The 16 movies you should have seen in 2016

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The 16 movies you should have seen in 2016

Writer: Naseem Randhawa

There have been thousands of Hollywood films released this year, but with big releases securing the attention of the majority, there are some underappreciated films of 2016 that have managed to fly under the radar. It is smaller limited release movies like these that don't exactly rely on the big thrills, cast names and gimmicky marketing - preferring to go the indie route with unusual and often unexplored tales to remind us why great storytelling allows movies to be considered as works of art in the first place. Some of the carefully selected films below may not have even seen a general release at our cinemas, but these 2016 titles deserves all the eyes and acclaim from movie lovers who can appreciate films that have great writing, brilliant acting and originality which is gradually becoming scarce. Here are the films you should've seen in 2016.

The Invitation

In "The Invitation", a man named Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend accept an invitation for a dinner party at his ex-wife's (Tammy Blanchard) and her new husband's (Michiel Huisman) house. Will soon believes that the invitation is more than it seems especially now since his ex-wife and husband reveal that they are part of a new-age cult. Is Will imagining things or is something really amiss? This is the kind of well written suspenseful thriller which is so simple in its premise, but manages to keep you wondering on what's really happening until the very end.

Everybody Wants Some !!

Just like every Richard Linklater film, "Everybody Wants Some!!" doesn't exactly work around the typical movie formula of having a definite start, climax and conclusion. Like real life, it just picks up on a part of a character's life and unfolds a story from of it. Set in the nostalgic '80s with the soundtrack of blaring Rock n' Roll tunes, we follow college freshman Jake (Blake Jenner) and his new group of baseball friends as they experience college life. The characters are likeable; it's funnier than "Dazed and Confused" and makes you think of life's many experiences.

Green Room

One of the late Anton Yelchin's few good films, "Green Room", is a horror thriller that is easy to miss at first, but once you do get the chance to watch it, you'll find it to be a rare gem not for the faint-hearted. Yelchin's character plays a member of a punk rock group on tour, who chance upon a gig at a shady neo-Nazi skinhead bar. When the band accidently witnesses a murder in the bar's green room, they are forced to lock themselves in and devise a plan to escape from being held hostage by the skinheads, who are led by the bar owner played by actor Patrick Stewart in a rare villainous role. It's a fight for survival with ultra-violent results.

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Cinema Online, 29 December 2016