The Top Ten Films of 2016
- Moonlight
- Manchester by the Sea
- Arrival
- La La Land
- The Handmaiden
- Hell or High Water
- Jackie
- Elle
- Silence
- Deadpool/The Lobster (Tie)
Most Anticipated Film of 2017: Star Wars Episode VIII
Runners Up: Guardians of the Galaxy 2, John Wick: Chapter 2
Worst Film: Zoolander 2
While Zealander 2 may have placed highest on our poll, there are others among us who really enjoyed the film. Check out Greg’s review for a different take!
Runners Up: Batman v. Superman, Suicide Squad
Best Foreign Language Film: The Handmaiden
Runners Up: Toni Erdmann, Elle
Best Director: Barry Jenkins (Moonlight)
Runners Up: Park Chan-wook (The Handmaiden), Damien Chazelle (La La Land)
Best Actor: Casey Affleck (Manchester by the Sea)
Runners Up: Adam Driver (Paterson) Peter Simonischek (Toni Erdmann)
Best Actress: Isabelle Huppert (Elle)
Runners Up: Emma Stone (La La Land), Amy Adams (Arrival
Best Cinematography: Moonlight
Runners Up: Arrival, La La Land
Best Supporting Actress: Naomi Harris (Moonlight)
Runners Up: Viola Davis (Fences), Michelle Williams (Moonlight)
Best Supporting Actor: Mahershala Ali (Moonlight)
Runners Up: John Goodman (10 Cloverfield Lane), Jeff Bridges (Hell or High Water)
Best Youth Performance: Royalty Hightower (The Fits)
“In a remarkable role, Royalty Hightower brings Toni’s nature to life, as she serenely lays down in fulfillment of her ambitions.” Read Kamran’s full review.
Runners Up: Hailee Steinfeld (Edge of Seventeen), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight)
Best Animated Film: Zootopia
As is the case with many other films being honored in this year’s awards, Zootopia feels very prescient. Tackling issues that are heatedly brought up on every talk show panel, this Disney film also mixes in great comedic moments and entertaining action sequences to keep both kids and adults entertained. Simply, it’s another great entry in Disney’s second renaissance.
Runners Up: Kubo and the Two Strings, Moana
Best Comedy: Deadpool
“Ryan Reynolds will get a lot of credit for the film’s success, as well he should. But the best performance in Deadpool comes from people not shown on screen. Reynolds is at his best when he’s unforgivingly abrasive and sardonic, and screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick provided him with an arsenal of crudities and sarcastic quips, each as hilarious as the last.” Read Daniel’s full review.
Runners Up: The Lobster and Hail, Caesar!
Best Romance: La La Land
Those who have seen Damien Chazelle’s sophomore outing as a director know that the final act of the film is one of the most beautiful, tear-inducing things put to celluloid this year. Gosling and Stone have a classic chemistry, and the mature way in which La La Land depicts the relationship tugs so wonderfully at the heart strings.
Runners Up: Moonlight, Loving
Best Action Film: Captain America: Civil War
Roger Ebert insisted on multiple occasions that action scenes work best when the audience is invested in not only the outcome of the events, but in the characters involved in them. Captain America: Civil War is an incredible feat of storytelling, charting a cathartic, emotional journey that culminates in two high-octane action sequences that hit both on a visceral level and an emotional one. Without that, the airport scene and the final fight between our two heroes wouldn’t be as epic as it is.
Runners Up: Moonlight, Loving
Best Science Fiction Film: Arrival
“Arrival finds a deeply emotional, profoundly moving answer to the questions of life through a slow-build, slow-burn approach closer in tone, feel, and atmosphere to an arthouse film than a supposedly mainstream science-fiction film. And in Amy Adams, Villeneuve found the perfect performer, the perfect vehicle to convey Banks’ complex, interior journey, often with just a minimal gesture or a micro-expression.” Read Mel’s full review!
Runners Up: Midnight Special, 10 Cloverfield Lane
Best Documentary: O.J.: Made in America
An eight-hour documentary about an infamous figure who was already the subject of a highly acclaimed mini-series on FX may have seemed like overkill at first, but Ezra Edelman’s comprehensive film is poised to stand as one of the great masterworks of its genre. O.J.: Made in America isn’t just a riveting look at the trial of the century; it’s an unwavering, visceral depiction of a country with many wounds still to heal. The events in Made in America may have taken place 20 years ago, but the issues feel oddly prescient.
Runners Up: Weiner, 13th
