Best Picture 2016
(SoN = Streaming on Netflix // SoA = Streaming on Amazon // SoH = Streaming on HBO)
(SoN = Streaming on Netflix // SoA = Streaming on Amazon // SoH = Streaming on HBO)
2016 was a solid year for films -- I essentially gave "B" ratings or above to roughly the same amount of films in 2016 as I did in the previous three years (2013-2015). However, this is the first year since the onset of the RyMickey Awards that I failed to award an "A" grade to any movie. Perhaps it says I'm getting too crotchety in my old age, but what I think it really says is that no movie hit me on an emotional level in the way I wanted. These are still solid films on this list, but it's a bit of a shame. However, I feel good about this list. It's a wide swath of films -- from horror to animation, from low budget indie to big Hollywood blockbusters, from documentaries to Oscar-winning films -- that proves that Hollywood is able to tell a variety of stories well. Keep in mind that well over half of the films below are available via streaming services so be sure to check them out if the tiny summaries below appear intriguing.
Runners-Up
B-
#50 - Free State of Jones --- #49 - American Honey (SoN)
#48 - The Program (SoA) --- #47 - Snowden
B
#46 - The Shallows --- #45 - Hello My Name Is Doris (SoA)
#44 - Fences (SoA) --- #43 - Hacksaw Ridge (SoH)
#42 - Manchester by the Sea (SoA) --- #41 - Lights Out (SoH)
#40 - Eddie the Eagle --- #39 - Remember (SoA)
#38 - Krisha (SoA) --- #37 - Team Foxcatcher (SoN)
#36 - The Phenom (SoN) --- #35 - Edge of Seventeen
#34 - The Family Fang --- #33 - Hidden Figures (SoH)
#32 - Indignation --- #31 - Arrival (SoA)
Honorable Mentions
- #30 - Jackie - (B) - A strong performance by Natalie Portman in the title role helps make this a bit less boring to watch. (SoH)
- #29 - 10 Cloverfield Lane - (B) - An improvement over its predecessor, the claustrophobic atmosphere creates a tense environment for its story to unfold. (SoA)
- #28 - Midnight Special - (B) - Go into this one as blind as you can and its mix of sci-fi, chase film, and family drama will provide an enjoyable experience.
- #27 - Fireworks Wednesday - (B) - One of Asghar Farhadi's first films, this finally got a release in 2016 and proves he was a pro at crafting small-scale thrillers even early on.
- #26 - My Life as a Zucchini - (B) - An animated film that doesn't shy away from realistic, sad storytelling; adeptly walks the balance between appealing to adults and tweens alike. (SoN)
- #25 - King Jack - (B) - A low budget indie that tells a simple story about a bullied kid, but a great central performance by the young Charlie Plummer elevates it. (SoN)
- #24 - Lion - (B) - Split into two halves, it's anchored by two solid performances by Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel and worth your time to watch. (SoN)
- #23 - Eye in the Sky - (B) - A morality play depicted on film, it creates an exciting environment, showing us an insider look at modern-day warfare. (SoA)
- #22 - Paterson - (B) - This will not be for everyone, but the lack of story and strong character arcs somehow worked for me. (SoA)
- #21 - Hush - (B+) - An exciting, Wait Until Dark-ish thriller about a deaf woman being attacked in her home. (SoN)
And the Top Twenty...
#20 - Miss Stevens - B+
The directorial debut of Julia Hart, Miss Stevens is an incredibly pleasant, well-written, and well-acted slice of life dramedy. The natural way the cast acts with one another anchored by a lovely performance by Lily Rabe adds a realism to what is displayed onscreen. (SoN)
#19 - The Founder - B+
Surprisingly engaging, The Founder owes much of its success to the rather slimy performance by Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the businessman whose vision took McDonald's to the billion dollar chain it is today. The film itself could've stood to maybe be a bit more scathing in its satire, but it's still a well-made piece that brings to life an ethically questionable character. (SoN)
#18 - Amanda Knox - B+
A compelling true-life murder-mystery, Amanda Knox delves into the story of the title character who is accused of murdering her roommate while studying overseas in Italy. The documentary is surprisingly even-handed in its portrayal of the facts and scores big points for getting Knox to tell her side of the story. What proves to be most intriguing is the film's portrayal of the media which ended up drumming up more excitement with disgusting unjustified indictments than they should have. (SoN)
#17 - Silence - B
Yes, you may notice that Silence has a "B" rating, but is ranked higher than some "B+" films. The reason for this is that Martin Scorsese's epic may be flawed, but is a gorgeous piece of storytelling that goes on a tad too long. There are a few too many moment of silence, if you will, but it's still a masterful telling of a moment in Christianity that is not known by many. Anytime a movie is able to focus on religion and not be preachy or sanctimonious or godawful, it's always a treat because it's an aspect of many peoples' lives that doesn't often get treated with cinematic respect.
