Hello everyone and welcome to my annual Top 10 list for my favourite films of the year that has just passed.
It is always such a joy to come up with my favourite and least favourite films of the year and being able to share them with you to see if you agree with my choices or not.
As it is every year, I haven't managed to see every film that got released because I just didn't have the time. As this is my list of favourites, I did miss out on some films which have garnered plenty of Oscar buzz or critical acclaim such as Arrival, La La Land, Silence, and Hacksaw Ridge, just to name a few.
Hence, this list will only contain movies that I've seen (obviously) that were released in the calender year of 2016. Everything that is said about the films chosen is of course my opinion so do respect that if you don't want to get offended by any of my passing comments or if any of your favourite picks weren't chosen.
These films are also arranged in order of how much I liked them and not by how much I rated them officially, hence this list is completely biased and one-sided so do prepare yourself for some shocking entries.
And without further ado, here is my list of favourites from 2016 - starting off with my honourable mentions.
Finding Dory was a bit of a mixed bag for me - on the more positive side, of course. I thoroughly enjoyed it because the film revisited some characters I really loved during my childhood years watching Finding Nemo.
Apart from that, however, I did think it was ultimately an unnecessary sequel which was made about half a decade too late, which is why it didn't manage to crack my Top 10 despite the nostalgia factor playing a huge role in my verdict of this movie.
Romance movies haven't been doing that greatly in recent years. The last properly good romantic film was 2014's The Fault in our Stars, in my opinion. Long gone are the days of Bridget Jones and The Notebook.
What we've been getting in their place are some truly disposable romcoms in weaker Nicholas Sparks adaptations or some mediocre efforts like Paper Towns which showed that not all models can make the transition into acting (sorry Cara Delevingne).
Hence, Me Before You came as a surprise because I actually enjoyed the film very much.
It starred the adorable Emilia Clarke and the very handsome Sam Claflin (whom I've already shortlisted in who I would like to see succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond) in a very nice feel-good movie. I found myself smiling through most of it and even laughing at how cute Clarke was in it.
The film was a bit messy though, especially towards the end which is what kind of put me off a little bit. I never intended to include Me Before You in my Top 10 but I felt that it really needed a mention and hence, here it is.
Coming in at #10 is the film which kept me on the edge of my seat in suspense the most all year, apart from the thrilling Don't Breathe.
Yes, a surprise entry on this list. I have never been one for horror films so for two to make my Top 10 really says what I felt about these movies.
The Conjuring 2 surprised me because of its excellent story behind all the scary stuff. Why I hate horror is because the genre is filled with movies that are made for the sole purpose of scaring the audience. What is the point of that when there isn't any compelling story to tell? Cheap thrills man.
The Conjuring 2 had a great story and excellent scares which even made me accidentally punch a hole in my Coke cup in panic after a jump scare. The film is also shot really well and I admired the direction of the very talented James Wan who is known as the king of the Horror genre right now.
Perhaps the least-known film from this list, I, Daniel Blake was perhaps the most realistic movie I have ever watched.
I went to see it thanks to an invitation from my lecturer for a class excursion to the local cinema, and it was a lovely experience. The film is shot in the same city I live in right now in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and it was so lovely to see it on the big screen.
I had no idea that the film had also won 2016's Palme D'Or, also known as the best film of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
I had no time to review it because I watched it at a time where I was packed with assignments, but I really liked the film and it really tugged at the heartstrings.
At #8 is Bridget Jones's Baby, a sequel 12 years in the making and one which I truly appreciated for not being made for the sake of forking out as much money as possible from audiences who still remember the original movie.
As mentioned with Me Before You, there has been such a lack of memorable romcoms in recent years. I really feel that Bridget Jones's Baby is the romcom we've been waiting for cos I had a blast with it.
It was nice too how they managed to update the film to how life is in this current day and age because the previous films do not age very well.
Yes, folks. Only #7 on my list. Don't get me wrong though, Civil War was an absolute blast and I had a great time with it. The only thing is that after some time, the hype really died down and I became more fond with other releases.
Marvel are one heck of a consistent bunch, managing to have at least one film included in my Top 10 lists of the past three years. Civil War is probably one of their better films made in recent years because in essence, it's still a Captain America film and yet it included so many heroes in an epic battle.
Oh, and it introduced us to an awesome new Spider-Man as well so that's a definite ratings-booster as shoehorned in as he was.
Now, before Bucky comes after my guts for only ranking this movie where it is, "Longing... Rusted... Seventeen... Daybreak..."
I never knew that animated movies would ever have hidden deeper meanings apart from what is shown. That was until I watched Zootopia and I was mesmerised.
I was amazed at how deep a story it implied under the surface of an innocent kids' movie - making it a film both grown-ups and children could fully appreciate.
