Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Top 10 Films of 2016 (so far)

We’re a few weeks past the halfway mark of 2016, and before summer winds down and Oscar season heats up, I thought it’d be fun to list the best flicks I’ve seen so far in this year. As always, release dates are based on American theatrical releases.

10. 10 Cloverfield Lane/Hush/The Shallows
dir. by Dan Trachtenberg/Mike Flanagan/Jaume Collet-Serra

Three modestly budgeted horror/thrillers (set mostly in a single location) that were far better than they had a right to be. Each film is anchored by stellar performances (John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead in Cloverfield, Kate Siegel in Hush, Blake Lively in The Shallows), and cruise by with smart thrills and genuine intrigue.

9. The Nice Guys
dir. by Shane Black

The only bad thing I can say about The Nice Guys (other than the gaps in logic it takes during the third act – but oh well, it’s a Shane Black movie!), is that it bombed at the box office. Having failed to turn a profit, it’s unlikely we’ll be privy to the hilarious chemistry shared by Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling again. I could’ve watched these characters mix it up for a least two more films.

8. Green Room
dir. by Jeremy Saulnier

As he proved with his magnificent debut film, Blue Ruin, Jeremy Saulnier’s violence is swift and exact, brutal and real. It typically comes from nowhere, but when it does, look out. His sophomore feature, about a punk band fighting for their lives in a neo-Nazi club, is the tensest film of the year so far. But damn, what heartbreak it is to watch the film’s recently deceased star, Anton Yelchin, deliver yet another great, singular performance here. He will certainly be missed.

7. Midnight Special
dir. Jeff Nichols

Jeff Nichols’ career is such a pleasant enigma. Since the release of his micro low budget domestic thriller, Shotgun Stories (still my favorite Nichols film), his films have risen in price and scope, never to the detriment of the material. Midnight Special was Nichols’ biggest film yet (but still only cost $18 million), but no less intimate than the rest of his work. I’ve only seen Midnight Special once, and I know that on repeat viewings, I’ll grow to appreciate it more.

6. The Invitation
dir. Karyn Kusama

A bunch of friends gather for a dinner party in the Hollywood hills. Things begin normal enough, but how long before the evening goes very, very wrong? After winning Sundance with her debut feature, Girlfight, director Karyn Kusama strained critically and commercial with her next two features (Æon Flux and Jennifer’s Body). Needless to say, it is great to see Kusama back in her indie roots.

5. De Palma
dir. Noah Baumbach & Jake Paltrow

This documentary about iconic director, Brian De Palma, is the way to showcase a single body of work. Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow interviewed De Palma once, and then intercut clips of every single film the man directed, in order. No fancy tricks, no shifty narrative – De Palma is a great documentary about a great filmmaker, told straight and simply. In a perfect world, Baumbach and Paltrow would make a new De Palma-like documentary every year, focusing on a different director every time.

4. The Neon Demon
dir. Nicolas Winding Refn

It’s hard to imagine any film from 2016 topping The Neon Demon in terms of sheer mind fuckness. Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest (and, in my opinion, best) film is a neon-infused head trip that has yet to leave my brain. The film entered and left theaters in the blink of an eye, which is shameful, because a movie this splendid looking deserved to be seen on the biggest screen (and heard on the best sound system) possible.

3. Everybody Wants Some!!
dir. by Richard Linklater

I can’t remember the last time I had so much fun at the movies. A huge smile formed on my face roughly 30 seconds into Everybody Wants Some!! (thanks to “My Sharona” blaring over the opening credits) and didn’t leave until the film was over. I also can’t think of another film that so quickly and clearly established so many different characters. Linklater’s own Dazed and Confused, which is the spiritual predecessor to this film, surely comes to mind.

2. The Lobster
dir. by Yorgos Lanthimos

Like Yorgos Lanthimos’ previous films, Dogtooth and Alps, plot details about The Lobster are best left discreet. Lanthimos is a master of presenting unique visions of the world in a believable way. To classify The Lobster as simply a mild sci-fi, or dark comedy, or tense thriller, would be to crudely summarize one of the most distinctive films in years.

1. Knight of Cups
dir. by Terrence Malick

This one will make it to the end. No matter what else I see in 2016, Terrence Malick’s latest visual poem will be on my Top 10 of the year. Knight of Cups is one of the best visual representations of depression, longing, and regret I’ve seen in quite some time. Its virtual lack of conventional narrative only helps propel its overall intention, which is, to me, for the viewer to put their own experience onto the film’s main character. That’s one thing I’ve always loved most about films: that they ask us to look inside ourselves, with ever out really asking.

34 comments:

  1. I haven't seen most of the films on your list, but I REALLY want to see Everybody Wants Some as well as Knights of Cups. The Lobster is probably my favorite film I've seen this year and I'm glad it made it onto your list! I recently saw Wiener Dog and though it's even odder than The Lobster, I suggest seeing it!

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    1. I have yet to see Wiener Dog but I really want to. I love Solondz's quirky style. Everybody Wants Some is so, so funny, and Knight of Cups is a meditative wonder.

