2016 is now halfway over (I know, I can’t believe it either). With that being said, there have been some worthwhile movies that have graced the screen for the first six months.
These movies vary very greatly from superhero, to horror, to existential drama, but are all well acted, offer something to say and are very much entertaining. Keep in mind I haven’t seen every film that has been released so far, but as of right now here are the best movies of 2016 so far in alphabetical order:
10 Cloverfield Lane
Aside from the the last ten minutes, the majority of Dan Trachtenberg’s film is a highly suspenseful thrill ride that manages to do a lot by doing so little. The way Trachtenberg uses the locations is one of the film’s main strengths. The film mainly takes place in one location, which gives the film a great claustrophobic atmosphere, and allows for some scenes that are tense. The performances of the film are actually some of the best of this year. Mary Elizabeth Winstead manages to get across the fear and anxiety of her situation off very well, but it is John Goodman who is the real highlight. He gives a performance that is equal parts terrifying, but also has sprouts of humor as well. What is so great about Goodman’s performance is how well he walks a tightrope of ambiguity to toy with the audiences’ perception of him. At times he does not seem trust worthy because of the way he sometimes acts, but he does seem to genuinely care about the other characters’ safety. Is this all real? Is it just an act he is pulling off? This is were some of the suspense comes from, and Goodman gives one of the best performances of his career. Though the ending was less than satisfying, this is still one of the better thrillers of the year.
Captain America: Civil War
The latest installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is the best one yet. While the film does include some of the usual elements of a Marvel film (such as funny one liners), directors Anthony and Joe Russo manage to make a darker film than any of the previous Marvel films in much smaller scale. The two directors manage to balance and handle so many characters and present exciting action scenes that are some of the best ever seen in a superhero film (especially the airport scene). The Russos; however, do manage to make the quiet scenes very investing and the actors’ effective performances do bring great tension and serious drama to the film. Chris Evans manage to continue to shine in his portrayal as Captain America, but it is Robert Downey Jr. who manages to give an affecting performance as Tony Stark. Downey Jr, manages to bring a much more broken character this time around and Downey is very convincing in the more serious take of the character. The film is also highlighted by new characters such as Tom Holland Spider-Man, who manages to bring some laughs, and Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, who manages to bring some emotion to the film. The film also gives us the best and one of the most fleshed out villains in the Marvel films to date with Daniel Bruhl’s Zemo. The film is emotional, exciting, well acted, and one of the best superhero films in this recent superhero boom in recent years.
Everybody Wants Some!!
Richard Linklater’s film about a 1980s college baseball team is one of the director’s best films. It feels unique because the film isn’t about playing baseball necessarily, but it is really about the interactions that the teams have in the three days before classes start. It is a nostalgic view of the 80s with one of the best soundtracks of the year, but the film is also very relatable as the team hangs out, has friendly competitions, talk about girls, and going to clubs at night. This is due to the natural chemistry between the actors on the team and the interactions that the actors have does lead to some funny comedy. The film also features a star making performance from Blake Jenner as a college freshman who manages to be very likable because Jenner is very charming in the role. He also has great chemistry with Zoey Deutch, and the scenes they share are very sweet. The two of them share one of the most authentic romance scenes I have seen this year.
Green Room
Much like 10 Cloverfield Lane, Jeremy Saulnier’s thriller mostly takes place in one location and is filled with great suspense (the ending is much more satisfying too). The film is highlighted by three great performances from a perfectly cast Patrick Stewart, who is quietly sinister as the leader of a group of neo-Nazis, to Imogen Poots who manages to be strong and bring some emotional weight to the film, but it is Anton Yelchin who is the reason to see the film. He convincingly manages to get off across the fear of the situation very well and he too brings some sympathetic emotion as well. In case you didn’t know, Yelchin recently passed away, and watching this is actually rather sad because he is so good in the film and we won’t be getting anymore of him (thankful we will see him in the next Star Trek film). The film is violent, but there are some very great tense moments, especially the climax. If you want to have a great thrill, watch this one.
Hail, Caesar!
