Top 5 Movies of 2016

2016 may have been a rough year in other areas, but there were some magnificent moments at the movies. Here are my top 5 movies of the year.

5. Sing Street

John Carney’s (Once, Begin Again) third music-focused feature perfectly captures the teenage exuberance of first loves, both romantic and musical. Like La La Land, Sing Street will resonate with anyone who’s ever sung, dreamed, or loved.

4. The Invitation

I never would’ve predicted I’d love a movie anchored by the guy who played Trey on The OC, but Logan Marshall-Green provides a rock-solid emotional core to this no-frills, no-fat thriller from director Karyn Kusama (Girlfight, Jennifer’s Body). The Invitation’s brutal minimalism raises the tension to a fever pitch until its explosive, cathartic third act. Hitchcock would be proud.

3. Hell or High Water

The dusty land-that-time-forgot of West Texas (coincidentally the setting for Nocturnal Animals’ story-within-a-story) provides the backdrop for a refreshingly straightforward cops-and-robbers tale. This story could have been filmed 70 years ago and it would have worked, but the film would be sorely lacking without Jeff Bridges’ inimitable performance.

2. Nocturnal Animals

Pure artistry. The parallel story structure builds up into a series of emotional gut punches, Tom Ford’s visuals are immaculate, and Michael Shannon nearly steals the show (doesn’t he always?) with his brilliant supporting turn.

1. La La Land

Sure, it’s a throwback to a bygone era, but it’s also a reminder that cinema can still be a limitless art form. If you’ve ever been obsessed by love, music, or the movies, this is an elixir for your soul.

This list originally appeared on Letterboxd, the social network for sharing your taste in film. If you love movies as much as I do, let’s connect.