It's just about time for a flood of “Best of 2016” lists to hit the Web (and yes, we'll be guilty of some of our own). An early entry this year comes from Indiewire critic David Ehrlich, whose annual countdowns of the top films from the last 12 months are always hotly anticipated.
“It's always an interesting exercise to arrive at the end of a year and take stock of the films that it produced, to squint for as much perspective as you can and see what the movies might have been saying to us, or to each other,” writes Ehrlich.
Although these lists are, obviously, subjective, it's fascinating to see which films best captured the public imagination and most accurately represent the year in which they debuted. Ehrlich's annual movie mashup is particularly well-received thanks to his impeccable editing and soundtrack choices.
This year's video kicks off with a montage for 2016 as a whole, then drops into the meat of the matter with the #25 entry and an especially amusing song choice. That spot goes to Weiner, a tragicomic documentary portrait of Anthony Weiner's failed campaign for New York City mayor. From there Ehrlich hits a mix of critic favourites (Jackie, La La Land, The Witch) and more under-the-radar hits (The Lobster, American Honey, A Bigger Splash).
There's bound to be controversy about some of the choices. Some will cry that Lemonade, Beyoncé's visual album that aired on HBO, doesn't belong. Films like High-Rise and Swiss Army Man split viewer opinion. Others, like Martin Scorsese's Silence, haven't even premiered yet.
If you follow cinema, you won't be surprised by #1. The film received glowing praise from critics and audiences alike, and has many predicting big wins at the Academy Awards. Find out what it is, along with the rest of Ehrlich's best movies of 2016, in the clip above.