The mid-2010s was a time of rapid change in the movie industry. MCU films were reigining supreme, CGI was rampant, and many franchises since thought to be finished made a much-desired comeback. There’s been lots of fantastic movies throughout the last decades, especially in the year 2016. 2016 saw the release of numerous incredible films from a multitude of genres, from war to superhero action flicks, to family adventures.
While there are some fantastic movies that came out, it takes a special kind of film to establish itself as a classic, joining up with the legions of other films that have also earned the title. These special films are destined to become nostalgia trips and beloved favourites, in a way, because they already are. These are the best films from 2016 that are already modern classics, earning high revenue in the box office and rave reviews from fans.
10
‘Sing’
Directed by Garth Jennings
Sing is a musical film from Illumination Studios, the animators behind the widely-popular Despicable Me films. The catch is that this one, as its name implies, is a musical, and takes place in a world full of anthropomorphic animals. The enormous cast boasts some pretty big talent, including the voices of Seth MacFarlane, Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Scarlett Johansson, John Cena, Taron Egerton, and many, many more.
Each plays a different contestant in a singing competition organized by the owner of a failing theatre, who tries to boost funds with the competition in a last-ditch effort to save his way of life. The soundtrack consists of popular songs from a multitude of genres and artists, meaning there’s a little something for everyone, no matter what your personal preference is. It’s not as well-known as some of the other films from the same year, but it’s a brilliant film, nonetheless.
9
‘La La Land’
Directed by Damien Chazelle
The musical film La La Land was massively popular when it first came out, largely thanks to its earworm soundtrack and brilliant opening sequence, which hooks the viewer right away. Featuring the likes of Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, La La Land takes place in Los Angeles, where a jazz pianist (Gosling) falls in love with an aspiring actress (Stone); their romance becoming the focal point of the narrative.
It’s hard to describe exactly what makes this movie so enjoyable aside from its soundtrack. Maybe it’s its bright colour pallette, its gorgeous set design, intricate choroegraphy, or heartwarming tale of love in unexpected places, but at the end of the day, many agree that La La Land deserved more Oscars than it got, not only because it was a commercial success, but a critical delight, too.
8
‘Captain America: Civil War’
Directed by Anthony & Joe Russo
Captain America: Civil War follows an event from Marvel comics that fans had been dying to see: that of the feud between various superheroes as they are forced to disclose their secret identities to the public. On one side, Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) is in favour of this public disclosure, whilst Captain America (Chris Evans) believes superheroes should be allowed to maintain their privacy for security purposes, leading to a violent feud within the organization of S.H.I.E.L.D.
Ordinarily, superhero flicks feature the good guy vs. bad guy dynamic, so it was fun and interesting to see a new dynamic where there really weren’t any bad guys, and each hero was just doing what they felt was right. This film also happens to be the debut of Tom Holland as the MCU’s Spider-Man, with his reveal in the trailer causing an internet freakout, but in a positive way. Filled with great action and generating lots of discussion, Captain America: Civil War is one of the finest films in the MCU.
7
‘Hacksaw Ridge’
Directed by Mel Gibson
Hacksaw Ridge is a war biopic about American medic Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), who was a conscientious objector (meaning he willingly chose to never touch a weapon or kill anybody) that saw action in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Doss was the first conscientious objector to ever receive the Medal of Honour, which he was given due to his outstanding courage and willingness to do what others could not. During the Battle of Okinawa, Doss’ unit was forced to retreat, but Doss stayed behind, working through the night to save the lives of 75 soldiers, both American and Japanese, all by himself.
Religion plays a big part in the film since Doss was a Seventh Day Adventist, a belief that served as the basis for his reluctance to kill, yet even with its heavy Christian influence, the film is enjoyable for all. With some truly gruesome combat sequences, glimpses of Doss’ home life, and a touching commemoration to a true war hero, this film was an instant success amongst fans of the genre with its story of never backing down, and never giving up your identity.
6
‘Zootopia’
Directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
Zootopia is another film featuring anthropomorphic animals, this time produced by Disney. Rather than being a musical, this hilarious film is a buddy cop comedy for adults and children of all ages, with a cop and a con artist putting aside their differences to work together and uncover a sinister crime that goes deeper than either of them. This is not only a common trope in buddy cop films, but it’s also one that translates remarkably well to family movies, as doing what’s best for the common good is a great moral for younger audiences.
