Top Ten Films of 2016

For some reason, this year felt underwhelming, so much so that I thought that maybe this was a bad year for cinema with the amount of disappointments I've seen. However, we should not focus so much on the bad, as I found out when making my top ten list for 2016 there have been some great gems this year, more so than I thought, and that's without seeing some of the most critically acclaimed films like Arrival, La la Land and The Handmaiden (trust me, I really wanted to find time to watch them all). So read on and find out what I thought were the best 10 films I've seen this year.

10. Captain America: Civil War

After a shaky year in 2015, it's nice to see the two latest Marvel films break my top ten again. For me Civil War was the sequel to The Avengers we should have had. At times it felt a little bloated with the amount of characters on screen but it was none the less an excellent time at the cinema with a more thought provoking storyline than most other blockbusters this year. You can check out my full review here.

9. 13th

This was one of the last films I saw in 2016 but easily the best documentary I have seen all year and the one that left the biggest impression on me. This is a documentary that showcases a history that I knew little to nothing about and I have a feeling that a lot of people may be in the same boat. This film is so shocking and important that it needs to be seen by everyone. Read my full review here.

8. Zootopia

A lot of the fears we have about what the world is coming to after this year were played out in family friendly and relatable ways in Zootopia. A lot of animation panders to both the kids and adults of its audience but never have I seen one walk the line as well as this, whilst also delivering a very smart and timely story. If we can bring these kind of moralistic messages to all family films then the world would be a lot better place. Check out my full review here.

7. Sing Street

When music and film come together beautiful things can happen, this is one of the best examples. My family is big into 80's music, I was practically raised on it, therefore I have a lot of love for the era. Mix that with a love of filmmaking (obviously) and coming of age stories then this film is an absolute treat. I highly recommend to anyone (it's my Dad's number 1 film of the year!). Check out my full review here.

6. Doctor Strange

Out of the two Marvel films we got this year I did not expect this one to be my favourite. I also did not expect this one to be the most fun I had in the cinema all year. I had an absolute blast, it felt so unique and I loved how at every familiar trope was a twist ready to take you by surprise. It felt like its own thing and really did encapsulate the screenwriters saying; 'the same but different'. Credit to both director, writers and everyone involved for creating a brilliantly crafted story with lots of exciting spectacle. Read my full review here.

5. The Girl With All the Gifts

I haven't seen this film in any top tens this year and I'm not really sure why? Just as I thought I was done with the zombie genre, this film comes along and reaffirms my faith that new, different and unique stories can be told within the familiar apocalypse structure, plus it's an excellent and faithful adaptation of the equally good book. This film has a lot of style and elegance in the way it tells its story whilst also being accompanied by the best score of the year. One of the most original zombie films ever made. Read my full review here.

4. 10 Cloverfield Lane

I feel like this was one of the most perfectly executed films of the year. So many small elements are brought together and are paid off to create a really smart, original and interesting storyline. It's great to see Dan Trachtenberg, from YouTube video fame, now being hailed as one of the most exciting up and coming filmmakers. After this excellent debut feature film, I really can't wait to see what he does next. Read my full review here.

3. Morris From America

This film came out of nowhere and hit me in a very personal way. Maybe I'm biased to this film because I also grew up in Germany but I also think there is a lot going on here that makes this one of the best coming of age stories I have ever seen. Even if you haven't grown up somewhere alien to you then there are still a lot of similar themes you can relate to, as well as being able to watch two of the best performances of the year from Markees Christmas and Craig Robinson. This probably didn't register on everybody's radar in 2016 so I urge you to go out and watch this one. Read my full review here.

2. Swiss Army Man

It's become apparent with this film, that any premise, no matter how wild, crazy or stupid, if treated with enough love and care can be made into one of the most heartfelt, truly human stories of the year. Okay some audiences may not get the absurdity, but if you give it the time of day then I dare you not to moved by this film. An absolute win for creative filmmaking, one of a kind performances and the human spirit. Read my full review here.

1. Everybody Wants Some!!

Yes, Richard Linklater tops my list yet again. He truly is the most interesting director working right now. This film, marketed as the 'spiritual sequel' to Dazed and Confused, may not feature the most relatable characters ever but it really does capture a feeling, an atmosphere and the emotions of moving away from home. It's been a year since I graduated from University and this one really did hit me hard, the experiences depicted may not be universal but the overall journey of the film feels familiar. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it made me want to hug Richard Linklater for just getting it so right, and yet again making my favourite film of the year. Read my full review here.

So there you go folks, my favourite films of the year. I should probably give shout outs to films that were very close to making this list such as The Nice Guys, The Green Room, The Fits and The Witch. There was some good to 2016, I am however very excited to see what the new year brings.

Let me know what were your favourite films of the year in the comments below.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading!

Zootopia/Zootropolis

Whatever you call it (in the US it is Zootopia) (In the UK it is Zootropolis), there is no denying that this film is really good. I had an absolute blast watching this one in the cinema; it was funny, charming and heartfelt with its characters, story and messages. If you have a child or are a big child like myself, go see this film, now! Trust me, the kids in my cinema showing were loving it so much that one of them was doing the robot dance at the end... I don’t know why that was but I guess it meant he liked it?

Zootopia is set in a world like ours but instead of humans its animals. Prey and predator have evolved and put their differences aside to live together, the staple of this utopia being their main city, Zootopia (get it!). We follow Judy Hopps, a bunny who dreams big and works hard to become the first ever bunny cop. But things aren't as good as they appear and the animal kingdom laughs at her wanting to do a job those bigger and more intimidating animals usually take on. In order to prove her worth, Judy teams up with a sly fox, Nick, and together they work to solve a missing persons case.

It's harmless fun and even if it wasn't an animated film this would be a really solid buddy cop movie. You really fall for the characters, especially Judy, and you are invested in them throughout the story. It's light hearted but deals with a lot of big themes about our society such as racism, sexism and prejudice. However it's not so bogged down that it doesn't know how to have fun, this film is crammed full of it.

From its great comedic scenes to its background animal puns, there is something for everyone to laugh at here. This is what I loved most about this film; its writing is so clever. The plot is tight and although it may not be constant belly laughs, the film always has something in the background to snicker at as well. Which is a credit to the animators as well who built a very well realised and pun induced world for this story to be set in, I mean the animation is stunning!

The Walt Disney Animation Studios is on fire right now, they keep pumping out these really great family films that have some very powerful messages intertwined in them, at this point they are on par with Pixar for me. I hope they don't put a foot wrong soon because I will keep watching whatever they make.

This film is a credit to strong storytelling and brilliant world building direction. I never would have thought that I would prefer this film to Batman punching Superman in the face but unfortunately that is the case (that kid I talked about at the start had a Batman hoodie on, bet he didn’t do the robot at the end of that film, if he was even allowed to watch it). I don't care though, I loved this film. Keep this up Disney; keep this up because it is so, so good. I'm rating Zootopia (or Zootropolis) a 4.5/5.

Have you seen the film? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Thanks for reading!