While the newest film from the Coen Brothers doesn’t reach the heights of their greatest work, but it comes very, very close. That being said, this satirical take on 1950s Hollywood is one of the most enjoyable and well acted films of the year. The film is funny in the scenes that lampoons some of 1950s film genres such as the formulaic tropes of Westerns, how big budget Biblical epics were high priority to make money, and the popularity of musicals with extended dance numbers. The Coens also poke fun at society in the 1950s such as some people in the film industry being tied with communism and the conservative nature of the times. There is an allegory between capitalism and communism that is clever. These are funny, but it is the performances from the ensemble main cast that makes the film work. The film features interlocking stories, but at the center of all of it is Josh Brolin as fixer Eddie Mannix who is smoothed and manages to have a commanding presence. The film also features funny performances from George Clooney as a big budget star, to Ralph Fiennes speaking like a pompous auteur, and Channing Tatum who pays to homage to the days of Gene Kelly in a musical number (can we cast him in every musical for now on please?). The best performance in the film is by Alden Ehrenreich as a Western star. He is very likable in the film and does provide a lot of good laughs. There is something special about him and I hope he becomes a star one day. The film does feature a lot small scenes that provide a lot of laughs from its performances and from its parody of 1950s Hollywood.
Knight of Cups
Terrence Malick’s latest existential drama follows the same style as his last two films where there is little dialogue and the camera merely drifts with the actors who provide occasional voice overs in a whispery tone. Yes, this film is not for everyone. It will bore and frustrate some and it will enlighten others. While I haven’t been the biggest fan of Malick’s latest films and this film may be equally if not more indulgent (almost to the point of parody) than his last two films, there is something about Knight of Cups that really resonated with me. The first is the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki who manages to capture the city of Los Angeles with its pretty houses, big celebrity parties, and strip clubs hypnotically and beautifully, but more importantly Lubezki manages to capture a underwater feeling to Christian Bale’s character. He plays a Hollywood screenwriter who looks lost with life and is searching for something or anything to make him….feel. He tries to make this happen by having relationships with various women (Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Frieda Pinto, Teresa Palmer, Imogen Poots, Isabel Lucas), but he can never seem to find what he is looking for. As mentioned before, Malick and Lubezki manage to go inside the head of Bale’s character to really get a good idea how empty the character feels, but the story (though loose as it is) really is rather affective. Malick does employ a visual metaphor in the film that has dogs trying, unsuccessfully, to grab a ball from a pool. Is this what Malick is trying to say? In times of sadness, in which Bale’s character goes through, do we not all try and find an outlet to rejuvenate ourselves to make us feel better? Even still, does that outlet always seem fleeting like that it does not fix the actual problem? Are we just trying to find things, even the smallest of things, for us to keep going? Part philosophical/existential drama, part Los Angeles celebrity satire, part effective romantic drama, Malick’s Knight of Cups is one of the best he has done even if it seems lesser to some of his better works (Days of Heaven for example). A rewatch for this film is certainly in order to really understand it since there is a lot going on her. While this film may be frustrating at times, give it a chance.
The Lobster
Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest is one of the most offbeat comedies in recent years, but it is also one of the most brilliant, honest and good looking. The film is set in an alternate reality where people must find a mate or else they will be turned into an animal. The premise is definitely weird, but it is a true and very funny social commentary on the fact that we are a couples based society and how much pressure we actually put on people to find someone by a certain age. The film is anchored by a hilarious performance by Colin Farrell (one of the best performances of his career). His awkward mannerisms and his nervous actions towards the women he is trying to get with are pretty funny and do lead to some good laughs. Farrell also has great chemistry with Rachel Weisz and their scenes together does give the film some genuine heartfelt emotion.The film also features some funny performances from John C. Reilly and Ben Wishaw that lead to some laughs. Lea Seydoux, Jessica Barden, and Ashley Jensen also provide some good work in their scenes as well. Though the second half of the film may not match up to the first, The Lobster is still a funny and smart comedy/drama.
