Class of '16
What I saw in 2016. No clever name for this one yet.
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- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.100/100
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsAmy AdamsJeremy RennerForest WhitakerA linguist works with the military to communicate with alien lifeforms after twelve mysterious spacecraft appear around the world.98/100 - Arrival is one of the most thought-provoking sci-fi films I've ever seen. The direction from Denis Villeneuve is ridiculously visually rich and very artistic with its long takes and steady shots. Amy Adams turns in the best performance of her career, and the way the film reveals her character's true nature in the third act is stellar. The design of the aliens and their language is beautiful, and I love the film's themes about language itself.
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsChris PineBen FosterJeff BridgesToby is a divorced father who's trying to make a better life. His brother is an ex-con with a short temper and a loose trigger finger. Together, they plan a series of heists against the bank that's about to foreclose on their family ranch.97/100 - This is the best Western I have seen in quite some time. Hell or High Water has an incredibly gripping story and a well-crafted, clever script with plenty of deep character development and exciting action to boot. Chris Pine and Jeff Bridges do fantastic work as a bank robber and a Texas Ranger, respectively, especially in the film's final scene. The action is incredibly well-directed, and I especially liked the film's depiction of the robbers and their incredibly clever methods.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.96/100 - I don't think I've seen a more surprisingly great film than Sing Street. I expected an endearing music-driven film, but there's so much more than that here. This is a very well-made drama with some incredible child performances and a very believable script. The characters are well fleshed-out as well, and the music might be some of the best in any film, with all the numbers being very catchy and well-integrated. It is a familiar storyline, but the execution is so perfect that it makes up for it.
- DirectorAnthony RussoJoe RussoStarsChris EvansRobert Downey Jr.Scarlett JohanssonPolitical involvement in the Avengers' affairs causes a rift between Captain America and Iron Man.95/100 - Civil War definitely doesn't pull any punches thematically, but what makes this film great is actually the performances. Downey and Evans make their conflict seem very real and very personal, and Boseman and Holland do incredible work with their new characters. The direction of the action scenes, both large and small, is impeccable. Even Zemo, the film's antagonist, is surprisingly well-rounded and realistic in his motivations. This is the closest to perfect Marvel has ever gotten.
- DirectorByron HowardRich MooreJared BushStarsGinnifer GoodwinJason BatemanIdris ElbaIn a city of anthropomorphic animals, a rookie bunny cop and a cynical con artist fox must work together to uncover a conspiracy.94/100 - This is one of the most insightful and timely animated movies ever made. Zootopia is a little too on-the-nose about its contemporary themes at times (and there might be too many moral lessons to keep track of), but otherwise their execution is perfect. The voice acting is top notch, and the animation of the animals is incredibly detailed and lush. The story is different for a Disney film with its caper-oriented plot, and the dialogue is fairly witty as well. This is a near-perfect animated film.
- DirectorJon FavreauStarsNeel SethiBill MurrayBen KingsleyAfter a threat from the tiger Shere Khan forces him to flee the jungle, a man-cub named Mowgli embarks on a journey of self discovery with the help of panther Bagheera and free-spirited bear Baloo.91/100 - This is the best use of CGI I have ever seen. There hasn't been a more visually immersive film than The Jungle Book this year, and Jon Favreau deserves a major round of applause for having the guts to make it. The effects are so real that I had trouble telling what was real and what was made in a computer. The voice acting is stellar as well, as is Neel Sethi's portrayal of Mowgli. The choice to leave the songs in the film might be a little questionable, but overall this is a massive triumph.
- DirectorDan TrachtenbergStarsJohn GoodmanMary Elizabeth WinsteadJohn Gallagher Jr.A young woman is held in an underground bunker by a man who insists that a hostile event has left the surface of the Earth uninhabitable.90/100 - 10 Cloverfield Lane is one of the best thrillers I've seen in the past several years. It builds tension incredibly well between good and bad, truth and lies, and character vs. character. John Goodman and Mary Elizabeth Winstead are fantastic and give very believable performances in their respective roles. Dan Trachtenberg's direction is stunningly good for a first-timer as well. Just don't expect Cloverfield 2; expect a tightly-paced, intense contained thriller, and you'll be extremely happy.
- DirectorTim MillerStarsRyan ReynoldsMorena BaccarinT.J. MillerA wisecracking mercenary gets experimented on and becomes immortal yet hideously scarred, and sets out to track down the man who ruined his looks.88/100 - Deadpool is not your parents' superhero movie, and it also is one of the few superhero movies you wouldn't want to watch with your parents. Ryan Reynolds might have just saved his career with his witty delivery, and the way this film pokes fun at itself and other superhero movies is impeccable. The direction of these action sequences is also really solid, and the effects are done well too. It's a wild time and is one of the funniest films of the year. Just don't watch it with kids around.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsColin FarrellRachel WeiszJessica BardenIn a dystopian near future, according to the laws of The City, single people are taken to The Hotel, where they are obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days or they're transformed into beasts and sent off into The Woods.87/100 - This is one of the weirdest films I've ever liked. The Lobster is incredibly deadpan and dark in its humor, and its premise is one of the most unique dystopian setups I've seen. The performances from all match the film's tone well, especially Colin Farrell's and the direction from Giorgos Lanthimos is very artistic but not to the point of inaccessibility. It might not be the most watchable film ever, but The Lobster is well-acted and visually stunning with a very clever premise.
