My Top 10 Movies of 2016

It's that time of year once again. Time to count down my Top 10 favorite movies of the past year. And honestly, 2016 has been a pretty weak year for movies, so much so that, until just the past couple weeks, I honestly wasn't sure if I was gonna be able to do a full Top 10, but rather a Top 5 with some honorable nods. But I said that it was gonna take December's releases to really wow me to change my mind, and well, enough did just that, to where I feel I can go ahead and move forward with the full list this year. But first, let's take a look at a few honorable mentions for the year, then waste no more time getting right down to the list.

Honorable Mentions
Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk (Ang Lee)
Café Society (Woody Allen)
Captain Fantastic (Matt Ross)
The Conjuring 2 (James Wan)
Green Room (Jeremy Saulnier)

#10

Captain America: Civil War
(Anthony Russo, Joe Russo)

I may be feeling a bit of superhero movie fatigue, but that didn't prevent a handful of this year's entries from making the list, and the latest Captain America is a shining example of how these movies can still bring the goods. Civil War is second only to Guardians of the Galaxy as the best in the MCU to date, bringing with it a well balanced ensemble piece and a rare example of true emotional stakes in the form of its tragically grand finale, made all the more so by its accompanying epic score that'll send chills down your spine.

On top of it all, I'd also say that this movie contains quite possibly Robert Downey Jr.'s best performance in a movie to date, showing that even despite playing the Tony Stark character for as long as he has, that he can still bring a world of emotional range to breathe a whole new life into the role. I wasn't too thrilled with the Russo brothers' first outing in The Winter Soldier, but they proved their worth with Civil War, and leave me feeling more confident in their abilities moving forward into the next Avengers flicks.

#9

Deadpool
(Tim Miller)

And moving straight from one Marvel property to another, Deadpool was a real breath of fresh air in the genre. After it ended, I declared that the movie was absolutely perfect, and that really still stands true even now, it really is as perfect a Deadpool movie as I could imagine. You could tell that this was a passion project, a true love letter to the character, and that passion oozed onto the screen through both Ryan Reynolds' phenomenal performance as the title character, and the great script and inspired non-linear format that really brought this character's world view to life.

Also, great as it may be, it's still not the kind of movie that I ever imagined would even be in consideration for serious awards competition. So the fact that it's received a Best Picture nomination at the Golden Globes I just find to be absolutely awesome. So much so that, despite it not even being my favorite of the year, I'm gonna be rooting for this one to go all the way. 'Cause really, how freaking cool would that be to see Deadpool of all movies take home some Best Picture awards?

#8

Nocturnal Animals
(Tom Ford)

Shifting gears now, Nocturnal Animals was a movie that spoke to me on a personal level as a creator in a way that I'm not entirely sure will speak to everyone. The movie begins with a seemingly odd opening credits sequence featuring a number of obese women dancing in the nude in an art show, which at first glance appears like a really bizarre choice, until the core of the movie really sets in, and its meaning becomes more apparent: this is a movie featuring an author who is putting himself out there, putting his deepest, darkest feelings on display, making himself vulnerable for the whole world to see, and it's going to get real ugly real fast.

And that's really what I loved about the movie. It's essentially two stories, one following our main character played by Amy Adams, and the book that she's reading by said author, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, which we see come to dark and twisted life, and the various parallels with his real life that the events in this book are based on. And really, this movie nails the creative process to a tee. It's not a literal retelling of his life, but you can connect the dots to see how the events from his life inspired what transpires in his story, which makes it all the more tragic once you know the full context. Some of the best stories comes from taking the traumas in our life and being inspired to create art from our dark pasts, and this film is a chilling example of that in action.

#7

Sing Street
(John Carney)

But it's not just trauma that can inspire us to create, but rather, a little thing called love, as Sing Street shows us in beautiful fashion. And this is a sentiment that also just rang so true to me on such a deeper level that I can really relate to, as we see our main character go on a full journey starting from scratch to create his art in the name of love.