The Nice Guys
Shane Black is someone who knows how to do the buddy cop movie genre well, and The Nice Guys is no exception. The joy of the film is the comedic chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe, who both manage to give humorous one-liners and manage off set each other perfectly. Between Crowe’s brutal nature and Gosling’s hapless luck there some great laughs between them as they try to solve the mystery. They provide most of the comedy, but it is Angourie Rice who almost manages to outshine Crowe and Gosling. Rice manages to hold her own against them by acting mature, and she also has some remarkable chemistry with Gosling. Their father/daughter relationship also provides some laughs and also provides some heart. The other supporting cast such as Matt Bomer and Margaret Qualley are also very strong and provide some memorable moments. It may not be Black’s strongest film, but Crowe and Gosling make it work.
Sing Street
Despite location and year differences, Sing Street kind of follows the same idea as Carney’s previous (and great) musical comedy-drama Begin Again. Both films feature some people who have the odds against them, but with the power of their makeshift band and optimism, they manage to raise their spirits and a romance develops. That being said, the cast does manage to make the material something special and present something enjoyable and rather sweet. Featuring a cast of mostly unknowns, the actors are memorable playing Irish teenagers, but it is the two main leads, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo and Lucy Boyton, that make the film worth watching. Walsh-Peele manages to convey the shyness of his character very well, but the way he shows great hope for his band makes him very likable. He does provide some good laughs because of his strong chemistry with the rest of his bandmates. His chemistry with Boyton is extremely strong and the scenes they share together are filled with authentically sweet and natural. I hope this film gets people to notice them. Plus, like Begin Again and Carney’s other film Once, Sing Street does provide some good music scenes. While its ending may feel a bit off, it does sum up the film’s theme of breaking free of troubled life with high hopes and optimism.
The Witch
I said in my original review that “The Witch is what all modern horror films should strive to be” mainly because the movie manages to stray away from the cliches of what most horror films use. There are no jump scares, but inside director Robert Eggers makes a great, refreshing film as he takes his time to slowly build the tension as the stranger, supernatural things start to happen. Eggers relies mostly on the haunting atmosphere, images, and setting to get across the scares and they work unbelievably well. Eggers manages to keep and maintain this great sense of eery dread throughout the entire film. Even in the most quiet, non suspenseful/scary moments this sense of dreadful atmosphere continues be present. The great shots of the characters practically being swallowed in trees of the dreary forest is a good example of that dread being present. Even though nothing bad is happening, there feels something bad will happen. That sense of something bad is going happening is always present and that is what makes The Witch so great. Eggers makes the atmosphere and scary images sit with you instead of going for a cheap scare, and the slow pace manages to do that. Plus, the film is highlighted by a star making performance from Anya Taylor-Joy who manages to get off the fear and paranoia of the situations very well. The Witch is creepy and unnerving and one of the best horror films in recent memory.
Zootopia
Disney’s latest animated feature may not rank up with their best work, but it certainly does come close. The animation is all around great with its pleasingly vibrant colors. The film is funny in some of its inspired comedy (the DMV scene is one funniest scenes of the year), emotionally heartfelt in some of its quieter scenes, and exciting in some of the more action paced scenes. The designs of the film’s world, such as its sprawling city landscapes and its separate, distinct districts are great to look at and are creative. Plus, the film did give us one of the best film characters of the year with Judy Hopps as the new police recruit. Ginnifer Goodwin voice performance as Hopps is one of the best of the year as she makes Hopps’ bright and exciting personality, as well as her fierce determination when trying to gain respect, is just a joy to watch. It is hard to not like this character as she is extremely likable, and some of the good drama comes from her trying to make something of herself. All the other characters are also very memorable and all their voice actors, particularly Jason Bateman (who has great chemistry with Goodwin), Jenny Slate and Idris Elba, are all very good. But it is the sophistication of its screenplay in which it tackles issues of stereotyping and prejudice that makes it a bit more mature than most animated films go. Though it may hammer the theme in just a little bit, it doesn’t try to talk down to the audience, it presents itself with good sophistication, and presents itself easily so kids can understand. Who knew a film about cute talking animals could be this relevantly thought-provoking?
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