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2016 was a great year for cinema, and is perhaps underrated for its significance. It was the last year before Netflix truly became a major player in distributing films, and saw Hollywood still making original projects that weren’t based on established source material. 2016 had blockbusters that were actually great, such as Captain America: Civil War and Star Trek Beyond, and also saw the release of Moonlight, which became the first A24 film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Ten years is an appropriate amount of time to consider a film’s legacy, as not all of the future classics from 2016 were recognized at the time of their release. The habits of moviegoers has only become more stratified in the decade that has passed, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the best films of 2016 were smaller titles that didn’t receive substantial releases.
10
‘The Handmaiden’ (2016)
The Handmaiden is a wild erotic thriller from the brilliant South Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook, who has never failed to make films that are both transgressive in content and confrontational in their ideas. The Handmaiden took a stylized approach to the subgenre of costume dramas, offering loaded commentary on class, gender, sex, and mental illness.
The Handmaiden is a film that demands multiple viewings because it becomes more rewarding to watch with knowledge of what the twists are. While some of the surprising plot developments may feel excessive at first, it becomes clear that Park knew what he was doing the whole time, and built a labyrinthian plot that pays off all the clues that it hinted at. Despite some very disturbing moments, The Handmaiden is one of Park’s more entertaining films, showing that he has a very dark sense-of-humor.
9
‘Paterson’ (2016)
Paterson is a relaxing, joyous experience that explores how the ordinary can be extraordinary, a theme that is common within the work of Jim Jarmusch. While it didn’t get a significant theatrical release from Amazon Studios, Paterson features one of the best performances ever from Adam Driver, who stars as a bus driver who also writes poetry as a hobby.
Paterson examines how greatness is in the eye of the beholder, and shows how important art can be made in unusual places, and often from those who do not consider themselves to be masters of their craft. The slow pacing, gentle humor, and thoughtful exploration of marriage make Paterson an ideal “comfort watch,” which is also a great introduction to Jarmusch’s work for those that haven’t been watching his idiosyncratic, deadbeat dramedies since the days of Permanent Vacation and Stranger Than Paradise.
8
‘Everybody Wants Some’ (2016)
Everybody Wants Some might be the funniest film that Richard Linklater has ever made, which is no small statement considering that he is also responsible for School of Rock. It’s a spiritual sequel of sorts to his 1993 classic coming-of-age comedy Dazed and Confused, and it’s centered on a group of college baseball players who live, compete, and party together in the week before their semester starts.
Everybody Wants Some is a masterpiece of a “hangout movie” that introduces over a dozen memorable characters, each of whom get their own amusing subplots. While the cast is stacked with discoveries, Everybody Wants Some is best remembered for being a breakout role for Glen Powell, who plays one of the most charismatic and competitive members of the team. As is the case with nearly every Linklater film, Everybody Wants Some has an amazing soundtrack.
7
‘Arrival’ (2016)
Arrival is one of the great modern sci-fi films, partially because it has a very unique premise. There have been many films about extraterrestrials invading Earth with sinister intentions, but Arrival imagines a scenario in which a linguist (Amy Adams) is commissioned by the United States military to communicate with aliens. Without Arrival, Denis Villeneuve would not have been able to make Dune and Blade Runner 2049.
Arrival cleverly manipulates time to create a twisty, surprising narrative, and ends with one of the most tearjerking moments in contemporary cinema. While it has often been said that Adams is one of the best actresses of her generation, Arrival featured a performance so rawly emotional and fiercely intelligent that it might be her crowning achievement. She’s backed up by a supporting cast that is pretty impressive in its own right, and includes Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Renner, and Michael Stuhlbarg.
6
‘Jackie’ (2016)
Jackie is not a traditional biopic by any means, as the film examines how Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) responded to the death of her husband in Dallas during the tragic November of 1963. It was often said that the Kennedys represented the “American Camelot,” and Jackie examines the end to this period of hope as America began shifting towards the darker direction of the late ‘60s.
