The Top 25 Greatest Films Of 2016

Countdown of the Twenty-Five greatest films of 2016

By Carter Bagley

Last night was the annual ceremony where Hollywood comes together and awards some of the greatest films of the past year. To celebrate the 89th Academy Awards I’ve put together my personal favorite films of the calendar year of 2016.

Movies That Almost Made It

“Indignation” – James Schamus, 2016

“Zootopia” – Byron Howard & Rich Moore, 2016

“War Dogs”- Todd Phillips, 2016

“Sully” – Clint Eastwood, 2016

“Sully” Review

Now Here It Is, The 25 Greatest Films Of 2016

25. “The Accountant” – Gavin O’Connor, 2016

A film I didn’t expect to like as much as I did at all was “The Accountant”. It’s the perfect example of what an action movie should be and it gives me hope for the future of the genre. From start to finish it was emotional and exciting and I’m excited to see if this film could get a sequel.

“The Accountant” Review

24. “Star Trek Beyond” – Justin Lin, 2016

The latest film in the “Star Trek” universe managed to be action-packed while having the same feel and tone as the classic TV series. Justin Lin did an outstanding job on his first film for the franchise and since I had a lot of fun with this one I can’t wait to see where it goes from here.

23. “Green Room” – Jeremy Saulnier, 2016

An amazingly suspenseful and brutal horror film that has one of the most original and terrifying plots in recent years. With a great performance by the late Anton Yelchin and Patrick Stewart portraying the scary and intimidating bar owner, “Green Room” manages to be intense and memorable.

22. “Snowden” – Oliver Stone, 2016

This film was bound to be controversial from the moment it came into fruition but I think people overlooked the film way more than it deserved. “Snowden” was a very well made film with an excellent performance by Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

“Snowden” Review

21. “Oasis: Supersonic” – Mat Whitecross, 2016

An all inclusive documentary on one of my all-time favorite bands so I may be biased here but it’s definitely a powerful and well made documentary.

“Oasis: Supersonic” Review

20. “Doctor Strange” – Scott Derrickson, 2016

Marvel continues to entertain mass audiences with their crazy visuals and great storytelling. “Doctor Strange” is different than the rest though and manages to stand completely on it’s own as an original and fun film.

“Doctor Strange” Review

19. “Lion” – Garth Davis, 2016

Another film I saw very recently and I’m glad I caught it in time because it’s a beautiful, tragic and redeeming tale of family that will make anyone tear up just a little.

18. “Moonlight” – Barry Jenkins, 2016

This film has received a lot of love and praise and took home the statue last night (after an unfortunate mixup) and despite being good I don’t think it’s the greatest film of the year by any means, but that doesn’t take away at all from it’s good qualities.

“Moonlight” Review

17. “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” – Gareth Edwards, 2016

Another year. Another “Star Wars”. This one, however, isn’t another sequel and instead tells an unconventional story that isn’t perfect but manages to be completely thrilling and entertaining.

“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Review

16. “The Jungle Book” – Jon Favreau, 2016

There’s no way in hell I expected to love this film as much as I did. This adaptation of the classic Disney film and novel may be the best one yet and it’s the perfect family movie for anyone to love.

15. “Hell Or High Water” – David Mackenzie, 2016

An unexpected success story, “Hell Or High Water” is a thrilling and smart heist movie set in small town America and despite it’s small setting and simple premise what it has to say is by no means small.

14. “Don’t Think Twice” – Mike Birbiglia, 2016

A relatable and simple film set in the world of improv comedy. It doesn’t have much to say but it says what it tries to in such a lovely and entertaining way that it will have a soft place in your heart after you watch it. The cast is fantastic and fun and “Don’t Think Twice” is simply just a fantastic film.

13. “Hacksaw Ridge” – Mel Gibson, 2016

Mel Gibson’s comeback film that’s brutal yet inspiring and tells the true story of Desmond Doss, a man who’s courage and moral compass is so admirable that you can’t help but at least enjoy this film.

“Hacksaw Ridge” Review

12. “Hunt For The Wilderpeople” – Taika Waititi, 2016

A film that I didn’t get a chance to see until recently but it was totally worth. It’s quirky and odd but completely deserves your attention.

11. “Everybody Wants Some!!” – Richard Linklater, 2o16

Richard Linklater’s spiritual sequel to “Dazed and Confused” is just pure entertainment that’s funny, charming and filled with classic music that’ll take you back to a time that’s passed… even if you never lived it to begin with.

10. “Arrival” – Denis Villeneuve, 2016

Denis Villeneuve is a masterful filmmaker who’s made great film after great film and “Arrival” is no exception. I just can’t wait until I get a chance to see his take on “Blade Runner”.

“Arrival” Review

9. “Midnight Special” – Jeff Nichols, 2016

Directed by Jeff Nichols who is starting to become one of the greatest filmmakers of his generation after directing “Take Shelter” and “Mud” which are each brilliant in their own right but now he’s topped himself with a compelling modern sci-fi film that proves he’s poised for great things still.

