Best Films of 2016

As promised, here is my list of the best films of 2016.

Room

Newcomer Jacob Tremblay and Brie Larson excel in this moving drama about maternal love in the most wretched of circumstances.

The Big Short

The Big Short's real achievement is in explaining the 2008 financial crash to laymen like me. But there are a fair amount of solid laughs alongside the devastation, too.

Spotlight 

A film where the protagonists basically run around Boston attempting to find evidence to investigate historic child abuse in the Catholic church does not necessarily sound thrilling. But it was one of the most compelling pictures I saw last year.

 Deadpool

Marvel finally produce a film that is laugh out loud hilarious and Ryan Reynolds is terrific as our titular hero. I saw this on a Saturday night in a packed cinema which is precisely where it belongs. A top notch blockbuster.

Hail, Caesar!

The Cohen brothers' love letter to the golden era of Hollywood is not necessarily the most substantial of movies but with it comes several brilliant setpieces and a delightful bit of comedic business with Ralph Fiennes. Hugely entertaining.

10 Cloverfield Lane

I saw this in DBOX at the 02, which I thought would be gimmicky but genuinely enhanced the viewing experience. A genuinely creepy and sinister film that I became hugely invested in despite not really caring for the genre.

Zootropolis

Bright, distinctive visuals, lots of good jokes, Jason Bateman as a cartoon fox, there was very little to take against here. Its central message, that we should stand united irrespective of who we are or where we come from, remains depressingly relevant.

Florence Foster Jenkins

The "overrated" Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant star in this story of a talentless woman living her dreams by singing at Carnegie Hall. But it's Simon Helberg's Cosmie McMoon who steals the show as Florence's incredulous pianist.

Eye In The Sky

Alan Rickman makes his final on screen appearance in a 90 minute film about whether or not to order a drone strike. But it's utterly compelling from start to finish.

Julieta

I'd never seen a Spanish subtitled film or any of Pedro Almadovar's work before but would highly recommend this touching tale about a mother's love, a mother's loss and a mother's guilt.



Honourable Mentions: Bridget Jones' Baby, Edge of Seventeen, Finding Dory. 
 

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