1. LA LA LAND is the most beautiful of reminders of why we go to the movies, where cinematic spectacle can be found in the twirl of a candy-colored dress or the tapping of shoes upon a lonely bench, that a glossy homage to the golden-age of musicals can also be the most daring showcase of modern auteurship, and where color, camera, and breathtaking charisma as well as the most captivating score in recent memory can all come together in perfect harmony to create a most irresistible theatrical experience. A lavish love letter to a city that only exists in the movies and our imaginations, and a melancholic celebration of our childlike dreams, Damian Chazelle’s stunning fantasia will once again make you believe in the unparalleled magic of cinema. Trailer
2. MANCHESTER BY THE SEA The most emotionally devastating film in years gracefully finds humor in the smallest cracks of existence, discovers the depths of love among shattered hearts, and unearths the nebulous but rich impetus for living from the suffocating dirt of grief. Writer-director Kenneth Lonergan crafts a working-class world with layered authenticity and lived-in honesty, where every line and every look and every misty breath can simultaneously break the heart, stir the soul, and embolden the spirit. After being enveloped with a lifetime’s worth of such precise portraits of the human experience, you’ll take several deep breaths as the credits roll before embarking back into your own life, with renewed contemplation and open eyes. Trailer
3. DON’T THINK TWICE Movies tend to celebrate following your dreams, because movies, in their very nature, tell stories of the extraordinary. But dreams are only dreams because, for most, they never quite become reality. Leave it to comedian and master storyteller Mike Birbiglia to bring such uncomfortable and audacious honesty to this oft-ignored fact of life as he explores such issues through a New York City improv troupe, where success hinges on the fundamental ideas of trust and family. But when a couple of members find themselves on the precipice of accomplishing their greatest goal of all – getting cast on Weekend Live – jealousy threatens to tear them apart, as the rest of the group is forced to consider where they are in their lives, and whether it might be time to just pull off the road and go another direction altogether. Don’t Think Twice is a hilariously heartbreaking look at why we do what we do, and what really matters, in success or failure. Trailer
4. JACKIE is a beautifully impressionistic portrait of a beautifully impressionistic woman, a mythical figure who lived much of her life under a microscope yet cultivated an equivocal image of dignity and glamour. The admittedly fictional nature of this film directly reflects the woman’s seemingly reluctant ambition to radiate a fairy tale of unprecedented royalty. But what happens to such a person whose entire identity is wrapped up in a man and his position when that man and her place at the throne are suddenly snatched away? Natalie Portman’s powerhouse performance in Pablo Larrain’s hypnotic English-language debut is a profound and unforgettable meditation on identity, tragedy, and legacy. Trailer
5. 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE A claustrophobic thriller and masterclass in suspense, director Dan Tractenberg’s bracingly taut feature-film debut rises above the recent trend in contained “imprisonment” horror/thrillers (Split, Don’t Breathe, Green Room, The Shallows). Behind arguably the year’s best performance in the shockingly terrifying John Goodman, 10 Cloverfield Lane patiently toys with your expectations, masterfully dials up and down the tension, and keeps you guessing from the very beginning, despite the unfortunate title/blatant cash grab that acts as a spoiler of sorts. Mary Elizabeth Winstead also continues to be one of the most underrated actresses working today in the best genre film of the year. Trailer
6. EYE IN THE SKY is a heart-pounding thriller that explores, in detailed real time spanning multiple continents, the moral complexities and philosophical quandaries of the war on terror, where there are no right decisions, and critical choices can be harrowingly difficult, if not impossible. Gavin Hood’s penetrating masterpiece is propelled by a dynamic ensemble, including Alan Rickman’s final on-screen performance. As the media often paint our troubled world in black and white, Eye in the Sky forces its viewers to both bite their nails to a bloody stump and, hopefully, reevaluate how they interpret today’s most pressing issues. Trailer
7. THE EDGE OF SEVENTEEN What sets apart writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig’s debut from the usual cavalcade of teen comedy garbage is its refreshingly honest and caustically effervescent take on the excruciating awkwardness and frustration of being a teenager. In Hailee Steinfeld’s star-making turn (with strong support from Blake Jenner, Hayden Szeto, and a never-better Woody Harrelson) Nadine clashes with everyone: her best friend, brother, mother, and, eventually, herself. She confidently convinces herself that she’s the only person in the universe who understands anything, with the universe either pushing back or simply passing her by. She is both all of us and uniquely herself; she is, in a word, a teenager. Trailer
8. NOCTURNAL ANIMALS is a twisty and twisted tale that crawls under your skin, squirms around, grips your gut, and refuses to let go. Tom Ford’s sophomore effort lays out an exquisite canvas for its murderer’s row of actors to chew the scenery into an artful pulp, with Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Shannon, and a surprisingly nightmarish Aaron Taylor-Johnson lighting up this disturbingly dark fable, with love, passion, legacy, and masculinity gruesomely clashing, leaving behind a dusty path of broken and empty souls. Trailer
9. DEADPOOL As superhero movies continue to dominate the box office while trending toward the gritty and oh-so-serious, it was about time that a superhero movie came along to remind us all to have a little goddamn fun. And who better to do that than a self-aware, fourth wall-breaking anti-hero who absolutely does not give a fuck? While most superhero movies, to their credit, try to have something important to say about our world, this highly inappropriate, laugh-out-loud, brutally bloody good time goes the exact opposite direction: it has nothing to say except to point out that, dude, this shit is ridiculous. Trailer
10. O.J.: MADE IN AMERICA OK, I know, O.J.: Made in America is a 467-minute, five-part documentary that probably does not qualify as a feature film. But this elaborate analysis of the man behind “The Trial of the Century” is so compelling, that I am happy to make an exception. Ezra Edelman’s instant classic is not just the story of The Juice, but a damning look at the history of America and Los Angeles, at the nature of race, sport, celebrity, media, journalism, and the criminal justice system, and a singular figure at the center, a reflection and embodiment of all the contradictions and conflicts that permeate them all. Trailer
Honorable Mention: Hunt for the Wilderpeople; Moonlight; Captain Fantastic; Midnight Special; A Monster Calls; Hail, Caesar!; Everybody Wants Some!!
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