Film in 2016

Published in FEED magazine - Issue 1: January 2017

2016 was an emotional rollercoaster for the film industry and film fans alike. We had questionable remakes of Ghostbusters and Ben Hur, and even more questionable sequels such as Independence Day: Resurgence and Zoolander 2. These films felt like Hollywood was just gazing at the dollar signs and sacrificing everything else. However, these 10 movies impressed the hell out of me in 2016:

The Witch – Set in medieval New England, The Witch is a gothic horror which makes recent paranormal outings look like child’s play. It’s subtlety only allows the terror to increase. Bleak, unsettling and relentless, the film will haunt you for days after.

Sing Street – Based in Dublin in the 1980s, Sing Street is a thrilling coming of age tale drenched in pop culture references and plenty of eye liner.

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – Set just before Episode 4, Rogue One focuses on the rebels who steal the plans to the Death Star. The film takes the risky move of focusing on mostly brand new characters, and it pays off for Felicity Jones’ Jin and the band of rebels. The visuals are literally out of this world with arguably some of the best special effects ever put to screen. And it features Storm Troopers on the beach – who doesn’t want to see that?

Deadpool – This film was Ryan Reynolds’ passion project for many years. He fought hard to get this made for the comic book fans, and the result is one of the greatest comic book movies ever made – and the rudest! Drenched in gore and laughs, it doesn’t disappoint.

The Neon Demon – Nicolas Winding Refn’s most recent picture about a young aspiring model (Elle Fanning) trying to make it in LA is as you’d expect – drenched in neon lighting, full of nasty gore and twisted metaphors.

10 Cloverfield Lane – A young girl wakes up in a basement, tied up and unable to move. Even worse, her captor tells her she cannot go outside as everyone else is dead. More of a companion piece to J.J. Abram’s Cloverfield in 2008 than a sequel, 10 Cloverfield Lane is a thrilling exploration of ‘monsters’ – from the extra terrestrial to the psychopath-next-door.

The Nice Guys – An unlikely buddy cop movie set in the 1970s that shouldn’t work but is dazzlingly charming, The Nice Guys sees Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe as private investigators who can’t stand each other, but team up to find a missing girl in corrupted Los Angeles.

Nocturnal Animals – Nocturnal Animals follows art curator Susan (Amy Adams) who is living a luxurious life in an unhappy marriage. One day she is delivered a manuscript written by her exboyfriend Tony (Jake Gyllenhaal). The tension built throughout the film in the three interweaving stories is genuinely nail biting and a fascinating watch.

Arrival – When 12 strange alien spaceships appear across the globe, the government turn to linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) to decipher how they communicate and, more importantly, what they want with Earth. Jaw dropping visuals from the ever-impressive director Denis Villeneuve, an intelligent, grounded script and stellar performances make this sci-fi film a cut above the rest.

Don’t Breathe – A new take on the home invasion film, Don’t Breathe is set from the invaders perspective. It’s a compact, sleek suspense film that explores the dingy corners of the house, as well as the victim’s twisted mind.

Honourable mentions: Captain America Civil War, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,

The Conjuring Part 2, The Hateful 8, Sully, Florence Foster Jenkins, Star Trek Beyond, Zootropolis, Demolition, Sausage Party and Dr Strange. Rogue One: A Star Wars story 

Written by Hannah Morse