8. “Swiss Army Man” – Daniel Kwan & Daniel Sheinert, 2016

A movie that must be seen on it’s insane premise alone. It could’ve easily sold itself on shock value alone but instead it uses quirky comedy and the excellent performances by it’s two leads to craft an odd yet effortlessly charming story.

7. “Captain America: Civil War” – Joe & Anthony Russo, 2016

Another film that’s gotten a lot of hate from the time of it’s release until now but after rewatching it, it still stands as a near perfect blockbuster and one of the greatest superhero films to date.

6. “Nocturnal Animals” – Tom Ford, 2016

A movie that was a bit divisive in many ways but it’s incredibly clever and packed with powerful performances.

5. “Deadpool” – Tim Miller, 2016

A near perfect action-comedy, Ryan Reynolds pushed this thing along for years and it turned out perfectly. If you haven’t seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and go see it as soon as possible.

4. “Manchester By The Sea” – Kenneth Lonergan, 2016

One of the saddest but most powerful films I’ve seen in a long time. Casey Affleck really amazes here and completely deserves all the praise he’s receiving.

“Manchester By The Sea” review

3. “The Nice Guys” – Shane Black, 2o16

Hilarious. Entertaining. Overlooked. This film needs more attention because it’s truly amazing and Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe make an incredible duo. Go watch “The Nice Guys” if you haven’t already.

2. “Sing Street” – John Carney, 2016

Horribly marketed by the Weinstein Company upon release and overlooked this is a lovely little film that sadly will be forgotten about. Though to the people who saw it, it left it’s mark and to me it’s simply one of the most personal films I’ve seen in years.

“Sing Street” Review

1. “La La Land” – Damien Chazelle, 2016

This is one of those films that will get tons of hate for a little while and for some reason it’s kind of cool to hate it. This seems to happen to a couple movies every year but while others are released to praise and later get swallowed by the hate this one will be one to overcome it. “La La Land” is a beautiful and entertaining tale that will one day go down as a Hollywood classic. There’s simply no other film that belongs at this spot.

“La La Land” Review

Film Review: “Oasis: Supersonic” (2016)

Review of the new documentary about the seminal britpop band Oasis from the producers of “Amy” and “Senna”

By Carter Bagley

Oasis are no doubt one of my all time favorite bands. It seems that lately that’s kind of an uncool opinion to have as the endless sibling rivalry between lead singer Liam Gallagher and lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher has been their most defining trait for their entire career. Ever since their 2009 split they haven’t spoken to each other and even though there’s been rumors of a reunion nothing has happened yet. Despite being a bit washed up, back in the mid-90’s they were the greatest rock and roll band on the entire planet, and I firmly believe that. So it only makes sense that the guys who made the
amazing documentary “Amy” along with director Mat Whitecross would tackle such subject matter like Oasis and that’s exactly what happened with “Oasis: Supersonic”. Starting as a poor family from Manchester living alone with their mom and their older brother, Noel & Liam Gallagher were never fit to be anything other than rock stars. Noel was always the quiet, independent thoughtful one who wrote and played guitar while Liam was always the cool, funny and confident one with the better looks. They didn’t don’t go well together at all but for some reason their relationship is what makes Oasis work so well. The film follows them from when Noel was a drum technician for the forgotten madchester band Inspiral Carpets and Liam was doing lead vocals for a band called The Rain. Noel happened upon one of their gigs and showed them a bunch of songs he wrote and pretty soon he was in the band under the name Oasis. What followed the next few years is complete madness and the stuff of legend. The way Whitecross approached this film is very interesting as it doesn’t have any scenes where it shows them interviewing someone and it’s not just a biography. It opts instead for an in depth look at the band’s biblical rise and takeover of the British music scene. Noel and Liam both gave great insight on the times depicted in the film and the crew got their hands on a surprising amount of quality footage to use for the film. Fueled with interesting behind the scenes stories, fantastic interviews and plenty of the band’s genre-defining songs to give you an experience as if you were truly witnessing these crazy frenetic years in the lives of one of the world’s most phenomenal, brash and tumultuous rock bands. It’s easy to write off the band as just a forgettable 90’s act but seeing the impact they had on an entire continent and listening to their early albums it’s almost impossible to deny that these guys created some truly amazing songs. It all leads up to the legendary two-night concert at Knebworth where the band played to 250,000 people in one of the most hyped concerts of the past quarter century. Liam and Noel say some amazing lines that really give the film a personal and sentimental feel as if they’re talking in the same room together, however they were interviewed separately. Ironically these are the guys who poetically sang the lines “Don’t look back in anger, I heard you say” yet it seems they’re the ones who do it the most. “Oasis: Supersonic” transcends the genre of the average rockumentary to instead tell an inspirational and epic tale of brotherhood, self-fulfillment, and it captures the moment and the impact these guys had perfectly all to the sound of some great definitive rock songs. If you’re a fan of Oasis, documentaries, rock and roll or just epic stories in general than you should definitely not miss this film.

Rating: 9/10