VeryGooster
Banned
1. OJ: Made in America
2. Arrival
3. Green Room
4. Hell or High Water
5. The Witch
6. Zootopia
7. 10 Cloverfield Lane
2. Arrival
3. Green Room
4. Hell or High Water
5. The Witch
6. Zootopia
7. 10 Cloverfield Lane
NeoGaf Movies of the Year 2016 Voting Thread - Voting Ends 2/26/17
- Thread starter Kazaam
- Start date
- Status
They'll take notice!
Ventilaator
Banned
10. Hell or High Water
9. The Edge of Seventeen
8. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
7. Fundamentals of Caring
6. Swiss Army Man
5. Don't Think Twice
4. Moana
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
2. La La Land
1. A Monster Calls
9. The Edge of Seventeen
8. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
7. Fundamentals of Caring
6. Swiss Army Man
5. Don't Think Twice
4. Moana
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
2. La La Land
1. A Monster Calls
Net_Wrecker
Member
Ok I'm just gonna dump this list because if I don't do it now I might actually forget to do it before Sunday. What an absolutely great year. Even after going over this thing multiple times in the last week I'm not content with the order because so many movies after the top 5 could be sub'd in for those 6-10 spots. It's always tough in the moment to determine which of these will actually hold up to repeat viewing, or get better/worse with time, especially the slow burns, so it'll be interesting to come back to this list in 5 years. ANYWAY
1. Hunt For The Wilderpeople - Witty, heartfelt, adventurous, well edited, beautiful vistas. It's everything you want in an adventure movie piled on top of a poignant story of growth. My most rewatched new movie of the year, and another great performance from Sam Neill.
2. The Nice Guys - Shane Black firing on all cylinders will never not be one of my favorite things. Ryan Gosling gives one of his best performances leading directly to at least 3 of the funniest scenes of the year in this throwback. A movie destined to become a Sunday afternoon classic.
3. Midnight Special - I've either said this, heard this, or read this somewhere before, but: Midnight Special feels like the third act of an Amblin story mixed with a sparse 60s road movie. Jeff Nichols brings his trademark restrained, rural touch to the sci-fi Americana journey, making for a story that gives you just enough to get by and never plays into nostalgia or feels showy. Everything's right there, under the surface, and as it methodically unfurls, you begin to fill in the blanks right in time for that thrilling and awe inspiring climax. This movie lands in a way so few sci-fi movies have for me recently.
4. The Witch - The Witch is absolutely drenched in atmosphere. One of those movies that feels like it fell through a crack in time from the 60s or 70s, reminding us that slow, creeping, omnipresent dread is still effective. Fantastic performances up and down this one, from the kids to the adults, lend the movie a legitimacy usually reserved for the stuffiest of period dramas, used here to give texture to the unraveling of this 17th Century Puritan family, put out of their village, trying to make do on the outskirts. The 3rd act of this movie has stuck with me for months.
5. Embrace of the Serpent - A hypnotizing, old school adventure through the Amazon, by way of Apocalypse Now / Aguirre / Fitzcarraldo, looking at the effects of colonialism through a hazy, dreamlike lens. Establishes an odd, moody tone early through drop dead GORGEOUS wide black and white cinematography and great sound design, building to one hell of a trippy and satisfying ending. Beautiful movie.
6. Moonlight - The cast is perfect, the script is effortlessly great, the music is perfect, and the cinematography is a sensual feast for the eyes that works to tell this very particular story. It's a movie that's as upsetting as it is uplifting. A movie that knows when to act, and when to just stop and let the moment do the talking. A movie where a spontaneous life altering decision and a simple glance can carry the same weight, floating across the screen through a humid Miami breeze.
7. Under The Shadow - A layered bit of psychological horror that makes the most of its "comfortable turned claustrophobic" setting, encroaching warzone backdrop of 1980s Tehran, and the allegorical invasive oppression and roadblocks facing a woman in such a male dominated society. This is as economical and efficient a movie you'll find from 2016. Everything matters, and all of it is used to funnel you into increasing isolation and paranoia.
8. 20th Century Women - Another free flowing quirky indie coming of age story, but one that rises above the pack through great characterization, interesting storytelling structure, strangely ethereal pockets of cinematic grace (that soundtrack), and a look at multiple generations of (lost?) American culture, and how they coexisted and learned from one another in 1979. That scene of the "family" gathered around the TV to watch the president give a speech about contemporary values and materialism.... Then you look around at what our president's speeches are like today. Jeeeeeeesus christ. Annette Bening is so great in this, running the gamut of emotions an unfulfilled single mother would in her position.
9. Paterson - A New Jersey bus driver lives his life, writes his poetry, husbands his wife, and walks his dog. Nothing happens. Everything happens.
10. Silence - Scorsese follows up his huge scale debauchery in The Wolf of Wall Street with this huge scale harrowing, atmospheric, draining examination of faith. One extreme deserves the other, I guess. Filmed like a golden age samurai classic, and relying on mostly ambient naturalistic sound design, this is a dirty, hazy, heavy experience that isn't one you enjoy, as much as you endure, in the best way. This is the kind of epic, intellectual, aimed-at-the-serious-moviegoer movie that walks at its own molasses-like pace, burrowing deep into your mind, feasting on your soul with hardships and huge questions and flashes of suffering that not a ton of people will be into, but I am every now and then. A decades old passion project brought to life by the teeth grinding effort of everyone involved.
11. Manchester By The Sea
12. Green Room
13. Love & Friendship
14. La La Land
15. Elle
16. Hell or High Water
17. The Handmaiden
18. Sing Street
19. The Neon Demon
20. Everybody Wants Some!!
21. American Honey
22. The Wailing
23. Arrival
24. The Age of Shadows
25. Hail, Caesar!
26. Jackie
27. Loving
28. Zootopia
29. The Invitation
30. Toni Erdmann
1. Hunt For The Wilderpeople - Witty, heartfelt, adventurous, well edited, beautiful vistas. It's everything you want in an adventure movie piled on top of a poignant story of growth. My most rewatched new movie of the year, and another great performance from Sam Neill.
2. The Nice Guys - Shane Black firing on all cylinders will never not be one of my favorite things. Ryan Gosling gives one of his best performances leading directly to at least 3 of the funniest scenes of the year in this throwback. A movie destined to become a Sunday afternoon classic.
3. Midnight Special - I've either said this, heard this, or read this somewhere before, but: Midnight Special feels like the third act of an Amblin story mixed with a sparse 60s road movie. Jeff Nichols brings his trademark restrained, rural touch to the sci-fi Americana journey, making for a story that gives you just enough to get by and never plays into nostalgia or feels showy. Everything's right there, under the surface, and as it methodically unfurls, you begin to fill in the blanks right in time for that thrilling and awe inspiring climax. This movie lands in a way so few sci-fi movies have for me recently.
4. The Witch - The Witch is absolutely drenched in atmosphere. One of those movies that feels like it fell through a crack in time from the 60s or 70s, reminding us that slow, creeping, omnipresent dread is still effective. Fantastic performances up and down this one, from the kids to the adults, lend the movie a legitimacy usually reserved for the stuffiest of period dramas, used here to give texture to the unraveling of this 17th Century Puritan family, put out of their village, trying to make do on the outskirts. The 3rd act of this movie has stuck with me for months.
5. Embrace of the Serpent - A hypnotizing, old school adventure through the Amazon, by way of Apocalypse Now / Aguirre / Fitzcarraldo, looking at the effects of colonialism through a hazy, dreamlike lens. Establishes an odd, moody tone early through drop dead GORGEOUS wide black and white cinematography and great sound design, building to one hell of a trippy and satisfying ending. Beautiful movie.
6. Moonlight - The cast is perfect, the script is effortlessly great, the music is perfect, and the cinematography is a sensual feast for the eyes that works to tell this very particular story. It's a movie that's as upsetting as it is uplifting. A movie that knows when to act, and when to just stop and let the moment do the talking. A movie where a spontaneous life altering decision and a simple glance can carry the same weight, floating across the screen through a humid Miami breeze.
7. Under The Shadow - A layered bit of psychological horror that makes the most of its "comfortable turned claustrophobic" setting, encroaching warzone backdrop of 1980s Tehran, and the allegorical invasive oppression and roadblocks facing a woman in such a male dominated society. This is as economical and efficient a movie you'll find from 2016. Everything matters, and all of it is used to funnel you into increasing isolation and paranoia.
8. 20th Century Women - Another free flowing quirky indie coming of age story, but one that rises above the pack through great characterization, interesting storytelling structure, strangely ethereal pockets of cinematic grace (that soundtrack), and a look at multiple generations of (lost?) American culture, and how they coexisted and learned from one another in 1979. That scene of the "family" gathered around the TV to watch the president give a speech about contemporary values and materialism.... Then you look around at what our president's speeches are like today. Jeeeeeeesus christ. Annette Bening is so great in this, running the gamut of emotions an unfulfilled single mother would in her position.
