Ali Plumb's Top 10 Films of 2016 (so far)

We’re halfway through 2016 already – ridiculous, I know – and so far, approximately A LOT of films have hit cinemas, and not all of them have been total rubbish.

In fact, some of them are actually, genuinely , see-them-in-the-cinema great.

Here are my ten (and a bit) favourites to prove it.

AKA ‘The Films That Came Out During Oscar Season’. Released late 2015 in the US, early 2016 in the UK, I’m kicking off this list with a total fudge answer. These are the universally-acclaimed Oscar winners (and nominees) that critics have cooed over – but don’t feel quite right in this list. Except they are. Kind of.

In short, all of the above are four to five star belters – Spotlight, the Best Picture winner, is my personal recommendation – but I’d rather pretend they didn’t come out this year and move on to the other, more fun stuff that came out later. Hope that’s okay by you.

A box office PHENOMENON, this little X-Men spin-off that could is the most popular film of the whole mutant franchise, casually hauling in $783 million worldwide thanks to Ryan Reynolds’ unique blend of bloody violence, bad taste humour and insanely catchy songs.

This is undeniable proof – if it was ever needed – that an R-rated, adult-focused comic-book movie, albeit with a very childish sense of humour and a bonus-points-worthy inclusion of Salt'n'Pepa's 'Push It' could really work. Can’t wait for the sequel, already earmarked for a late 2017 release.

The Rocky franchise has seen Sylvester Stallone slugging it out for 40 years, and this, the seventh in the series, is close to being the best of them all. By taking the focus off the Italian Stallion and putting it on newcomer Michael B Jordan, as the son of Rocky’s rival-turned-friend Apollo Creed, the big daddy of boxing movies enjoyed whole new lease of life, resulting in Stallone’s best performance in years and even earning him an Oscar nomination.

An underseen gem, Bone Tomahawk is one of the best Western-meets-horror movies ever made – hey, there are a few – putting Kurt Russell, Patrick Wilson and Matthew Fox up against some cannibal tribesmen in the incredibly Wild West.

As you may have guessed, things get fist-bitingly gory towards the end, but if you stick it out, you won’t be disappointed. And that’s not just because of Kurt Russell’s undeniably awesome beard, by the way – though that does help.

Based on both the classic 1967 Disney animation and Rudyard Kipling’s original books, the 21st century take on Mowgli and company’s adventures is a heady brew of jaw-dropping special effects, songs you’d forgotten you knew the words to and very impressive performances, particularly from newcomer Neel Sethi (as Mowgli) and old timer Bill Murray (as Baloo).

Far better than it had any right to be, The Jungle Book makes you laugh and cry in all the right places, and you genuinely feel for every character involved, be they wolf, bear or human. Some brave souls have said it’s even better than the original, though I wouldn’t go that far (mainly because I’m a coward).

Like Deadpool, this is another childish comedy aimed squarely at adults. Set in the ‘70s, it sees private eye Ryan Gosling team up with enforcer Russell Crowe to solve the murder of a porn star. So far, so noir, you’re thinking, but with the legendary Shane Black – Lethal Weapon, Iron Man 3 – writing and directing, this is something joyfully different in a summer full of sequels and superhero movies: a dark, clever and genuinely funny buddy comedy that’s not afraid to be very silly and very dark. Worth the watch if only to see Gosling tumble down a hill.

Sometimes there’s a film so absurdly likeable there’s no way you can’t enjoy it. No. Way. Sing Street is one of those films. Telling the story of some school kids in 1980s Dublin who form a band so their lead singer can impress a girl, this is a movie everyone can relate to, even if they never formed a band, or grew up in ‘80s Ireland, or ever wanted to impress a girl.

Sing Street is actually, secretly, about friendship, and brotherly love. The catchy songs help too, of course, but the sheer passion from writer-director-producer John Carney (of Once fame) is best seen in the performances he draws out from his leads, notably Jack Reynor and newcomer Ferdia Walsh-Peelo.

Part horror, part thriller, Green Room is best described as a “shocker” – but in a good way. In it, a punk band called “The Ain’t Rights” get trapped in a – you guessed it – Green Room, after performing at what turns out to be a white supremacists’ hideout. Patrick Stewart plays the bloodcurling big bad, all cool, calm and cutthroat, while Imogen Poots and the late Anton Yelchin are the stand-outs from the young ‘uns on the run.

Perhaps what sets Green Room apart from its peers is its unflinching use of gore and total disregard for horror conventions. Expect the unexpected, then expected the unexpected you weren’t expecting.

The blockbuster to beat this year, perhaps the one to beat this decade: a slick, smart and relatable masterclass in juggling complicated characters that also delivers a genuinely interesting story about comradery and politics. It shouldn’t have worked. It very much did.

Funny and thrilling like Batman V Superman definitely wasn’t, this was a replusor blast to the senses which somehow, God knows, also set up a brand new Spider-Man while it was at it. Cannot wait for the standalone Spidey movie, out summer 2017.

A few adjectives you could use about Zootropolis: insightful, funny, vibrant, cute, clever, beautiful, thoughtful, entertaining, inclusive, witty, trusting, nuanced, inventive, charming… I could go on, but won’t, because I’ve gone on enough already.

This talking-animals-in-an-animal-city animation from Disney could have been another run-of-the-mill bit of kid fodder, and instead we were blessed with something very special, and a new song from Shakira to boot.

If you haven’t already seen it, stop what you’re doing and watch it. It’ll be worth it, trust me.