Alexander Suffolk’s Top 10 Movies of 2016
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- Kubo and the Two Strings
- Arrival
- Manchester by the Sea
- Doctor Strange
- Captain America: Civil War
- Deadpool
- The Witch
- Swiss Army Man
- La La Land
So since Disney is going to be blessing every Christmas season with a flick from the galaxy far, far away, you never need ask me what my favorite movie of the year is. It’s going to be the new Star Wars. Every time. Yes, Rogue One had a litany of flaws, but I still found it incredibly enjoyable and I think it did the series justice. Plus, I mean, Darth Vader. C’mon.
However, I legitimately had a tough time rounding out the rest of my list. I don’t know if it was because 2016 made my desperation for escapism at an all-time high, but I enjoyed the hell out of a ton of movies this year. Ultimately, I chose the movies that just stuck with me the most for whatever reason. La La Land might be on here for being the most recent viewing, but I must say I find myself humming its jazzy swings out of nowhere, and I admire its courage to earnestly portray the bittersweet reality of being a millennial artist. Swiss Army Man was a hilarious yet heartfelt romp with a premise so bizarre, it was impossible for me to not love. The Witch deeply disturbed me in a way most horror films just can’t, and I loved its commitment to being a period piece on top of it all. Doctor Strange, Civil War and Deadpool proved to me that superhero films are still going strong, and while I debated which was the best, at the moment I’m admiring the creativity and surrealness in Strange’s ending. Manchester by the Sea is total Oscar bait, but I ate it up; human drama portrayed with such sincerity it didn’t feel like a movie at all, but an observation of real people’s lives. Arrival is probably the smartest movie of the year, with themes of knowledge triumphing ignorance that still manages to make one wonder about what should be valued in life – science fiction at its best. And Kubo and the Two Strings was a pure thrill for me: stunning animation, a killer soundtrack, wicked action, a badass Charlize Theron role and a familiar yet fresh take on the Hero’s Journey.
I also have too many honorable mentions to list here, and some movies I’m sure would be in the runnings if I saw them. So given all that, I have to say while 2016 sucked in real life, it rocked in the movie theater. Let’s hope for it be even better in 2017.
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