The end of the year can only mean only thing on square-eyed-geek: Top Ten time. It’s been another great year for films, making it harder than ever to whittle my list down to just ten brilliant ones that stood out amongst everything else. But whittle I did… Same rules as previous years apply – films included in the list had to have a 2016 release date in the UK. So get ready to peruse my countdown of the best this year had to offer…
10. Adult Life Skills
Rachel Tunnard’s impressive first feature film not only stood out because of its brilliantly realistic cast of female characters, but also because of its beautiful, touching story. Jodie Whittaker excels as the girl struggling to become a fully fledged adult, something made all the more difficult by still living in her Mum’s (Lorraine Ashbourne) garden shed. Writer-director Tunnard handles every moment with care to create a film that is excellently funny and stunningly poignant in equal measure.
9. The Witch
One of the most terrifying horror films of 2016, and barely a jumpscare to be found. A New England family find themselves plagued by disturbing occurrences that may or may not be linked to witchcraft, their paranoia gradually growing as the family begin to fall apart. A quiet yet deeply unnerving film that builds to a chilling conclusion, it also contains more than one nightmarish moment that will stick in your mind for a long, long time.
8. Bone Tomahawk
This western doesn’t seem like much at first, it’s unassuming plot simply involving a group of men setting out to free some locals taken captive by nasty, cannibalistic beings. However once the story really gets going it soon becomes an incredibly intense ride, as well as a horror of sorts with some shockingly gory moments. And with an excellent central turn as the Sheriff on the trail, Kurt Russell proved he really was worthy of that comeback crown after his other superb role in The Hateful Eight.
7. Krisha
With semi-improvised dialogue, naturalistic performances (with several members of the cast actually related to each other in real life) and a free-flowing camera that takes in the action rather than dictates it, Trey Edward Shults’ film has a palpable realism throughout – a realism that ensures it packs a punch in the right moments. Set during a family reunion in which the titular Krisha (Krisha Fairchild – riveting throughout) starts to slowly lose her grip on herself and everything that is happening around her, Shults’ film is hilarious at times, but also impressively dark and moving.
6. The Hateful Eight
While some bemoaned the slow narrative, use of just one location and lack of his usual stylistic flourishes, this is Quentin Tarantino’s most mature film to date, and one that gets better with each viewing. That slow build only serves to make what follows more gripping and impactful, with the writer-director’s flair for dialogue, plot and pacing filling the time perfectly and taking you on what feels like a sprawling journey when we barely leave the one room. Add to that some superb performances from an amazing ensemble cast, and the result is one of Tarantino’s greatest films…for now anyway.
5. Captain America: Civil War
While this sequel started in the usual comic book way, what soon followed was a complex plot that thrillingly twisted and turned, keeping everyone on the edge of their seats. Yet the Russo Brothers didn’t lose sight of the fun aspect of the Marvel universe, giving us yet more amazing set pieces, choreographed fights, and laughs-a-plenty, plus new character additions (the long awaited Black Panther and a brilliant new incarnation of a certain webbed superhero) to ensure we were more than entertained, and to make this one of the best Marvel films we’ve seen so far. The bar for what’s to follow has been set very high indeed.
4. Victoria
This incredible film is genuinely captivating from start to finish, something that is firstly achieved by the astounding fact it was shot in one single take – a technically marvellous method to watch unfold, but also a technique that adds a raw excitement rarely seen in any other films. Yet Victoria isn’t on this list simply for that reason. An intense ride that puts you right alongside the titular Victoria and the other characters as they get mixed up in something they shouldn’t, the story zips by at a breathless pace and barely stops for the whole running time. Filmmaking at its very best.
3. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
The funniest film of the year, yet surprisingly also the most heart-warming. Writer-director Taika Waititi pulls us into the eccentric world of Ricky Baker (Julian Dennison), “a real bad egg” who suddenly finds adventure calling when he meets his new foster family. However Waititi grounds the story with a beautiful poignancy, specifically with the great, realistic central relationship between Ricky and his gruff Uncle Hec (Sam Neill – perfect). With a superb conclusion worthy of any Hollywood action sequence, Hunt for the Wilderpeople is unpredictable in the best way, endlessly quotable, and more importantly an absolute joy to watch.
2. Mustang
A stunning, devastating tale about a group of sisters kept indoors because of their gender and a misunderstanding, Mustang was one of the most powerful films of 2016 and absolutely essential viewing because of its subject matter. Director-writer Deniz Gamze Ergüven and writer Alice Winocour explore gender and culture issues in an absorbing, moving way, with the performances from the young central female cast all brilliantly realistic and making what follows all the more distressing. You’ll be fighting back tears in the end.
1. American Honey
With its sumptuous cinematography, naturalistic performances, thumping soundtrack and sweeping story about a girl (Sasha Lane) joining a group of young magazine sellers on a road trip, American Honey wasn’t just a film you watched: it was something you experienced alongside its characters. A coming-of-age film that also features clever commentaries on the myth of the American dream and the rich-poor divide, writer-director Andrea Arnold ensures our attention is gripped with every frame, in a poetic film that is genuinely thrilling to watch. A cinematic gem that will stay with you for a long time.
(Those that just missed out on the top ten: Ethel & Ernest, Room, Train to Busan, Green Room, High-Rise, Arrival, Deadpool, Star Trek Beyond, Julieta, 10 Cloverfield Lane).
So that’s it for another year. 2017 already looks like it’ll be another brilliant time for all things film, with releases such as La La Land, Alien: Covenant, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Silence, Dunkirk, Star Wars: Episode VIII, Manchester by the Sea and Thor: Ragnarok on the horizon, as well as many, many more. Happy New Year lovely readers! And see you over in 2017…
(Agree or disagree with any of my choices in the top ten? Think I’ve missed anything out? Leave a comment below to tell me what you think!).
square-eyed-geek 