#16 - Green Room - B+
Green Room is not an easy sit. The story of a group of twentysomethings terrorized by a skin head gang (headed by Patrick Stewart, no less) is quite violent and gritty and doesn't always turn out well for its protagonists. However, in his second film, director Jeremy Saulnier continues to prove that he's quite adept and capable at creating uneasiness and tension onscreen.
The Top 15 will be revealed by clicking that little tiny "Read More" to the lower left!!!
#15 - Other People - B+
A light-hearted, yet emotionally poignant feature from debut director Chris Kelly, Other People takes a decidedly depressing aspect of life -- the death of a mother due to cancer -- and crafts a story that eschews the melodrama (mostly). Learning from the get-go that mother Joanne dies is a smart move so we aren't left wondering if she "makes it" and instead become more invested in the characters and their journeys. (SoN)
#14 - Elvis & Nixon - B+
It's perhaps a bit gauche to highlight a movie starring Kevin Spacey, but Elvis & Nixon is a briskly paced comedy that highlights the "Odd Couple" dichotomy between the two titular characters played by Michael Shannon and the aforementioned pariah Spacey. Director Liza Johnson keenly mines the absurdity of the true life situation that brought these two men together, respecting the two figures, never playing them for fools or suckers, and mining laughs from the situation as opposed Elvis and Nixon themselves. (SoA)
#13 - Captain America: Civil War - B+
Considering how much I hated the first Captain America film, I find it amazing that its subsequent sequels have elevated the character to something great. What sets Civil War apart from many other Marvel films is that the bad guys aren't superhuman entities or outer space creatures, but based in reality. The tension that arises from the combative nature of the group of Avengers themselves is dramatically effective and the Marvel humor that permeates this film (and is decidedly absent from any DC product thus far) adds pops of fun when the heavier story desperately needs it. (SoN)
#12 - Sully - B+
I am not a fan of Clint Eastwood as a director, finding that his films fail to create an emotional connection between the characters and the audience. Fortunately, this isn't the case with Sully thanks to a great performance from Tom Hanks -- the modern-day Jimmy Stewart everyman -- and a tautly directed 96-minute film that creates suspense out of a 205-second plane landing and its aftermath. (SoH)
#11 - The Invitation - B+
The less said about The Invitation the better. A dinner party amongst friends gets turned on its head when secrets are revealed and nefarious intent rears its head. The claustrophobic environment created by director Karyn Kusama enervates the viewer, keeping us stuck in the house with the characters unable to pull our eyes away from the horrors that unfold. Note, though, this is a horror film for adults so don't let the genre moniker scare you away if horror isn't your cup of tea. (SoN)
#10 - Equity - B+
Perhaps it's a bit unfortunate that Equity came out in 2016 instead of 2017 which has become quite the "Year of the Woman" for whatever that's worth. Nevertheless, Equity takes what should be a boring film -- nothing like the excitement of investment banking, huh? -- and makes it engaging and exciting feeling almost like a thriller than a drama. Anchored by a strong and powerful performance by Anna Gunn, Equity is a film you've likely never heard of, but deserves your time.
#9 - Trolls - B+
This DreamWorks production -- yes, I'm as shocked as you that a DreamWorks production is placing this high on a list such as this -- shouldn't have worked. I mean, we're talking about a whole movie about the consumer product "Trolls" here. Somehow, though, the flowing hair matched with a gloriously ebullient atmosphere helped me embrace the sheer frivolity of the whole thing. This is simply fun...nothing deep...just fun. And that's all that you need when it comes to a movie sometimes. (SoN)
#8 - Don't Breathe - B+
Director Fede Alvarez -- whose previous horror film Evil Dead landed on my 2013 Best Picture list -- is incredibly effective at creating a scary, intense atmosphere. Much of the film -- which details the invasion of the home of a blind man -- takes place in darkened corridors and dimly lit rooms and yet I had no difficulty determining what was going on which is a huge credit to Alvarez and his cinematographer. The cast is also top notch and helps to prove that Alvarez isn't just a one-hit wonder in the horror department.