Portman gives a remarkable performance that captures all of the subject’s mannerisms perfectly, but she also adds a level of interrogative vulnerability that was never captured on camera; nonetheless, the film still holds her at a distance, suggesting that she isn’t capable of truly moving on. The film also features one of the last performances by the late great John Hurt, whose powerful role as a priest gives insights into how the death of JFK was viewed as a religious moment.
5
‘Silence’ (2016)
Silence is one of the better films that Martin Scorsese has made in the 21st century, which makes it all the more unfortunate that it underperformed at the box office. The passion project marked Scorsese’s return to the subject of faith for the first time since the controversial The Last Temptation of Christ in 1988, and had been in the works for several decades; while originally Silence was set to star Gael Garcia Bernal, Benicio del Toro, and Daniel Day-Lewis, he eventually made it with Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson.
Silence is a grueling film to watch because of how emotionally demanding it is, as Scorsese therapizes himself with a dramatic conversation about the power of faith and the demand of suffering. Scorsese has always had a brilliant ability to end his films on a high note, but the ending of Silence is one of the most thought-provoking conclusions that he has ever crafted.
4
‘La La Land’ (2016)
La La Land is just as great as it was originally hyped to be, as the backlash that it endured was a byproduct of people bashing a popular Oscar contender and trying to find cynical ways of tearing down a very optimistic, classical film. Damien Chazelle has gone on to make more intense films about the relationship between Hollywood and the American dream, but La La Land offered a sincere romance about a love story that wasn’t meant to be.
La La Land feature stunning musical numbers from beginning to end; while “City of Stars” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and “Audition” is perhaps Emma Stone’s greatest number, the scenes for “Someone in the Crowd” and “Another Day of Sun” are just as jaw-dropping. It would have been better if La La Land had won Best Picture as it seemingly did for a few minutes.
3
‘The Nice Guys’ (2016)
The Nice Guys is one of the funniest films of the 21st century and a brilliant new spin on the buddy cop genre, which should come as no surprise because it was written and directed by Shane Black, creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise. It’s a perfect case of a mismatched duo because of the amazing chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe; while Crowe is subdued in a way that has immense comedic value, Gosling’s gonzo performance as a disheveled, alcoholic private eye is a masterclass in absurdist humor.
The Nice Guys is one of the most quotable films of the decade, but also a genuinely great noir that has no shortage of heart. Despite not performing well at the box office, The Nice Guys demands a sequel; while it seems unlikely, the passion for the film has not died down.
2
‘Manchester by the Sea’ (2016)
Manchester by the Sea is quite simply one of the most devastating films ever made, as it tackles grief and loss in a way that doesn’t have any hint of sensationalism. Kenneth Lonergan is a brilliant playwright, but Manchester by the Sea feels like more than just a filmed adaptation of a stage play because he crafted an original screenplay that nails all the details of a New England community.
Casey Affleck’s performance rightfully won him the Academy Award for Best Actor, marking one of the few occasions in which the Oscars actually seemed to award “best acting” over “most acting.” It’s not an easy film to watch by any stretch of the imagination, but Manchester by the Sea is a perfect masterpiece that can be viewed by any aspiring actor, writer, or director who wants to see what true excellence looks like.
1
‘O.J. Made in America’ (2016)
O.J. Made in America is the greatest documentary ever made, and stands as a towering achievement in nonfiction that interrogates one of the most infamous crime stories in American history from every imaginable angle. Even though it aired as a miniseries on ESPN in the United States, O.J. Made in America debuted at the Sundance Film Festival, and screened in enough theaters that it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary.
O.J. Made in America isn’t just about the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson, as it examines the violence of the LAPD, the famously unjust trial, the culture around Simpson’s racial allegiances, and the lasting ramifications that the crime had on celebrity media. Even for those that don’t traditionally watch documentaries, O.J. Made in America is an amazing achievement that feels more timely than ever before.
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https://collider.com/best-movies-2016/
Liam Gaughan
Almontather Rassoul
