Not a Movie Snob - The Best Movies of 2016

Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2017 at 12:00 PM

The Best Movies of 2016

Movie Review by Griffintainment X CalgaryMovies.com

I'm doing things a little different this year. Normally I give myself the first couple weeks of January to catch up on stuff I missed before I do my best of list, but this year I wanted the list out by year's end. Not only was it a busy year for me, but I was mostly underwhelmed with the movies that were coming out. So I went to the theatre a lot less and as such I wasn't able to catch many of the movies that are topping year end lists around the world, like Moonlight, La La Land and Manchester By the Sea.

Here are the best movies I saw during the 2016 calendar year. Enjoy!

10. Hunt for the Wilderpeople - A touching, funny, unorthodox little flick out of New Zealand, which is quickly becoming a hotbed for such films.

9. The Wailing - A dark, disturbing, gruesome little flick out of Korea, which has always been a hotbed of such films. This was the second most unsettling movie of the year.

8. Zootopia - This movie came out at just the right time for me. The things it was saying about our society and about the people trying to waylay the progress we've made, disguised as a charismatic Disney outing. Zootopia is a place I wanted to stay in and explore after the movie was over. I'm pulling for a sequel. (Griffintainment Review >)

7. The Nice Guys - This one hit all the right notes for me. A hard charging, laugh a minute tribute to 80's buddy cop flicks. Gosling and Crowe are great, the direction is solid and the story is just that right mixture of nonsense and suspense. I'm pulling for a sequel.

 
6. Cafe Society - Woody Allen is just too prolific, that's why he's taken for granted. This movie is a fantastic look at old school Hollywood and the egotistical knobs who populated (populate) it. It's as much Woody's tribute to the glitz and glamour, as his show of contempt for it. And of course, it's all wrapped in his particular brand of neurosis and romanticism. I love the Woody Allen universe and I will never take it for granted.

5. The Witch (The Vvitch) - Remember how I said The Wailing was the second most unsettling film of the year? Meet Black Philip. This may be the most authentic, succinct, well crafted and believable film of its kind. It's certainly the most effective. If God smiles when another Alex Kendrick or Ray Comfort film gets made, Satan was grinning ear to ear when this puppy dropped. (Griffintainment Review >)

4. The Jungle Book - Of all the people who had a shitty 2016, Disney wasn't one of them. The studio rolled out a dozen movies this year that all made a boatload of money and most which were actually quite good. The best of the bunch was The Jungle Book though. Retaining all the charm and excitement of the original animated classic, while adding some unbelievable visual flair and a much needed dose of grit, this was one of the best theatre going experiences I had in 2016. (Griffintainment Review >)

3. O.J.: Made In America - Yes, there is some controversy about whether this is actually a movie or a miniseries, but it premiered as a seven hour film and the Academy is considering it for Best Documentary at the Oscars, so as far as I'm concerned, it's a movie. And it's the best documentary of the year. A greek tragedy of such ridiculous proportions, you wouldn't believe it happened at all if you weren't there to witness it yourself. A document of everything that went wrong with the 1990's and truly essential viewing.

2. Sing Street - The feel good movie of the year is also the musical of the year (I haven't seen La La Land yet), the comedy of the year, the romance of the year and the coming of age story of the year. All of that and it takes place in Dublin. Sing Street, my heart is yours, be gentle.

1. Arrival - The best movie of 2016. And the best thing about it? There isn't much I can tell you about it, and about what I love about it, without spoiling it for you. I like that. (Griffintainment Review >)

And the WORST...

Suicide Squad - What an abysmal pile of crap. I liked nothing about this movie. In a year when I was definitely feeling superhero/comic book movie fatigue, this hit at just the wrong moment and scratched an open sore. I am definitely not pulling for a sequel.

CalgaryMovies.com: Griffintainment Movie Reviews >