10 Movies You Might Have Missed in 2016

Now that the year has almost come to an end, I've created a list of wonderful movies that I believe a lot of people must have missed. These include some mid-way popular, and some extremely 'indie' movies.

Before you start arguing for a non-inclusion of a movie, I'll say I've not seen some of the movies which were released in November and December like Manchester by The Sea, Jackie, Eddie the Eagle, Fences, etc

So here's my list. Comments are welcome!

Swiss Army Man

This dark offbeat comedy starring Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe is so original and refreshing that the absurdity is almost forgotten. Both actors have performed brilliantly, extra kudos to Radcliffe for portraying a real life 'swiss army man' who can become a jet ski, a compass, and also a well among other things. Also, the shots have been captured wonderfully as our characters try to get back to civilization from a deserted island.Watch this bizarre, yet delightful movie now.

                                                  Kubo and the Two Strings                                                                                                                                                     Kubo and the two Strings is an epic tale filled with action, humour and some pretty kickass animation. The film follows Kubo, a powerful magic warrior, who must escape from his evil family which wishes to steal his power. He is joined on his adventures by Sariatu, a talking monkey and Hanzo, a beetle warrior who had served in Kubo's father's army. Their path has many twists and turns, some dark and thrilling ones also. The stop-gap animation style is so splendid, as is the score of the movie. A movie for all types of movie buffs. Plus, the voices of the characters are played by actors like Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Ralph Fiennes, Rooney Mara, George Takei, and Matthew McConaughey. So, another plus point.                                           

                             POPSTAR - Never Stop Never Stopping                                                                                                                          
This mockumentary featuring Andy Samberg (of the Lonely Island and Brooklyn Nine-Nine fame) is outright hilarious. It's stupid, but yet entertaining, and many pop-stars would actually relate to this movie as they are as eccentric as is the star of the movie 'Conner4Real'. Andy Samberg gives a classic performance, and the satire, is always on point.
It's definitely a one time watch.

                                                       Captain Fantastic                                                                                                                                                     Captain Fantastic is what would be the definition of an 'indie' movie. My words must sound repetitive, but even this movie has to be termed as 'original' and 'quite refreshing'. Viggo Mortensen, as Ben Cash, our protagonist lives with his family, literally, 'Into the Wild'; they train, learn and read about everything that is relevant in the world. But does Isolation lead them to be freaks? Watch this family drama of unusual nature that has some brilliant youth performances and some unexpected twists. Vigo should at least be nominated for the Academy awards for his extraordinary performance.

                                      War Dogs                                                                                                                                                             
A true story, based on two 20 year old somethings, selling arms to the U.S. Military. Sounds like fun? Hell yeah. This insane movie has action, comedy and keeps you hooked on. Jonah Hill and Miles Teller are two of the most promising actors in Hollywood, and they give a great show. Jonah Hill is such a versatile actor. He can play any goddamn role with such ease. More on the entertainment side rather than being a wonderful film, but a good film nonetheless. Also, Bradley Cooper has a cameo. That's always a plus.

                                           Raman Raghav 2.0                                                                                                                                                   
    Yes, a Bollwyood movie makes it to the list. Only because it was one of the best movies in Bollywood this year, and didn't get the attention it deserved. Yes, its gory and extremely violent, but the way Anurag Kashyap breaks down the brain of a serial killer is beautiful. And who better to play the psycho than the talented Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Newcomer Vicky Kaushal also shows some great talent. The cinematography is brilliant, the chase scenes were executed properly and the adrenaline kept on pumping. Anurag Kashyap is the greatest film-maker in Bollywood today. Kudos.

                                    The Nice Guys                                                                             
The Nice Guys takes you to Hollywood circa 1970's where we are to witness an accident. Enter Crowe and Gosling, our two somewhat ethical private detectives who become embroiled into this big conspiracy. Film stars, parties, gangsters and guns, this movie has got it all. The movie has a nice 'noir' feel to it as well.Crowe and Gosling share irresistible chemistry, and their impeccable comic timing adds another dimension to an otherwise crime thriller. 