This was just an all around lovely movie, and the various relationships we see brewing are just a joy to behold. I loved the philosophical discussions about the true meaning behind the art that our main character had with his brother, and the truly creative ways that they go about forming a band and trying to come up with a unique look and sound. And as I mentioned, the main character's driving force behind it all being the love and passion he has for this girl really shined throughout it all, and was just a really charming and endearing thing to behold.

There's a scene where they're filming a music video that features a girl falling into a river, but to be careful, they didn't want to film her actually jumping in. However, once the camera rolls, much to the band's surprise, the girl jumps right into the water, and when they ask her why she did it, she says that you can't go halfway with your art. You either gotta go in all the way or not at all. And it was at that moment that the movie wholly won me over.

#6

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
(Zack Snyder)

Okay, before anyone jumps down my throat over this entry, let me just clear up that I fully acknowledge all of this movie's faults. Hell, I honestly don't even disagree with the majority of the criticisms that have been lobbied this movie's way ad infinitum. It's a very messy movie. That said, despite all of it, it still stands out to me as one of my personal favorites regardless, and seeing as this is a list of my favorite movies of the year, that's what makes it land where it does on the list.

Because really, I had a blast with this movie. Yeah it's trashy, yeah it's all over the place and convoluted and tries to do way too much all at once. But god damn if this wasn't one of the most fun movies I've seen all year. Feeling much more like a Snyder film than his previous effort in Man of Steel, I love the added touch that really brings his signature elements to light. His kick ass use of music and stylized action direction remain some of the best in the business today, and made for some truly memorable moments throughout this ambitious mess of a film.

And really, that's sort of the key word there that stands out for me, is ambition. I have a fellow film buff friend who described The Dark Knight Rises as a mess of a movie that he could truly appreciate regardless for the sheer ambition that it showed. And while I didn't agree with that sentiment in regards to that movie, that definitely feels like the case for me with this one. It certainly tries to tackle way too much, much more than it can (or even should) realistically handle, but god damn if it didn't try and just go for broke in the process, so much so that it arguably broke the entire movie!

So yeah, call this a guilty pleasure maybe, or call it a garbage flick if you will. But either way, this is my kinda garbage, and damn if Wonder Woman isn't still my hero by the end of the year.

#5

Manchester by the Sea
(Kenneth Lonergan)

Dramatically shifting gears yet again, this was just a sucker punch of a movie (and that was my last Zack Snyder reference for this post!). Nah, but seriously, this movie packed an absolute wallop, 'cause this is a movie that'll catch you off guard and leave you reeling afterward. It tackles the subject of grief in a way that's just gut wrenching, so much so that this is a rare example of a movie where just thinking back on it after the fact has made me feel numb and brought me to the verge of tears.

Definitely a downer of a film, but damn if it isn't outstanding and gripping all the same. The performances from Casey Affleck and the rest of the cast truly feel lived in, and I honestly felt like I could've spent all day with these characters, where I kinda never wanted the movie to end, as they just sorta go about their day to day life while trying their best to deal with the terrible circumstances that life has delivered them.

This is a movie that to me feels like the times when you're lying down trying to go to sleep, but then your mind starts to wander against your will about all of the horrible things that might happen to the ones you love, and how you would go about dealing with that, what this would do to you as a person, and the depressed state this line of thought might put you in. Now take those terrible thoughts and put them on the screen, and you've got this hauntingly terrific film.

#4

Swiss Army Man
(Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert)

I don't know what else I can say about this film that I didn't already cover in my in-depth analysis earlier in the year, but this was just a majestic little movie. An absolute metaphorical work of art, and as I described it before, The Tree of Life for the weird and the awkward.

No, this movie isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, but this really struck a chord with me on a personal level for just how genuine, open, and honest it was about being the type of socially awkward introvert that Paul Dano's character is portrayed as here, and the sheer creative ways that all of his various personality quirks are put on display in a visual form. And Daniel Radcliffe's performance here in particular remains one of my favorites of the whole year.