This movie became an immediate sensation, especially with its subtle jokes and numerous memeable moments. It has inspired countless reaction gifs and recurring jokes that can be found plastered all over the internet, even though it’s a film that seems a bit out of character for Disney. Nonetheless, an incredible film it is; one that deserves every ounce of praise that it has received in the years since its release.
5
‘Deadpool’
Directed by Tim Miller
Funnily enough, Deadpool was actually Ryan Reynold’s second time playing the Merc with a Mouth, the first being in the critically-panned X-Men Origins: Wolverine three years prior. Whereas the latter film was a poorly-executed disaster, this film properly embodied the spirit of the Deadpool from the comics that Marvel fans know and love. The character of Deadpool was initially created as a parody of comic book superheroes, so naturally, there’s a lot of comedy woven into the story along with its action sequences.
Deadpool comes with his signature fourth-wall breaks, profanity-laden dialogue, and overall energy of being the loose cannon that he really is. Reynolds proved to be the perfect actor for this role, though he was likely just happy to bring the character justice. This movie spawned an infinite amount of memes and reaction gifs, and is today regarded as one of the greatest superhero films for its humour and unconventional approach to the genre.
4
‘Rogue One: A Star Wars Story’
Directed by Gareth Edwards
The first Star Wars anthology film, Rogue One proved to be a fantastic entry into the chronology, set just moments before the original film. Introducing a slew of new characters, exciting battle sequences, and an interesting and unique plotline, the film proved to surpass everybody’s expectations and shoot for the skies, becoming what is easily one of the greatest Star Wars films ever made. Even those who hate Disney’s take on the franchise seem to agree that this one is a real diamond in the rough.
This stand-alone film was conversely dark and gritty, or at least by the standards of the franchise, giving a refreshing and mature change of pace to a series that is otherwise rather light-hearted. Coupled with the performances of its lead actors and the well-executed plotline, fans were thrilled at how this film kept the spirit of the original films while also presenting a new and challenging direction for the franchise, and simultaneously proved that Disney is capable of producing great Star Wars stories.
3
‘Arrival’
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Based on Ted Chiang‘s novella The Story of Your Life, Arrival follows a linguistics professor named Louise (Amy Adams), who is contacted by the US government when it is discovered than an alien ship has landed on Earth. Louise’s job is to decipher the alien language and figure out what they’re trying to say, in an effort to communicate with them, rather than taking the typical route of blasting everything on screen, as is common in most sci-fi films.
Interspersed with the narrative are glimpses of Louise’s personal life, involving memories of an adult daughter with a chronic illness. This is one of those movies that requires multiple viewings to really understand, but the gist of it is that it’s basically about how Louise learns about the aliens and their culture, and how her growing understanding of their language and writing system completely shapes the way she views the world and the process of time. It’s mystifying, heartbreaking, and delightfully complex, inviting multiple viewings to full grasp its beauty.
2
‘Moonlight’
Directed by Barry Jenkins
Moonlight is a coming-of-age drama film about a youth named Chiron (Alex Hibbert, Ashton Sanders and Trevante Rhodes), a Black boy who grows into a man over the course of the film. Chiron lives in an impoverished community, and is forced to grapple with his sexuality and identity in a world full of prejudice and few opportunities for people like him. Chiron’s turbulent home life is interrupted when he is taken in by a local drug dealer, who ironically treats him better than his own mother does.
Through Chiron’s childhood experiences, viewers get to witness how his life evolves and how he becomes the man presented at the end, with the film split into three distinct parts of Chiron’s life, from childhood, to adolescence, and eventually to adulthood. A harrowing drama featuring an all-to-real slice of life for some of the world’s most underprivileged communities, Moonlight is a blunt and honest look at what makes people the way they are, and how one’s upbringing can shape their entire future.
1
‘Moana’
Directed by Ron Clements & John Musker
Moana is an animated Disney princess film, one that follows the recent format of 3D animation over 2D animation. This time, the story takes viewers to the distant islands of Polynesia, an area not commonly explored in films. The princess in question is Moana (Auli’i Cravalho), an ordinary village girl whose island becomes cursed, prompting her to seek out the demigod of the oceans, Maui (Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson).
With uppity and catchy musical numbers, Moana is a true testament to the quality of Disney animated musicals, embodying the spirit of the original films of the 20th Century for which Disney became known for. Winning an uncountable amount of awards, as well as the hearts of critics and devoted fans, Moana is a real treat for both kids and adults, exploring culture and mythos in a way that is palatable and entertaining. It’s a family masterpiece, and easily the most well-known film of 2016.