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  2. The best film I've seen this year is Knight of Cups though I see it as a 2015 film. My favorite 2016 release so far is.... Love & Friendship by Whit Stillman. I haven't seen a lot lately as films are there one week and then gone the next week. Especially The Nice Guys as it didn't do well and it was gone from my nearest multiplex after 2 weeks.

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    1. I still need to see Love & Friendship; I've heard nothing but great things about it. So many fine films from this year have come and gone from theaters so quickly. Bummer.

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  3. Very neat top 10. The only film on this list I've never heard of until now is Hush. I'll have to check that one out.

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    1. Thanks! Hush is on Netflix (I don't even think it was released in theaters). Definitely worth checking out.

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  4. Right now for me, OJ Made In America wipes everything else out. One of the mammoth documentary feats that had me enthralled every step of the way during its near 8 hour run time. The movies that come the close to it are The Lobster and Green Room. I also really dug The Witch.

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    1. Was tempted to include OJ here, but I do suppose that is technically TV. I dunno. At any rate, I agree, that was a fucking monumental documentary. They should show that in American public schools. It was about so much more than just one man.

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  5. Fantastic list, AW. Surprising no one, I've seen all three votes for #10, and I just caught Green Room two nights ago, but the rest have totally eluded me. I try to avoid trailers (outside of the cinema, naturally) at all costs, so your descriptions make up about HALF of the information I know about these films.

    I'm up for everything else, with Linklater's latest likely my next watch. Looking forward to it.

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    1. Thanks dude! I'd love to hear your thoughts on a number of these. I avoid trailers too, so I hope I didn't give away too much in my descriptions!

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  6. Midnight Special and Green Room were the ones I was disappointed I missed. Waiting for DVD now. I loved The Lobster - favourite from last year (came out in 2015 over here). And Neon Demon was brilliant - got under my skin.

    Everybody Wants Some was a film raved about but I'm too sure anymore - Linklater is great but why was this film so great? I haven't seen it.. yet

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    1. Everybody Wants Some is great in that very distinct Richard Linklater way. There is no plot (similarly to all his best films), the characters are defined quickly and fully, it is hysterical throughout, the music rocks, the acting is top notch (from a bunch of young actors I'd never heard of), and it is real. From the outside, it may seem like a "bro movie," but I promise, it isn't. So, so good.

      It got screwed on its release; the marketing was nearly nonexistent, and its theatrical run was far too short, but I hope it finds life on DVD/OnDemand. Would love to hear your thoughts!

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  7. Damn I need to get to the movies more often: Been dragged to the big 4 superhero flicks this year and fucking hated 3 of them. Deadpool has been a blast, both times, though. Will definitely check out Knight of Cups now

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    1. Yeah man, I hear your. I'm all but done with superhero flicks. Every one was raving about Civil War... I made it 20 minutes, then had to move on. Fair enough to people who like those films, they just aren't worth my time or money anymore. But I promise, there are a lot of great, smaller films out there right now!

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  8. I've seen quite a few of these (feeling rather impressed with myself) and agree wholeheartedly! It's such a shame that The Nice Guys did so poorly at the Box Office...that one's going to stay one of my favourites for the entire year I think.
    - Allie

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    1. Right?! I was stunned it underperformed at the box office. Maybe it was released too early in the year... I dunno. That one is an enigma, because it had two bankable stars, and they marketed the hell out of it, AND the movie was pretty damn good!

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  9. Way behind, as usual. I've only seen Hush and enjoyed it immensely. Didn't know there was a doc on De Palma, so I'm really looking forward to that. I am really hesitant on Knight of Cups because Malick.

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    1. Knight of Cups certainly isn't going to convert Malick detractors. I don't think it's as... I don't know, "fluid" as To the Wonder, but it is most definitely a visual poem, as opposed to a cohesive narrative. That De Palma doc though.... so, so good.

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  10. Lots of movie i need to see here. I have been super busy all year so i haven't actually gotten around to watching as many movies as i usually do, but here is a, um, top 8, i guess. Hopefully i will catch up by the end of the year.

    8. Hail, Caesar! (Far from one of the Coen brothers' best movie, but still enjoyable.)
    7. Deadpool (A lot of the jokes fell flat for me and you could easily tell this was made by a first time director, but i still had a good time watching it)
    6. Captain America: Civil War (The Captain America movies are probably my favorites of these Marvel movies and i really enjoyed this one as well. Winter Soldier was better though.)
    5. Zootopia (It was like a buddy cop movie made by Disney. Again, just a fun movie.)

    4. Midnight Special (Now we are getting to the movies that might still end up on my top 10 at the end of the year. I literally knew nothing about this movie other than it starred Michael Shannon before watching it and i think that made my experience even better. I feel like these days i rarely get to experience that now that we get bombarded with trailer and teasers and teasers of trailers everywhere we go. I still enjoyed Mud better out of the Jeff Nichols movies i have watched, but this is very close. Definitely need to check out Shotgun Stories and Take Shelter now.)

