Top 10 Films of 2016

(*Honorable Mentions: Captain America: Civil War, The Conjuring 2, Doctor Strange, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Hush, Jackie, Kubo and the Two Strings, Star Trek Beyond, Zootopia, 10 Cloverfield Lane)  

10.) Sully: Polished, nuanced, and wholly engaging, Sully is the kind of movie you'd expect to be good, but not this good. As usual, Tom Hanks puts in a career-defining performance as Captain Sullenberger, the man behind the "miracle on the Hudson." In the director's chair is Clint Eastwood, who has given us plenty of modern classics (Unforgiven, Mystic River, Million Dollar Baby), and here has crafted another. This is a poignant and polished film, expertly made and very, very effective.

9.) The Jungle Book: Okay, okay, okay - I know what you're thinking. Why is this movie on here? Well, truth be told, I'm not really certain. But I saw this movie with literally zero expectations, and was riveted from beginning to end. It's a shot of pure pathos - adventurous, invigorating, cathartic, triumphant. The story is all well and good, the acting is fine, the direction is solid, the special effects are spectacular...but those aren't the only reasons why this is a great movie. Perhaps chiefest of all, is just how goshdarn fun it is. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll gasp, and you'll sing along. Trust in me, and give it a go.

8.) Arrival: I'm a huge fan of modern sci-fi think pieces. Children of Men, Moon, and Ex Machina are just a few that come to mind. And now? Arrival can be added to this list. It's a fairly straightforward narrative, with a compelling plot and some serious ideas worth grappling with. Then the third act hits, and there's suddenly so much more to think about, to chew on, to digest. This is not a film of whiz-bang action, or bite-your-nails thrills. It's not even an eye-popping visual effects spectacle. Instead, this is a film of scratch-your-head, reexamine-your-life, what-does-it-all-mean? ponderance.

7.) Green Room: Man oh man, is this one a ride. I don't want to say too much and spoil the awesomeness, but just know that Sir Patrick Stewart plays a sadistic neo-nazi who wants the four members of a down-and-out punk band dead. What more do you need to know? Fair warning, though: this is not a flick for the faint of heart. It is a bloody, barbaric movie; one that finds its brilliance in brutality. However, if you can stomach all the insanity, then you get what you came for - an over-the-top exploitation thriller, one with brains and balls. 

6.) Don't Breathe: This is what happens when you take a simple, no-frills concept, and ramp it up to eleven. The writing is concise, the acting is brilliant, and the direction - full of lethal energy, driven to a cunning conclusion - is incredible. This isn't the best horror movie of the year, but it just might be the most re-watchable, the one you put on during October to get you in the Halloween spirit. The third act, though a little absurd, is a masterclass in cinematic suspense. Don't Breathe truly is what its title suggests - breathless.

5.) Manchester by the Sea: I don't think this is as transcendent a film as everyone else. It's overlong, the tragedy is practically Shakespearean in its excess, and all that opera music is pretty laughable. Regardless, Manchester by the Sea is a beautifully acted, wonderfully written character study. Casey Affleck is the epitome of understatement, and it fits perfectly with the narrative. The supporting players are also great, especially the young Lucas Hedges, who manages to be charming and sincere. All in all, this is one that'll be remembered, and is definitely a contender for Best Picture. Is it deserving? I believe so. This is the kind of thing that critics love, but that's not necessarily a detriment. It is unbearably sad, yet also, strangely, uplifting.

4.) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story: This is the first Star Wars flick in 36 years that dared audiences to abandon their preconceived notions of the genre - to embrace the tragic and the bold. I'm not saying this is a perfect film (it's pretty low on character development, and made some questionable choices with its computer effects), but when it works, it works very well. From a design standpoint, it is a marvel - the sets, the costumes, and the vehicles are all wonderful to gape at. The story is simple and efficient, its character beats coinciding with larger plot points. And the tone? Dismal, challenging, yet sprinkled with hope. This is the first movie in the series to emphasize the "war" in Star Wars, and poignantly expresses the nobility, the goodness, in sacrifice for the greater good. Although this movie is unlike the rest of its kin, it is nonetheless expertly made and loads of fun.

3.) La La Land: As a starry-eyed dreamer, one with silly delusions of being a successful writer, I found La La Land to be one of the most powerful films I've seen in a long time. It's a Hollywood musical (in more ways than one), and centers on a wannabe actress and a washed-up jazz pianist. Their story is told through sharp dialogue, imaginative cinematography, and some of the year's finest performances. Emma Stone will break your heart; Ryan Gosling will have you in hysterics. Yet, I'd be remiss in my duties if I reviewed a musical and didn't talk about the score. Luckily, thankfully, it is divine. The music is terrific, and does a great job balancing wonderment and introspection. And it's catchy, too. I saw it a few days ago, and I'm still whistling its main theme. City of stars, are you shining just for me...? If you've seen the movie, chances are you just heard that lovely little melody in your head. And if you're a dreamer like me, you felt it in your heart, too.

2.) The Witch: Some movies are scary because of individual scenes, or unexpected moments. Some are scary thanks to a particularly memorable villain, one with a hockey mask or razor-tipped gloves. Others are scary because of mood and atmosphere - rolling fog, a pale moon. And then there are films like The Witch that seem to take all these components, stitch them together like discomfited body parts stolen from a graveyard, and bring them to life simultaneously. It is a haunting film, beautiful in its ugliness, triumphant in its emphasis on human failings. It's not a horror flick that'll make you scream, but will definitely make you peer over your shoulder, wondering what's trailing behind you in the dark. The writing is lovely, with characters and moments almost sublime in their failings. And though the pace is slow, the finale is a plunge you won't soon forget. This is a true original, totally without peer in the cinema of today. It's a horror film for the ages.

1.) Hell or High Water: Way out there in the wilderness of American cinema - beyond the friendly terrain of summer blockbusters, yet a little inland of the murky waters of art house - are the high-grassed, sun-bleached fields of the modern Western. This is a hot, desolate area. Characters who wander through are either sleazy gunslingers, beer-swilling sheriffs, or blends of the two. Everybody is out to kill everybody, and morality blurs in the heat. Typifying this ragged area are movies like No Country for Old Men, 3:10 to Yuma, and True Grit. They are uncompromising, bleak, and beautiful.

Hell or High Water is the newest, and perhaps best, of these uniquely wonderful films. On the technical side, it is superlative. The direction is insightful, the cinematography picturesque, the editing seamless, the music is wonderful, and the acting from everyone is heartrendingly real. On the thematic side, the film asks a lot of you: to examine the fragility of life, the bonds of brotherhood, the parameters of justice, even our definition of humanity. What would you do for your family? What would you do for your country? Are those things diametrically opposed, or intrinsically woven together? Do they even matter, or are they all that matter?

But abandoning the pseudo-philosophical for a moment (thank God!), I can honestly say that this is the best movie of 2016. Why? Well, for the reasons I just mentioned. But also because it is engaging, entertaining, and artistically resonant. If you like your heartbreak sprinkled with dark humor, your optimism tinged with ardent reality, then check this one out. You won't be disappointed.