniNellieA quiet observation of the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
- DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyAlden EhrenreichA Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.Great, funny ideas and a great and original story. Fantastic performances all around. A movie that can stand as a great movie even without the comedy