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Kruzereviews' Top Ten Films of 2016

12/28/2016

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​Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   2016 has come and gone and with it, there have been plenty of movies to talk about. Whether it was the disappointment that was Batman v Superman or any of the numerous pleasant surprises, many films this year have caused a lot of conversation and debates. So, I guess I’ll just get to the point. Here are my 10 Favorite Films of 2016! Keep in mind these are my favorite films of the year. You might disagree with this list, but that’s what makes movies so great. So here we go!

*You can read any of these reviews by simply clicking the title of the film!

HONORABLE MENTIONS:
  • ​​Doctor Strange
  • Pete's Dragon
  • Moana
  • Zootopia
  • Captain Fantastic
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​​10. Don’t Breathe


   I am not a big fan of scary movies. For whatever reason, they’re just not my thing. Don’t Breathe, however, is a completely different story. This wasn’t really a horror movie;  it was more of a thriller, and it was great! The film builds a massive aura of tension that never leaves over the course of the film. Don’t Breathe keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end.
   In my original review, I stated that the title of the film was unknowingly a command that the audience willingly followed, and I still stand by that statement. There was not a sound out of the audience while watching this film. Everyone was so nervous about what was going to happen next, and every minute inside that house was exhilarating! I would highly recommend Don’t Breathe, especially if you’re a fan of scary movies!

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​​9. The Edge of Seventeen


   The Edge of Seventeen was one of the biggest, pleasant surprises of the year. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this film, and I was absolutely blown away by what I got. This film was a realistic look at a modern high school, and the attitudes that many kids have nowadays. This film is often described accurately as a modern Jon Hughes film, and it is definitely deserving of that description.
   The best part in The Edge of Seventeen was, without a doubt, Woody Harrelson as the teacher. He was such a funny and sarcastic character, and Harrelson played him wonderfully. The Edge of Seventeen wasn’t afraid to go serious with some of its characters, and ultimately it paid off. The realism of this film was a big part of what made it so great, but it never got too serious. It knew how to get just the right balance between humor and drama. Edge of Seventeen was a fantastic coming of age film for a modern audience!

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​​8. Captain America: Civil War


   The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most successful franchises to date. Yes, part of that is because many people just have a natural admiration of superheroes. I would argue that another major factor is that they’re not afraid to try something new. Captain America: Civil War was the culmination of that idea.
   This film delivered on all cylinders. It gave us a fantastic fight and moral dilemma between Captain America and Iron Man, and it also introduced us to great new MCU characters such as Black Panther and Spider-Man. This film split its audience in a positive way. Many people are still debating as to which side had the right idea. The whole "Team Cap and Team Iron Man" marketing strategy was brilliant, and it definitely got people talking about it.

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​7. The Jungle Book


   The Jungle Book was a technical masterpiece. It gave us some of the best visual effects we have seen maybe ever. All of the animals in this film were hyper-realistic, and each voice actor fit their respective role magnificently! The casting in this film was perfect. I mean, Bill Murray as Baloo? How is that not amazing?
   We’ve seen the story of The Jungle Book before, but this rendition just felt different, in a good way. I expected The Jungle Book to be good, but I didn’t expect it to be that good! It was exciting, it was emotional, and it was a fantastic take on the classic story. If this movie did anything, it gave me faith that all of these live-action renditions of classic Disney films might actually be really good! Let’s hope!

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6. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story was an extra dose of the Star Wars universe that we didn’t know we needed. It was the first film in a slew of spinoffs being produced by Disney, so they needed this one to be great. Luckily for them, it was!
   This film delivered so many different scenes that will undoubtedly become classic Star Wars moments. There is one specifically towards the end that I won’t spoil, but yeah. That happened, and it was wonderful. This film was the story told by the opening crawl in the first Star Wars film, and now having seen it, I watch the original film from an entirely new perspective!

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​​5. Arrival


   I have seen a lot of alien invasion films in my life. We all have. However, I’ve never seen one quite like Arrival.  This was not the typical aliens attacking Earth movie. This film approached the coming of these beings from an intellectual perspective. The best word I have to describe this movie is “cerebral”.
   Arrival focused around Amy Adams’s character who was attempting to translate the aliens’ language while teaching them ours. It taught the audience a lot, not just about language and the way communication works, but it also taught us not to jump to conclusions. The truth isn’t always what we think it is. 

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​​4. The Nice Guys


   Russel Crowe and Ryan Gosling are two of the most charismatic actors in Hollywood right now. Now imagine what they would be like together in a detective comedy taking place in the 70s. That’s what The Nice Guys is, and it’s wonderful. This is the type of film that every time you watch it, it gets better. For example, when I started working on this list about three weeks ago this movie didn’t make the top five.
   Witty dialogue, great performances, and an interesting plot make The Nice Guys one of the year’s best films. Gosling and Crowe had incredible chemistry on-screen together, and Angourie Rice who played Gosling’s daughter was arguably just as good as those two. This film is a lot of fun, it’s not for everybody, but those it appeals to will absolutely love it!

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​​3. Deadpool


   How can you make a list like this and not have Deadpool on it? This film worked wonders not just for the character of Deadpool, but also for the superhero genre in general. This was a character that almost nobody outside of comic-book fans had heard of, and now after the film, he is one of the most popular superheroes out there (He’s more of an anti-hero, but you know what I mean).
   This film was such a clever take on this character and the genre as a whole. With every viewing of this film, you can pick up on more and more hidden jokes. Deadpool’s constant mocking of the typical action movie sets this film apart from many of the typical major blockbusters. Similar to The Nice Guys, this is definitely not a film for everybody, but there is a whole lot to enjoy about this movie!

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​2. Sing Street


   Sing Street is a film that almost nobody has heard of, and that’s a shame. It tells the story of an Irish teen in the 1980s. When he transfers to a new school he meets a girl he really likes. He asks her to be in a music video for his band when she says yes, he gets extremely excited. He then proceeds to walk over to his friends and say “We need to form a band.”
   Based on that description, you probably get an idea of how clever a film this is. The original music throughout the film sounds like genuine 80s music, and it’ll get stuck in your head for days on end. The performances in the film were wonderful, and it has a lot of really good messages for people of all ages. This is a truly underrated film that you need to see! It’s on Netflix, so go check it out!

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​1. La La Land


   La La Land is, without a doubt, the best film of the year. The film follows two characters as they chase their dreams in Hollywood while simultaneously falling in love with each other. Oh, and it’s a musical. Musicals are really hard to get right, but La La Land pulls it off perfectly! Each of the songs felt completely natural to the plot, and it never felt abrupt when they started singing.
   This isn’t just the best film of the year, it’s one of the best films of the past few years! It’s been nominated for seven Golden Globes, and it will definitely be nominated for a few Oscars as well, deservedly so. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone star in this film, and they both give absolutely amazing performances. From the music to the cinematography, to just about anything in this film, La La Land is absolutely magnificent! 

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​   So do you agree with my list? What were some of your favorite films of the year? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this article, share it on Facebook and Twitter! It really helps! Don’t forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!
Thanks for stopping by!
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    Kyle Kruse

    See more of my reviews and articles on The Daily Nebraskan!

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