What's more, the character dynamic between Nick (Jason Bateman) and Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) was fantastic considering how they both do things to break species-stereotypes. Such brilliant social commentary and one heck of a good film.
If I didn't include Deadpool on this list, I must have gone mad. Deadpool was one of the first few movies I had seen in 2016 and it immediately set such a high benchmark for the rest of the year's offerings to follow.
The fact that it made it to my Top 5 shows just how highly I rate this film. Sure, many can argue that it's overrated but hey, this is my list, and I loved Deadpool.
After the many years the film spent in pre-production limbo as well as the countless production issues it had, the final product was just astounding. This was THE Deadpool the fans wanted and it was a film which appealed to the neutral too.
I don't think I've ever encountered more underage people trying to sneak in to catch a movie (I'm proudly one of them, twice) in the many years I've been patronising cinemas than for Deadpool. Says a lot about how much the people liked it. Hope the sequel will get a bigger budget and more swear words.
Perhaps another surprise here at #4. No folks, I'm not crazy. My fourth spot does indeed go to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
When I first watched the movie, I was one of those who actually appreciated the film and thought it was absolutely epic. Yes, the theatrical cut was a mess but I still had a good time and I enjoyed the new additions to the DC universe, especially in Ben Affleck's brilliant new Batman and Gal Gadot's wonderful (if you'll forgive the pun) Wonder Woman.
When the Ultimate Edition was released, I went berserk because it was so much better. It actually added to the film and made everything add up and make sense.
It was so good that I had absolutely no doubts in adding it to my Top 10. What a film, what a spectacle. Screw the haters, BvS was awesome.
I wish I could have ranked this film higher. Sadly, there were just two others that managed to top The Nice Guys.
I had such a blast with this film. It was so smartly written with such brilliant dialogue and characters, along with such a perfect mix of physical and verbal comedy from Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.
It's such a shame that the film didn't get that wide a release in Singapore, or worldwide, for that matter. It's sad that the movie going audience of today are more keen on superhero/crap YA book-to-movie adaptation movies and not throwback/homage films like these.
To let you have an idea of just how much I loved this movie, I was choosing between whether to get the Blu-ray of The Nice Guys or Captain America: Civil War. You know which one I chose.
I hate to be predictable but oh well, I couldn't help it. Rogue One was just so freaking awesome.
I had my skepticisms going into the film but they were all addressed by the time Darth freaking Vader showed up on screen. What made Rogue One so good to me was how it managed to take a story everyone who had watched A New Hope already knew and make it better by fixing plot holes and finally answering a 40-year-old question fans always had.
Plus, THAT Darth Vader scene and THAT character reveal at the end more or less cemented Rogue One's place at my Number One spot... until I saw a certain film called...
It is always such a joy to come up with my favourite and least favourite films of the year and being able to share them with you to see if you agree with my choices or not.
As it is every year, I haven't managed to see every film that got released because I just didn't have the time. As this is my list of favourites, I did miss out on some films which have garnered plenty of Oscar buzz or critical acclaim such as Arrival, La La Land, Silence, and Hacksaw Ridge, just to name a few.
Hence, this list will only contain movies that I've seen (obviously) that were released in the calender year of 2016. Everything that is said about the films chosen is of course my opinion so do respect that if you don't want to get offended by any of my passing comments or if any of your favourite picks weren't chosen.
These films are also arranged in order of how much I liked them and not by how much I rated them officially, hence this list is completely biased and one-sided so do prepare yourself for some shocking entries.
And without further ado, here is my list of favourites from 2016 - starting off with my honourable mentions.
Honourable Mentions
Finding Dory
Finding Dory was a bit of a mixed bag for me - on the more positive side, of course. I thoroughly enjoyed it because the film revisited some characters I really loved during my childhood years watching Finding Nemo.
Apart from that, however, I did think it was ultimately an unnecessary sequel which was made about half a decade too late, which is why it didn't manage to crack my Top 10 despite the nostalgia factor playing a huge role in my verdict of this movie.
Me Before You
Romance movies haven't been doing that greatly in recent years. The last properly good romantic film was 2014's The Fault in our Stars, in my opinion. Long gone are the days of Bridget Jones and The Notebook.
What we've been getting in their place are some truly disposable romcoms in weaker Nicholas Sparks adaptations or some mediocre efforts like Paper Towns which showed that not all models can make the transition into acting (sorry Cara Delevingne).
Hence, Me Before You came as a surprise because I actually enjoyed the film very much.
It starred the adorable Emilia Clarke and the very handsome Sam Claflin (whom I've already shortlisted in who I would like to see succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond) in a very nice feel-good movie. I found myself smiling through most of it and even laughing at how cute Clarke was in it.
