Now that we’ve said our proper goodbyes to last year with my list of the Top 10 Films of 2015, I wanted to shift gears and look forward to the future. 2016 is going to be another exciting year of film. I’ve put together my list of our top 10 most anticipated films of 2016. I thought about numbering these, but it felt weird trying to measure and compare my anticipation, so these will be organized in chronological order instead. On to the list!
Hail, Caesar – February 5
Every time the Coen brothers make another movie, it’s going to be on my most anticipated list. When it’s a comedy, I get even more excited. I happened to catch Burn After Reading on TV the other day and it reminded me just how much I love the Coen’s dark brand of comedy. Hail, Caesar looks great, a Coen twist on the happenings and shady dealings of old Hollywood. In a February normally stuffed with terrible movies, this one looks like a rare gem.
The Witch – February 19
I’m kind of cheating with this one, as I already caught The Witch while at Fantastic Fest last year. So this is less of a me anticipating and more of a me excited about other people getting to see this great horror film. The Witch is creepy, each scene dripping with the harsh unforgiving environment that was early colonial America. It’s dark, chilling and concludes with a cinematically beautiful scene. Also there’s an evil goat. Trust me, you don’t want to miss out on The Witch.
Green Room – April 15
I’m cheating again. I also saw Green Room at Fantastic Fest. But guys, this movie is so awesome! Punk Rock band members vs evil neo nazis, headed by Patrick effing Stewart. Green Room is violent and suspenseful. I saw this movie late at night after a long day of movie watching and I was wide awake, on the edge of my seat the entire time. Trust me on this one and catch Green Room when it hits this April.
Captain America: Civil War – May 6
Of course I’m anticipating the next chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Especially when it’s setting up a conflict between our heroes in a way that looks way more interesting and emotionally resonant than the mess that is Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice and the DC Universe. Civil War looks like it’s going to be absolutely huge, possibly bigger than The Avengers films, which might be a cause for concern. On the other hand, we get to see the introduction of Black Panther and the new Spider-Man!
The Nice Guys – May 20, 2016
Shane Black is back! The Nice Guys looks like vintage Black: a dark, violent comedy following a couple of down on their luck losers who inadvertently stumble upon a giant conspiracy. If you’ve seen Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, you’re probably as excited about this movie as I am. If not, you should probably go see Kiss Kiss Bang Bag…and The Nice Guys (and Iron Man 3, and The Long Kiss Goodnight, and Lethal Weapon)
The BFG – July 1
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I will always be excited about any new Steven Spielberg movie, but I think the director is at his best when he’s making kids movies. ET, A.I., Jurassic Park, these are great classic films that tap into the skills of Spielberg: building a world of wonder that captures the imagination of adult and child alike. I’ve never read the Roald Dahl book on which this film is based, and I probably won’t before The BFG comes out in July, but it doesn’t matter. I still cannot wait to see this movie. The Spielberg effect.
Ghostbusters – July 15
There’s still no trailer for this one yet, but here, have some awesome posters. The original Ghostbusters was a defining movie of my childhood. I watched the movie so many times I had it memorized. I listened to the soundtrack so many times the cassette broke. I loved this movie. I don’t know how this all-female reboot is going to turn out. But I trust Paul Feig. And Melissa McCarthy. And Kristen Wiig. And Kate McKinnon. And Leslie Jones. I can’t wait!
Star Trek: Beyond – July 22
A lot of people weren’t happy when the Star Trek: Beyond teaser dropped. They complained about how it was too much action. How Justin Lin, former director of The Fast and the Furious franchise was turning it into Fast in Space. None of this bothers me. So far Beyond seems like a feature length version of an episode of the original series, cranked up to 11. The series seems like it really wants to move past the disaster that was Star Trek Into Darkness and with Simon Pegg assisting with the writing, I’m confident that we’ll have a movie that’s both action-packed and thematically resonant (aka: what Trek does best).
Doctor Strange – November 4
I have never read a Doctor Strange comic. I know next to nothing about the Marvel hero, but I believe in Marvel Studios. The weird movies that seemed like they would have never worked have turned out to be my favorite in the universe thus far (Guardians of the Galaxy, Ant-Man). Doctor Strange looks beyond weird. I have no idea what to expect here, but I’m really excited to find out. Plus look how amazingly weird and nerdy that costume looks! Cumberbatch!
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – December 16
Star Wars fever is back. Even though I had a lot of problems with A Force Awakens, the film did one thing successfully: It got me excited about these movies again. Well we’re getting more…a lot more. One each year for at least the next six years to be exact. Next year’s will be one of the ‘anthology’ series, one-offs that tell random stories within the Star Wars universe. With Rogue One, we’re being promised the first true war movie; the story of the squadron that successfully stole the plans to the first Death Star. A Star Wars heist movie with lots of fighting and no Jedi? You’ve got my attention, Disney. Let’s get the hype train started up again!
I can’t wait to see all ten of these movies this year, but I’m equally excited for movies I don’t even know about yet; films that will come out of nowhere to surprise me. 2015 was a truly spectacular year for film. I hope 2016 will be even better. With the ten movies listed above, we’re at least off to a good start.