    3. Eddie the Eagle (One of the few times i have watched a sports movie about a sport i actually watch and enjoy. As a Norwegian ski jumping is something i have watched every winter for as long as i can remember so i really enjoyed finally getting a movie about it. I can't really think of any other movies about ski jumping. And i really thought the movie was very funny and surprisingly heart warming.)

    2. Green Room (This is one of those movies that had me glued to the screen from beginning to end as the tension just kept building and building. This was way scarier that any supernatural horror movie i have seen in a long time. I also watched this movie just a few days after the tragic death of Anton Yelchin. He has always been one of my favorites of the younger generation in Hollywood and his performance here really stood out to me. He was an excellent actor that i am sure would have gone on to become one of the best from his generation. I really can't think of a single bad performance from him. Even in that awful Terminator he was in he shined. I will definitely miss him.)

    1. 10 Cloverfield Lane (God damn John Goodman is fucking fantastic here. Every single second he was on screen i was just about to piss my pants because i was terrified of him. He always looked like he was about to snap and kill everyone at any moment, even when he was trying to be nice. I really wish this movie had not been called 10 Cloverfield Lane because that kind of ruined the surprise at the end. If you have seen the first Cloverfield movie or even just know anything about it you already know what is outside of the bunker. If they had just called the movie anything else and not advertised it as having any connection with Cloverfield, this would have close to getting a perfect score from me.)

    So yeah, there are still a ton of movie i really want to see. All of the ones you listed not on my list i have yet to see.

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    1. Nice list! I wouldn't mind seeing Hail, Caesar again. I was expecting something entirely different when I walked into that film, and I think a spent a majority of the running time trying to catch up to what it was doing. But I dug it. I liked all the practical effects (cowboy stunts, synchronized swimming, etc). So happy you like Goodman in Cloverfield as much as I did. Man's a beast!

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  11. I love seeing 10 Cloverfield, Green Room, The Nice Guys and The Lobster on here. I haven't seen the rest. Midnight Special is on the top of my Netflix queue though. The way you speak about Knight of Cups makes me want to see it, but I never like Malick movies. lol

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    1. Ha! Well, if you don't like Malick movies, I can't imagine you'd like Knight of Cups ;-( It's out there, for sure. But I really identified with it. Midnight Special is a real gem.

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  12. Cool picks! The Nice Guys was so funny, though I felt it was a little repetitive from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Gosling was truly hilarious. I haven't seen the others though, so I've added plenty to my to-watch list. :)

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    1. Thanks! I do think The Nice Guys suffered from comedic repetitiveness, which seems to be a problem for comedy this past decade or so. But overall, I did enjoy it. I loved that final scene between the two of them. Sooo funny.

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  13. I'm not even gonna approach your number 1 and number 2 I turned off after the dog scene but I'm so glad you have The Nice Guys here which is my fav of the year.

    But where is The Witch?

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    1. That dog scene was so rough. That film was merciless.

      I really respect what Eggers did with The Witch on such a modest budget. I did consider it here, but ultimately, I don't expect I'll have the desire to watch it again. And the suggestion of repeat viewings is a huge factor for me when creating these lists.

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  14. Solid list, Alex! I haven't seen as many movies as I normally would have at this point in the year. But I have seen most of these. My big misses here are The Neon Demon and Knight of Cups. They were here one week and gone the next. Real shame. I so wanted to both see and hear The Neon Demon in a good theater. Same I'm sure can be said for Malick's work this year.

    Still need to catch De Palma (and catch up on much of his body of work...I'm very lacking there.) And I've only seen Cloverfield of your thrillers, which was a helluva time at the movies.

    I fucking love The Lobster. What an absolutely mesmerizing piece of cinema. It's my number 1 right now. So glad you have Everybody Wants Some so high. The characters are just amazing, aren't they? Loved Midnight Special and The Nice Guys and you nailed the way Saulnier does violence. Never seen anything like it. Dude is exciting! Like Sati, I would have The Witch on my list. I definitely want to watch it again.

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    1. Thanks Kevin! Definitely a shame that The Neon Demon and Knight of Cups came and went so quickly. If there are two movies that deserve a big screen so far this year, it's those. So glad you're a fan of a lot of the others - The Lobster, Everybody Wants Some... love 'em!

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  15. I wasn't a big fan of Knight of Cups at all, but I like your picks of 10 Cloverfield Lane, The Nice Guys, Green Room, and Everybody Wants Some!!

    - Zach

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    1. Well, 4 outta 10 ain't bad. Everybody Wants Some was just the best.

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  16. Interesting list Alex! I'm just about to make this list as well, and I think Midnight Special and The Lobster would be in my top 10. Not as fond of Knight of Cups as you, though I don't mind Malick's style if there's a script involved :)

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    1. Thanks Ruth! Knight of Cups is a tough one to appreciate, for sure. But I'm glad you saw some value in it!

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  17. From your list I've only seen Green Room. I was going to see The Lobster, but changed my mind when my husband warned me it's a doggy snuff film.

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    1. Well... okay, there is a horrible doggy snuffing, but it isn't totally about that, you know? I absolutely adore animals, huge activist for them. But, to me, there is a purpose to the violence in that film. Not easy to stomach at all, but I understand it's inclusion.

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