9. Paterson - A New Jersey bus driver lives his life, writes his poetry, husbands his wife, and walks his dog. Nothing happens. Everything happens.
10. Silence - Scorsese follows up his huge scale debauchery in The Wolf of Wall Street with this huge scale harrowing, atmospheric, draining examination of faith. One extreme deserves the other, I guess. Filmed like a golden age samurai classic, and relying on mostly ambient naturalistic sound design, this is a dirty, hazy, heavy experience that isn't one you enjoy, as much as you endure, in the best way. This is the kind of epic, intellectual, aimed-at-the-serious-moviegoer movie that walks at its own molasses-like pace, burrowing deep into your mind, feasting on your soul with hardships and huge questions and flashes of suffering that not a ton of people will be into, but I am every now and then. A decades old passion project brought to life by the teeth grinding effort of everyone involved.
11. Manchester By The Sea
12. Green Room
13. Love & Friendship
14. La La Land
15. Elle
16. Hell or High Water
17. The Handmaiden
18. Sing Street
19. The Neon Demon
20. Everybody Wants Some!!
21. American Honey
22. The Wailing
23. Arrival
24. The Age of Shadows
25. Hail, Caesar!
26. Jackie
27. Loving
28. Zootopia
29. The Invitation
30. Toni Erdmann
TJ Verboten
Member
01. The Handmaiden
02. American Honey
03. Green Room
04. The Witch
05. La La Land
06. Arrival
07. Everybody Wants Some
08. Zootopia
09. Silence
10. Manchester by the Sea
Honorable Mention:
Hell or High Water, Sing Street, Moonlight, Deadpool,
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 10 Cloverfield Lane,
Love and Friendship, The Nice Guys, Elle, Hacksaw Ridge,
Star Trek Beyond
02. American Honey
03. Green Room
04. The Witch
05. La La Land
06. Arrival
07. Everybody Wants Some
08. Zootopia
09. Silence
10. Manchester by the Sea
Honorable Mention:
Hell or High Water, Sing Street, Moonlight, Deadpool,
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 10 Cloverfield Lane,
Love and Friendship, The Nice Guys, Elle, Hacksaw Ridge,
Star Trek Beyond
Cripplegate
Member
1. Things to Come
2. Moonlight
3. Mountains May Depart
4. Paterson
5. The Lobster
6. Julieta
7. Mermaid
8. Certain Women
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
10. Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience
Honorable Mentions: Toni Erdmann, Cemetery of Splendor, Knight of Cups, Louder Than Bombs, Kubo and the Two Strings
Have Not Seen: Arrival, Elle, Embrace of the Serpent, Manchester by the Sea, La La Land, and a bunch of other stuff I'm sure
2. Moonlight
3. Mountains May Depart
4. Paterson
5. The Lobster
6. Julieta
7. Mermaid
8. Certain Women
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
10. Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience
Honorable Mentions: Toni Erdmann, Cemetery of Splendor, Knight of Cups, Louder Than Bombs, Kubo and the Two Strings
Have Not Seen: Arrival, Elle, Embrace of the Serpent, Manchester by the Sea, La La Land, and a bunch of other stuff I'm sure
Vault Dweller 111
Member
'Awful' doesn't begin to describe your taste in movies.
1. The Wailing
2. Lion
3. The Edge of Seventeen
4. Arrival
5. Green Room
6. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
7. Everybody Wants Some
8. Sing Street
9. Deadpool
10. Hacksaw Ridge
Didn't enjoy La La Land. I still need to see Manchester By the Sea, The Handmaiden, Moonlight, Nocturnal Animals, American Honey, Train to Busan, The Neon Demon. However, before all those I'm going to watch Incendies (2010).
2. Lion
3. The Edge of Seventeen
4. Arrival
5. Green Room
6. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
7. Everybody Wants Some
8. Sing Street
9. Deadpool
10. Hacksaw Ridge
Didn't enjoy La La Land. I still need to see Manchester By the Sea, The Handmaiden, Moonlight, Nocturnal Animals, American Honey, Train to Busan, The Neon Demon. However, before all those I'm going to watch Incendies (2010).
1. American Honey
2. Swiss Army Man
3. La La Land
4. Silence
5. Zootopia
6. Arrival
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Moonlight
9. Sing Street
10. The Jungle Book
Honorable Mentions (11-20 in alphabetical order):
The Edge of Seventeen
Elle
Finding Dory
Green Room
Hell or High Water
Jackie
The Nice Guys
O.J.: Made in America
Pete's Dragon
Wiener-Dog
2. Swiss Army Man
3. La La Land
4. Silence
5. Zootopia
6. Arrival
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Moonlight
9. Sing Street
10. The Jungle Book
Honorable Mentions (11-20 in alphabetical order):
The Edge of Seventeen
Elle
Finding Dory
Green Room
Hell or High Water
Jackie
The Nice Guys
O.J.: Made in America
Pete's Dragon
Wiener-Dog
After 101 movies:
1. Weiner - Unflinching, all-access potrait of self sabotage that's equal parts horrifying and mesmerising.
2. Toni Erdmann - Melding of ribald comedy and gripping emotional brinkmanship between two not so different individuals.
3. Paterson - A soothing film whose poignancy stems from its poetic structure and portrayal of the creative process.
4. O.J Made in America - Documentary that perfectly frames the confluence of history, race relations and socio-economic pressures surrounding the O.J case.
5. Love and Friendship - Immaculately crafted British comedy, with each scene geared towards maximising its closing punchline.
6. The Neon Demon
7. 13th
8. Fences
9. Nocturnal Animals
10. The Witch
1. Weiner - Unflinching, all-access potrait of self sabotage that's equal parts horrifying and mesmerising.
2. Toni Erdmann - Melding of ribald comedy and gripping emotional brinkmanship between two not so different individuals.
3. Paterson - A soothing film whose poignancy stems from its poetic structure and portrayal of the creative process.
4. O.J Made in America - Documentary that perfectly frames the confluence of history, race relations and socio-economic pressures surrounding the O.J case.
5. Love and Friendship - Immaculately crafted British comedy, with each scene geared towards maximising its closing punchline.
6. The Neon Demon
7. 13th
8. Fences
9. Nocturnal Animals
10. The Witch
UberTag
Member
What's on your to-watch pile? Perhaps we can help curate/prioritize what to see.
VARIA
Member
Great year for movies from all genres. Hacksaw Ridge takes it for me for being the most memorable, powerful and exciting theater viewing experience of 2016.
1. Hacksaw Ridge
2. Moonlight
3. The Witch
4. The Neon Demon
5. Shin Godzilla
6. The Jungle Book
7. Deadpool
8. Kubo and the Two Strings
9. Rogue One
10. La La Land
1. Hacksaw Ridge
2. Moonlight
3. The Witch
4. The Neon Demon
5. Shin Godzilla
6. The Jungle Book
7. Deadpool
8. Kubo and the Two Strings
9. Rogue One
10. La La Land
I almost feel LTTP this year, but I nevertheless wanted to get some final thoughts out before tomorrow night. I sadly no longer have as much free time as I did as a student. Nevertheless, I've tried to see as many of the 'essential' movies of the 2016/17 season as possible.
I'm not sure I'll be able to find the time to give detailed opinions on the various movies, so just a quick disclaimer before I begin my list - for me, a movie generally has to achieve one of two things (bonus points if it does both): it either needs to connect with me on a very basic level, or it needs to be entertaining enough for me to want to rewatch it. One of these does not usually guarantee the other, and I've often found my favourite movie of a given year not to be the kind of movie I'd want to watch again, either because it loses much of its impact on a second viewing, or because parts of it are simply too devastating.
1. Arrival
2. La La Land
3. Moana
4. Zootopia
5. Hacksaw Ridge
6. Hell or High Water
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Hidden Figures
9. Moonlight
10. Nocturnal Animals
The first six of these I'll definitely add to my permanent library. I'm a bit on the fence on Manchester by the Sea (I liked it, but is was also incredibly depressing). As for the rest, they were perfectly enjoyable movie experiences, but I doubt I'll be likely to return to them. For Hidden Figures and Moonlight, I have seen other movies tackle their respective subject matters in ways that felt more effective to me personally. Lastly, while I liked Nocturnal Animals, I'm sure there were number of better films this year, and the only real reason it's on my list is that I couldn't get around to seeing more movies.
