Once again 2016 has been full of blockbuster superheroes and sequels, franchise stutters and starters but amidst much dross have been gems – seek them out on DVD…here’s my top 10 of the year in no particular order…
- Sausage Party – Silly and foul-mouthed certainly, but also a sly attack on religion and the Arab-Israeli conflict with a richly worked out world where food comes to life. The final CGI orgy scene has to be seen to be believed.
- Captain America: Civil War – Marvel can still do it. Superhero smackdowns with heart and integrity easily kapowing the sombre Batman v Superman and Suicide Squad mess.
- Hell or High Water – Jeff Bridges is superb and so is Chris Pine in this hard-boiled Texan noir.
- Arrival – Sci-fi with intelligence, wit and some hope.
- Nocturnal Animals – Amy Adams and Jake Gylenhaal are great in this twisty film within a film that grips and spellbinds from director Tom Ford.
- Deadpool – A snarky cousin to its more strait laced superhero stablemates, Ryan Reynolds delivered an entertaining, funny and violent fourth wall breaker.
- Bone Tomahawk – Overlooked on its release, this Western is a superb character study and savage scary horror with look away moments. Kurt Russell has never been better as the sheriff after a ruthless cannibal Native American tribe who abduct some of his townsfolk.
- Victoria – A daring film captured in one shot. This is a superb Berlin set thriller that warms us up to its characters before taking us on a heist that goes horribly wrong. Immediate and audacious with Laia Costa superb in the title role.
- The Nice Guys – Ryan Gosling does superior banter with Russell Crowe in this witty shaggy dog of a movie from Shane Black, worth seeing for the toilet scene alone.
- I, Daniel Blake – Coruscating attack on the benefits system from 80-year-old director Ken Loach. Horrifically powerful.
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Presuming we’re not all living in some post-apocalyptic wasteland due to a certain misogynist, homophobic sociopath who happens to be President, these are ten of the films to look forward to in 2017…
- Wonder Woman – The best thing about Batman v Superman. Gal Gadot gets her own movie, directed by Patty Jenkins, so hopefully with some feminist oomph and fun in the downbeat DC cinematic universe.
- Blade Runner 2049 – A sequel to one of the most influential sci-fi films of all times is going to be controversial but with Ryan Gosling and original perhaps Replicant Harrison Ford starring and direction from Arrival’s Denis Villeneuve, this should deliver and not disappear like tears in rain.
- The Lego Batman Movie – The Lego Movie was ace. The same people are doing this. With Batman. Should be ace.
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- Kong: Skull Island – An interesting idea for a sequel as the great ape King Kong’s island is explored by Tom Hiddleston and Brie Larson. Big budget dinosaurs and creatures.
- Logan – The final Hugh Jackman Wolverine film looks set to be an adult gritty affair as the ageing adamantium clawed berserker has to look after a child.
- Ghost in the Shell – Scarlett Johansson stars in this adaptation of the manga classic as a cyborg police woman. Expect alarming visuals.
- Dunkirk – Christopher Nolan takes on an epic World War II film with Tom Hardy starring in this chronicle of the mass evacuation of soldiers from France during the conflict.
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- Alien: Covenant – Director Ridley Scott properly return to the xenomorph that made his name with this continuation of the Alien saga. After the sci-fi success of The Martian and some reassessing of the story after the hit and miss Prometheus, this could be acid blood gold.
- Star Wars Episode VIII – The saga continues, the force awakening further with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega and a certain Luke Skywalker in the reinvigorated space opera, with Looper director Rian Johnson at the helm. Lightsabers at the ready!
Happy viewing everyone! But if you are sitting anywhere near me in the cinema and talking, I will shush you, with extreme prejudice.
words KEIRON SELF