30 Favorite Films of 2016

You said it better than I did. And I totally agree with you about her performance, fully supported by Villeneuve's brilliant direction.

Throughout the film he does this motif of showing Adam's reactions before showing us what she is reacting to, and sometimes not at all. One of which is when she turns on the tv in class in the beginning, we hear the news story and her look of her processing what she is seeing, yet we never actually see what's being shown on the television. Or when they are approaching the shell in the helicopter, there's a long take of her face looking out the window that goes through all these emotions/reactions including the initial moment she finally sees the shell herself and her expression communicates everything she is feeling in that moment. Then we finally get that long shot of the mist over the ground with the shell standing tall in the distance and Johannsson's creepy/foreboding/ethereal score. It's PERFECTION.

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Recent Views (out of 4)
Eighth Grade- (3.5/4)
Sicario 2- (3/4)
Assassination Nation- (3/4)
Mandy- (3.5/4)

5. Nocturnal Animals (dir, Tom Ford)


Well, here's another film that makes the thought of being in a relationship terrifying. Tom Ford's follow up to A Single Man, Nocturnal Animals is a huge step forward for the fashion-designer-turned-filmmaker. Initially, I felt that maybe it was a case of style over substance, until a second viewing showed just how complex and devilishly intelligent it actually is. A piercing, brutal, and bitter exploration of cruelty in relationships. How certain decisions we make, especially when it involves another person, can cause shattering consequences. The jumping back and forth between the imagined novel being read by Amy Adam's Susan, running parallel with the present as Susan faces the mess of a bed she must sleep in, makes for compelling storytelling, each one accentuating the strengths and themes of the other. The more you think about it, the clearer the meanings and implications become. The devil is in the details. If Pedro Almodovar wasn't a huge inspiration for Tom Ford when making this, I'd be surprised. A love it or hate it experience, Nocturnal Animals is hard to shake. Also, why the hell has Jake Gyllenhaal not received an Oscar yet? Or Amy Adams for that matter? And I never thought I'd say this, but Aaron Taylor Johnson nearly steals the show.

4. The Neon Demon (dir. Nicolas Winding Refn)



The first film I saw in 2016 that blew me away was Nicolas Winding Refn's The Neon Demon. A phantasmagorical, seductively stylized, buffet for the senses. A wicked take down of a shallow L.A. landscape, which appears like a neon hell through a prism. I was glued to the screen, giddy to see how this would all play out. Where it goes is bonkers and ******* crazy, becoming all the more stranger, sinister, and mysterious with every moment that passes. Some have criticized it for being thinly written and a case of style over substance. In the case of The Neon Demon, the style becomes the substance, and some scattered clues give the film a sense that there's more going on than we can see. Elle Fanning, currently one of my favorite working actresses, is magnetic in the central role. Is she as shy and naive as she appears to be? Or does she also have some ulterior motives? Jena Malone, on the other hand, didn't receive any attention for her performance here, which is a shame, because she's fearless and charismatic and mysterious and almost steals every scene she appears. Also, the soundtrack by Cliff Martinez doesn't disappoint, it's works just as well as a standalone album. It's a work of art. The Neon Demon will polarize audiences, this is not your typical horror film. It's a Nicolas Winding Refn horror film, and for more adventurous film goers, cinematic nirvana. I still can't get enough of it. And those ending credits!

3. Christine (dir. Antonio Campos)


What could have been potentially offensive and exploitative, Christine is instead a powerful character study, while also showing the difficulties that arise when you are hiding a war within yourself and just can't seem to maneuver through life as easily as others. In the middle of all of this is Rebecca Hall, who has impressed me in the past, but did not prepare me for how truly astonishing she is here. She so accurately captures a woman struggling to keep it together, to live up to her potential before it's too late, and of course, begins to unravel. There is a sequence near the middle of the film involving an argument between Christine and her mother that I had to replay more than a few times. She's THAT good. Shame she didn't get any recognition at all this year, it's almost irritating. Director Campos and his writers, along with Hall, approach this difficult subject with sensitivity while also refusing to soften the blow. Mental illness is one of the hardest things a human can deal with, and by the end you mostly understand why she did what she did, and yet it's never crass or sensationalized. I identified so much with Christine the individual, I've been through the darkness she battled, and I survived something she did not, and this is 100% accurate, never taking manipulative cheap shots. Christine just gets everything right.

2. Toni Erdmann (dir Maren Ade)

Sadness and humor practically dance together in Toni Erdmann. Lengthy for sure, but it justifies it, as every sequence is a step up from the last and crucial to developing the themes and central relationship. Simultaneously hilarious and beautifully poignant. Maren Ade has created a film that feels truly transcendent and some kind of cinematic miracle. Sandra Huller, who impressed me greatly in Requiem, is nothing short of flawless here. Like Huppert, she makes great acting look like second nature, a particular moment where she belts out Whitney Houston's Greatest Love of All is one of the high marks of the entire year. Peter Simonischek matches her every step of the way, and their evolving relationship and personal dynamic is lovely to watch unfold. Toni Erdmann is a film for the books, one of the very best films of last year, and probably one of my favorites of all-time. Just pure bliss. I look forward to revisiting this again and again.