I'm not sure I'll be able to find the time to give detailed opinions on the various movies, so just a quick disclaimer before I begin my list - for me, a movie generally has to achieve one of two things (bonus points if it does both): it either needs to connect with me on a very basic level, or it needs to be entertaining enough for me to want to rewatch it. One of these does not usually guarantee the other, and I've often found my favourite movie of a given year not to be the kind of movie I'd want to watch again, either because it loses much of its impact on a second viewing, or because parts of it are simply too devastating.
1. Arrival
2. La La Land
3. Moana
4. Zootopia
5. Hacksaw Ridge
6. Hell or High Water
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Hidden Figures
9. Moonlight
10. Nocturnal Animals
The first six of these I'll definitely add to my permanent library. I'm a bit on the fence on Manchester by the Sea (I liked it, but is was also incredibly depressing). As for the rest, they were perfectly enjoyable movie experiences, but I doubt I'll be likely to return to them. For Hidden Figures and Moonlight, I have seen other movies tackle their respective subject matters in ways that felt more effective to me personally. Lastly, while I liked Nocturnal Animals, I'm sure there were number of better films this year, and the only real reason it's on my list is that I couldn't get around to seeing more movies.
Just films that are still in theaters and not availible digitally. LaLa Land, Lion, Hidden Figuires.
I just finished Nocturnal Animals. I hope to get through Manchester, Fences, and Moonlight tomorrow.
I still have so many movies that I need to see from last year but from what I did get to see, these are my top 10:
1. Rogue One
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
3. Deadpool
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
5. Green Room
6. Captain America: Civil War
7. Me Before You
8. Zootopia
9. Doctor Strange
10. Into the Forest
1. Rogue One
2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
3. Deadpool
4. 10 Cloverfield Lane
5. Green Room
6. Captain America: Civil War
7. Me Before You
8. Zootopia
9. Doctor Strange
10. Into the Forest
LiquidSolid
Member
I wanted to catch a couple I missed before I voted but eh, there's so little time left and I probably won't get around to watching them in that time. This will have to do.
1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2. Arrival
3. Zootopia
4. Moana
5. Hail, Caesar!
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Star Trek Beyond
9. Hacksaw Ridge
10. Finding Dory
Extremely weak year for big blockbusters.
1. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2. Arrival
3. Zootopia
4. Moana
5. Hail, Caesar!
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Star Trek Beyond
9. Hacksaw Ridge
10. Finding Dory
Extremely weak year for big blockbusters.
Secret Fawful
Member
1. Moana
2. Silence
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. Hidden Figures
5. Shin Godzilla
6. The VVitch
7. The Nice Guys
I haven't seen enough to vote for an 8-10.
2. Silence
3. Kubo and the Two Strings
4. Hidden Figures
5. Shin Godzilla
6. The VVitch
7. The Nice Guys
I haven't seen enough to vote for an 8-10.
1. Moana
2. Arrival
3. Rouge One: A Star Wars Story
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
5. Zootopia
These are actually the only 5 movies I have seen from 2016! I enjoyed all of them but Moana was certainly the highlight for me. I am confident I will thoroughly enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane.. but haven't had the chance to see it yet. Loved Cloverfield
2. Arrival
3. Rouge One: A Star Wars Story
4. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
5. Zootopia
These are actually the only 5 movies I have seen from 2016! I enjoyed all of them but Moana was certainly the highlight for me. I am confident I will thoroughly enjoy 10 Cloverfield Lane.. but haven't had the chance to see it yet. Loved Cloverfield
Live everyone else here, I ran out of time to catch up on some of the undoubtedly great movies I missed last year. That said, with rambling commentary:
01 - Arrival - A simply magnificent SF film, full of intense tension and human (and otherwise) emotion. I hadn't read much Ted Chiang, including this story, but when I heard he was being adapted by the director of Sicario I knew we were in for something special. This will not win all of the Oscars but, man, I wish it would. (Says the guy who hasn't seen most of the competition...)
02 - The Nice Guys - Until Arrival, this was hands down my number one pick for the year, and it only grudgingly (and in a loveable loser sort of way) let itself be kicked down to second place. I adored everything about this film: our hapless duo, the 70s setting, Shane Black cheerfully going all in for that hard R rating - everything. When your film is so awesome that it gets a novelization published under the Hard Case Crime imprint, you know you've got a winner.
03 - Deadpool - Speaking of earning the R rating, Deadpool totally went there in the best possible way, gave superhero movies the kick in the ass that they deserved, was a hysterical comedy on top of that, and still delivered plenty of action. The only problem with the film is that they've set an incredibly high bar to clear for the inevitable sequel, but that won't stop me from seeing them give it a try.
04 - Green Room - God, I wish I'd seen this theatrically. Not only did I appreciate it being an incredibly intense thriller - and one that was so harshy violent that, jaded horror fan that I am, I stll found myself looking away periodically - but it also is chock full of intense love for (and in jokes and references to) the punk scene and being plucky, starving musicians in general. Also, Patrick fucking Stewart was just plain great as Jean-Luc Le Pin.
05 - Swiss Army Man - You know you're witnessing something special when you find yourself literally agape before the opening title even comes up. There were moments in the film where I found myself literally flabbergasted and I had absolutely no idea where it was going with everything until the end, and then some. And, Daniel Radcliffe is an all-time acting hero for hearing about this project, demanding in, and then just plain going for it as hard as he possibly could. I don't think I ever need to actually see this flick again, mind you, but it's definitely one of the most memorable films in years.
06 - Hail, Caesar! - It's not that I don't like the Coens when they're in their (mostly) serious drama mode, but I think I like them more when they're in their (in this case entirely) absurd comedy mode. This was as incredibly charming a love letter to 50s Hollywood as you could possibly hope for. Also, I greatly enjoyed seeing my fangirl pals completely lose their shit during the "No Dames!" number.
07 - Hunt For The Wilderpeople - Speaking of charming, this was as heartwarming an adventure as you could hope for featuring an almost entirely rotund thug life middle school kid out in the bush with Sam Neill. I expected the film to be hysterical based on What We Do In The Shadows, but I wasn't prepared for it to also be poignant and beautiful as well. I am now incredibly stoked to see what Waititi does with the next Thor movie - and, admit it, that's not something you really expect to hear about a Thor film.
08 - The Lobster - My immediate response after watching The Lobster was, "I think I liked that a lot!" It's magnificnetly deadpan, terribly surreal, and looks like it was flimed in a Soviet spa resort circa 1979. While not inspiring the same sort of laugh-out-loud surprise as Swiss Army Man, my guess is that The Lobster will reward repeat viewings and provide quotable dialogue for years to come. Also, it has Olivia Colman in it, which is practically reason enough to just start handing the flick a pile of awards. If you're reading this and need more batshit insane comedy in your life, I suggest you go watch this ASAP and that you go in cold if at all possible - not that describing the exact premise could actually spoil anything. It's that sort of experience.
09 - Don't Breathe - I have a terrible weakness for plucky B-movies punching above their weight, which Don't Breathe counts as in my mind even considering it's eight figure budget and Sam Raimi's involvement as producer. However, it captures the feel of Raimi's horror work - okay, with less yuks, but still - while also being a terrific, scrappy thriller.
10 - 10 Cloverfield Lane - And, finally, an excuse to put a film with "10" in the title in 10th place. Oh, and it's a terrific suspense flick that keeps ya guessing and has great performances from John Goodman (as expected) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (also expected, really). 'Nuff said.
Runner ups for me included the two big Marvel films of the year (both of which I thoroughly enjoyed but didn't consider absolutely top tier), Rogue One (wherein Disney applies the Marvel + Genre formula to Star Wars and has the good sense to start by combining it with The Dirty Dozen), The Boy And The Beast (a solid outing from Hosada but, again, not quite top tier for me), and Zootopia, which did a terrific job of making the cute bunny the racist Nick Nolte character from 48 Hrs. That wasnt what I expected from that particular animated flick, but it was certianly well done.
Naturally, there are piles of movies I still want to see, especially Hell Or High Water, Train To Busan, Miss Hokusai, The Handmaiden, Anthropoid, Our Kind Of Traitor, Midnight Special, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and, as a release I am still stunned to see receive a US theatrical release, We Are X. (Psychedelic violence! Crime of visual shock!) Once I get more of these under my belt my top ten might change completely, but for now I'm happy enough with it to share with y'all anyway.
FnordChan
01 - Arrival - A simply magnificent SF film, full of intense tension and human (and otherwise) emotion. I hadn't read much Ted Chiang, including this story, but when I heard he was being adapted by the director of Sicario I knew we were in for something special. This will not win all of the Oscars but, man, I wish it would. (Says the guy who hasn't seen most of the competition...)
