The beginning of the year brings movies to the forefront of conversation. It invites fans and critics alike to reflect on the best movies of 2015 while looking forward to the new films in 2016. This year’s awards season is also well underway, with the Golden Globes already done and the Screen Actors Guild Awards and Academy Awards coming soon. From awards to actors to the films themselves, there is much to celebrate and anticipate in 2016.
This past year’s biggest and greatest movies have already been heavily discussed, including films like “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Revenant,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” and “The Martian.” The compelling thing about these films, especially “Fury Road” and “The Force Awakens,” is their ability to combine action and thrills with an engaging story. These two films in particular infuse nostalgia that stems from these franchises’ previous films to create a film that is exciting for all ages. In addition to their impressive box office numbers, many of these films have received critical acclaim and Oscar buzz. The nominations for these prestigious awards have just been released, and “The Revenant” currently leads the way in nominations with twelve, followed by “Fury Road” with ten. This year may also be the year that Leonardo Dicaprio takes home the Oscar, having been nominated six times already. With a Golden Globe already under his belt, Dicaprio has started off 2016 on a high note. Also looking to gain more accolades this year are actors like Matt Damon, Brie Larson, Jennifer Lawrence and Tom Hardy. 2015 was filled with many successes for filmmakers and franchises that will not go unnoticed.
Not only does 2016 gives us a chance to reflect on last year’s movies, but it also gears us up for the movies yet to come. One of the most anticipated films this year is “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.” Hot off the heals of the success of “The Force Awakens” comes a spin-off film that focuses on the time between “Star Wars: Episode III” and “Star Wars: Episode IV” that follows a rogue rebel team as they attempt to steal plans for the dreaded Death Star. Although fans still have to wait until 2017 for “Episode VIII,” “Rogue One” should keep us satisfied until then. In addition to this spin-off, 2016 is slated to be an excellent year for the superhero genre, with the highly anticipated films “Captain America: Civil War” and “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice” coming out in the front half of the year. With exciting movies like these on the horizon, the cinema is absolutely the place to be in 2016.
Both the awards ceremonies and the prospect of upcoming movies give us the chance to appreciate the film industry. This time of year is also ripe for creating New Year’s resolutions, and with all of these events happening now, incorporating more movie-going experiences is an excellent way to start the year right.
