The best movies of 2016:
10. “Arrival”
This is one of those sci-fi thinkers that get better with a second or third viewing. Amy Adams gives a magnificently modulated performance as a linguist trying to map out a way to communicate with the mysterious beings in an egg-shaped ship that have arrived from outer … somewhere. Arrival is a beautifully photographed, brilliantly mapped-out adventure of the spirit and the mind.
9. “Silence”
On the other hand, “Silence” (opening Jan. 6 in Chicago) is one of those gripping, important, soul-rattling epics (like “Schindler’s List” or “The Revenant”) you admire — but watching it once in a lifetime just might be enough.
That’s no backhanded compliment; it simply means Martin Scorsese’s historical drama about two Portuguese Jesuit priests (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) searching for their lost mentor (Liam Neeson) in 17th century Japan is brutally, unforgettably effective, and it will stay with you forever.
8. “The Infiltrator”
Forget about “Why Him?” and consider the run Bryan Cranston has had, from “Breaking Bad” to playing LBJ on Broadway and on HBO to his Oscar-nominated turn in “Trumbo” to The infiltrator (I thought he was even great in “Godzilla.” Remember “Godzilla?”)
Cranston delivers some of the finest work of his career as U.S. Customs Official Robert Mazur, who goes undercover as a money launderer to infiltrate the Colombian drug cartels. “The Infiltrator” is just behind “Donnie Brasco,” “Serpico” and “The Departed” on my list of great films about undercover cops.
7. “Zootopia”
As much as I admired the girl-power “Moana,” my favorite animated film of 2016 and one of my favorite animated movies ever was Zootopia a magical and wonderful and empowering rabbit tail — sorry, tale — filled with amazing visuals, pitch-perfect voice work and some of the most impressively choreographed, richly detailed action sequences you’ll ever see.
It’s also just really, really funn
6. “Lights Out”
David F. Sandberg’s feature-length version of his 2013 short is an in stand classic in the supernatural horror genre. Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello give nomination-worthy performances in this expertly woven, shudder-inducing chiller filled with dark humor, creepy twists and some legitimately earned heavy drama.
5. “Sully”
4. “La La Land”
3. “Moonlight”
2. “Hell or High Water”
1. “Manchester by the Sea”
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