02 - The Nice Guys - Until Arrival, this was hands down my number one pick for the year, and it only grudgingly (and in a loveable loser sort of way) let itself be kicked down to second place. I adored everything about this film: our hapless duo, the 70s setting, Shane Black cheerfully going all in for that hard R rating - everything. When your film is so awesome that it gets a novelization published under the Hard Case Crime imprint, you know you've got a winner.
03 - Deadpool - Speaking of earning the R rating, Deadpool totally went there in the best possible way, gave superhero movies the kick in the ass that they deserved, was a hysterical comedy on top of that, and still delivered plenty of action. The only problem with the film is that they've set an incredibly high bar to clear for the inevitable sequel, but that won't stop me from seeing them give it a try.
04 - Green Room - God, I wish I'd seen this theatrically. Not only did I appreciate it being an incredibly intense thriller - and one that was so harshy violent that, jaded horror fan that I am, I stll found myself looking away periodically - but it also is chock full of intense love for (and in jokes and references to) the punk scene and being plucky, starving musicians in general. Also, Patrick fucking Stewart was just plain great as Jean-Luc Le Pin.
05 - Swiss Army Man - You know you're witnessing something special when you find yourself literally agape before the opening title even comes up. There were moments in the film where I found myself literally flabbergasted and I had absolutely no idea where it was going with everything until the end, and then some. And, Daniel Radcliffe is an all-time acting hero for hearing about this project, demanding in, and then just plain going for it as hard as he possibly could. I don't think I ever need to actually see this flick again, mind you, but it's definitely one of the most memorable films in years.
06 - Hail, Caesar! - It's not that I don't like the Coens when they're in their (mostly) serious drama mode, but I think I like them more when they're in their (in this case entirely) absurd comedy mode. This was as incredibly charming a love letter to 50s Hollywood as you could possibly hope for. Also, I greatly enjoyed seeing my fangirl pals completely lose their shit during the "No Dames!" number.
07 - Hunt For The Wilderpeople - Speaking of charming, this was as heartwarming an adventure as you could hope for featuring an almost entirely rotund thug life middle school kid out in the bush with Sam Neill. I expected the film to be hysterical based on What We Do In The Shadows, but I wasn't prepared for it to also be poignant and beautiful as well. I am now incredibly stoked to see what Waititi does with the next Thor movie - and, admit it, that's not something you really expect to hear about a Thor film.
08 - The Lobster - My immediate response after watching The Lobster was, "I think I liked that a lot!" It's magnificnetly deadpan, terribly surreal, and looks like it was flimed in a Soviet spa resort circa 1979. While not inspiring the same sort of laugh-out-loud surprise as Swiss Army Man, my guess is that The Lobster will reward repeat viewings and provide quotable dialogue for years to come. Also, it has Olivia Colman in it, which is practically reason enough to just start handing the flick a pile of awards. If you're reading this and need more batshit insane comedy in your life, I suggest you go watch this ASAP and that you go in cold if at all possible - not that describing the exact premise could actually spoil anything. It's that sort of experience.
09 - Don't Breathe - I have a terrible weakness for plucky B-movies punching above their weight, which Don't Breathe counts as in my mind even considering it's eight figure budget and Sam Raimi's involvement as producer. However, it captures the feel of Raimi's horror work - okay, with less yuks, but still - while also being a terrific, scrappy thriller.
10 - 10 Cloverfield Lane - And, finally, an excuse to put a film with "10" in the title in 10th place. Oh, and it's a terrific suspense flick that keeps ya guessing and has great performances from John Goodman (as expected) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (also expected, really). 'Nuff said.
Runner ups for me included the two big Marvel films of the year (both of which I thoroughly enjoyed but didn't consider absolutely top tier), Rogue One (wherein Disney applies the Marvel + Genre formula to Star Wars and has the good sense to start by combining it with The Dirty Dozen), The Boy And The Beast (a solid outing from Hosada but, again, not quite top tier for me), and Zootopia, which did a terrific job of making the cute bunny the racist Nick Nolte character from 48 Hrs. That wasnt what I expected from that particular animated flick, but it was certianly well done.
Naturally, there are piles of movies I still want to see, especially Hell Or High Water, Train To Busan, Miss Hokusai, The Handmaiden, Anthropoid, Our Kind Of Traitor, Midnight Special, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and, as a release I am still stunned to see receive a US theatrical release, We Are X. (Psychedelic violence! Crime of visual shock!) Once I get more of these under my belt my top ten might change completely, but for now I'm happy enough with it to share with y'all anyway.
FnordChan
Mortimer Brewster
Member
My Top 20 for the year
1) The Nice Guys
2) Hell or High Water
3) Zootopia
4) La La Land
5) Arrival
6) Elle
7) Hacksaw Ridge
8) Deadpool
9) Lion
10) Edge of Seventeen
11) Manchester by the Sea
12) Your Name
13) Fences
14) Captain Fantastic
15) Nocturnal Animals
16) Hidden Figures
17) Moana
18) Don't Breathe
19) Hail Caesar
20) Silence
1) The Nice Guys
2) Hell or High Water
3) Zootopia
4) La La Land
5) Arrival
6) Elle
7) Hacksaw Ridge
8) Deadpool
9) Lion
10) Edge of Seventeen
11) Manchester by the Sea
12) Your Name
13) Fences
14) Captain Fantastic
15) Nocturnal Animals
16) Hidden Figures
17) Moana
18) Don't Breathe
19) Hail Caesar
20) Silence
Androidsleeps
Member
Ugh ran out of time. I am still to watch a lot of 2016 movies, including some awards favorites (like La La Land). Anyway, this is my contribution:
1. The Handmaiden
2. Zootopia
3. Moonlight
4. Tickled (I know this year is filled with great docs but I feel like people forgot about this. Watch it please)
5. The Wailing
6. The Witch
7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
8. The Nice Guys
9. Manchester By the Sea
10. Under the Shadows
1. The Handmaiden
2. Zootopia
3. Moonlight
4. Tickled (I know this year is filled with great docs but I feel like people forgot about this. Watch it please)
5. The Wailing
6. The Witch
7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
8. The Nice Guys
9. Manchester By the Sea
10. Under the Shadows
1. toni erdmann - a masterpiece in the comedy with no jokes genre. fascinating, sad & strange, but ultimately most truthful film about human relationships in years.
2. paterson - deeply beautiful film about finding meaning in quotidian existence through the daily routine of a bus driver who likes to write poems. a vital counterpoint to the sea of films arguing that art only emerges from madness, trauma or emotional recklessness.
3. silence - haunting examination of faith that really gets under your skin. heavy on devastating images, short on easy answers. garfield absolutely magnificent.
4. moonlight - intoxicatingly atmospheric film despite sadness of characters, the intensity of the last act where a character simply scattering coriander feels as emotionally charged as any monologue will stick with me for a long time.
5. manchester by the sea - quiet and thoughtful look at how we handle grief, anchored by the cleverly written and well acted relationship between affleck and lucas hedges.
6. arrival - villenvue the modern master of taking a seemingly cliche genre setup (daughter is missing or abducted but how will the family handle it? who is really good in the drug war??, aliens invade but why??) and then exploring those setups thoughtfully, rooted in good character journeys and with deep attention to craft.
7. everybody wants some - allows you to pretend to be cool for 90 mins. when the credits roll and the illusion is broken i was genuinely miffed.
8. popstar: never stop popping - wonderfully silly
9. weiner - insider political doc as cringe comedy classic. weiner a natural film character in his charisma and vices
10. the neon demon - fun dark comedy ridiculing shallow and thoughtless visual language of the modern fashion scene in la
elle, the handmaiden, the red turtle, the salesman and others did not release in uk in time for voting
hunt for the wilderpeople i missed and is on netflix so i guess i should watch that from all the positive mentions here
i voted for o.j simpson made in america as the best tv series of the year in the other gaf vote so don't want to repeat myself. it is incredible.
2. paterson - deeply beautiful film about finding meaning in quotidian existence through the daily routine of a bus driver who likes to write poems. a vital counterpoint to the sea of films arguing that art only emerges from madness, trauma or emotional recklessness.
3. silence - haunting examination of faith that really gets under your skin. heavy on devastating images, short on easy answers. garfield absolutely magnificent.
4. moonlight - intoxicatingly atmospheric film despite sadness of characters, the intensity of the last act where a character simply scattering coriander feels as emotionally charged as any monologue will stick with me for a long time.
5. manchester by the sea - quiet and thoughtful look at how we handle grief, anchored by the cleverly written and well acted relationship between affleck and lucas hedges.
6. arrival - villenvue the modern master of taking a seemingly cliche genre setup (daughter is missing or abducted but how will the family handle it? who is really good in the drug war??, aliens invade but why??) and then exploring those setups thoughtfully, rooted in good character journeys and with deep attention to craft.
