Rantz: The Ten Best Films of 2016

10. Eye in the Sky
Helen Mirren stars as a military officer in charge of an operation to capture (or kill) terrorists in Kenya, but once a young girl enter’s the drone strike’s kill zone, the mission changes. Well, that depends on which character the film focuses on. You see the military struggle (reticent drone pilots versus a steadfast commander), and the cowardly politicians doing anything they can to avoid taking the lead in an incident that could leave a little girl dead. It’s a well-done, tense military drama that will get you thinking about the implications of drone strikes.

9. The Jungle Book
I didn’t go into this evolved remake of the classic children’s animation thinking I’d enjoy it. I was wrong. The special effects are stunning, the musical numbers well handled, and the voice acting on-point. It’s the year’s best family film, but I suspect adults familiar with the original will enjoy it most.

8. The Nice Guys
Forget “La La Land.” This is Ryan Gosling’s best role of the year as a smart yet dopey private detective paired up with a stereotypical tough guy private detective as they aim to solve the murder of a porn star and the disappearance of a missing girl. It seems to perfectly capture L.A. in the 70s, it’s slick and sleazy, and downright hilarious.

7. Hell or High Water
The script is not perfect, but the acting is. Every single actor highlighted in this “neo-Western” is pitch perfect, with Ben Foster and Jeff Bridges as particular stand-outs. This is a story of loyalty — loyalty between brothers and loyalty between law enforcement officers. Loyalty that is, perhaps, unearned.

6. Arrival
Finally, a smart alien movie where science (and, in this case, linguistics) is the star, not alien destruction. Amy Adams is pitch perfect as she struggles to communicate with an alien life form that she suspects didn’t make contact for war. But not everyone agrees. This is a mainstream film that manages to get you to think deeply about life. That’s not very easy to do.

5. Midnight Special
A father and son go on the run, pursued by the government and a cult drawn to what they think are the child’s special powers. It’s a sci-fi thriller that’s moody, tense, and incredibly unnerving. It takes you a while before you figure out who are the good guys and who are the bad guys; perhaps there’s no difference? Watch this film without watching the trailer (which I’ve chosen not to embed). The less you know, the better you’ll enjoy this film.

4. Weiner
It’s an ultimate fly-on-the-wall doc about a story Anthony Weiner shouldn’t have given the filmmakers access to. It follows his downfall of his comeback after the media discovered he’s seemingly addicted to online affairs. If you’re a political junky, you’ll adore this film. If you’re not, you won’t be able to take your eyes off this train wreck of a politician.

3. Sing Street
Sing Street is a coming-of-age tale loosely based on director/writer John Carney’s childhood in Dublin. It takes place in the 80s and it follows a teenager who starts a band to impress a girl he met. He pulls inspiration from music and his family. It’s smart and charming, with distinct, relatable characters and a soundtrack full of infectious, original music. You must see this film.

2. A Monster Calls
A Monster Calls is a fable about a boy who summons a tree monster (voiced by Liam Neeson) to help him cope with his mom’s terminal illness as well as the bullies who torment him in school. It’s intense and complex, yet remarkably moving and beautiful, with a breakout performance by Lewis MacDougall. This is a children’s story for adults and it works on every level.

1. Nocturnal Animals
It’s a movie within a movie; a story about a woman reconnecting with her ex-husband through a book he wrote about a gruesome murder and rape. But at its core, this is a stylish revenge story that showcases director Tom Ford as a brilliant filmmaker. It feels like a David Lynch film married to a Bret Easton Ellis novel. I loved this and it stuck with me days after I watch it. It stars Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, a brilliant and Oscar-deserving Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Michael Shannon.

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