Honorable Mentions (no order)
The Autopsy of Jane Doe
I Am Not A Serial Killer
Rorschach
Lemonade
The Edge of Seventeen
Manchester By The Sea
Nina Forever
Green Room
10 Cloverfield Lane
Into The Forest
Hello, My Name is Doris
Hardcore Henry
Sausage Party
Estranged
Darling
13 Cameras
Midnight Special
Emelie
High-Rise
Baskin
Before I Wake
Eye In The Sky
31
Train to Busan
The Monster
Be My Cat: A Film For Anne
Silence
Florence Foster Jenkins
Zootopia
Kubo and The Two Strings
Finding Dory
The Girl On The Train
King Cobra


Favorite Documentaries
Tower
A Family Affair
Tickled
Amanda Knox
(T)error
OJ: Made In America
Bright Lights Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds


Worst, Mediocre, and Most Disappointing
The Lady in The Van
Suicide Squad
Kate Plays Christine
Deadpool
Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
Zoolander No. 2
Alice Through The Looking Glass
Blair Witch
The Secret Life of Pets
Popstar
Mascots
Cabin Fever
Manson's Lost Girls
Colonia
Martyrs
The One's Below
Dementia
The Huntsman: Winter's War
Bleed
The Forest
The Sea of Trees
Batman V. Superman
The Conjuring 2
X-Men: Apocalypse
The Boy
The Boss
Ghostbusters

I liked this too, but many of the people I rely on for trusted reviews hated it.

Great stuff. Totally agree about Jena Malone. she stole the show. Refn gets criticised for style over substance in every movie he makes. And people are wrong about it every time. in 20 years The Neon Demon will be revered as a classic.

Yep, my closest friend who has good taste told me that it "was too slow before it got to the scary parts." Fortunately, my online movie friends love it, and one of my favorite critics gave it 4 stars. I also just have a particular love for slow burns. This is one of the best of them, I also love its sense of empathy, which I can't really go into without spoiling, it's diversity in cast in relationships (look! a totally normal, loving, gay couple that isn't even important to the plot and the director never calls attention to, which is rare), and how it's eerily plausible in the end. I could totally see something like this happening, honestly.

1. The Handmaiden (dir. Park Chan-Wook)


Sumptuous and sensuous, twisty and twisted, wildly erotic. The Handmaiden is all these things and more. Starting out as an engrossing period piece before taking a turn and flipping all expectations and what we've learned upside down on its pretty head, this is a dream film for true lovers of the art of cinema and film making. From the dazzling cinematography, extraordinary camerawork, lavish set and costume design, and enticing storytelling, this is a mouth-watering feast served on a shimmering, lavish, platter. Park Chan-Wook has outdone himself with this film, one I couldn't once peel my eyes away from, every new development had a hold on me. A completely original work of divine beauty and wicked insinuations, it also works as a powerful feminist statement. A work of staggering art, I could have devoured kept devouring it had it run past it's nearly 2 and a half hour run time . This is a new masterpiece of indulgently addicting film making. Some may find a few developments in the third act excessive, but I never once felt bored, and was eagerly awaiting to see how this story would unfold. The Handmaiden is a modern masterpiece. One would do themselves a disservice by letting this one pass them by.

I loved the Witch - damn good movie with damn good acting and ambience - but I don't see it as a horror movie per se. More of a thriller [with supernatural elements].

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So there you have it. Apologies for the wonky, poorly written write ups. I might also post my favorite performances as well, but we'll see.

and a recap.

3O. Hush
29. Certain Women
28. Don’t Breathe
27. The Family Fang
26. Wiener-Dog
25. Krisha
24. A Bigger Splash
23. Knight of Cups
22. The Eyes of My Mother
21. The Lobster
20. Jackie
19. Cafe Society
18. Other People
17. La La Land
16. American Honey
15. Closet Monster
14. 20th Century Women
13. Childhood Of A Leader
12. Arrival
11. Moonlight
10. The Invitation
9. Always Shine
8. Elle
7. The Wailing
6. The Witch
5. Nocturnal Animals
4. The Neon Demon
3. Christine
2. Toni Erdmann
1. The Handmaiden

Are you the same guy that post this on RT?

I have no idea what you are talking about.

haha k

a) I'm really terrible at ranking films and making lists
b) I realized I liked some more than others, or some that deserved to be higher/lower going over them again.

can understand what u feel. Thing is fluctuating

This list is effing awesome! Great job.

I'm really not sure what think of The Neon Demon. I guess I liked it more than Only God Forgives. I think it has coherence that OGF didn't. Fanning is really great in it. I think.

Yeah, it's a cypher. It's vibrant. You can't take that away from it. There's a aching feeling running throughout that makes for great suspense. The Keanu cameo is so bonkers as are Jena Malone and Abbey Lee's performances but I'm still not sure the whole works.

If you consider a great movie one that lingers with you then this is it. But for me something feels missing. I guess I'll re-watch it.