But anyways, like I said, nothing I really say here in a brief write-up can really do this movie its proper justice, so go back and check out my original analysis of the film for a more in-depth discussion on this film's deeper meanings to get a real feel for just why this film placed where it did on this list, and what it really means to me.

#3

Zootopia
(Byron Howard, Rich Moore)

Now as we get to the Top 3, we enter a three way race between the movies that were all vying for that pivotal top slot. And for the longest time, Zootopia held on to that very spot, and for damn good reason. This is a movie that's just brilliant in its execution, and has made me emotional just thinking about the deeper themes regarding race that they actually tackled in a movie such as this. I was just amazed that this movie was actually going there, and the way it showed us the full spectrum was just astounding.

Sadly, I've seen many people complain about how the movie is far too heavy handed in its approach, to the film's detriment. However, I've personally witnessed far too many people merely dumb its message down to simply "racism is bad" to say that that "heavy handed" sentiment holds any real credence, as this film's true themes clearly flew right over the heads of a number of movie goers. It's about so much more than just racism being bad, it actually shows us the roots of racism, how it actually manifests in our lives, whether it be through our various upbringings, or even how it can be manufactured in society, manipulated by our leaders, who use the ensuing racial tension for their own personal monetary and political gain.

This is a movie that's such a reflection on our current society that it just hurts. And it's a movie that so many can learn such a harsh lesson in reality from, if they just opened their minds and really looked at what this movie was trying to show them, and how our modern society has reached the place that it has, where so many are so divided from one another. It's a subject that I'm very passionate about, and have wanted to use this movie as a means to discuss more in depth, but have ultimately refrained due to how similarly passionate others can be, and how many can easily take things the wrong way when discussing the issues brought to light in this movie in an open minded and intelligent platform.

But really, this is a movie that in and of itself already presents most of my arguments for me, and so if a movie such as this isn't getting through to certain people, then really, nothing more that I have to say on the matter probably will either. But still, give this movie a watch, and even if doesn't open your mind the way it opened mine, there's still a hell of a lot of entertainment to be had here all the same, with great characters in a creative world populated by animals that feels not too dissimilar from my own world I've created in my Ninja Kat universe (let it be known that this movie totally stole its small animals city from my hamster village!).

From Velcro: The Ninja Kat, published 2012.

#2

The Neon Demon
(Nicolas Winding Refn)

So close to making #1! But nope, yet another Refn film just misses the mark, and at the last minute, too! But even so, damn was this a beast of a movie. And unlike most on this list, there's very few who I would actually recommend this one to, as this is not a movie that's going to be for everyone. Flat out, this is a movie that's gonna either be right up your alley, or it probably isn't. A movie that'll either leave you salivating at the mouth, or revolting in disgust. And for me, well, I dunno what this says about me as a person, but this is a movie that feels like it was specifically made for me.

On the outset, this can come across as a movie that is all style and no substance. However, considering that the very subject matter itself is about that very thing, I find that aspect to be more that appropriate in this particular instance, and actually compliments the movie on the whole. But this is just an absolute gorgeous film, where every single frame of it looks like a painting that you could take and hang up on your wall. And yet, to be perfectly blunt about it, beneath its beautiful exterior lies one of the most fucked up movies to release this year, and I loved every single second of it.

This is a movie that so easily could've been disposable trash in the hands of a lesser director. Yet Refn's touch for sheer perfectionism elevates this material to a place that takes that trash and transforms it into a true work of art. This is beautiful trash. This is stunning, respectable garbage. And hearing Refn speak on the movie shows us just how deep seated this movie lies within the darkest crevices of his mindset.

I love how he describes this movie as an expression of the sixteen year old girl that resides within him, and what that says about both himself as a creator, and this film as his creation. And it's a sentiment that makes me appreciate this movie on a far deeper level as well, and truly revel in the dark and twisted imagery and sequence of events that transpire all throughout the movie. It's narcissistic and brutal and unrelenting, and if you're not careful, it'll eat you right up and swallow you whole, just like it did with me.