              Hail, Caesar!  
                                                                                                                         The kings of black comedy are back, and though it's not a Big Lebowski or Fargo, they do manage to pull of a decent movie. With a cast like George Clooney, Josh Brolin, Ralph Fiennes, Channing Tatum, Scarlett Johansson and Jonah Hill, one would expect the film to rock the box office. But sadly, it did not gain much popularity, sinking to 6th in its 2nd week. But anyways, its a delightful and entertaining film which takes upon communism in Hollywood in the 50s. It's a light movie, brimming with satire and mockery (as is the style of Coen Brothers) which does manage to keep you enthralled. The plot is weak, but the actors manage to pull it off. 

                                     The Accountant                                                                                                                                                                        Although a somewhat popular movie, I feel The Accountant did not get enough love from audiences. Ben Affleck plays an autistic person, who was trained by his father in military style, and uses these skills to become an accountant for crime lords, mafia and kings.The movie is like pieces of a puzzle spread out, which paint a much bigger picture when they come together. Ben Affleck puts in a tremendous performance, Jon Bernthal, Anna Kendrick and JK Simmons assist, providing a good action film.The film could have been much better if there were more layers to the plot. But, a great watch nonetheless.

                                         Everybody Want Some!!                                                                                                                                                                  This may not be a Dazed and Confused, but Richard Linklater, the genius behind Boyhood and the 'Before' trilogy manages to pull off another classic 'coming of the age' movie. With a great ensemble cast, a half decent plot and a crazy rock-n-roll soundtrack, he brings back nostalgia of college and the decade of the carefree 80s. The movie failed because of zero marketing. A movie everybody would enjoy.         

                     

                                                     

La La Land [2016]

Language - English
Director - Damien Chazelle
Run Time - 2 hours, 8 minutes
Genre - Musical/Romantic
Starring - Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone

La La Land, could be called equivalent to a whirlwind of fresh air. Damien Chazelle, who brought us Whiplash last year, brings another musical extravaganza and brings back to life an almost dead genre of movies - A musical.

Rarely do we get to see good musicals these years, but Chazelle here shows us that there is still some scope for the genre yet with this piece of grandiose cinema. The sets, the shots were so beautiful and exquisite.

The leading actors of this film have already made two films together, 'Crazy, Stupid, Love' and 'Gangster Squad', and have shown sizzling chemistry together. Once again, they manage to make magic and take us for a beautiful trip.

The plot could be called cliched; it follows the life of two struggling artists in Los Angeles - Mia, an aspiring actress, and a part-time barista, and Sebastian, a talented jazz artist, struggling to find his place amidst jazz itself dying. We follow the flamboyant fantasy as these two strive for success or settle for mediocrity?

The soundtrack, created by Justin Hurwitz is magical, especially the song 'City of Stars' and the last song of the movie. On that note, I would like to give credit to the director on the way he ended the movie. The entire last scene was so engrossing, as well as exhilarating.

In all, I would say that La La Land, is an intoxicating movie, that thrills you every second, and proves that musicals are not yet dead. A movie not for entertainment seekers, more for the art lovers. Not everybody's cup of tea as I did note a sense of disappointment among the friends I went to the movie with.

My Rating - 8/10

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them [2016]

Language - English
Director - David Yates
Run Time - 2 hours, 13 minutes
Genre - Fantasy
Starring - Eddie Redmayne, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston and Ezra Miller.

Agreed, Fantastic Beasts is no Harry Potter, but Eddie Redmayne as Newt Scamander hardly disappoints.
JK Rowling has managed to spin off an interesting (and profitable) franchise (hopefully) from the Harry Potter saga.

As a prequel of sorts for the Harry Potter series, Fantastic Beasts delves into the adventures of Newt Scamander, a self-acclaimed guardian of 'magical creatures'. The movie is set in 1926, in the United States, and shows us an entirely different magical society from the one we witnessed in the Potter films of 1980s in Europe. The movie revolves around Mr. Scamander's adventures in the country trying to achieve his mission. Along the way, we have some side plots, that involve the 'MACUSA' - Ministry of Magic for the USA and it's aurors. Apart from this, we have a grander plot involving a certain Dark Lord working his way behind the scenes.