7. everybody wants some - allows you to pretend to be cool for 90 mins. when the credits roll and the illusion is broken i was genuinely miffed.
8. popstar: never stop popping - wonderfully silly
9. weiner - insider political doc as cringe comedy classic. weiner a natural film character in his charisma and vices
10. the neon demon - fun dark comedy ridiculing shallow and thoughtless visual language of the modern fashion scene in la
elle, the handmaiden, the red turtle, the salesman and others did not release in uk in time for voting
hunt for the wilderpeople i missed and is on netflix so i guess i should watch that from all the positive mentions here
i voted for o.j simpson made in america as the best tv series of the year in the other gaf vote so don't want to repeat myself. it is incredible.
1. Moonlight
2. Rogue One
3. The BFG
4. Green Room
5. The Witch
Moonlight is one of those films that stayed with me and I keep thinking about. It's wonderfully acted, filmed and scored. I just keep going back to it in my head and it's the most affecting movie of the year by a huge margin. For me it's head and shoulders above anything else for the year. Amazing film.
2. Rogue One
3. The BFG
4. Green Room
5. The Witch
Moonlight is one of those films that stayed with me and I keep thinking about. It's wonderfully acted, filmed and scored. I just keep going back to it in my head and it's the most affecting movie of the year by a huge margin. For me it's head and shoulders above anything else for the year. Amazing film.
War Peaceman
You're a big guy.
1. The Lobster
2. Arrival
3. Moonlight
4. Popstar
5. La La Land
6. The Nice Guys
7. Hateful 8
8. Hail, Caesar!
9. Weiner
10. Toni Erdmann
2. Arrival
3. Moonlight
4. Popstar
5. La La Land
6. The Nice Guys
7. Hateful 8
8. Hail, Caesar!
9. Weiner
10. Toni Erdmann
1. La La Land
2. Hacksaw Ridge
3. Arrival
4. Moonlight
5. Hell or High Water
6. Manchester by the Sea
7. Zootopia
8. Lo and behold: Reveries of the connected world
9. The Neon Demon
10. The Nice Guys
Honourable mentions:
Moana, Lion, Train to Busan, Hail Caesar, Dr Strange, Kubo and the two strings, The Lobster
Movies that I haven't seen yet which could be good:
The Handmaiden, Hidden Figures, The Wailing, Swiss Army Man, Fences
2. Hacksaw Ridge
3. Arrival
4. Moonlight
5. Hell or High Water
6. Manchester by the Sea
7. Zootopia
8. Lo and behold: Reveries of the connected world
9. The Neon Demon
10. The Nice Guys
Honourable mentions:
Moana, Lion, Train to Busan, Hail Caesar, Dr Strange, Kubo and the two strings, The Lobster
Movies that I haven't seen yet which could be good:
The Handmaiden, Hidden Figures, The Wailing, Swiss Army Man, Fences
1. Arrival
2. Moonlight
3. Hell or High Water
4. The Nice Guys
5. La La Land
6. Manchester by the Sea
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. Fences
9. Deadpool
10. Lion
I loved Arrival. Moonlight surprised me. Hell of High Water was like a lesser No Country for Old Men. La La Land had some outstanding parts and some part that I just didn't care for. The first half of Lion was super engaging but it just didn't hold me in the second half.
Haven't seen Green Room, the Handmaiden and Nocturnal Animals. They're the only ones that I am aware of that would sneak into this list.
2. Moonlight
3. Hell or High Water
4. The Nice Guys
5. La La Land
6. Manchester by the Sea
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. Fences
9. Deadpool
10. Lion
I loved Arrival. Moonlight surprised me. Hell of High Water was like a lesser No Country for Old Men. La La Land had some outstanding parts and some part that I just didn't care for. The first half of Lion was super engaging but it just didn't hold me in the second half.
Haven't seen Green Room, the Handmaiden and Nocturnal Animals. They're the only ones that I am aware of that would sneak into this list.
1. Zootopia
2. Arrival
3. Nocturnal Animals
4. Lion
5. Midnight Special
6. Hacksaw Ridge
7. Eddie The Eagle
8. Loving
9. Moonlight
10. Demolition​
The Rise/Dawn of the Planets of Apes award for most overhyped movie
Deadpool
The WTF did I just watch award
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Down Periscope award for most underrated movie
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The shockingly good movie of the year award
How to Be Single
The I have no idea why this movie is acclaimed at all award
Hell or High Water
​
This was a terrible year for movies imo. Zootopia and Arrival are the only movies that would be on my 2015 list. I think all the movies in my top 10 are good but only Zootopia and Arrival are a future classic in my book. Had The Lobster come out in 2016 it would've made the top 10 but since it came out in 2015 and won my "The WTF did I just watch award" it didn't qualify. I didn't see Fences and Hidden Figures and those are the only english-speaking movies I haven't seen that maybe could've gotten on the list, me thinks.
2. Arrival
3. Nocturnal Animals
4. Lion
5. Midnight Special
6. Hacksaw Ridge
7. Eddie The Eagle
8. Loving
9. Moonlight
10. Demolition​
The Rise/Dawn of the Planets of Apes award for most overhyped movie
Deadpool
The WTF did I just watch award
Independence Day: Resurgence
The Down Periscope award for most underrated movie
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
The shockingly good movie of the year award
How to Be Single
The I have no idea why this movie is acclaimed at all award
Hell or High Water
​
This was a terrible year for movies imo. Zootopia and Arrival are the only movies that would be on my 2015 list. I think all the movies in my top 10 are good but only Zootopia and Arrival are a future classic in my book. Had The Lobster come out in 2016 it would've made the top 10 but since it came out in 2015 and won my "The WTF did I just watch award" it didn't qualify. I didn't see Fences and Hidden Figures and those are the only english-speaking movies I haven't seen that maybe could've gotten on the list, me thinks.
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Lion
3. Hell or High Water
4. Moonlight
5. Captain Fantastic
6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
7. Don't Breathe
8. Rouge One: A Star Wars Story
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Arrival
Haven't Watched Yet, but I Really Need To:
Moonlight
Hacksaw Ridge
Fences
Green Room
The Witch
Silence
Nocturnal Animals
EDIT: Saw Moonlight, and now I gotta make space for it. Excellent film.
2. Lion
3. Hell or High Water
4. Moonlight
5. Captain Fantastic
6. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
7. Don't Breathe
8. Rouge One: A Star Wars Story
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. Arrival
Haven't Watched Yet, but I Really Need To:
Moonlight
Hacksaw Ridge
Fences
Green Room
The Witch
Silence
Nocturnal Animals
EDIT: Saw Moonlight, and now I gotta make space for it. Excellent film.
Less than 24 hours until the voting closes so make sure you're gonna write your list in time! This was a busier period for me than anticipated so I didn't manage to write my list yet, but I'll just do a quick top now and I'll update it with details hopefully tomorrow. Anyway..
1) Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
2) Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
3) All The Cities of The North (Dane Komljen)
4) The Woman Who Left (Lav Diaz)
5) Sieranevada (Cristi Puiu)
6) Elle (Paul Verhoeven)
7) The Ornithologist (Joao Pedro Rodrigues)
8) Austerlitz (Sergei Loznitsa)
9) El viento sabe que vuelvo a casa (Jose Luis Torres Leiva)
10) Safari (Ulrich Seidl)
I'll add a list of honourable mentions tomorrow. This year has been insane in terms of quality-quantity rapport for cinema so it's gonna be a very long list haha
1) Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade)
2) Moonlight (Barry Jenkins)
3) All The Cities of The North (Dane Komljen)
4) The Woman Who Left (Lav Diaz)
5) Sieranevada (Cristi Puiu)
6) Elle (Paul Verhoeven)
7) The Ornithologist (Joao Pedro Rodrigues)
8) Austerlitz (Sergei Loznitsa)
9) El viento sabe que vuelvo a casa (Jose Luis Torres Leiva)
10) Safari (Ulrich Seidl)
I'll add a list of honourable mentions tomorrow. This year has been insane in terms of quality-quantity rapport for cinema so it's gonna be a very long list haha
Bobby Roberts
Banned
I didn't get to see all the shit I needed to see before making this list, but tomorrow's the deadline, so here we go
10) Manchester by the Sea
9) Hidden Figures
8) Arrival
7) 10 Cloverfield Lane
6) The Nice Guys
5) Hunt for the Wilderpeople
4) Moonlight
3) Hell or High Water
2) Green Room
1) The Handmaiden
I mean, that ain't a bad list, but there's some stuff that I'd like to at least have given a chance to crack it.