#7 - Don't Think Twice - B+
There's a naturalness to the two films I've seen written by, directed by, and starring Mike Birbiglia who creates films that feel lived in, believable, and pleasant. While "pleasant" might be an odd descriptor, Birbiglia realizes that there is something to be said for normal, "pleasant" people. We laugh, we cry, we hang out with friends, we don't do anything crazy, but we live a good life. Those are the people that inhabit Birbiglia's films. And although I'm not a member of an improv group like the characters in this film, this sense of normalcy elevates the humor and heart in Don't Think Twice, an earnest little-seen flick. (SoN)
#6 - 20th Century Women -- B+
Thanks to a brilliant ensemble of actors and a quick-witted and sharp script that creates characters that feel legitimate and fully realized, 20th Century Women by writer-director Mike Mills is one of the best flicks of 2016. Annette Bening's performance alone is reason enough to watch this. My original review of this one was super short, as is this little summary, but don't mistake brevity for nonchalance. Check this one out. (SoA)
#5 - Sing Street - B+
John Carney's Once is an exquisitely rendered unrequited love story and while his Sing Street doesn't quite match the greatness of that Oscar-winning film, it's sheer exuberance makes it an incredibly enjoyable watch. It's an ode to the 1980s, showing its love and appreciation to the music and the films of that decade through some lovingly crafted homages that feel natural as opposed to forced. The cast of relative unknowns is winning and their wide-eyed innocence is believable. (SoN)
#4 - The Light Between Oceans - B+
I will readily admit that this will not be a film for everyone. If someone were to watch it and say they were bored senseless, I wouldn't be able to necessarily argue with them because I'd understand where they were coming from. Writer-director Derek Cianfrance's film is deliberately slow-paced, but to this reviewer it adds much nuance to the film's plot which details the lives of a recently married lighthouse keeper and his wife who live on a secluded island, unable to contact the mainland without a several hours boat ride. The detachment the couple feels is palpably felt thanks to Cianfrance's direction, the glorious cinematography, and two fantastic leading performances from Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander. This one was thrown away by the critics and the public upon its release, but I genuinely think (obviously, given its ranking) that its an underrated experience that I hope may earn respect in years to come.
#3 - King Georges - A-
Sometimes films just connect with you on a personal level, highlighting shared experiences and acting as a sort of scrapbook of moments in your life. The documentary King Georges does just that, highlighting two restaurants in the Philadelphia area at which I've eaten. Taking us inside the world of world-renowned chef Georges Perrier as he contemplates closing down his award-winning restaurant Le Bec Fin, King Georges lets us glimpse the inner workings of running a high class dining establishment. Admittedly, I wouldn't recommend this film if you're not a foodie, but having watched Food Network and Top Chef for years and having eaten at both restaurants highlighted in this film, this one hit the nail on the head for me as far as interests go.
#2 - Moonlight - A-
Regardless of your race, gender, or sexual orientation, writer-director Barry Jenkins' Moonlight proves to be a touching film thanks to a central character with whom you can't help but connect. Told in triptych fashion with three different actors playing young Chiron as a kid, teenager, and young adult, the unique nature of the piece and Jenkins' ability as a director to truly make us believe that we're watching the same "person" age throughout the film makes this a worthy Academy Award Best Picture winner. Then again, I must admit that following its win I felt a little disillusioned with the flick feeling that the Academy couldn't help but award it its top prize because of its subject matter. This sense of needing to award things because of "message" as opposed to actual "quality" upsets me. Then again, to award "art" in some kind of "best" competition is never really fair. Unlike a sporting event where there is a clear objective winner, that will never be the case at the Academy Awards or the RyMickey Awards, for that matter. However, I like to think that I don't kowtow to what's "popular" now, but rather look at the quality of the film as a whole which includes, but isn't limited to, its message. Listen, despite my slight rant, Moonlight is a very good film that the Academy shouldn't be ashamed they awards their top prize...unless they awarded it in an attempt to be politically motivated which, to this reviewer anyway, is wrong. (SoA)
#1 - La La Land - A-
Despite certainly being an homage to old Hollywood musicals, there's a ballsiness in writer-director Damien Chazelle's La La Land given the modern era we're in. What filmmaker says to himself, "I'm going to create a film that halfway through breaks for five minutes for an elegant dance duet where the couple twirls across the sky." Or, "Let's end this thing with an extended dance dream sequence and not have any dialog whatsoever in the flick's last ten minutes." These unique ideas plus the chemistry of leads Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone elevate La La Land's admittedly simple story. The film missed the "A" rating because I feel like it could've used a bit more songs to push the movie along -- the final half feels very light in this department -- but it's still a gloriously beautiful and fun film to watch.
Previous RyMickey Award Winners
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