One has to stop comparing Fantastic Beasts to the Harry Potter series to enjoy, or even appreciate the movie. Academy award winner Eddie Redmayne has proved himself to be an extremely versatile actor, and pulls off the character of Newt Scamander with utmost ease. I however, did not like the leading lady of the movie. Katherine Waterston as Tina Goldstein, in my opinion was the weakest link of the movie, and her unimaginative acting drags the movie down. Colin Farrell as Director Graves also gives a performance well below his standard. Although, unfortunately, he was not given much screen time. Ezra Miller portrays the squib Credence, and validates why he is touted as the next big thing.

The beasts are FANTASTIC and Magnificent. But the movie became more about the cause of Grindelwald and the greater good, possibly trying to build up a story to take forward the franchisee, and in doing so, it became a tad bit long too.

Otherwise, an enjoyable film, which takes forward the mythology of Harry Potter. A fan of fantasy films should not ought to miss it.

My Rating - 7.3/10

Doctor Strange [2016]

Language - English
Director - Scott Derrickson
Run Time - 1 hour, 55 minutes
Genre - Fantasy/Superhero
Starring - Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams and Mads Mikkelsen

Doctor Strange is a typical Marvel movie, packed with a good script, brilliant actors, and a right mix of drama, action and comedy. Marvel Studios has done relatively well in introducing their 'non-mainstream' heroes to their shared universe. The story is gripping, and has been acted out brilliantly by Cumberbatch and the rest of the star cast.
One could say it's a smart addition to the already massive franchise.

Also, the movie is a visual treat. It has amazing reality and time bending sequences which have been generated so brilliantly, it would seem to throw you into a 'trip'. Although the storyline is a tad-bit predictable, it is still quite an enjoyable movie, mostly because of Cumberbatch and the VFX.

The story starts with Cumberbatch playing a successful, albeit an ego-maniacal surgeon, who loses the use of his hands due to a car accident. He tries to regain the ability through conventional and unconventional ways, but fails to do so. His last attempt takes him to Kathmandu, where a paraplegic had learnt to walk again. There he finds 'the Ancient One' (Swinton) who introduces Strange to the mystic arts which he must master to finally use his hands. Under the Ancient One and other trainers, Strange excels, until Kaecilius (Mikkelsen) attacks the magical sanctums of the world to summon 'Dormammu' from the dark dimension. The tale lies on how Strange attempts to defeat both Kaecilius and his master Dormammu.

Apart from Cumberbatch; Tilda Swinton and Chiwetel Ejiofor, portray their roles with great ease, both being extremely talented actors. Mads Mikkelsen can portray any villain which has already been proved in the hit TV show Hannibal as well as in James Bond starrer 'Casino Royale'. I felt Rachel McAdams was wasted in the movie, and she should have gotten a bigger role.

Not the best Marvel movie, but not the worst Marvel movie either, I would say Doctor Strange lies somewhere in the middle. But Kudos to Marvel for delivering such a niche superhero like Doctor Strange for the layman, cleverly. In all, a fun movie to watch, one should not want to miss out on it.

My Rating - 7.6/10

Pink [2016]

Language - Hindi
Director - Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury
Run Time - 2 hours, 16 minutes
Genre - Drama
Starring - Amitabh Bachchan

Shoojit Sircar's PINK is a hard-hitting film which brings up the topic of sexual abuse in the country and how the well connected people almost always get away scot-free. Pink is a dark courtroom drama where three women, Minal, Falak, and Andrea are defending their actions which are made in lieu of self-defence.

Amitabh Bachchan plays a bi-polar retired lawyer who offers help to these girls when everyone deserts them, and he does pull off the role with utmost ease and flair, almost typical of him. Kudos to the three newcomers also, all of them have given powerful performances.