(Yes, I saw La La Land. It just didn't make the list)
10) Manchester by the Sea
9) Hidden Figures
8) Arrival
7) 10 Cloverfield Lane
6) The Nice Guys
5) Hunt for the Wilderpeople
4) Moonlight
3) Hell or High Water
2) Green Room
1) The Handmaiden
I mean, that ain't a bad list, but there's some stuff that I'd like to at least have given a chance to crack it.
(Yes, I saw La La Land. It just didn't make the list)
Forsaken82
Member
1: Hell or High Water
2: Zootopia
3: Triple 9
4: Manchester by the Sea
5: Arrival
6: Deadpool
7: Hacksaw Ridge
8: Hail, Caesar!
9: Doctor Strange
10: La La Land
It was a weak year for me sadly... I'd argue my top 5 is in order, the rest are not.
2: Zootopia
3: Triple 9
4: Manchester by the Sea
5: Arrival
6: Deadpool
7: Hacksaw Ridge
8: Hail, Caesar!
9: Doctor Strange
10: La La Land
It was a weak year for me sadly... I'd argue my top 5 is in order, the rest are not.
Wanted to knock off 13th this afternoon before posting my list, because I had a feeling it'd make the cut. And it did!
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Captain America: Civil War
3. Silence
4. La La Land
5. Weiner
6. Moonlight
7. The Nice Guys
8. Sing Street
9. 13th
10. I Am Not Your Negro
11. Eye in the Sky
12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13. De Palma
14. Deadpool
15. Hacksaw Ridge
16. Cameraperson
17. Life, Animated
18. Hail, Caesar!
19. Hell or High Water
20. Arrival
HONORABLE MENTION: O.J.: Made in America, which I watched and counted as a TV miniseries, but was one of the best things I saw across both mediums last year. A tremendous documentary work.
1. Manchester by the Sea
2. Captain America: Civil War
3. Silence
4. La La Land
5. Weiner
6. Moonlight
7. The Nice Guys
8. Sing Street
9. 13th
10. I Am Not Your Negro
11. Eye in the Sky
12. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
13. De Palma
14. Deadpool
15. Hacksaw Ridge
16. Cameraperson
17. Life, Animated
18. Hail, Caesar!
19. Hell or High Water
20. Arrival
HONORABLE MENTION: O.J.: Made in America, which I watched and counted as a TV miniseries, but was one of the best things I saw across both mediums last year. A tremendous documentary work.
Mushroomer25
Member
1. Zootopia
2. Arrival
3. Lion
4. Civil War
5. Lion
6. The Witch
7. Lights Out
8. The Invitation
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. O. J. Made In America
2. Arrival
3. Lion
4. Civil War
5. Lion
6. The Witch
7. Lights Out
8. The Invitation
9. 10 Cloverfield Lane
10. O. J. Made In America
1. Arrival
2. Hunt For The Wilderpeople
3.10 CLoverfield Lane
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Zootopia
7. The Witch
8. The Nice Guys
9. Doctor Strange
10. Deadpool
I have yet to see films like Moonlight, La La Land or Manchester by the sea. Didn't watch as many movies as I wanted to.
2. Hunt For The Wilderpeople
3.10 CLoverfield Lane
4. Captain America: Civil War
5. Zootopia
7. The Witch
8. The Nice Guys
9. Doctor Strange
10. Deadpool
I have yet to see films like Moonlight, La La Land or Manchester by the sea. Didn't watch as many movies as I wanted to.
6-10 are all pretty much interchangeable for me, but here's my list:
1. Arrival. Enjoyed every last second of this. It's always refreshing to have an "End of Days" sci-fi flick with a brain. And not only that...it was different, at least from all of the sci-fi movies that I've seen. It has the kind of complex, strange interaction with the other-wordly that you wish other movies were inventive enough to pull off.
2. Moonlight. Definitely one of the more ambitious movies that I've seen this year. And again, it was a different movie. No hard plot, just an unfolding of events before your eyes. Beautifully shot and beautifully told.
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I've only seen two "Star Wars" movies: this, and "The Force Awakens." And this was an excellent way to hook new, curious fans. The peril; the action; the references to all of the earlier movies that I didn't get, but felt anyway...all made for a perfect big budget, crazy space epic. Loved it.
4. The Witch. An excellent, unconventional horror. It's a very particular type of movie that might not appeal to everyone (because it's a slow burn with lots of mystery), but it's most definitely worth it. It has such an incredibly spooky atmosphere that's so unnerving.
5. Fences. Didn't know this was based on a play until I went into it, but it was so superbly acted. Denzel didn't miss a beat. The scenes are just so powerful and gripping.
6. Hidden Figures. Not really ambitious, but I really enjoyed it, nonetheless. One of the few movies that moved me, considering the subject matter. And probably one of the few movies that not only moved me, but had me laughing hysterically. It was standard fare, but perfectly executed.
7. Hacksaw Ridge. Probably one of the most predictable movies that I've ever seen (having known nothing about the backstory), but like "Hidden Figures," it was "well-done" predictability. But I seriously could have done without all of the gratuitous violence. It was actually a little distracting. Yes, it's a war movie but do I really need to see so many severed limbs and bloody intestines draping the ground?
8. La La Land. Appallingly shameful Oscar bait. Still, I totally dug it. Love "movies about movies" and "fantastical movie magic?" Then this is definitely for you. I hate musicals (and the opening scene for me was pure torture), but thankfully, I didn't have to sit through too many numbers. When they weren't singing and dancing, the characters still managed to come alive....especially Emma Stone. If she wasn't in this, I doubt I would have liked it as much. She's just so incredibly charismatic, lovable and real that it's hard not to fall in love with her character.
9. Hell or High Water. Chris Pine really impressed me. I was really caught up on both sides of the conflict: the bank robbing brothers and the police they were running from. Everyone turned out to be so likable (except for one character near the end).
10. Lion. It was a sweet movie with a great ending. I don't think Dev Patel was a particularly strong actor in this film, but the young children in this film really give it life. I really enjoyed it.
-----------------------------------
The Rest (literally, everything else I've seen)
-"Manchester by the Sea." I may need to watch this again, but I didn't particularly care for this movie or any of the characters. Casey Affleck's guy was so cringey and awkward that I was just waiting for the movie to be over.
-"X-Men: Apocalypse." Saw it a while ago and I only remember feeling how absolutely mediocre it was.
"Independence Day Resurgence." Very disappointing. Had absolutely nothing to make it as appealing as the original.
-"Fifty Shades of Black." Should I even be admitting that I saw this? It was on cable last night while I was channel surfing and I figured, "Why not." Aside from 2 or 3 legitimately funny jokes, it was awful. A parody with no subtly is always going to suck.
1. Arrival. Enjoyed every last second of this. It's always refreshing to have an "End of Days" sci-fi flick with a brain. And not only that...it was different, at least from all of the sci-fi movies that I've seen. It has the kind of complex, strange interaction with the other-wordly that you wish other movies were inventive enough to pull off.
2. Moonlight. Definitely one of the more ambitious movies that I've seen this year. And again, it was a different movie. No hard plot, just an unfolding of events before your eyes. Beautifully shot and beautifully told.
3. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I've only seen two "Star Wars" movies: this, and "The Force Awakens." And this was an excellent way to hook new, curious fans. The peril; the action; the references to all of the earlier movies that I didn't get, but felt anyway...all made for a perfect big budget, crazy space epic. Loved it.
4. The Witch. An excellent, unconventional horror. It's a very particular type of movie that might not appeal to everyone (because it's a slow burn with lots of mystery), but it's most definitely worth it. It has such an incredibly spooky atmosphere that's so unnerving.
5. Fences. Didn't know this was based on a play until I went into it, but it was so superbly acted. Denzel didn't miss a beat. The scenes are just so powerful and gripping.
6. Hidden Figures. Not really ambitious, but I really enjoyed it, nonetheless. One of the few movies that moved me, considering the subject matter. And probably one of the few movies that not only moved me, but had me laughing hysterically. It was standard fare, but perfectly executed.
7. Hacksaw Ridge. Probably one of the most predictable movies that I've ever seen (having known nothing about the backstory), but like "Hidden Figures," it was "well-done" predictability. But I seriously could have done without all of the gratuitous violence. It was actually a little distracting. Yes, it's a war movie but do I really need to see so many severed limbs and bloody intestines draping the ground?
8. La La Land. Appallingly shameful Oscar bait. Still, I totally dug it. Love "movies about movies" and "fantastical movie magic?" Then this is definitely for you. I hate musicals (and the opening scene for me was pure torture), but thankfully, I didn't have to sit through too many numbers. When they weren't singing and dancing, the characters still managed to come alive....especially Emma Stone. If she wasn't in this, I doubt I would have liked it as much. She's just so incredibly charismatic, lovable and real that it's hard not to fall in love with her character.
