Best Movies of 2016

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3 of your honorable mentions are in my top 5. I'm sure we have different list criteria though.

1. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

2. The VVitch

3. 10 Cloverfield Lane

4. Captain America 3: Civil War

5. X-Men: Apocalypse

I would add "Fantastic Beasts" and "Deepwater Horizon" (a movie that cements the Mark-Wahlberg-Survives sub-genre) as the most pointless of the year.
By the way, have you seen "The Lobster"? Although it shows as 2015 at Imbd, it came out this year in the US theaters. I did not love it, but of all the movies I've seen this year, this was the most interesting one visually and conceptually (I have yet to watch Manchester and Moonlight).

Going slightly off the topic, I think 2016 has been a much weaker year for films than 2015. It also has been the first year (for me) to acknowledge that the TV shows were better than the movies. And I mean without reservations: more engaging, original, poignant, better shot and written. Like the best scenes I've seen on the screen in 2016 are the Battle of the Bastards, or the first episode of The Night Of. The characters I liked most are the kids from Stranger Things. The best crime story is Narcos. Best comedy Vice Principals/Veep. Maybe it is just me, though.

Mad dog, you liked Apocolypse that much ?? I skipped it cuz I heard it was hot garbage. The Witch almost got #10 in my list but I didn't want to have to think of that movie anymore, lol.

Vlad, because of the increasing quality of television, it's getting tough for movies. Especially cuz the only movies getting big financing are comic book stuff. That's a problem that there can't be another Shawshank.

Hurry up and see my top two do we can talk about them!

I think you're right that 2016 wasn’t fantastic. I think there were only 4-6 really great or memorable movies. That's not enough. Fences making my list speaks volumes... In a year if someone mentions Fences, I'll assume they're talking about a Tom Skerrit TV show

Originally I had Apocalypse tied with Deadpool. I think Deadpool is more fun but at the same time I doubt I'll watch it more than once. Apocalypse has flaws but its more watchable as light entertainment for me.

I don't usually go see dramas in the theaters so I won't see a lot of your stuff until it moves its way up my video backlog.

I need to catch The Handmaiden, Silence, The Founder and Lion soon before I can make my list. Stupid end-of-year limited releases!

Good list, Barney. We'll share a lot of the same picks, if not the same order. #9 or not, your praise of Sing Street is well stated.

I thought Kung Fu Panda 3 was great, though.

Silence ? Garfield seems so miscast in that one. Please see Handmaiden, I really want to know about it.

Yeah kung fu panda 3 knocked me right out

I too haven't seen many, because I wait for dramas to be watched at home. The big screen, for me, is reserved for movies that offer visual feasts. Dramas don't do that often.

But, this has given me a bucket list for Netflix or the like. Thanks!

Black Barney wrote: Silence ? Garfield seems so miscast in that one. Please see Handmaiden, I really want to know about it.

Yeah kung fu panda 3 knocked me right out

If I see Handmaiden, it might not be through altogether, uh, legal means. I was set to go to Portland a few weeks ago to see that and La La Land with a ladyfriend, but the weather turned nasty and hasn't let up since. Looks amazing, though.

I've heard some very good things about Silence, and also some more meh reviews. But I think it's the kind of thing I might appreciate, and it is coming to my area next week (I think), so I'll want to make my own judgment.

I'm sure Silence is very good, I have no doubt. But the Andrew Garfield scenes in the trailer are awful. That guy has no range.

I don't see a lot of movies in the theater anymore. Two generations since the VCR, and at least of 1/3 of the movies I've seen in the theater in recent years have been spoiled by at least one asshole in the audience. So I'm only going to list a top 3:

1. Doctor Strange - my new favorite Marvel movie. Strong performances, amazing visuals, action, drama, and humor. Imagine if the Matrix movies had featured Doctor House.
2. Deadpool - Though the pace was a bit slow in the middle, this was still a bold and witty comic book movie that finally like one of my least favorite comic book heroes.
3. The Witch - Outstanding horror movie with a startling ending. The immersion in the period was wonderful. Still, the unrelenting bleakness made this film a bit hard to like at times.

I don't think we're supposed to like The Witch. I think that's the point. Ballsy filmmaking.

Good list. Happy to see Hell or High Water ranked so highly. More people need to see that one.

I thought it was an excellent year for movies, and I'm still woefully behind on so many. I have firm plans to finally see Moonlight this Tuesday, so I'll finally be able to discuss that one. Have you seen Moana? I kinda expected that to be high on your list, moreso than Kubo. Of course, I still haven't seen either. Some additional yet to sees: Jackie, Silence, Tower, Sully. Maybe X-Men: Apocalypse just out of curiosity.

Moana was fantastic, it almost got #10. That was the hardest spot to fill. I had 4 movies all fighting for it. Maybe five even.

I really do think Zootopia is a better film and Kubo is a better animated film. How is the Academy going to possibly choose between these three this year? It has to be Kubo, right ?

Can you please see Apocalypse so I know if Mad Dog is nuts or what?

Glad to see Eye in the Sky get some love. That one really stuck with me, in spite of the obvious audience manipulation.

Kubo was visually amazing, but in retrospect the plotting has knocked it down a few notches for me, particularly the (too drawn-out) ending.

Really enjoyed La La Land - it surprised me in a lot of ways. Have yet to see MBTS and Moonlight. (on a 2017 note we saw Hidden Figures and it was very well-done).

At the bottom for me were X-Men Apocalypse - so, so stupid - and The Lobster. I haven't been actively angry at a movie in a long time, but The Lobster managed it. What a pretentious piece of tripe.