This gritty drama showcases the disgusting patriarchal society we live in and how women are judged and subjected to various accusations depending on the way they dress, whether they drink or not amongst other habits. It is so easy to point fingers towards a woman if she drinks or has friends visiting her at night, but do we look at it the same way when it comes to a man? The film delivers a bold message which says that instead of teaching girls to be careful, teach your boys to behave properly.

It is perhaps why I like Shoojit Sircar as a filmmaker because he makes films based on real issues, be it a Vicky Donor, a Madras Cafe or a Piku. Although the movie does feel slow in the first half, the latter half makes up for it. Personally, I feel the movie could have been a little more enthralling than it was. There was an addition of unnecessary characters like Amitabh's dying wife, and I believe the whole political element could have been exploited more.

The best part was that the actual incidence was not even shown until the end credits, the movie works entirely on hearsay of the event.

In all, a good movie, with a brilliant message. To more such films over mindless comedy.

My Rating - 7.2/10

Lights Out [2016]

Language - English
Director - David Sandberg
Run Time - 1 hour, 21 minutes
Starring - Teresa Palmer and Maria Bello
Genre - Horror

What seems like an attempt to make an off-beat horror movie, falls short in providing horrors, as well as a solid storyline. When the trailer says from the director of Conjuring, one is inclined to go for the movie, but the viewer will be left disappointed.

The movie starts off amazingly, with a brutal scene when as a man named 'Paul' is killed by something which can be described only as a horrifying creature. Further, we are introduced to the rest of the characters in the film, Rebecca, his step-daughter, Martin his son, and Sophie, his wife, as they are haunted by the 'creature' - for lack of better words.

Although the movie provides a fair bit background onto who the 'creature' is and why is she haunting the family, there was depth missing in the film; the characters were thinly drawn and the thrills are 'cheap'.

Teresa Palmer, playing Rebecca provides the only silver lining of the film, with a wonderful performace. The rest of the characters hardly have a role in this short-film.

In conclusion, I would say that the concept was nice, implementation was faulty.

My Rating - 6.5/10

Madaari [2016]

Director - Nishikant Kamat
Language - Hindi
Run Time - 2 hours, 13 minutes
Genre - Drama/Thriller
Starring - Irrfan Khan and Jimmy Shergill

Irrfan Khan's films, although off-beat, hardly ever disappoint. Such is not the case with Madaari. I had high expectations from the film, the trailer promised a movie somewhere on the lines of  'A Wednesday'. But sadly, the movie delves too much into the 'message' and thus, the plot suffers. Irrfan's acting, top notch as always, is the only thing that carried the movie forward. The movie overall turns out be quite dull affair rather than the thriller that was promised.

Irrfan Khan plays the Madaari, aka Nirmal, a common man and lone father who takes life as it comes. Until, tragedy strikes, and he decides to take matters in his own hands. Skip to kidnapping the son of the home minister of the country. Can he change the system?

The build-up that one expects from the movie is missing, so is the mystery which should be surrounding a thriller. It stretched 30-45 longer than it should have. The flashbacks as well as the songs were quite irritating and unnecessary additions to the plot.

Irrfan Khan and Jimmy Shergill are provide the silver lining in the movie, and yes, the climax to an instant. But how much can two brilliant actors do, without a good script that should be bringing them together? Irrfan Khan stirs the audience's emotions with his portrayal of a father who has lost the only source of happiness in his life - the son and is hellbent on revenge. Vishesh Bansal as Rohan, the kidnapped kid is quite irritating, and not a character I would have liked to see in such a serious film. The director tries to makeup for the serious overtone with Rohan's character, but that adds more poison to the film.

The idea was right, but the execution was miserable.

One should avoid this movie.

My Rating - 5.8/10 (Only because of Irrfan and Jimmy)

Udta Punjab [2016]

Language - Hindi/Punjabi
Director - Abhishek Chaubey
Run Time - 2 hours, 30 minutes
Genre - Drama
Starring - Shahid Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kareen Kapoor and Diljit Dosanjh

After a lot of controversies and political mud-slinging, the Bombay High Court finally cleared the film which was one of the most awaited films of 2016. And the hype was worth the wait.