9. Hell or High Water. Chris Pine really impressed me. I was really caught up on both sides of the conflict: the bank robbing brothers and the police they were running from. Everyone turned out to be so likable (except for one character near the end).
10. Lion. It was a sweet movie with a great ending. I don't think Dev Patel was a particularly strong actor in this film, but the young children in this film really give it life. I really enjoyed it.
-----------------------------------
The Rest (literally, everything else I've seen)
-"Manchester by the Sea." I may need to watch this again, but I didn't particularly care for this movie or any of the characters. Casey Affleck's guy was so cringey and awkward that I was just waiting for the movie to be over.
-"X-Men: Apocalypse." Saw it a while ago and I only remember feeling how absolutely mediocre it was.
"Independence Day Resurgence." Very disappointing. Had absolutely nothing to make it as appealing as the original.
-"Fifty Shades of Black." Should I even be admitting that I saw this? It was on cable last night while I was channel surfing and I figured, "Why not." Aside from 2 or 3 legitimately funny jokes, it was awful. A parody with no subtly is always going to suck.
Freeza Under The Shower
Member
I honestly haven't seen that many movies that were actually made last year, and I still need to watch almost all of the 'actually good' movies, so my selection is somewhat narrow compared what it could have been, but after selecting 'yes' versus 'no', I did get a list, just not a very good one. It's also hard to pick favorites, since they're all in different genres, but okay:
1. The Nice Guys: I had so much fun watching this, that I cannot in good faith put it below anything else.
2. Zootopia: except for maybe a charming animation that is highly expressive and manages to be very rewatchable.
3. The Accountant: also featuring JK Simmons, but in a serious role for serious people. I liked this movie a heck of a lot more than I expected to like it, and it's therefore even above...
4. Arrival: THE sci-fi movie of the year, but at the same time, kind of just a movie. It's perfectly acceptable, it gets to where it needs to be, but while the cinematography is excellent, as a movie it doesn't really sell itself that well. It's difficult to put into words, but if it wasn't for Abbott and Costello, there would be little to draw you in. However, it is a must-see in its genre for this year.
5. Deadpool: unlike the rest of gaf, I get very little from the Marvel and DC comic book movies that I wouldn't consider incredibly generic, stale, and forgettable. Deadpool however, is self-aware of all these things and as result becomes something much more entertaining than every other comic book movie. It's place in any top 5 or 10 should be considered well deserved, versus some unnamed "we still just showed up at an airport" alternative.
6. Don't Breathe: despite some serious flaws and some sleezier elements, Don't Breathe works really well for a home invasion turned horror-thriller movie. Compared to the rest I've seen, it's simply higher in being engrossing.
7. Star Trek Beyond: Scotty, write me up! And that's the man did, true story. The best Star Trek since First Contact, while not losing sight of the fact that all post-TOS Star Trek movies are really just big action schlock fests. Beyond managed to keep the schlock at bay, and deal with two deaths in the crew respectfully and adequately. To absent friends.
8. The Trust: an unexpected diamond in the rough, featuring Nicolas Cage in less-wacky mode. Also some Hobbit looking for a mountain to dump a ring in, My Name Is Randy (Ethan Suplee), and Vegas as not-your-average Vegas. I suppose I should say I was mostly just impressed with the film-making and that in this movie, cops are doing what cops actually do: boring paperwork on archiving evidence.
9: Arq: Sticking with the VOD / Netflix theme, I'm going to put up Arq for no more reason than it was well-made and written, even if it didn't quite work out, but that's because I've seen so few movies of 2016.
10. Space Cop: because why not.
Honorable mentions:
Gods of Egypt: the misunderstood comic book movie of the year 2016, and acceptable schlock. If the editor had lobbed off the opening and closing voice-over, this movie would have instantly had a much better story. It may sound weird, but I feel this movie showed more what bad marketing can do than what it should have done. That said, it has bad CG, gloriously bad acting, and is generally just bad, but it's the good kind of bad.
Cell: the other side of bad, which is 'just bad', but it's not for lack of trying. It's trying to be every King plot ever, especially The Stand, and fails at making them work together. But it has Stacey "look me under the definition of glorious bastard" Keach in it, so I can't be mad at it.
The WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT top 5, in order of suckage:
one: Independence Day 2: ... WHAT? WHAT! WHAT!? That is basically the whole movie.
two: The 5th Wave: this would have been number one on the suckage list for LITERALLY having every cliché ever stuck in a movie. It came out in Fuck You, It's January, and ho boy is one for that month. THE POWER OF LOOOOOVE! Fuck. You. pfff. If only ID4-2 hadn't come around.
three: Suicide Squad: which includes beating...whatever the hell this thing is supposed to be. I think it thinks it's a movie? Could have fooled me! Because all I saw was shit.
four. Ghostbusters: the theatrical release of this was an experiment in how to make the least funny movie of all time, while doing nothing of value. Mission accomplished.
five: Batman v superman: 2.5 hours of Superman, the man who is supposed to smile a lot, not smiling once, looking really constipated, and with Batsie having to lead a lady to her emails. Just use a fucking private server, Bruce! God! Oh right, and the body of Zod being grossed out by mixing precious body fluids with Lex-boy. And apple piss. If you know how this was supposed to be a movie, or you've found the lost pee-pee tapes, let us know. SINK TO THE FAAAACE
thank you for reading.
1. The Nice Guys: I had so much fun watching this, that I cannot in good faith put it below anything else.
2. Zootopia: except for maybe a charming animation that is highly expressive and manages to be very rewatchable.
3. The Accountant: also featuring JK Simmons, but in a serious role for serious people. I liked this movie a heck of a lot more than I expected to like it, and it's therefore even above...
4. Arrival: THE sci-fi movie of the year, but at the same time, kind of just a movie. It's perfectly acceptable, it gets to where it needs to be, but while the cinematography is excellent, as a movie it doesn't really sell itself that well. It's difficult to put into words, but if it wasn't for Abbott and Costello, there would be little to draw you in. However, it is a must-see in its genre for this year.
5. Deadpool: unlike the rest of gaf, I get very little from the Marvel and DC comic book movies that I wouldn't consider incredibly generic, stale, and forgettable. Deadpool however, is self-aware of all these things and as result becomes something much more entertaining than every other comic book movie. It's place in any top 5 or 10 should be considered well deserved, versus some unnamed "we still just showed up at an airport" alternative.
6. Don't Breathe: despite some serious flaws and some sleezier elements, Don't Breathe works really well for a home invasion turned horror-thriller movie. Compared to the rest I've seen, it's simply higher in being engrossing.
7. Star Trek Beyond: Scotty, write me up! And that's the man did, true story. The best Star Trek since First Contact, while not losing sight of the fact that all post-TOS Star Trek movies are really just big action schlock fests. Beyond managed to keep the schlock at bay, and deal with two deaths in the crew respectfully and adequately. To absent friends.
8. The Trust: an unexpected diamond in the rough, featuring Nicolas Cage in less-wacky mode. Also some Hobbit looking for a mountain to dump a ring in, My Name Is Randy (Ethan Suplee), and Vegas as not-your-average Vegas. I suppose I should say I was mostly just impressed with the film-making and that in this movie, cops are doing what cops actually do: boring paperwork on archiving evidence.
9: Arq: Sticking with the VOD / Netflix theme, I'm going to put up Arq for no more reason than it was well-made and written, even if it didn't quite work out, but that's because I've seen so few movies of 2016.
10. Space Cop: because why not.
Honorable mentions:
Gods of Egypt: the misunderstood comic book movie of the year 2016, and acceptable schlock. If the editor had lobbed off the opening and closing voice-over, this movie would have instantly had a much better story. It may sound weird, but I feel this movie showed more what bad marketing can do than what it should have done. That said, it has bad CG, gloriously bad acting, and is generally just bad, but it's the good kind of bad.
Cell: the other side of bad, which is 'just bad', but it's not for lack of trying. It's trying to be every King plot ever, especially The Stand, and fails at making them work together. But it has Stacey "look me under the definition of glorious bastard" Keach in it, so I can't be mad at it.
The WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT top 5, in order of suckage:
one: Independence Day 2: ... WHAT? WHAT! WHAT!? That is basically the whole movie.
two: The 5th Wave: this would have been number one on the suckage list for LITERALLY having every cliché ever stuck in a movie. It came out in Fuck You, It's January, and ho boy is one for that month. THE POWER OF LOOOOOVE! Fuck. You. pfff. If only ID4-2 hadn't come around.
three: Suicide Squad: which includes beating...whatever the hell this thing is supposed to be. I think it thinks it's a movie? Could have fooled me! Because all I saw was shit.
four. Ghostbusters: the theatrical release of this was an experiment in how to make the least funny movie of all time, while doing nothing of value. Mission accomplished.
five: Batman v superman: 2.5 hours of Superman, the man who is supposed to smile a lot, not smiling once, looking really constipated, and with Batsie having to lead a lady to her emails. Just use a fucking private server, Bruce! God! Oh right, and the body of Zod being grossed out by mixing precious body fluids with Lex-boy. And apple piss. If you know how this was supposed to be a movie, or you've found the lost pee-pee tapes, let us know. SINK TO THE FAAAACE
thank you for reading.