#1

La La Land
(Damien Chazelle)

This movie was sheer magic captured on film, and possibly the purest and most cinematic experience that you'll have all year. This is a movie like Inside Out or Interstellar or Dredd from years past, where I just wanna go back and experience it over and over again, and bring everyone I know to it, so that they, too, can experience the same beauty that I did.

And in a day and age in which we are bombarded by movies that are filmed with an obsession for nostalgia in mind, this is a movie that takes nostalgia and tackles it in a way that actually feels organic and natural, as opposed to the "wink wink, nudge nudge" way that most filmmakers like to shove their nostalgia in our face. It's a movie that's in constant evolution, starting out as a more traditional musical from times long past, only to gradually morph into something more modern and down to earth. And as the movie evolves, we also see the way that music itself has transformed over time, how it once was a living entity all itself, where you could really feel the humanity and the soul of the sound, and how the removal of the human element in favor of something more technical and commercial has turned it into something else entirely, something that doesn't quite touch us and stick with us the way that it used to.

But that's part of what I loved so much about this movie, was the way that it used music, and I don't just mean in the sense that it was a musical. Hell, not too long prior to seeing this movie, I had in mind a blog post that I wanted to write about the use of music in movies, and I'm sorta glad that I waited until after seeing this movie before writing it, because this movie takes almost every single argument that I wanted to make about the effectiveness of music in film and puts it on display in the most cinematic form imaginable. (And I still plan on writing that piece soon enough, too, so keep an eye out for that!)

And what's possibly most striking here is its nostalgic aspect, which is actually used as an active element within the movie itself, as they use music as a means of fondly reminding our characters of times past in their lives through rose colored lenses all throughout. It's just a very clever movie in that regard, on top of being one of the most infectious films I've seen all year. This movie's soundtrack has been stuck on repeat in my head from the moment I stepped out of the theater. And it's not just any particular track, but rather, all of its main songs, as they just blend so seamlessly into one another and really feel like the various pieces to a complete whole.

But beyond its music, this movie is just masterful to look at, and is quite frankly the only film this entire year to rival The Neon Demon in terms of its cinematography. And hell, part of the reason I love this movie so much is because the whole thing honestly feels like something ripped straight from my own head. From the images on screen, to the use of lighting and the way it's edited, the musical composition and dance numbers, the way it uses and re-uses variations of the same songs over and over again, and even the alternate timeline sequence all feel ripped straight off the page from my own musical that I've been toying around with for about the past five years now.

Granted, my actual story is radically different from this movie's, but in terms of execution, it's almost like I'm already seeing my own film fully realized, and it's a hard feeling to describe really. But as I have expressed a number of times counting down this list, it's certainly something that definitely speaks to me on a much deeper and more personal level, and truly inspires me to keep chasing after my own dreams like the fool that I am, so that one day it really will be my vision being realized on the big screen.

It may not be perfect, but this is a movie that feels all around delightful all the same, and I absolutely adore every single thing about it. And hell, listening to the soundtrack after the fact, it becomes even more apparent that Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone really aren't all that great of singers. Yet even so, their effort shines through all the same in a way that's just striking in its raw, passionate earnesty.

I've described many of my favorite films as being perfectly imperfect, as many of my favorites over the years are those that have been riddled with flaws throughout, despite all the good that they brought. And in these cases, I think there's something about the flaws that help make the movies have a more honest and genuine feel to them, make them feel more human, and not just a technically perfect machination being churned out. And really, that's precisely the point that this movie brings to light, isn't it? It's not perfect, but really, that only adds to the overall charm of it all and gives it that real human soul that you can just feel. And believe me, this is a movie that you're gonna be feeling for a good long while after the credits roll.

And there you have it, my Top 10 Movies of 2016. Granted, while I saw far more movies than is probably necessary this year (much more than in years past, in fact. It really does feel like we're now becoming oversaturated with more and more releases every year), I still wasn't able to get to everything, most notably those late December releases that haven't gone wide and released in my area yet (I'm looking at you, A Monster Calls). But even so, I'd say this is good enough for now. So anyways, onto the next year, where hopefully we'll be met with even more great movies than the last!