This year was terrific for filmmaking, especially after the past couple months when there was a surge of releases in time for awards season. With the Oscars coming close, I’ve decided to create a list of my favorite films in 2016 that should be viewed. These are all films that everyone should take the chance to see, whether it’s in theaters or at home.
1. "Moonlight" directed by Barry Jenkins
"Moonlight" is a fantastic film with a gripping narrative and wonderful cinematography. Taking place in Miami during the “War on Drugs” period, the film takes the audience through Chiron’s life as he grows up. While living in an emotionally abusive household with a dysfunctional mother, Chiron also has to figure out his sexuality and cope with other situations he runs into, such as bullying and abuse from classmates. The film does a wonderful job in presenting parallels throughout Chiron’s life and the actors do a great job of all playing as Chiron in different stages; I felt like I was just watching the same person. The film feels deeply personal and with the hardships the film presents also lies compassionate moments that add to the intimacy of the film.
2. "The Handmaiden" directed by Park Chan-Wook
"The Handmaiden" is a film inspired by the novel "Fingersmith" by Sarah Waters. The setting is in 1930s Japanese-occupied Korea in an estate where Sook-Hee is hired as a handmaiden by Lady Hideko; what Lady Hideko doesn’t know is Sook-Hee is involved in a plot to rid her of her inheritance. The story has wonderful twists and turns and the cinematography just sucks the audience in. There’s a certain artistry to this film that anyone who likes cinema should witness.
3. "The Nice Guys" directed by Shane Black
"The Nice Guys" is one of the best comedies I’ve seen all year. The film is a police buddy-cop drama set in Los Angeles in the 1970s. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe run into a conspiracy that spans much of the porn industry after investigating a suicide, with Gosling’s daughter following them along much to their dismay. I wasn’t expecting Gosling and Crowe to work together as well as they did. The movie is packed with energy, and the pacing made the two hours watching it fly by. However, with the great chemistry between the main characters, it doesn’t feel like a tense film; there’s a laid-back quality to it that makes the film enjoyable to watch.
4. "Manchester by the Sea" directed by Kenneth Lonergan
"Manchester by the Sea" is a drama focusing on Lee Chandler, a handyman for a Bostonian apartment complex. He’s called to his hometown to find out his brother died, and he’s been chosen as the guardian for his teenage nephew. While he’s grappling with the loss of his brother and his new duty to be a guardian, returning to the town re-opens deep, emotional wounds. What’s striking about this film is how easily the heartbreaks transfers from screen to the audience as Chandler grapples with everything changing around him, the rawness of the film feels authentic in its struggles. While so much tragedy is happening all at once to the protagonist, there’s a certain recognition that life continues; and like the story, the film doesn’t stay stuck in one place, it’s able to push forward.
5. "The Lobster" directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
I talked about this last week, but "The Lobster"is a stunning film that has a lot of commentary on love, life, and society. This film’s dystopian world really hammers in the feeling of societal pressure and how it affects our ability to love someone. The film’s metaphors for types of love or even the instability of love in present society paired with great cinematography makes this film worth watching.
6. "Moana" directed by Ron Clements, Jon Musker, Chris Williams IX, Don Hall
Thiswas a joy to watch in theaters. Featuring Disney’s first Polynesian princess, Moana is a girl who wants to venture out past the reef of her island against her father’s wishes. Upon the discovery of her ancestors being Wayfinders and her island in peril, Moana ventures out alone to find the Demigod Maui. Moana’s journey is more than just saving her people; it’s about discovering her identity, too. The animation is gorgeous and the voice talent for the film is just wonderful. The songs are a lot of fun, as well, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Macina, and Opetaia Foa’i collaborating on the music together.
7. "Hell or High Water" directed by David Mackenzie
"Hell or High Water"is about two brothers played by Chris Pine and Ben Foster, who band together to rob different branches of the state bank that want to foreclose on their land. When they finally seem victorious, a Texas Ranger played by Jeff Bridges and his partner played by Gil Birmingham begin hunting them down. This film plays as a modern Western and holds all of the elements that would be seen in an old film. Pine and Foster show great chemistry and pose a great question of morality; while they are robbing banks, they are just trying to harm the system that's threatening them. While in terms of narrative there’s nothing particularly new, the modernization of the Western is something that’s refreshing and worth seeing.
8. "Swiss Army Man" directed by Daniel Scheinert and Daniel Kwan
When this film, came out, a lot of people were skeptical about the idea of the film. Paul Dano as a man stranded on an island and Daniel Radcliffe playing a talking, farting corpse? It didn’t seem plausible, but I really enjoyed this film. As Dano tries to find his way home with Radcliffe as his companion, a fear of isolation and societal rejection bubbles up underneath the absurdity. The friendship that’s created is surprisingly touching, if not still in the realm of absurdity. This film definitely should be given a chance, and should be viewed for anyone has a love or passion for independent films.
9. "10 Cloverfield Lane" directed by Dan Trachtenberg
This was a film that had me holding my breath for the entire viewing. The blood sequel to "Cloverfield," "10 Cloverfield Lane"is a terrific thriller that has the audience on the edge of their seats. What adds to the suspense is the fact that the majority of the film takes place in an underground bunker. Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Michelle, a girl who gets in a car crash and wakes up in John Goodman’s underground bunker; he claims there’s been an apocalypse while she was out. The whole film feels claustrophobic, and the actors do a terrific job of showing the tension and suspense between the characters.
10. "Kubo and the Two Strings" directed by Travis Knight
Brought by the studio that made "Coraline," "Kubo and the Two Strings" is easily the most creative animated film of the year. The film features, Kubo, a boy with a magical shamisen that allows him to manipulate origami. One day Kubo disobeys his mother and she has to sacrifice herself to save him, her last words instructions to find his father’s magic armor. Accompanied by a beetle-samurai and a talking monkey, Kubo races to complete his goals. This film is a simple adventure but what makes it stand out is the creativity; the animation looks captivating. I’d encourage anyone to see this film to keep this kind of animation alive and well.
11. "The Eagle Huntress" directed by Otto Bell
Last and certainly not least is one of my favorite documentaries of all-time, "The Eagle Huntress." This documentary is about Aishol-pan, a 13-year-old girl who trains to be the first female in over ten generations of her family to become an eagle hunter. She breaks the mold of the tradition being taught father to son and with the help of her father, Aishol-pan is allowed to train. I’ve never seen better-looking cinematography in a documentary and paired with the narrative the film presents an awe-inspiring film that no one should miss out on.
These were the 11 movies I felt should be looked at closely in consideration for awards seasons! I know I left some out, but these were my favorites to watch, as well. In the comments, let me know what you would've added to the list!