Grenouille
Member
1.Manchester by the Sea
2.The Handmaiden
3.Moonlight
4.O.J.: Made in America (how is this a movie??)
5.Civil War
6.Arrival
7.After the Storm
8.La La Land
9.café society
10.Don't Breathe
The first four were great 'movies'. The others weren't on the same level, but still enjoyable.
2.The Handmaiden
3.Moonlight
4.O.J.: Made in America (how is this a movie??)
5.Civil War
6.Arrival
7.After the Storm
8.La La Land
9.café society
10.Don't Breathe
The first four were great 'movies'. The others weren't on the same level, but still enjoyable.
ruslandgaga
Member
1. Embrace of the Serpent
2. I, Daniel Blake
3. La La Land
4. Tower
5. The Lobster
6. Arrival
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Cameraperson
9. Julieta
10. Your Name
The rest of my top 25
11. Wiener-Dog
12. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
13. Tickled
14. Joshy
15. Moonlight
16. The Wailing
17. Silence
18. The Witch
19. My Golden Days
20. 10 Cloverfield Lane
21. Toni Erdmann
22. Paterson
23. The Handmaiden
24. Weiner
25. Krisha
From 112 movies
2. I, Daniel Blake
3. La La Land
4. Tower
5. The Lobster
6. Arrival
7. Manchester by the Sea
8. Cameraperson
9. Julieta
10. Your Name
The rest of my top 25
11. Wiener-Dog
12. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
13. Tickled
14. Joshy
15. Moonlight
16. The Wailing
17. Silence
18. The Witch
19. My Golden Days
20. 10 Cloverfield Lane
21. Toni Erdmann
22. Paterson
23. The Handmaiden
24. Weiner
25. Krisha
From 112 movies
Discotheque
Banned
1. Manchester by the Sea - quot dis if you cry everytim. incredible lead performance from casey affleck, the way he can internalize these emotions and say so much with no words. the supporting cast all puts in work too, and bless up to kenneth lonergan for writing such a realistic script. making all these interactions as awkward and humorous as they would be despite the sad circumstances.
2. The Witch - what a damn creepy and atmospheric horror movie. i'm not even particularly religious but i left the theater wanting to pray to cleanse my sins brehs. Eggers is on my radar for sure after this, he mastered the unsettling sense of dread required for this genre, day one on his next movie.
3. Everybody Wants Some - Dazed and Confused 2, nothing more to say. gonna rewatch this many times many years from now and it will lose nothing.
4. Silence - Scorsese's best movie in the 21st century. Andrew Garfield put in work in 2016 the year of Spiderman having his faith and convictions constantly tested and worn down. Beautiful cinematography, based on what I assume was some real thought provoking source material. The conversation between Liam Neeson and Garfield was fascinating to watch. Adam Driver and Japanese supporting cast were good too.
5. Moonlight - does good work with the 3 stages of the character's life and his identity struggle. it's honestly pretty rare now to see black film so artfully executed so this was really refreshing. and small details like old chiron having the same expressions of emotion as the kid version or how he starts trapping and has the same dash ornament to echo his male role model (Mahershala Ali is great) was great attention to detail.
6. The Nice Guys - a continuation of the slightly idiotic detective style of kiss kiss bang bang. Gosling and Crowe are a damn joy to watch, with the type of chemistry that would make you think they've been doing these films for years. hilarious stuff
7. The Handmaiden - solid erotic thriller with a twist, which subverts prior scenes and brings new perspective. i really enjoyed my time with this. may possibly be Chan Wook Park's best movie.
8. Elle - lmao, verhoeven da gawd does not want to play your game. i did not expect this movie about rape to give such ambiguous feelings to the lead character when it comes to her situation. every time a major plot development occurs you're like "what the fuck is she thinking, what's he doing". it's a trainwreck you're compelled to watch. and it's surprisingly funny too at times. a very black comedy. btw you ever wanted to see the lead character of Styx: Master of Shadows engage in tentacle rape? No?! too bad.
9. Edge of Seventeen - Hailee Steinfeld is my favorite coming of age lead in a long time. adorable and funny but also selfish and biting. the scenes between her and Woody Harrelson are great. did not expect to enjoy this one so much.
10. 20th Century Women - if you've been raised by women, or generally grew up more around them than male figures then watch this. beautiful
honorable mentions: a million movies
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sing Street, Arrival, Hail Caesar, Hell or High Water, Embrace of the Serpent, La La Land, Paterson, Midnight Special, Toni Erdmann, Love and Friendship, Green Room, Batman v Superman, The Wailing, Hacksaw Ridge, Loving, Moana, that movie with Blake Lively and dat ass vs. a Shark.
missed out on Jackie and a few others I'm sure. decided not to count OJ Made in America as a movie. or else it would bump something off that top 10.
great year.
2. The Witch - what a damn creepy and atmospheric horror movie. i'm not even particularly religious but i left the theater wanting to pray to cleanse my sins brehs. Eggers is on my radar for sure after this, he mastered the unsettling sense of dread required for this genre, day one on his next movie.
3. Everybody Wants Some - Dazed and Confused 2, nothing more to say. gonna rewatch this many times many years from now and it will lose nothing.
4. Silence - Scorsese's best movie in the 21st century. Andrew Garfield put in work in 2016 the year of Spiderman having his faith and convictions constantly tested and worn down. Beautiful cinematography, based on what I assume was some real thought provoking source material. The conversation between Liam Neeson and Garfield was fascinating to watch. Adam Driver and Japanese supporting cast were good too.
5. Moonlight - does good work with the 3 stages of the character's life and his identity struggle. it's honestly pretty rare now to see black film so artfully executed so this was really refreshing. and small details like old chiron having the same expressions of emotion as the kid version or how he starts trapping and has the same dash ornament to echo his male role model (Mahershala Ali is great) was great attention to detail.
6. The Nice Guys - a continuation of the slightly idiotic detective style of kiss kiss bang bang. Gosling and Crowe are a damn joy to watch, with the type of chemistry that would make you think they've been doing these films for years. hilarious stuff
7. The Handmaiden - solid erotic thriller with a twist, which subverts prior scenes and brings new perspective. i really enjoyed my time with this. may possibly be Chan Wook Park's best movie.
8. Elle - lmao, verhoeven da gawd does not want to play your game. i did not expect this movie about rape to give such ambiguous feelings to the lead character when it comes to her situation. every time a major plot development occurs you're like "what the fuck is she thinking, what's he doing". it's a trainwreck you're compelled to watch. and it's surprisingly funny too at times. a very black comedy. btw you ever wanted to see the lead character of Styx: Master of Shadows engage in tentacle rape? No?! too bad.
9. Edge of Seventeen - Hailee Steinfeld is my favorite coming of age lead in a long time. adorable and funny but also selfish and biting. the scenes between her and Woody Harrelson are great. did not expect to enjoy this one so much.
10. 20th Century Women - if you've been raised by women, or generally grew up more around them than male figures then watch this. beautiful
honorable mentions: a million movies
Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Sing Street, Arrival, Hail Caesar, Hell or High Water, Embrace of the Serpent, La La Land, Paterson, Midnight Special, Toni Erdmann, Love and Friendship, Green Room, Batman v Superman, The Wailing, Hacksaw Ridge, Loving, Moana, that movie with Blake Lively and dat ass vs. a Shark.
missed out on Jackie and a few others I'm sure. decided not to count OJ Made in America as a movie. or else it would bump something off that top 10.
great year.
1. Arrival
2. Hell or High Water
3. La La Land
4. Captain America - Civil War
5. Moonlight
6. Nocturnal Animals
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. The VVitch
9. The Lobster
10. The Handmaiden
Honorable Mentions: Deadpool, The Wailing, Rogue One, Don't Breathe, Zootopia, Your Name, Star Trek Beyond, Hidden Figures, Sully, Lion, Miss Hokusai
2. Hell or High Water
3. La La Land
4. Captain America - Civil War
5. Moonlight
6. Nocturnal Animals
7. Hacksaw Ridge
8. The VVitch
9. The Lobster
10. The Handmaiden
Honorable Mentions: Deadpool, The Wailing, Rogue One, Don't Breathe, Zootopia, Your Name, Star Trek Beyond, Hidden Figures, Sully, Lion, Miss Hokusai
- Status