The film is dark and intense and some might even use the word 'heavy', but it is a wonderfully made film covering a real topic which is widely ignored in the state as well as the country. As the film portrays (and the title too), Punjab is the drug capital of India, with more than 70% of the youth addicted. Abhishek Chabeu has successfully made an entertaining movie, while delivering a crucial message, a feat that is rarely achieved.

Udta Punjab is a dark and grim adventure that follows the story of 4 people whose fate have become intertwined in the dark web of the drug trade and abuse in Punjab. Shahid Kapoor plays Tommy Singh, the reel version of our very own 'Yo Yo HoneySingh', who sings and preaches about heroin, coke and cock. Alia Bhatt is a laborer from Bihar, who in her desperation to escape poverty, falls into another trap. Diljit Dosanjh is a corrupt cop, who does not give a second look at the drug problems in the state until it hits own home and lastly, we have Kareena Kapoor playing Dr Preet Sahni, a doctor who runs a rehab clinic. Where does each end up?

What makes the movie interesting is the personality change we see in all our characters as the plot progresses, each realizing the effects of their actions. And the acting of Alia Bhatt and Shahid Kapoor is truly magnificent, mark my words, both shall receive lots of awards for their respective roles. I believe Kareena had quite a weak character, and that is one place where the film lacks.

What works for the movie apart from the serious tone, we have some chase sequences, and also have some moments of laughter which take the serious tone for a while. Also, certain scenes are so powerful, like the time went Shahid is taken to jail, or when Alia's craving for drugs starts.

The music is electrifying and keeps one 'amped-up' throughout. Kudos to Amit Trivedi.

Abhishek Chaubey, a director who has shown his talent in Ishqiya, has certainly escalated his levels. It is commendable how he manages to converge different characters and plotlines into a single story, something which Guy Ritchie has managed to excel in (Snatch, RocknRolla). But the first half of the movie was much-much more interesting that the second half, as it seemed like the movie was going towards the documentary route.

Nevertheless, this is not a movie one should miss out on.

My Rating - 8.6/10

Raman Raghav 2.0 [2016]

Language - Hindi
Director - Anurag Kashyap
Run Time - 2 hours, 7 minutes
Genre - Drama/Thriller
Starring - Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vicky Kaushal

Raman Raghav is a groundbreaking film, for it explores the mind of a serial killer, which has hardly been covered by Bollywood, and yet never so brilliantly. Yes, the film is intense and gory and violent and people with soft hearts should probably avoid it, but that is where the Kashyap strikes the right chord, as such a gruesome portrayal of a serial killer has never been seen on the silver screen (Bollywood only).

Both our protagonists are interesting characters and the chemistry between them works out really well. Nawazuddin Siddiqui plays Ramanna, a serial killer who is trying to emulate the famed 60's killer Raman Raghav. On the other hand, we have Vicky Kaushal playing ACP Raghavan who is drug addict apart from being manipulative human being. Both are on the hunt for each other, as we get to enjoy a wonderful game of cat and mouse.

Nawazuddin is a proven actor now, as he has demonstrated he can play a wide variety of roles quite convincingly. I think he might be the best actor in Bollywood right now. His scary performance is what keeps the audience enthralled throughout the movie. Vicky Kaushal is just his third film is also quite good. The chemistry between the characters, as Raman tries to find his Raghav is top notch, with each complimenting the other.

The cinematography was brilliant, with certain shots having been so perfectly executed. I'd also like to specially mention the opening credits scene, which was so amazing laid out.

The biggest negative has to be the music. The background score was loud, as well as appalling, sometimes hurting the entire scene. And also, the font used everywhere in the film was so pathetic, it seemed like it was picked up from one the old 'Microsoft Word' fonts and tinkered around here and there.

