Best Films of 2016

2016 might be a hellish year in terms of lost icons and political fallout, but it was a banner year for the cinema. Films this year ranged from the unnecessary barrage of sequels to a refreshing amount of studio film featuring minorities often overlooked. Genre films in particular shined this year. The musical, horror film, sci-fi, western and erotic thriller all had outstanding entries. Here are the best films of 2016.

1. Moonlight - The most romantic, heartbreaking, and hopeful film of 2016. Barry Jenkins sketches three vignettes about one boy’s journey to manhood. The film could be remembered for its homosexual content, race content or exploration of black masculinity. All of that wouldn’t matter if the film didn’t move you or if you couldn’t relate to the central question, “who is you?” Movies rarely can be so specific and universal. 
2. The Witch - An instant part of the horror canon upon arrival, Robert Eggers’ film is not for the faint of heart. Talking goats, evil twins and period specific detail add to the film’s power. However, it is the cast that proves vital to the lasting effect of the film. Anna Taylor-Joy is a knockout. Eggers creates a mood of dread and fear and sustains it to a glorious ending. 
3. La La Land - Movies can be pure joy and Damien Chazelle’s musical ode is a reminder of that. Blistering with energy and wit, the film opens and closes with two stunning musical scenes. In between that, Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling charm and delight. The film is smart enough to have real sting to it, making it serve all kinds of lovers and dreamers. 
4. Arrival - One of the most hopeful sci-fi films ever made. Aliens land but instead of war, we are treated to a mystery as a scientist and linguist try to figure out why they are here. Amy Adams shines in an emotional performance that centers the film’s big ideas inside the heart. Denis Villeneuve continues to prove himself a major talent. 
5. American Honey - Andrea Arnold transfers to America and follows a young girl as she tries to make some form of the “American Dream.” The film is structured somewhat like a musical, featuring a vital soundtrack, as it floats around these youthful lives. Sasha Lane is a knockout in the lead role, endlessly natural and captivating. This film feels alive as it unfolds, as if Arnold is truly just a fly on the wall. 
6. The Handmaiden - Like a cake with three-layers, this twisty and perverse tale is complex in so many unexpected ways. While all the performances are great, it is Chan-Wook Park’s skillful direction that steals the show. The film follows a pickpocket turned maid in 1930’s Korea who tries to steal a mentally-fragile heiress. In the process, the male-gaze gets a biting critique. 
7. OJ Made in America - At 8 hours, this can sound like a chore but Ezra Edelman’s documentary is consistently shocking, enlightening and fascinating. The structure is not unlike a TV show you might binge-watch. Edelman manages to pull so much out of a story you think you know, making larger connections to race in America in the process. 
8. Hell or High Water - Taylor Sheridan’s fantastic, taught script is directed with verve by David Mackenzie. The film follows two bank robbing brothers, the great Ben Foster and Chris Pine, and the cop who is hunting them, Jeff Bridges. The film would be just a great genre exercise if it wasn’t also peppered with memorable characters and an undercurrent of critique about the economic climate in America. 
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople - “Shit just got real!” A comedic blast of quirky sensibilities. Following up What We Do In The Shadows, Taika Waititi tells the story of a foster boy and his newly found foster father who go become the focus of a manhunt. Why did it take so long for someone to put Sam Neill in the role of a surrogate father who doesn’t like kids? 
10. Paterson - The king of cool Jim Jarmusch manages to make his most thoughtful, funny film yet. Focusing on the minutia of the life of a bus driver who writes poetry, the film finds so much in so little. I know that plot can sound painful but Paterson is a joy to watch. Adam Driver gives his best performance to date and then there is that scene stealing dog. 
11. Green Room - A no-holds-bar thriller with a punk aesthetic, Green Room is a cinematic experience as intense as they come. Jeremy Saulnier directs the film with such confidence that the whole thing feels plausible. This is not for the faint of heart but those that like visceral films must check this tale of a punk band escaping a group of skinheads. 
12. Demon - Marcin Wrona's third and final feature is a stunner. Demon is a horror film that avoids anything to cheapen its powerful meditation on conscience and the Holocaust. Nothing is overtly about that tragedy but it is hard to escape thinking about it as the film deals with a man possessed at his own wedding. 
13. The Lobster - The most brilliant comedy plot in ages follows a portly Colin Farrell in his attempts to find a partner before turning into the animal of his choosing. I loved this film's premise more than the second half of the film but this still is nothing short of genius. 
14. Loving - A film so understated, it may not make the impact that it should. Jeff Nichols directs the film with a sure hand but the film belongs to Ruth Negga. Her eyes do more in this film than I thought possible. The film is "important" without broadcasting or pandering to the racial concerns in our current society. 
15. Sing Street - A pure blast of music and joy, John Carney's ode to teenage garage bands and New Wave music is one of the year's most fun films. The original music is great and so is the cast. The captures the joy of creating something out of nothing. 
16. Krisha 
17. Kubo and the Two Strings 
18. The Fits 
19. The Neon Demon 
20. Silence 
21. Lemonade 
22. Hail, Caesar 
23. The Love Witch 
24. Manchester By The Sea 
25. I, Daniel Blake