The Young Folks’ Top 15 Movies of 2016

In the footsteps of the Top 50 Albums of the year post by Music Editor Ryan Gibbs, we’ve followed up with the Top 15 Movies of 2016 list. A diverse and eclectic year in film, it would seem that the cinema was one of the few places to catch a sense of reprieve as the rest of the world continued to make mistakes that will make histories throw books in the decades to come. From horror to intimate dramas to independent science fiction, there was no lack of quality when it came to the movie going experience this year, unless the only time you go to the movies are between June and August. In that case, apologies, because the blockbuster season was rather tedious this year.

As was the case with the aforementioned music post, we took a handful of writers who held different interests in different genres and had them rank their 20 favorite films of the year before tallying the points. It proved to be a fun experiment and once we’ll certainly continue in the years to come. Let us know what you think in the comments and make sure to let us know what your favorite films of 2016 were.

Honorable Mentions

Certain Women – Directed by Kelly Reichardt

Warm, empathetic and hosting a remarkable break out turn by Lily Gladstone as a lonely ranch hand, Certain Women is one of Kelly Reichardt’s best in years. Completely invested in showing the mundanity of every day life and the beauty that can evolve from simplicity, Certain Women is so winsome because it understands the nuance of the in between moments in life. -Allyson Johnson

American Honey – Andrea Arnold

Andrea Arnold’s AMERICAN HONEY is a road-trip without a destination; it’s a journey of self-discovery where nothing is really discovered. Set in the backroads, slums, and industrial backwaters of America that Hollywood likes to pretend doesn’t exist, the film follows Star (Sasha Lane), a sexually-abused teenager who runs away from home to join a roving magazine sales crew ruled by Krystal (Riley Keough), a cruel and icy matriarch. What little hope she has she places in Jake (Shia LaBeouf) Krystal’s cocksure second-in-command. But love is no salvation in this world, a lesson Star learns much too soon in this extravagant, over-long, indulgent, yet absolutely hypnotic ode to teenage misdirection. – Nathanael Hood

The Invitation – Karyn Kusama 

Chilly and stunningly shot, The Invitation isn’t just one of the best horror films of the year but one of the great films period. With cool exterior shots and a strong ensemble cast lead by the fearless Tammy Blanchard and vulnerable Logan Marshall Green, The Invitation and it’s under your skin creepiness is one of the under the radar gems of 2016. -Allyson Johnson 

Midnight Special – Jeff Nichols

The strength of Jeff Nichols’s Midnight Special comes not simply from his science fiction homages, but from his warmth in capturing the vulnerable beauty shared between the love parents can give to their child. Beneath the surface, beyond the idea of the “other”, Midnight Special is a film about parental healing and learning how to do the unthinkable in being able to say goodbye to someone you love. -Allyson Johnson 

Up next: 15-10

15. Toni Erdmann- Maren Ade

Maren Ade almost perfectly directs this outrageous comedy about a father and daughter trying to bridge the gap between each other. It’s a bit difficult to put an exact label on this film, because despite its hilarity, it’s also very touching and taps into timely themes that most people can likely relate to. So while it’s unlikely our dads would sneak into a business dinner wearing wacky teeth and playing an alter ego, we can relate to the goofiness, even embarrassment, but also the uber self-serious work culture we live in every day. Toni Erdmann encourages us to let go, enjoy our lives and wave our freak flags without a care in the world. – Gabrielle Bondi

14. Paterson – Jim Jarmusch 

With the delicacy that comes from a great, nature inspired poem, arrives Paterson directed by Jim Jarmusch, perhaps cinemas greatest lyrical storyteller. Paterson, played with grace and subtlety by Adam Driver, has an ordinary life by all accounts. He works, eats dinner with his life, sneaks off for his one beer and arrives home. In between he peppers his time with writing poetry but with no real ambition to make it his life work. The film, to its credit, never looks at this as a missed opportunity for him as it’s too preoccupied with capturing the beauty that lies in the day to day redundancies  of life and the love between a husband and wife that keeps life fresh and new, as different as the patterns of their ever changing curtains. – Allyson Johnson 

13. The Handmaiden – Park Chan-wook 

Sexy, expansive and lush, The Handmaiden has quietly risen in the ranks as one of the best and most stunning films of 2016. What could have simply become an erotic soap opera was instead quickly brought down to reality with some fine character work and immesne chemistry between the two leadS. There’s a balletic, choreographed movement that the film adopts throughout the entirety of its runtime, so that it always feels acutely cinematic. We’re never asked to forget that we’re watching a film. It isn’t so much a film to relate to as it is one to get lost in with it’s stunning, evocative imagery. With gorgeous cinematography and a narrative that manages to defy any possible exploitive pitfalls, the film weaves and flows through its numerous plot twists and development with ease, anchored by a truly tumultous and scorching love story at its center. – Allyson Johnson 