The concept of having the story split into various acts was also refreshing, and thus, the plot deviation didn't seem all that haphazard. The adrenaline kept pumping all throughout the movie. What could have been such a cliched ending was avoided, and therein lies the credit to Mr. Kashyap.

Lastly, I would again like to give some praise to the man who made this movie, and is the best director in Bollywood - Anurag Kashyap, a man of genius intellect. All his films have been so revolutionary. Be it a Black Friday or a No Smoking, Dev D, Gangs of Wasseypur, or Ugly, he has delivered time and again, and changed our way of thinking about the human nature. We hardly recognize the demons that live among us.

If you don't mind a somewhat intense and gory film, this is not to be missed out on.

My Rating - 8/10

X-Men : Apocalypse [2016]

Language - English
Director - Bryan Singer
Run Time - 2 hours, 24 minutes
Genre - Action/Drama
Starring - James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Olivia Munn, Sophie Turner, Nicholas Hoult, Oscar Isaac and Rose Byrne

Before watching this movie, I was quite skeptical about the same because of the criticism it received regarding its heavy action and lack of plot development. Although, I was pleasantly surprised as I really liked the movie.

The movie follows the X-Men battling out against Apocalypse, the world's first mutant who has risen to power after spending a couple millennia buried underground.

The movie was shot beautifully, each scene more captivating than the previous. The way all the characters were introduced in the first half of the movie was brilliant, and the action was just as much was required. Some people are saying too many characters ruined the film, but one has to understand that X-men movies have always been this way, with multiple characters, as it's a team and not a one-man show. You had the usual suspects - Professor X, Magneto, Mystique, Beast and Quicksilver with a re-imagination of old school X-Men characters Jean, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Angel. And yes, Olivia Munn rocked it as Psylocke, although I would have liked her to have more screen time. Fun Fact - She has done all her stunts in the movie herself. Have a look at her badassery below

SPOILER NEXT PARAGRAPH, Proceed with CAUTION.

Apart from her, all other actors also performed wonderfully, with James McAvoy (Professor X), Michael Fassbender (Magneto), Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) and Nicholas Hoult (Beast) reprising their roles from the previous movies with quite a lot of ease, and newcomers Sophie Turner (Jean), Tye Sheridan (Cyclops) and Alexandra Shipp (Storm) also showing a promising performance. Evan Peters as Quicksilver has to be the most entertaining character, and his scenes always add some well-deserved humor in the X-Men movies. Nightcrawler and Angel were very dull, I feel their characters could have been improved upon.

I do admit that the villain seemed a bit too cliched, and was killed off quite easily too, but what everyone will not get it is that Jean Grey is one of the most powerful mutants in the world, and her using the 'Phoenix Force' to subdue Apocalypse is also in a way the set up for the next film; which shall involve another one of the greatest foes of X-Men, 'Mister Sinister', as hinted in the post-credits scene. Also, I would like to say the destruction could have been curtailed, it seemed to incline more towards a Transformers movie.

One could argue that X-Men franchise is having no continuity at all, but Bryan Singer had earlier mentioned that X-Men: The Last Stand has been removed from continuity, and the current continuity follows more on the lines of First Class, Days of Future Past and now, Apocalypse.

The background score by John Ottman, was spot on, especially during the first couple scenes of 3200 BC when Apocalypse was buried in the rubble by his followers who despised the false God.

The cameo by Wolverine was also brilliant. I am quite sad that Wolverine 3 is going to be Hugh Jackman's last movie as Wolverine. I don't think any of us can imagine Wolverine played by somebody else.

One error in the film that I noticed was there were discrepancies in the voice modulation of Oscar Isaac (Apocalypse). In some scenes, his voice was quite deep, and in some scenes, not so deep. Such a mistake is not acceptable from a giant studio like 20th Century Fox.

In all, I would say it's a really enjoyable film with the right formula of action and drama, and a pinch of humor to top it off. Bryan Singer has again proved himself by taking the X-Men cinematic universe  to the next level. Can't wait to see what more he has in store.

My Rating - 8/10