All eyes may be on Damien Chazelle’s La La Land, Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight, Kenneth Lonergan’s Manchester by the Sea, or any of the other Oscar darlings, but 2016 offered a lot of other great movies. Below are Wylie Writes’ top picks; don’t forget to click the highlighted titles to read each contributor’s review!
We’re halfway through the year, which means it’s time for Wylie Writes’ recap of the best and the worst films of 2016. Sometimes, these early gems fall through the cracks once Oscar season rolls around. Let these choices remind you which films you should still check out, and which movies should stay unnoticed on your moviegoing radar.
Mountains May Depart is the type of work that sets a high watermark for cinema. It’s a film that portrays the cause and effect of our decisions, and how those results can carry through years – even decades – with growth and regret. Jia Zhang-Ke’s film is reminiscent of the equally exceptional The Place Beyond the Pines, only Zhang-Ke is less interested in suspense and more focused on psychology.