12. The Witch – Robert Eggers

There was a lot of talk about The Witch not being a horror movie because…well, I still don’t understand. Nary a jump scare you’ll find here. The Witch is pure atmospheric horror, with a haunting soundtrack and disturbing and seductive images. Everything from the acting, writing, and set design screams authenticity, even when the film moves into the black magic and supernatural of it all. This film doesn’t just scare you in the moment. It’s a fear that is not merely experienced, but felt in the destruction of a family, the obsession, and the terrible, inevitable corruption of one young girl who has nowhere else to turn. It’s creepy twins and a Billy goat named Black Philip. It’s the natural lighting and the perfect old English dialogue. The last time I saw this movie was in March, and it’s still with me, every disturbing moment. – Katey Stoetzel 

11. The Nice Guys – Shane Black 

My love for The Nice Guys is simple: the film is really, really nice. From its delicious score and soundtrack (Earth, Wind & Fire, Al Green, The Bee Gees? Please and thank you) to the expectedly dynamic performances from leads Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling, this ambiently aesthetic, emotionally electric film boasts the breaking of bones in tight (but wonderfully grand-in-scale) actions sequences and genre tropes in kind. The Nice Guys acknowledges the somewhat overdone buddy-cup dynamic, gives it a signature Gosling smirk and turns its back to something much greater. It’s clever, fresh and surprisingly heartfelt — without ever resorting to the crutch of cliches that litter certain genre scopes, leaning too heavily on the charm of the main men or pandering to the audience with overt sexuality or crassness. Overall, The Nice Guys is a little bit rompy, a little bit cheeky and a whole lot badass. (Also, I can’t say no to gun-weidling Gosling with a sweet ‘70s mustache. I am a weak, weak woman.) – AJ Caulfield 

10. The Edge of Seventeen – Kelly Fremon Craig

In the past few decades there has been little shortage of coming of age films, and quite a few that could easily be labeled as great. However, there have been few that have tackled the storyline from the female perspective and less that have done so with the gusto and frankness as Kelly Fremon Craigs The Edge of Seventeen. With a killer soundtrack and an awards worth performances from leading lady Hailee Steinfeld, the film excels by having a keen understanding for what makes its characters tick, and extending its empathy far past the lead to all the supporting characters. No one character feels strictly periphery, rather, all serve a direct purpose while also getting backgrounds and characteristics of their own.- Allyson Johnson 

Next: 9-5

9. Kubo and the Two Strings – Travis Knight 

Out of all of the wonderful animated films to come out of 2016 (and there’s been many), it’s Laika’s Kubo and the Two Strings that will last through longevity due to the sheer ambition and artistic precision demonstrated in the films running length. There’s much to be admired about the internal yet larger than life folk tale, from it’s musical score, the strong voice cast and the story about grief and how people process the loss of a loved one, especially for children watching who will watch as Kubo must deal with learning how to move on and cope with sadness. However, the greatest asset and what makes it one of the best of the year is the craftsmanship that makes every moment of joy, terror and love all the more cinematic, visceral and evocative. – Allyson Johnson 

8. Arrival – Denis Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve is one the best directors working today. Genre films are hardly taken seriously anymore and mostly suffer from a cliche plot and forgettable characters. Villeneuve defies those expectations and create incredibly rich genre films ranging from crime thrillers to murder mysteries. Villeneuve’s latest creation was Arrival, a science fiction film about a strange alien invasion. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) is a linguist who is hired to try to communicate with these mysterious creatures and figure out what they want from Earth. Villeneuve doesn’t waste time on action sequences; instead, he creates a slow burn and lets the audience take its time inhaling the vivid details and coming up with their own interpretation. When the pieces finally start coming together, you just sit there, amazed that you couldn’t solve something that was in front of you the whole time. Arrival is one of the smartest movies of the year and proves that we can still make quality science fiction films (and we do need them after the garbage Independence Day: Resurgence). – Yasmin Kleinbart 

7. Hunt for the Wilderpeople – Taika Waititi 

Whether it’s the memorable characters or the catchy dialogue, Taika Waititi created something special in Hunt for the Wilderpeople. Known for his mockumentary, What We Do in the Shadows, Waititi has a knack for taking a situation so absurd and making it relatable. It has a perfect mixture of comedy and drama and even the most ridiculous of lines has some meaning to it. The film follows Ricky, (Julian Dennison) , a rebellious foster child, who is sent to live with the saintly Bella and her crusty husband, Hec (Sam Neill). After a tragedy, Ricky runs away into the woods and has Hec coming after him to bring him home. After a series of big misunderstandings with child welfare and the police, they are suddenly on the run in the New Zealand bush. Folks were worried about such a small time comedic director taking the helm for Thor 3, but, after this film, there’s nothing to worry about. Waititi pays attention to such small details in his characters’ traits that they almost feel like real people. With the Hulk and Thor being the least favored out of the Marvel heroes, it’s about time that they start to get taken seriously.  – Yasmin Kleinbart 