- DirectorShane BlackStarsRussell CroweRyan GoslingAngourie RiceIn 1970s Los Angeles, a mismatched pair of private eyes investigate a missing girl and the mysterious death of a porn star.86/100 - This is an absolute riot. Shane Black does wonders with his direction of The Nice Guys, and his script is both funny and rich at the same time. The originality of this film is what propels it so well, as do the duo of Crowe and Gosling. They have really good chemistry as a comedic duo and turn in great performances here. Angourie Rice, who plays Gosling's daughter, is absolutely stellar here as well, performing way above her years. This is stylish and relentlessly funny filmmaking at its best.
- DirectorGareth EdwardsStarsFelicity JonesDiego LunaAlan TudykIn a time of conflict, a group of unlikely heroes band together on a mission to steal the plans to the Death Star, the Empire's ultimate weapon of destruction.85/100
- DirectorDavid YatesStarsEddie RedmayneKatherine WaterstonAlison SudolIn 1926, magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York during his worldwide tour to research and rescue magical creatures as something mysterious leaves trails of destruction in the city, threatening to expose the wizarding world.84/100
- DirectorAndrew StantonAngus MacLaneStarsEllen DeGeneresAlbert BrooksEd O'NeillFriendly but forgetful blue tang Dory begins a search for her long-lost parents and everyone learns a few things about the real meaning of family along the way.82/100
- DirectorScott DerricksonStarsBenedict CumberbatchChiwetel EjioforRachel McAdamsWhile on a journey of physical and spiritual healing, a brilliant neurosurgeon is drawn into the world of the mystic arts.79/100
- DirectorRon ClementsJohn MuskerDon HallStarsAuli'i CravalhoDwayne JohnsonRachel HouseIn ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by the demigod Maui reaches Moana's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out Maui to set things right.79/100
- DirectorTheodore MelfiStarsTaraji P. HensonOctavia SpencerJanelle MonáeThe story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.77/100
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsTom HanksAaron EckhartLaura LinneyWhen pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew, some consider him a hero while others think he was reckless.69/100 - To be honest, I'm surprised Sully ended up as good as it is. The Miracle on the Hudson is such a small event that making a full-length movie seems tough; however, Eastwood somehow makes it work, even with this nonlinear telling. Hanks does a good job as the titular pilot, and Aaron Eckhart turns in a great performance as his first officer. The investigative team is given a slightly unfair treatment, which unfortunately makes the film a bit more cliched; however, on the whole Sully is a success.
- DirectorZack SnyderStarsBen AffleckHenry CavillAmy AdamsBatman is manipulated by Lex Luthor to fear Superman. Superman´s existence is meanwhile dividing the world and he is framed for murder during an international crisis. The heroes clash and force the neutral Wonder Woman to reemerge.67/100
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsEva GreenAsa ButterfieldSamuel L. JacksonWhen Jacob (Asa Butterfield) discovers clues to a mystery that stretches across time, he finds Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. But the danger deepens after he gets to know the residents and learns about their special powers.57/100 - This was a surprisingly entertaining fantasy film. Miss Peregrine's definitely has its own share of writing and editing problems, but the solid visual effects and generally good performances (especially from the child actors) mask them pretty well. The pacing is a little variable and drags a bit in the second act; however, the climax makes up for it. The characters feel as real as they can with actual motivations, making the film an emotional success as well. It's not perfect, but it works.
- DirectorMorten TyldumStarsJennifer LawrenceChris PrattMichael SheenA malfunction in a sleeping pod on a spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet wakes one passenger 90 years early.54/100
- DirectorFlorian GallenbergerStarsEmma WatsonDaniel BrühlMichael NyqvistA young woman's desperate search for her abducted boyfriend draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody has ever escaped from.39/100 - Quite bland. Emma Watson is decent as usual, and Daniel Bruhl does a pretty good job too. However, they're not able to really do that much with their characters because of a poorly written script and a lot of cliched moments. The filmmaking isn't terrible, as the pace works quite well, but on the whole there's a lot more justice that could have been done to make this interesting topic an interesting movie.
- DirectorGavin O'ConnorStarsNatalie PortmanJoel EdgertonEwan McGregorA woman asks her ex-lover for help in order to save her outlaw husband from a gang out to kill him.36/100 - Jane Got a Gun is not a bad movie. The performances from Edgerton and Portman especially are decent, and the script doesn't have any horrendous dialogue. There are even some great directorial moments from Gavin O'Connor, and there's definitely no terrible ones. The biggest problem is the plot. It relies too heavily on flashbacks and adds unnecessary backstory towards the end of the film, as well as turning the ending way too bright too fast. It's not good, but it sure ain't bad either.
- DirectorDavid AyerStarsWill SmithJared LetoMargot RobbieA secret government agency recruits some of the most dangerous incarcerated super-villains to form a defensive task force. Their first mission: save the world from the apocalypse.30/100
- DirectorClay KaytisFergal ReillyStarsJason SudeikisJosh GadDanny McBrideWhen an island populated by happy, flightless birds is visited by mysterious green pigs, it's up to three unlikely outcasts to figure out what the pigs are up to.28/100 - Let's be real: Angry Birds is passable child fare. It looks pretty decent, and the voice acting is OK. However, it does lack a compelling story, and the shift between the second and third acts is way too sudden and alters the film's tone too much. The humor is also all over the map; it's really easy to tell that the film is just trying to keep the adults interested with some of the references it makes. On the whole, Angry Birds is inoffensive, but it's not worth watching for most of us.