Flickering Myth’s writing team present our top ten movies of 2016…
As 2016 draws to a close and we ring in the New Year, Flickering Myth’s writers have been putting our collective heads together to vote on the best cinematic offerings from the past twelve months. As always, we’ve voted on our individual top ten favourites, with those lists then collated to give us an overall Top Ten Movies of 2016.
It’s probably worth noting that the likes of La La Land, Silence, Manchester By the Sea and Hacksaw Ridge haven’t opened in the UK yet. Had they, they may well have featured in our countdown – or in the case of one of those that did make the cut, it would likely have finished higher.
10. Deadpool
Directed by Tim Miller.
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Morena Baccarin, Ed Skrein, Brianna Hildebrand, Gina Carano and T.J. Miller.
First up is 20th Century Fox’s R-rated superhero blockbuster Deadpool, which proved a massive hit with fans and critics alike, and even managed to grab itself a couple of Golden Globe nominations in the process. It’s now the highest-grossing R-rated movie of all time with $760 million, the crown jewel in Fox’s X-Men library, and it comes in at #10 in our countdown.
If you’re the type of person that complains all Hollywood blockbuster films are cut from the same cloth, then go support something refreshing like Deadpool; it may not be for everyone due to its profane nature, but if nothing else, even its most vocal detractors will have to applaud the feature for standing head and shoulders above most everything else within its genre.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Deadpool here, here, here and here
9. Sing Street
Written and Directed by John Carney.
Starring Lucy Boynton, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Jack Reynor, Percy Chamburuka, Mark McKenna, Kelly Thornton, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Ian Kenny, and Don Wycherley.
Narrowly edging out Deadpool is John Carney’s acclaimed musical comedy drama Sing Street, an uplifting tale of a teenage boy in 1980s Dublin who finds an escape through music.
Sing Street has it all; laughs, romance, feverishly catchy music, killer acting performances (even from some actors that have never acted before and are primarily musicians), a powerful message, and will have you chasing dreams and girls that seem completely unattainable. Check your pulse if you can’t crack a smile during it.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Sing Street here and here
8. Nocturnal Animals
Directed by Tom Ford.
Starring Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Isla Fisher, Armie Hammer, Laura Linney, Andrea Riseborough and Michael Sheen.
At #8 is director Tom Ford’s second feature Nocturnal Animals, a gripping neo-noir thriller about an art gallery owner who receives an unpublished manuscript for a grisly and violent novel by her ex-husband which she comes to view as symbolic of their past relationship.
Nocturnal Animals is the type of film that will keep you thinking long after you’ve seen it. Analysing the parallels between the storylines could take years and the slightly abrupt and uncomfortable ending is one to ponder over. It’s a slow burner that is an excellent portrait of how to subtly exact revenge.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Nocturnal Animals here, here and here
7. Hell or High Water
Directed by David Mackenzie.
Starring Chris Pine, Ben Foster, Jeff Bridges, Dale Dickey and Gil Birmingham.
Topping Nocturnal Animals by just one point in our voting is the critically-acclaimed neo-Western crime thriller Hell or High Water from director David Mackenzie and Sicario screenwriter Taylor Sheridan, which follows two brothers who resort to desperate measures in order to save their family ranch.
The story is investing, the performances are great, the action set pieces work well and the times the film tries to be humorous actually work out better than you’d think they would. Hell or High Water is beyond any doubt one of the best films of the year.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Hell or High Water here and here
6. Zootopia
Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore, and Jared Bush.
Featuring the voices talents of Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Bonnie Hunt, J.K. Simmons, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Don Lake and Tommy Chong.
Disney continued its fine run of animated releases this year with Zootopia (or Zootropolis as it was titled here in the UK); with $1.023 billion at the box office, it’s Walt Disney Animation Studios’ second-biggest ever hit after Frozen, and one of only three films to hit the $1 billion mark this year (all of which happened to be distributed by Disney – it’s been a good year for the Mouse House).
Zootopia is one of the best films since the resurgence of quality Disney animated features with Tangled. The tolerant message is handled with a great degree of precision, successfully functioning in tandem with the beautiful metropolis on display. Disney could easily coast along making good money with basic stories assisting their state-of-the-art animation, but as of right now they are ambitious and keeping the new golden age rolling.
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews of Zootopia here, here and here
Click the button below to continue on for our top five picks…
Originally published December 31, 2016. Updated November 30, 2022.
