6) Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
The fact that Rogue One: A Star Wars Story turned out to be as good as it did is satisfying for so many reasons. Not least because, quite honestly, fans were pretty worried about it in the months leading up to its release. As the first of Disney’s planned Anthology films, skepticism abound about whether the idea could be executed well enough to make Rogue One feel like an essential piece of the Star Wars puzzle and not just a cash in.
Furthermore, the summer was full of rumors regarding heavy reshoots that the film underwent, with reports claiming that the studio made significant changes and took over control from director Gareth Edwards. It all painted a rather grim picture. All the worrying turned out to be for nothing, though.
While not quite as good as The Force Awakens, at least not in our opinion, Rogue One still stands tall as a crowning achievement for the franchise, giving us some brand new characters to fall in love with and an exhilarating third act that rivals anything we’ve seen thus far from that galaxy far, far away.
5) Hacksaw Ridge
When Mel Gibson became persona non grata in Hollywood, many discounted the once great director, writing him off as washed up and crazy, and rightfully so. Over the years, however, Gibson’s gone a long way to redeeming himself and his comeback is now in full swing thanks to Hacksaw Ridge.
A clear awards contender and one of the director’s better efforts, it’s a gripping, visceral and bold war film, one that would probably be guaranteed to take home at least a few Oscars if it wasn’t Gibson sitting behind the camera. It’s not only him though who makes Hacksaw Ridge work, as he’s aided by a truly fantastic cast, with Andrew Garfield in particular giving a career best performance.
Say what you will about Gibson, but this film is a triumph in every sense of the word and one of the very best of 2016.