This is a list of the best things I watched in 2016 on a screen be it a film or a television show. Obviously best is a subjective term in this case but I figure my taste exceeds that of most people so I have no qualms with saying that best is actually an objective term in this case. I suppose I should note my predilections when it comes to TV and film: my primary criterion for quality is entertainment. I like action and adventure and fun and I often find “serious” and “deep” themes in visual arts to be tiring and dull.
My enjoyment of the most recent Star Wars film, Rogue One, was challenged by a friend who asked what I learned from the film. I learned nothing but I was mightily entertained (enough to see it again). That’s what matters to me and I will argue until the end of our time on this world that entertainment is the most important aspect of art.
Of course th
ere are exceptions and you will find them below. There are some films that challenge my perception of the world around me and force a paradigm shift in my personal philosophy and outlook. These are just as entertaining to me as are the dumb adventures that are my usual fare and so the objective becomes the subjective again as different people are entertained differently.
Note: this list covers what I actually watched in 2016 regardless of when the film or show was actually made or released.
13th
This is a stunning documentary that argues that the “punishment for crime” clause in the thirteenth amendment has led to the American penal system becoming a contemporary form of slavery. It shifted my paradigm in considering the state of race relations in our country. This is a must-see especially as we ar
e reaching a point where our gains in civil liberties and civil rights are targeted to be undone.
Black Mirror “San Junipero”
Black Mirror has been consistently excellent while building on cynical and pessimistic views on the future of humanity and technology. Indeed much of popular science fiction is steeped in this bleak perspective though few tackle it as harrowingly and presciently as Black Mirror. “San Junipero” is striking in its departure from this trend. It is a lovely and entertaining and hopeful episode that is a breath of fresh air.
Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens
Sometimes you judge a movie by an emotion, a gut feeling that transcends plot holes and merchandising tie-ins and the like, and that emotion speaks volumes. I’ve seen this movie now multiple times because it makes me feel happy and hopeful. Nostalgia no doubt plays a large role in this but art is personal, and the consumption of art is personal, and there is as much art in skillfully evoking nostalgia as there is in creating something brand new. But beyond the nostalgia there is the exuberance and the brightness and the charisma of its main characters and this underlying tone of hope where you know that even the tragedies will inspire greatness.
OJ Simpson: Made in America
This film is enthralling from the first minute to the last of seven plus hours. I have struggled with articulating my thoughts on this wonderful piece of work so I will simply say that I would recommend this without reservation to anyone regardless of how similar or dissimilar their tastes are to mine. It is not something I can say about any other entry on this list.
Gods of Egypt
Many people would call this a trash film. I prefer to see it as a marvelous gem of B-level entertainment. I’ve seen it three times and each time I was just fully entertained by all of the dumb fun is packed into this movie. There is always an allure to watching attractive people in scant clothing in exotic or fantastic surroundings doing action-oriented and entertaining things. This is a fantasy adventure movie in the classic tradition of the Sinbad movies and Clash of the Titans and the like. I don’t think I would ever get bored watching this movie.