Here are some reviews of our favorite and not so favorite movies since we last posted!

La la land 

499 rating – 10 / 10

What a compelling and monumental film. I saw this a grand total of four times and could have seen it more. This is one of those movies that comes along once in a decade that impeccably tells an original and personal story while tastefully incorporating influences from the last half century.

 

Beauty and the Beast 

499 rating – 6.2 / 10

Unsurprisingly underwhelming. When you evaluate a reboot or a remake there needs to be a reason for it to be remade, whether they take a new spin or adds to the original content. This did neither.

 

Get Out 

499 rating – 9.2 / 10

The definition of a “cult hit.”. This movie EXPLODED and for good reason. It was brisk, loud and ultimately surprising. A bit calcuable, but other than that I was enamored by the talent of Jordan Peele. I cannot wait to see more from him.

 

Silence 

499 rating – 8.3 / 10

A quiet and shattering film. Scorsese is a masterclass in film and does not disappoint. This is a type of movie that cuts to the core visually, emotionally, and spiritually. I think it was an expression in genre for Scorsese and reflected his immaculate talent as a director.

 

Logan 

499 rating – 8.9 / 10

This is the third best Marvel movie made to date. An authentic genre film that knows exactly what it is and captures you with it’s strikingly original story. What an fresh finale to an erratic series of movies.

 

Hacksaw Ridge 

499 rating – 6.7 / 10

The “American Sniper” of 2016. I had high hopes for this movie, but it ended up being a heavy-handed spiritual film with horrible pacing and poor practical and CG effects.

 

Manchester by the Sea 

499 rating – 9.6 / 10

In my opinion, this was the best movie of 2016. A movie that will permeate all of your being and challenge who you are. It is harsh and bleak but is laced with a tribal hope. One of my favorite character studies of all time. 

 

Doctor Strange

499 rating – 6.7 / 10

Predictable and fruitless. This movie fell into every trap of the superhero genre and unfortunately brought nothing new to the table.

 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them 

499 rating – 7.0 / 10

This was the most overrated movie of 2016 followed closely by Hacksaw Ridge. Yes, this brought us to a new world of wizardry, but it came with no real content or depth. An obligatory and futile addition to the wizarding world.  

 

Arrival 

499 rating – 8.6 / 10

Denis Villeneuve is probably my favorite working director, and when he was paired with Amy Adams, they brought something brilliant and mind-bending to the screen, and along the way restored some substance and credibility to the science fiction genre.

 

Hell or High Water

499 rating – 8.8 / 10

Hell or High Water is not a large movie; it sits itself over the span of 72 hours, but the performances and the sprawling landscapes of west Texas lend it to feeling large – in both look and heart. Hell or High Water blends a classic bank robbing story with the vibrant pessimism of a classic western.

 

Rogue One

499 rating – 8.7 / 10

In opposition to Fantastic Beasts, Rogue One presented us with a unfamiliar side of an already beloved universe. Rogue One exquisitely delivered us to a blazing world of war and death but superbly weaved the ever present familial ties to the Star Wars Universe. Sadly, rewrites caused this movie to be unbalanced and confusing at times.

Stay tuned for more reviews!

Authors : Jesse Ingram and Blake Burrough