6. Green Room- Jeremy Saulnier 

From its punk rock soundtrack to the ugly cinematography to the violent nature of its action, Green Room wants to make you uncomfortable, yet ensure that you can’t look away. It seems to be something writer/director Jeremy Saulnier (Blue Ruin) specializes in and that talent feels fully realized in his brutal survival thriller Green Room. Played out like a pseudo-home invasion movie, it follows a punk rock band playing a skinhead bar who get trapped after seeing a dead body in the bar’s green room. Locking themselves in fearing for their safety, the bar’s owner (a terrifying Patrick Stewart ) and his employees circle around the club with knives, guns, and attack dogs to flush them out, dead or alive. Saulnier is a master of tension, both building it and executing a payoff from it. It’s like watching someone bend an arm and agonizing as to when the bone will break. Saulnier also keeps his cast young and plucky with solid turns from the likes of Imogen Poots, Alia Shawkat, and the late Anton Yelchin. Saulnier is clearly building his career and Green Room is one step closer to Saulnier creating something truly iconic. But what a step it is. – Jon Winkler

5. Jackie – Pablo Larraín

Next: 4-1

4. Manchester By the Sea – Kenneth Lonergan

Jean-Luc Godard once said that every film has a beginning, middle and end but not necessarily in that order. Manchester by the Sea is a film almost exclusively set in the middle, the moments in between direct drama, the situations in between shock and healing, and the depression before any forms of catharsis. Manchester by the Sea isn’t about endings or resolutions but the intersecting interruptions, instances where petty trivialities get in the way of catharsis: a cell phone buzzing at a funeral, a gurney that won’t fold properly into an ambulance, a conversation about Star Trek immediately following a visit to the morgue. Kenneth Lonergan’s anti-three act structure takes Lee Chandler grief seriously, denying any simple narrative of recovery, recognizing that things will never be the same. Lee will always exist in a no man’s land between tragedy and closure.- Josh Cabrita

3. Hell or High Water – David Mackenzie

In a time where most Hollywood movies are overblown, overstuffed, and needlessly over complicated, it’s incredibly refreshing to see a movie with such basic charms be its outstanding features. Case in point: this modern-day western about two brothers (Chris Pine and Ben Foster) cruising through Texas robbing banks to save their family farm. Two Texas rangers (Jeff Bridges and Gil Birmingham) are hot on their trail as both duos contemplate their futures in their dusty, desolate homeland. What makes Hell or High Water outstanding is how director David Mackenzie sees his characters as the most interesting part of his film. He stages some thrilling robbery scenes and an exceptional climax, but he knows the real story is seeing the journey his characters are on and where they end up. Thankfully, the writing of Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) created four interesting and very human characters for audiences to follow, all played by four actors in their prime. Birmingham and Foster are exceptional, with the latter bringing raw emotional intensity spaced out and the former providing his own brand of soul to the film. The aces in the group are Pine, in the most heartfelt and adult performance of his career, and Bridges being Bridges, which is better than 75% of most actors working in Hollywood today. – Jon Winkler 

2. Moonlight – Barry Jenkins

To simply say that Moonlight is one of the best films of 2016 would be a disservice. Because it isn’t only one of the best films, but also one of the most beautiful and important films of our generation. Barry Jenkins’ film, about a young man struggling to find himself while also contending with the exploration of his sexuality, is gripping. The film’s subtlety and gentle calm, like an ocean’s waves lapping at the beach, is intense and full of emotion. This, paired with fantastic performances by Trevante Rhodes, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harrisnd the rest of the cast, solidifies the film as a coming-of-age story that is unlike any other. Jenkins’ use of the film’s setting plays a large role in the development of his lead character and the cinematography is simply breathtaking. Moonlight is engaging and compelling, emotional and honest. Quite simply, it’s a powerful movie that should be at the top of everyone’s must-see list.- Mae Abdulbaki

1. La La Land – Damien Chazelle

If there is one film that La La Land reminds me of, it’s the classic Hollywood musical, Singin’ in the Rain, starring the late and incomparable Debbie Reynolds. As I write this piece, I am just learning that Reynolds has passed away, but it’s because of movies like this one that her legacy along with many of the other greats lives on. A homage to old Hollywood and love letter to all the dreamers out there, La La Land is modern opus of hope, a brightly colored light sparkling at the end of the tunnel. It’s the epitome of feel-good, while also showcasing filmmaking at its greatest and most sincere. A reminder that it’s the fools, both past and present, the ones still working and even the ones no longer with us, that can still inspire dreams to come true. – Gabrielle Bondi 

Other notable films that just about made our list were: Knight of Cups, Loving, Nocturnal Animals, Zootopia, The Lobster, Elle and Captain America: Civil War.

Let us know what made your list!