Best Films of 2016
By: Monte Yazzie
It was good year for film. Yeah, that’s probably a cliché
thing for a film critic to say. But it’s true; when your top three films could
each hold the first place ranking on a different day you know that there were
quite a few really good films that came out this year. Making the obligatory
end of year list very difficult to narrow down to a mere fifteen.
Film seemed all the more revealing this year, with all the
changes in the political landscape and conflicts in society it was easy to
figure those factors into many of the films. I always find it interesting to
examine and re-examine film as time moves forward and changes occur in culture
and society. Film is a reflection of our time; great artists create images and
write words because of the influences around them. 2016 was a special year for
film, however what I think was most important about film this year was how
closely and effectively it analyzed elements inherent to all of us, aspects of
communication, identity, religion, gender, history, and the political agenda.
Here are the best films of 2016.
15. The Wailing
Meticulous in its method and steady in its execution, “The
Wailing” is a horror film that manipulates expectations by pulling the viewer
deeper into the abyss of the mystery but also the characters that are placed in
such terrible settings. This combination of horror and character gives the film
an unexpected emotional undertone that makes the scary moments all the more
affecting.
14. Manchester by the
Sea
Casey Affleck and Michelle Williams provide stunning
portrayals in “Manchester by the Sea”, a film that can be a polarizing
experience, but one that generates wonderful discussion. Director Kenneth Lonergan
examines tragic events and how, no matter how much people may try, life moves forward
with or without you.
13. Sing Street
The best way to describe “Sing Street” would be to compare
it to a really good mixtape. It has a little bit of everything; dance worthy
moments, sentimental trips, melancholy cuts, and uplifting hits. It also
understands how these emotional moments relate with the ebb and flow of being a
teenager.
12. O.J. Made in
America
The five part documentary, from ESPN’s “30 for 30” series,
is an exhaustive analysis of the O.J. Simpson murder trial coined “the trial of
the century” which placed a real life courtroom drama in the American home. Though
the success of the film doesn’t rest in its painstaking measures but rather in
the examination of the American culture, the role of celebrity, and the history
of an admired athlete.
11. The Fits
There is a moment in “The Fits” when a young 11-year-old
girl turns an overpass into a practice space for her two athletic passions,
boxing and dancing. It’s a raw, aggressive and emotional scene that frames this
stunning first feature from director Anna Rose Holmer in the realms of a horror
film and an adolescent coming-of-age drama.
10. Kubo and the Two
Strings
What a good year for animation; with films like “Zootopia”
and “Moana” getting lots of the attention, it was a stop motion animated film
called “Kubo and the Two Strings” that was the standout. It’s a familiar fable
about a young boy who goes on a journey and must face fears from his past.
Though this common story done in the now uncommon and time consuming manner of
stop motion artistry has a significant amount of heart but also some great
insight into matters of friendship, family, and courage.
9. Green Room
People have different definitions of horror; some may call “Green
Room” a thriller though I like to think of it as survival horror. Just like
zombies in “Dawn of the Dead” or vampires in “From Dusk till Dawn”, Jeremy
Saulnier’s film creates monsters out of a community of white supremacists.
“Green Room”, like the band featured in the film, is the very definition of
punk rock. It’s a film that understands the rules but decides to play by its
own tune; a fast, aggressive, and stripped down horror tune that is a
masterclass of tension.
8. The Lobster
Perhaps the most unique film of the year, writer and
director Yorgos Lanthimos creates a surreal and eccentric allegory about
relationships and the methods to which people find love. It’s unlike other
films this year; a journey into surrealism and satire that is both humorously
genuine and heartbreakingly bleak while consistently being diligently
straightforward. Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz both give exceptional
performances. It’s an experience that stays with you.
7. Paterson
“Paterson” is so much more than the simplistic premise about
a week in the life of a bus driver in Paterson, New Jersey. It’s a film about the
development of the poet, the rhythm of daily life, and the influences that
shape and mold the structure of poetry. Adam Driver delivers a striking
performance, one that is nuanced and restrained. Director Jim Jarmusch admires
this kind of character, one that looks deeply into the world and through the
ordinary to compose the extraordinary that exists.
6. Arrival
Science fiction is the perfect genre to tell
complicated stories. Director Denis Villeneuve composes “Arrival” to tell a story about the human condition,
love, and communication. While aliens and the ominous spacecrafts linger in
every trailer, the film isn’t so much concerned about those genre fascinations.
It’s a film
that subverts the science fiction genre in ingenious fashion, avoiding
formulaic conventions and boldly going beyond the contemporary expectations
that usually define science fiction films.
5. The Handmaiden
Director Chan-wook Park has made a career of making
interesting, edgy arthouse films; though some moviegoers may consider his films
more from the grindhouse than the arthouse. Still, film should be a vessel to
tell challenging stories. “The Handmaiden” is a beautifully composed erotic
tale of betrayal, forbidden passions, and blossoming love. It’s melodrama in
its highest, most artistic form.
4. Hell or High Water
“Hell or High Water”,
directed by David Mackenzie, is starkly comedic and absolutely visceral. It
undercuts these themes with biting social commentary on the economic state
while also utilizing genre characteristics from traditional western films,
heist films, detective stories, and family dramas to create a film that is an
effective blend of everything that makes going to the movies such an amazing
experience.
3. La La Land
Three films in and director Damien Chazelle is just getting
better every time. “La La Land” is an inspired musical with beautiful melodies
and wonderful choreography, but even better is that it’s a character film that challenges
the viewer to look beyond the happy-go-lucky moments and the cheery musical
movements. “La La Land” is a film about the past and the future and how the
decisions people make in the moment define their connection with both. It’s one
of the best musicals of recent memory.
2. The Witch
It’s been a long time since a horror film has affected me
the way Robert Egger’s film “The Witch” has. A film that lives and breathes on
manipulating the atmosphere that it lives in, building dread and creating an
environment that saturates any glimmer of light with darkness. It’s hard to
call it just frightening or menacing, it’s something more, something darker and
more authentic than those terms can embody. It’s a nightmare that you can’t
wake up from, one that lures you into the blackened world and then forces you
to keep going when you want to turn back. “The Witch” is the best horror film
this year.
1. Moonlight
Director Barry Jenkins crafted the most beautiful and
complex film of the year. “Moonlight” asks difficult questions to the viewer
and doesn’t succumb to Hollywood. It tells entire stories with simple body
language, a few verses of a song, the stillness of a camera that never flinches
from a character. It’s a coming-of-age film, a film about sexual
identification, a film exploring masculinity, a film that doesn’t surrender to
easy stereotypes or simple exploitation. What “Moonlight” does is show the
power that a film can possess, and how that power has the ability to transcend
and destroy barriers of preconception.
Honorable Mention
Jackie
A Monster Calls
I, Daniel Blake
Silence
Everybody Wants Some
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
High-Rise
A Bigger Splash
Deadpool
Miles Ahead
Loving
Midnight Special
The Nice Guys
20th Century Women
Embrace of the Serpent
