My Favorite Top 10 Films of 2016!

It's finally here! 2016 is now in the past, and it's time for me to close it out with what I thought were the ten best films of 2016 (for me of coure!). This year had some great films, and making this list was no easy feat! So, without further ado let's start this year off with a bang by remembering the past.

10. Manchester By the Sea

Manchester by the Sea is such a great film for actors. The situations feel so real, and the audience has to suffer with the actors through awkward moments that would happen in real life. This tale about a family going through grief was so well done, minus a few choices, that I had to include this on my list. Some may find this movie slow, I didn't.

9. Arrival

This director can do no wrong. I swear every time I see one of Villeneuve's films he just gets better and better, and I believe that Arrival is his best put together film overall. Science Fiction films have gotten much more blockbuster-y and boisterous in recent years, but Villeneuve takes it all back to character, and what we can learn about ourselves as this whole film is about communicating with aliens. This communication barrier within the film was so fascinating to me, and the language they were able to create and communicate with the aliens are just stunning scenes.

8. Eddie the Eagle

No movie from 2016 had made me leaving the theater with a smile on my face and hope in my heart like Eddie the Eagle had. It was originally higher up my list just a few months ago, because this film will get you inspired and feel like you're a kid again with the notion that you can do anything if you put your mind to it. Honestly, Eddie the Eagle is just a blissfully fun, and heart-warming that it will make anyone feeling satisfied and happy at the end.

7. Zootopia

This film just gets better every time I watch it. I do feel like it's biting off more than it can chew at times, but the overall product of Zootopia is very commendable, and presents itself as a great movie for kids and adults. This film has lots of little details that are fun when you pick up on them in later viewings, and hopefully this will be an important film for Disney in the coming years.

6. Dangal

I actually saw the trailer to this film on a whim thinking it looked interesting, so I decided to check this out in the theater since it was playing near me, and damnit if it wasn't one of the best theater experiences I've had this year. Dangal is such a great film with so many themes and relationships being presented in it. The film handles everything really well, and is really powerful in showing what determination and willpower will do when everybody doesn't believe in you. From the music to the actors this film was a pleasant surprise that I wouldn't mind revisiting again and again.

5. Kubo and the Two Strings

Kubo and the Two Strings is such a magical film. Studio Laika has been putting out some great films for their short tenure, but Kubo by far surpasses all that they've done and really upped their game in the animation field. The writing in this film is so crisp that on repeat watches you'll easily see just how planned out this film was, and how the writing is so beautiful in alluding to the future, even the name of this film alludes. This is a must for any fan of animation, and this is a must if you want to see a creative fairy tale come alive before your eyes.

4. La La Land

La La Land was such a treat, and brought back what I loved when it came to Hollywood movies. It may not be the best film addressing the topic of big dreamers in a city, but the heart, passion, and the acting that is put into this film is what makes it stand out to me. Ryan Gosling has had such a great year with The Nice Guys, which sadly just didn't make my list, but La La Land allowed him to really put up a great, sorrowful, performance. Also, Emma Stone was incredible in this film, and I can't wait to see it again.

3. Hell or High Water

Wow. Just, wow. This film was going to be my number one, because the performances and the story are just so tight and strong that everything about this film blew me away. Chris Pine gives his best performance, heck everybody brought their A-game to this film, but it was definitely Pine who stood out the most for me as a Dad who accepted his fate, and still try to do the right thing. What's good, what's bad, maybe this is all gray, but Hell or High Water is the modern western that was greatly needed, and welcomed.

2. The Lobster

Such a creative film, probably THE most creative film this year. The Lobster is about being alone, trying to find love, coping with what you're stuck with, lying to have that perfect life everyone wants, and ultimately trying to find out who you are. The Lobster is such a powerful film that I haven't been able to get it out of my head since I've seen it. It will stay with me for the rest of my life, and make me think.

1. Swiss Army Man

I fell in love with this movie when I first saw it. The illusion of reality and allusion are intertwined in this fantastical tale of loneliness and friendship. Society is put on trial, and simple questions that we all ignore to live peacefully are subjected through the living and the dead. Swiss Army Man has this energy that gets under my skin, and it is by far the most powerful film I have watched this year. It's satisfying, weird, heartbreaking, and sweet. This is why I love film.

Well that's my top 10 films of 2016. Remember, this is my personal list and your list will most likely be different, there are no wrong answers, just fun and debates. Tell me what you thought about these choices, and then tell me what your 10 best were for 2016.