Top 10 Films Of 2016 So Far

We’re over halfway through 2016 and on the whole it’s been a pretty good year for film. Below are my top 10 films of the year so far. Now of course I haven’t seen every film and certain films including Finding Dory haven’t been released in the UK yet. I’m also omitting certain American films that were released early this year that were released in the US in 2015. Creed, The Hateful Eight, Anomolisa are all fantastic films that belong on a best films of 2015 list.

So without further ado lets get on with some of the best films of 2016… so far

10: Star Trek Beyond

This incredibly fun summer blockbuster shows that there is still life in Star Trek on this its 50th anniversary. Simon Pegg and Doug Jung’s script works best in the smaller character scenes. They absolutely nail the characters and their relationships with one another. Bones and Spock’s scenes in particular shine. Here’s to the next 50 years.

9: Sing Steet

This charming film tells the story of a group of boys who set up a pop band in 1980s Dublin. Balancing grim realism with pure comedic escapism Sing Street manages to be an uplifting touching tale of young love. It is worth a watch if only for their first attempt filming a music video, without a doubt one of the funniest scenes of this year

8: The Jungle Book

Jon Favreau does a remarkable job of not only remaking a much loved classic but also creating a completely immersive jungle using CGI and green-screens. His Jungle Book is a far darker film than the original and is all the better for it. Watching Mowgli go from one incredibly dangerous situation to another is a real treat.

7: Deadpool

Ryan Reynolds’ gamble paid off. For years he has been trying to get this off the ground and the final product is well worth the wait. This has to be one of the most faithful comic book adaptations ever made. Deadpool has a very simple plot, but its use of non-linear storytelling, graphic violence and breaking of the forth wall makes this seem like one of a kind. Thankfully a sequel has been green lit so we should be seeing a lot of the merc with the mouth in the future.

6: Green Room

Having grown up on violent films I am very rarely shocked, however, director Jeremy Saulnier has such a different and visceral approach to filming violence that I found myself looking away from the screen during the high tension ride that is Green Room. It tells the story of a band stuck in a green room while Neo Nazis, led by the fantastic Patrick Stewart, attempt to kill them. Leading the cast is Anton Yelchin who also appeared in Star Trek Beyond as Chekov. The tragic accident that took his last month has robbed the world of a true talent. He will be missed.

5: 10 Cloverfield Lane

The “sequel” to J. J. Abrams found footage monster movie is a completely different beast. This claustrophobic horror starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead as a woman who wakes up in an underground shelter with an unstable man (John Goodman) who assures her she is safer here than outside is incredibly entertaining. Both nail-biting and hilarious, this film is hard to predict and features one of John Goodman’s best ever performances.

4: Captain America Civil War

Just when you think you’ve got comic book fatigue along comes a film that completely rejuvenates your faith in the medium. The Russo brothers have done it again with a film that brings together what could have easily been too many characters and made an involving action film. Every character earns their place here; their motivations are clear and their journeys are well told. The airport clash has to be one of the best action scenes in recent history. It was a big challenge but the Russos did it, their next, the two part epic Infinity Wars, is a much larger challenge. If this film is anything to go by, they might just pull it off.

3: The Nice Guys

Shane Black’s films have many things in common; witty dialogue, an arguing duo, over the top action and (usually) a Christmas setting. The other thing they have in common is that they’re bloody good fun. The Nice Guys is an absolute riot. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe show off their comedic chops as too bickering men investigating the disappearance of a girl in 1970s LA. The laughs come hard and fast. The film is beautiful to look at and this could very well be Black’s best film yet.

2: Zootropolis

From the poster I assumed this would be like many other CGI cartoons – Pixar Light. Watchable but nowhere as good as the films Pixar produce. How wrong I was. It’s a delight. A fantastic family film. Zootopia takes place in a world where anthropomorphic animals all live together in peace. Judy Hopps, a little country bunny moves to the big city to become a police officer. There she teams up with Nick Wilde, a fox con artist, to uncover the truth behind a huge conspiracy that could upset the peace the animals all live in. This is 1981’s 48 Hours for all ages. The story is compelling, the jokes work, the animation is beautiful and to top it all off it has a wonderful message that is impactful.

1: The Witch

Robert Eggers directorial debut is simply remarkable. This incredibly unsettling film tells the story of a Puritan family who move to America. They make their new home a little too close to a wood which is far from empty. This is, for my money, the best film revolving around witchcraft ever made. A horror film that doesn’t rely on loud noises or things jumping at you to scare you. Here the horror is so nasty, so sublimely subtle that you leave the cinema feeling different. Much like the greatest horror films, The Excocist, The Shining, Don’t Look Now ect. The Witch gets under your skin and stays there long after you leave the cinema.