The film was a bit messy though, especially towards the end which is what kind of put me off a little bit. I never intended to include Me Before You in my Top 10 but I felt that it really needed a mention and hence, here it is.
Moana
I actually caught this movie well into the second week of the new year when I had already come up with my Top 10 BEST list complete with honourable mentions.
Considering how I added Moana into my list right at the last minute, you know that I think quite highly of this movie. Sadly, not highly enough to make it to my Top 10.
I did thoroughly enjoy Moana though. It gave me them classic Disney vibes as well as some pretty wonderful feels for the new characters and the diverse cast. I loved how they got native Hawaiian people to do the voices for some characters and that's a giant step in the right direction for Disney after the horrid whitewashing show we got in Doctor Strange.
Wasn't amazing but it had a catchy soundtrack (apart from that annoying crab with the very ugh song) and very memorable characters.
Wasn't amazing but it had a catchy soundtrack (apart from that annoying crab with the very ugh song) and very memorable characters.
Suicide Squad
Yep, only an honourable mention. To some - "OH MY GOSH, I THOUGHT SUICIDE SQUAD WAS AMAZING. WHY ISN'T IT IN YOUR TOP 10", and to others - "It's in your honourable mentions list? But it was utter crap. MCU for the win man".
Well, screw the latter. Getting a bit sick of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) to be honest. I mean, Doctor Strange was nice but it was so darn formulaic.
About Suicide Squad, well, what I absolutely loved about the film was the characters and how they finally made their big screen appearances after decades.
I mean, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, a brand new Joker with an incredible actor cast and a connected cinematic universe? Hell yeah.
Yes, the movie was a mess but the characters (especially the multi-layered El Diablo) more than made up for it. No way in hell does it deserve the hate it's received.
Soundtrack wasn't bad either.
And now, my Top 10 BEST Movies of 2016.
Well, screw the latter. Getting a bit sick of the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) to be honest. I mean, Doctor Strange was nice but it was so darn formulaic.
About Suicide Squad, well, what I absolutely loved about the film was the characters and how they finally made their big screen appearances after decades.
I mean, Harley Quinn, Deadshot, a brand new Joker with an incredible actor cast and a connected cinematic universe? Hell yeah.
Yes, the movie was a mess but the characters (especially the multi-layered El Diablo) more than made up for it. No way in hell does it deserve the hate it's received.
Soundtrack wasn't bad either.
And now, my Top 10 BEST Movies of 2016.
10. The Conjuring 2
Coming in at #10 is the film which kept me on the edge of my seat in suspense the most all year, apart from the thrilling Don't Breathe.
Yes, a surprise entry on this list. I have never been one for horror films so for two to make my Top 10 really says what I felt about these movies.
The Conjuring 2 surprised me because of its excellent story behind all the scary stuff. Why I hate horror is because the genre is filled with movies that are made for the sole purpose of scaring the audience. What is the point of that when there isn't any compelling story to tell? Cheap thrills man.
The Conjuring 2 had a great story and excellent scares which even made me accidentally punch a hole in my Coke cup in panic after a jump scare. The film is also shot really well and I admired the direction of the very talented James Wan who is known as the king of the Horror genre right now.
9. I, Daniel Blake
Perhaps the least-known film from this list, I, Daniel Blake was perhaps the most realistic movie I have ever watched.
I went to see it thanks to an invitation from my lecturer for a class excursion to the local cinema, and it was a lovely experience. The film is shot in the same city I live in right now in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and it was so lovely to see it on the big screen.
I had no idea that the film had also won 2016's Palme D'Or, also known as the best film of the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.
I had no time to review it because I watched it at a time where I was packed with assignments, but I really liked the film and it really tugged at the heartstrings.
8. Bridget Jones's Baby
At #8 is Bridget Jones's Baby, a sequel 12 years in the making and one which I truly appreciated for not being made for the sake of forking out as much money as possible from audiences who still remember the original movie.
As mentioned with Me Before You, there has been such a lack of memorable romcoms in recent years. I really feel that Bridget Jones's Baby is the romcom we've been waiting for cos I had a blast with it.
It was nice too how they managed to update the film to how life is in this current day and age because the previous films do not age very well.
7. Captain America: Civil War
Yes, folks. Only #7 on my list. Don't get me wrong though, Civil War was an absolute blast and I had a great time with it. The only thing is that after some time, the hype really died down and I became more fond with other releases.
Marvel are one heck of a consistent bunch, managing to have at least one film included in my Top 10 lists of the past three years. Civil War is probably one of their better films made in recent years because in essence, it's still a Captain America film and yet it included so many heroes in an epic battle.
Oh, and it introduced us to an awesome new Spider-Man as well so that's a definite ratings-booster as shoehorned in as he was.
