Deadpool, My Life As a Courgette, Tickled: Ten best Hollywood films of 2016

With superhero franchises mostly failing to say something new and remakes and sequels landing flat 2016 was a disappointing time for movie buffs. Luckily between the cracks of musty mainstream and awful Oscar bait, a few small gems emerged which offered some nuance, unique direction and interesting plots. These are not just good English films you watch and forget about a day later – these are movies you’ll want to revisit over and over again. Oscars be damned – listed below are the ten best movies of the year: 10 - I’m Not A Serial Killer Dir: Billy O’Brien Based on Dan Wells’ book, this film is a fun little blend of comedy and horror. We’re introduced to a small town in Midwestern USA which is facing a rash of gruesome murders – and a sociopathic teenager (Max Records) who works part time in a morgue suspects his neighbor may be involved in some way. It’s shot like a homage to the 80’s and the nostalgia factor is taken to another level with the casting of Christopher Lloyd (Doc from Back to the Future) as the weird neighbor. If you liked Stranger Things you’ll love this movie even more. 9 - Green Room Dir: Jeremy Saulnier A bunch of young punk rock band members are trapped in a cabin in a remote location surrounded by neo Nazis, and the further the film progresses the more your nails get bitten. At once a terrifying thriller, a gory shocker and a heartbreaking sendoff to the late Anton Yelchin, Green Room is the film that cements Jeremy Saulnier as one of the most talented filmmakers out there. A special note for the prosthetics in the film which test the sturdiness of the walls of your stomach. [caption id=“attachment_3181180” align=“alignnone” width=“825”] (L to R) Deadpool, Tickled, My Life As A Courgette and Embrace of the Serpent.[/caption] 8 – OJ Simpson Made in America Dir: Ezra Edleman A giant five part documentary that is both epic in scale and ambition, Ezra Edleman’s brilliant film chronicles the strange and tragic rise and fall of one of the most fascinating figures in modern America. What really works is the way the film explores how Simpson, a decorated and immensely talented athlete got caught up in murder and how America as a nation failed when he was acquitted. With the black history and awful treatment of the community brimming in the narrative background, this is a fascinating flip side of the coin to #BlackLivesMatter. 7 – The Wailing Dir: Hong Jin Na With two certified cinematic classics under his belt it was a long wait for director Hong Jin Na’s latest film, and The Wailing turned out to be every bit as thrilling and complex as one expects his work to be. Although presented as a horror the film is a deeply incisive look at how a small town in any part of the world would react to the arrival of an outsider encroaching into their property. The filmmaker keeps you in the dark for a long time, in fact you have no idea what is going on until the very end – and the reveal is rendered in a gleeful fashion – the imagery of which will haunt you long after you’ve seen the film. 6 – Deadpool Dir: Tim Miller If I had to pick one mainstream Hollywood movie that did not disappoint, and in fact delivered much more entertainment than I expected, it would be the hilariously potty-mouthed Deadpool. The film beautifully roasted all the clichés of superhero movies and was a fresh new addition to the increasingly decaying genre. It’s the only ‘big’ movie of the year I rewatched with joy and I hope the sequel arrives soon. 5 – Elle Dir: Paul Verhoeven Starring the terrific Isabelle Huppert as a tough corporate CEO who is sexually assaulted but treats the incident as a mere accident, the film is a black comedy thriller with the satirical bite and weird sex as seen in most of Verhoeven’s work. The filmmaker explores feminism through cinema at such darkly high levels it made me depressed that we’re still stuck with films like Pink whose shocking feminist high point is ‘no means no’. 4 - The Little Prince Dir: Mark Osborne By far the best computer animated film of the year and also the most unfairly overlooked film in ages, The Little Prince is an enchanting, eye-poppingly beautiful cinematic journey. It’s a rare film that works for children as a straight forward kiddie film with pretty visuals and life message, and also as a fairy tale for adults looking for someone who can fill the hole in their hearts – which is basically every single adult. The film, directed by Kung Fu Panda’s Mark Oborne was supposed to release in theaters worldwide but some heartless personnel decided to shunt the release and the film found itself on the lifeline of VOD. 3 – Tickled Dir: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve In the film a reporter follows internet videos about ‘competitive endurance tickling’, faces harassment from the owner of the videos and then uncovers something he doesn’t quite expect. To say the documentary is ‘odd’ who be an understatement. This is one of those films that starts off in a fairly innocuous manner and then slowly proceeds to peel off some layers to reveal its disturbing inner shell that will make you uncomfortable in your seat. It’s funny, it’s scary and it makes you question what can and should be considered as ‘normal’ in the post Internet era. 2 - My Life As a Courgette Dir: Claude Barras An absolutely gorgeous French-Swiss stop motion animation, the film chronicles a child whose mother dies and is sent to an orphanage where he meets other kids who have faced similar setbacks. It’s hard to describe what the best aspect of the film is because it excels at everything — from the stunning visuals to the heartbreaking screenplay to the thought provoking music and the lovely voice work. Onions show up near your eyes through most of the film, and every ray of hope that arrives in the story feels like a much-needed warm moment amidst the heavy snow in the film. And despite having a relatively short runtime of a little more than an hour the film manages to offer commentary on a dozen aspects in life. It’s not surprising that the film is Switzerland’s entry to the Oscars and it would be even less surprising if it wins. 1 - Embrace of the Serpent Dir: Ciro Guerra If you’re looking for a movie that a) Takes you on a strange journey into the unknown, b) Challenges you intellectually, c) Offers you a meditative exploration of life and its many intricacies, d) Serves as a commentary on human nature, e) Terrifies you a little bit and f) Feels like an intoxicating LSD trip – Embrace of the Serpent is the film for you. Like in Apocalypse Now, the film follows a young white explorer going up the Amazon river basin along with a local shaman to discover a mystic herb. Some of the stuff that you see in director Guerra’s visuals is so original it feels otherworldly, and the historic adventure you’re taken through will stay with you long after you’re done with the film. This is a solid unforgettable modern classic.