Year-end Review: The Best Movies of 2016
I attend a lot of screenings, and as a result, I see a lot of movies. I also receive many Blu-rays/DVDs to review, thanks to generous studios and networks.
The final count for this year is: 88 movies.
(2015 count: 66, 2014 count: 95)
*not including Blu-rays/DVDs, unless I reviewed them here.
*not including any movies I did not review, except I'll throw in Rogue One since I saw it in the theater this past Sunday.
*I am seeing Sing today and Fences on Thursday, so I'm counting those two in this wrap-up, as well.
(in no particular order, except for #1)
1. American Pastoral. I still think about this movie sometimes. I tried reading the book, as well, but I could not get through it - it's very different from the movie. 4.5/5 stars.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on February 7.
2. La La Land. The beginning of this movie didn't really reel me in at first, but eventually I started liking it more and more. Although I could see why the film ended the way it did, it was still rather heartbreaking, in my opinion, and it wasn't something I was expecting. 4/5.
3. Nerve. Though it definitely caters more to the teen/20s market, I really liked this one. It was different and also very well done, and James Franco and Emma Roberts were excellent in it. 4.5/5.
4. Zootopia. A kids movie for grown-ups, with some very funny social commentary thrown in. 4/5.
5. Bridget Jones's Baby. I am a big fan of the series, and this was actually a lot funnier than I expected this installment to be. 4/5.
6. The Birth of a Nation. Despite the controversy surrounding this movie, it was a very good film, and still needs to be mentioned here. 4.5/5.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on January 10.
7. Loving. Based on the true story, and with excellent performances by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. 4/5.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on February 7.
8. Lion. This one I saw recently, and it was very good - the acting nominations for Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel are well-deserved. 4.5/5.
9. Arrival. With a crazy twist that had me talking about the movie long after I saw it, Arrival has definitely stayed in my mind over the past few months. 4.5/5.
*no release date as of yet.
10. Complete Unknown. I saw this during the Cinetopia film fest this year, and although it was very mysterious plot-wise, it ended up being pretty interesting, with great performances by Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon. 4.5/5.
*FREE on Amazon Prime currently.
I actually didn't give any 5/5 reviews this year, but a few received 4.5/5 reviews.
The worst two movies I saw this year were definitely Wiener Dog (2.5/5 stars) and Keanu (1.5/5 stars). Wiener Dog had some merit, at least, but the ending was horrible, and I hated Keanu, although perhaps the humor in the film is not my type of humor.
As always, you can click here to see all my "Yes" movie reviews, here to see my "Maybe" reviews, and here to see my "No" reviews.
What was your most favorite or least favorite movie you saw this year in the theater, or perhaps on Blu-ray/DVD?
The final count for this year is: 88 movies.
(2015 count: 66, 2014 count: 95)
*not including Blu-rays/DVDs, unless I reviewed them here.
*not including any movies I did not review, except I'll throw in Rogue One since I saw it in the theater this past Sunday.
*I am seeing Sing today and Fences on Thursday, so I'm counting those two in this wrap-up, as well.
The top 10 movies I enjoyed this year are:
(in no particular order, except for #1)1. American Pastoral. I still think about this movie sometimes. I tried reading the book, as well, but I could not get through it - it's very different from the movie. 4.5/5 stars.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on February 7.
2. La La Land. The beginning of this movie didn't really reel me in at first, but eventually I started liking it more and more. Although I could see why the film ended the way it did, it was still rather heartbreaking, in my opinion, and it wasn't something I was expecting. 4/5.
 |
| Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, in La La Land |
3. Nerve. Though it definitely caters more to the teen/20s market, I really liked this one. It was different and also very well done, and James Franco and Emma Roberts were excellent in it. 4.5/5.
4. Zootopia. A kids movie for grown-ups, with some very funny social commentary thrown in. 4/5.
5. Bridget Jones's Baby. I am a big fan of the series, and this was actually a lot funnier than I expected this installment to be. 4/5.
 |
| Rachel Weisz, in Complete Unknown |
6. The Birth of a Nation. Despite the controversy surrounding this movie, it was a very good film, and still needs to be mentioned here. 4.5/5.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on January 10.
7. Loving. Based on the true story, and with excellent performances by Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga. 4/5.
*out on Blu-ray/DVD on February 7.
8. Lion. This one I saw recently, and it was very good - the acting nominations for Nicole Kidman and Dev Patel are well-deserved. 4.5/5.
9. Arrival. With a crazy twist that had me talking about the movie long after I saw it, Arrival has definitely stayed in my mind over the past few months. 4.5/5.
*no release date as of yet.
10. Complete Unknown. I saw this during the Cinetopia film fest this year, and although it was very mysterious plot-wise, it ended up being pretty interesting, with great performances by Rachel Weisz and Michael Shannon. 4.5/5.
*FREE on Amazon Prime currently.
I actually didn't give any 5/5 reviews this year, but a few received 4.5/5 reviews.
The worst two movies I saw this year were definitely Wiener Dog (2.5/5 stars) and Keanu (1.5/5 stars). Wiener Dog had some merit, at least, but the ending was horrible, and I hated Keanu, although perhaps the humor in the film is not my type of humor.
As always, you can click here to see all my "Yes" movie reviews, here to see my "Maybe" reviews, and here to see my "No" reviews.
What was your most favorite or least favorite movie you saw this year in the theater, or perhaps on Blu-ray/DVD?
