10. The Big ShortWho knew that the person we needed to explain the banking crisis to us was the man behind Anchorman and Step Brothers. It's a monumentally important film with brilliant performances that also manages to be hilarious as well as deeply depressing and scary.
It's a love letter to all those people who ever started a band to impress a girl. John Carney showed once again why he's the go to director for music in film and the original songs are genuinely brilliant, all together now "you gotta put the pedal down, and drive it like you stole it".
Tackling the bureaucracy of the Department for Work and Pensions, Ken Loach showed with his latest picture that he still has the same energy and passion at 80 years old that he's shown his whole career. Featuring brilliant performances and a wonderful sensitivity this latest film from Loach will stay with you for a while.
7. The Girl with all the Gifts
As debut films go this relatively low budget Brit zombie flick was an impressive start from Colm McCarthy. It had little in the way of box office success but make every effort to seek this intelligent and atmospheric film out on DVD and you won't be disappointed.
6. Captain America: Civil War
This had a big build up and it never disappointed. It felt like the culmination of everything Marvel studios had worked towards. It hits so hard emotionally because it took the time to create characters you cared in, and it also features the most spectacular and entertaining superhero battle in cinema history.
5. SpotlightAfter Birdman took home the big prize in 2015 it was almost surprising that the best picture winner of 2016 was a film that was so traditional and so old fashioned in its style. Spotlight didn't let the story of making the film become bigger and more impressive than the film itself, it just had a cracking story with brilliant actors on top form and in this year of all years it reminded people of the necessity of proper journalism.
Reading the description of this films plot would conjure an image of darkness and horror, what's miraculous about this film is how uniquely beautiful it is. It is one of the most emotionally investing films I have ever seen, Brie Larson was absolutely deserving of her best actress Oscar, but Jacob Tremblay gives one of the greatest child performances of all time, make sure to hydrate properly before viewing because you'll be in bits by the end.
3. Green RoomTense, gripping and really bloody violent, you'd expect nothing less from director Jeremy Saulnier. Green Room takes a very simple premise and ramps it up to another level, features one of the last performances from the sadly departed Anton Yelchin and also Sir Patrick Stewart as a Neo-Nazi leader. Saulnier has a depraved mind and after this and his previous work Blue Ruin he's quickly becoming a talent to treasure.
2. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
In November 2017 Taika Waititi will bring the third Thor film of the MCU to the screen, in 2016 he gave us a small New Zealand based comedy featuring a young boy and a grizzled old man in the bush. It has a really special and unique brand of humour brought to life by an exceptional cast with Sam Neill in the best form of his career and newcomer Julian Dennison a talent to keep an eye on. It's a film with endless charm and incredible warmth, and easily the funniest film of 2016.
1. ArrivalSo here it is, the best film of 2016 is hands down Denis Villeneuve's Arrival. It is a fiercely intelligent film with an exceptional style and tone and a wonderful lead performance. The turns it takes towards the end is perfectly measured and elevates the film to a whole new level. Villeneuve is possibly the best director working at the moment, his Blade Runner sequel coming out at the end of 2017 is now surely one of the most anticipated films of the year.
Honorable Mentions:
Doctor Strange/Finding Dory/Rogue One/Zootropolis
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