Now, before Bucky comes after my guts for only ranking this movie where it is, "Longing... Rusted... Seventeen... Daybreak..."
6. Zootopia
I never knew that animated movies would ever have hidden deeper meanings apart from what is shown. That was until I watched Zootopia and I was mesmerised.
I was amazed at how deep a story it implied under the surface of an innocent kids' movie - making it a film both grown-ups and children could fully appreciate.
What's more, the character dynamic between Nick (Jason Bateman) and Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin) was fantastic considering how they both do things to break species-stereotypes. Such brilliant social commentary and one heck of a good film.
5. Deadpool
If I didn't include Deadpool on this list, I must have gone mad. Deadpool was one of the first few movies I had seen in 2016 and it immediately set such a high benchmark for the rest of the year's offerings to follow.
The fact that it made it to my Top 5 shows just how highly I rate this film. Sure, many can argue that it's overrated but hey, this is my list, and I loved Deadpool.
After the many years the film spent in pre-production limbo as well as the countless production issues it had, the final product was just astounding. This was THE Deadpool the fans wanted and it was a film which appealed to the neutral too.
I don't think I've ever encountered more underage people trying to sneak in to catch a movie (I'm proudly one of them, twice) in the many years I've been patronising cinemas than for Deadpool. Says a lot about how much the people liked it. Hope the sequel will get a bigger budget and more swear words.
4. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice - Ultimate Edition
Perhaps another surprise here at #4. No folks, I'm not crazy. My fourth spot does indeed go to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.
When I first watched the movie, I was one of those who actually appreciated the film and thought it was absolutely epic. Yes, the theatrical cut was a mess but I still had a good time and I enjoyed the new additions to the DC universe, especially in Ben Affleck's brilliant new Batman and Gal Gadot's wonderful (if you'll forgive the pun) Wonder Woman.
When the Ultimate Edition was released, I went berserk because it was so much better. It actually added to the film and made everything add up and make sense.
It was so good that I had absolutely no doubts in adding it to my Top 10. What a film, what a spectacle. Screw the haters, BvS was awesome.
3. The Nice Guys
I wish I could have ranked this film higher. Sadly, there were just two others that managed to top The Nice Guys.
I had such a blast with this film. It was so smartly written with such brilliant dialogue and characters, along with such a perfect mix of physical and verbal comedy from Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling.
It's such a shame that the film didn't get that wide a release in Singapore, or worldwide, for that matter. It's sad that the movie going audience of today are more keen on superhero/crap YA book-to-movie adaptation movies and not throwback/homage films like these.
To let you have an idea of just how much I loved this movie, I was choosing between whether to get the Blu-ray of The Nice Guys or Captain America: Civil War. You know which one I chose.
2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
I hate to be predictable but oh well, I couldn't help it. Rogue One was just so freaking awesome.
I had my skepticisms going into the film but they were all addressed by the time Darth freaking Vader showed up on screen. What made Rogue One so good to me was how it managed to take a story everyone who had watched A New Hope already knew and make it better by fixing plot holes and finally answering a 40-year-old question fans always had.
Plus, THAT Darth Vader scene and THAT character reveal at the end more or less cemented Rogue One's place at my Number One spot... until I saw a certain film called...
1. La La Land
I know I said I'd cap off my list of candidates for my annual lists at Rogue One, but I couldn't not include the very best film I had seen from the calendar year of 2016 (despite watching it yesterday in 2017), could I?
I've yet to review the movie but I think it deserves one considering how bloody brilliant it is. It's a musical, a drama, a dance movie, a romcom... It's so many genres combined into one absolutely gorgeous film which oozes style and innovation while paying homage to classic Hollywood.
The two leads in Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone have already proven how well they work together on screen with their previous projects together [Crazy, Stupid, Love (2011), Gangster Squad (2013)] and they show once again just how great they are together, and this time while singing and dancing. It's fabulous.
Along with the wonderful musical revelation of the duo, the film also told a very grounded and surprisingly realistic love story which never fell into the realms of the "happily ever after".
I absolutely loved La La Land and no wonder it swept up a record-breaking seven Golden Globes recently. I hope it does the same at the Oscars because films like these deserve all the recognition they can get. Bless you, Damien Chazelle and co. What a film you lot have made.
So there you have it, folks, my personal Top 10 list of my favourite movies of 2016.
So there you have it, folks, my personal Top 10 list of my favourite movies of 2016.
Do comment below your own Top 10 as I'm interested to see what others think of 2016's offerings. In all fairness, it was a pretty good year for movies.
Up and coming is my Top 10 WORST movies of 2016 list, and I can't wait to get started because it is the list which is most fun to write.
Till then, thanks for reading and stay awesome!
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