1. Rogue One
There's so much hype around Star Wars movies so it can be hard to cut through the noise and decide if it's worth your time, but this story really did have some cool elements including a badass woman protagonist, a surprising and satisfying ending, and of course some stunning visual effects.
2. Lion
I hope to write more about this one later because it was one of my favorite movies last year, but this true story is wonderfully acted and newcomer, Sunny Pawar, is sure to melt your heart.
3. Nocturnal Animals
This movie was shocking and I definitely wouldn't recommend it to everyone, (especially the opening scene) but it really is an expertly told thriller with some phenomenal acting from Amy Adams and Jake Gyllenhaal. Michael Shannon really blew me away and topped my favorite performances of 2016 list.
4. The Edge of Seventeen
I was actually surprised by how much I enjoyed this coming of age story. It really captures the awkwardness of being seventeen, but not without taking you on the protagonists journey on her way to learning some important life lessons.
5. Moonlight
This movie won the Oscar for best picture this year, so there's not much more to say, but it is a hard watch and the themes are not for all audiences. It is a beautiful film, though, and it promotes important conversations about identity, generational poverty, and forgiveness.
6. La La Land
This faux best picture winner also deserved all of the recognition it got. It's a delightful story with fun dance numbers for all. But it's not just a feel-good flick. It doesn't hold back from showing the real struggles involved in following your dreams.
7. The Jungle Book
This movie is beautiful, and the Academy recognized it as such with an award for best visual effects. The voice acting cast is also standout and it's a modern twist on an old classic, so what's not to love?
8. Captain Fantastic
This tender and quirky story garnered a lot of praise at Sundance last year and became another indie flick to float to the surface of the awards circuit with Viggo Mortensen getting nominated for best actor. It's a thoughtful creative movie, but also deals with some hard themes.
9. Hunt for the Wilderpeople
This movie topped my list of favorites last year, which I talked about in an earlier post. If anything, it put Taika Waititi on my radar, which I'm so happy about, especially after seeing that new Thor trailer.
10. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I wasn't sure if they'd be able to pull off this Harry Potter spin off, but it really was an incredibly entertaining movie and Eddie Redmayne brought his own flavor to the role - making for a great compliment to the Harry Potter universe.
11. Hell or High Water
I recently wrote about this film and have to say it was even better upon second viewing.
14. Silence
This film was incredibly impactful and I mentioned it in my earlier list of movies that didn't win any Oscars, but should have. It might be a good one to watch at home if you are sensitive to some of the more gruesome elements and need to pause or forward anything.
12. Hacksaw Ridge
While it wasn't the best war movie of 2016, this film still had an important story to tell and, along with Silence, really solidified Andrew Garfield as a force to be reckoned with.
13. Arrival
I've already gushed about this movie enough, so I won't do so again, but if you haven't seen this movie yet, you are really depriving yourself of some great art through storytelling.
15. Loving
Another movie I've written about, Loving did not get nearly as much recognition as it deserved, but hopefully more people will see it now that it's more readily available.
16. Kubo and the Two Strings
In my "5 Movies that Didn't Win Oscars (but you should still see)" post I mentioned this stunning animated film. I hope more people are able to come to appreciate it now that it's available to rent.
Have any Redbox or VOD suggestions? Leave them in the comments! I love getting new recommendations.
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