Best Movies of 2016 – Best Characters
With so many movies comes so many characters, and in 2016, we got a lot of great ones. This was not an easy list to make, as I could have done a top ten or twenty per gender. But, I like to challenge myself and decided to narrow it down to five male and five female. Here are my picks for the best characters of the 2016 movie year.
MALE CHARACTERS
5 – DAVIS (Jake Gyllenhaal) in DEMOLITION
Sometimes you just connect with a character. When I saw Demolition, my life at the time wasn’t the greatest, which is exactly why Davis stuck with me. As a man who is trying to rebuild is life after he loses his wife, Davis literally breaks down everything in his life and starts over. It is an oddly inspirational character about new beginnings and getting through the toughest of times.
4 – HOBIE DOYLE (Alden Ehrenreich) in HAIL, CAESAR!
Doyle will go down as a classic Coen Brothers’ character. The good ol’ boy known for starring in Westerns goes through an “image change” and is cast in big budget period drama directed by the great Laurence Laurentz. Doyle really tries his hardest, but just can’t seem to get the dialog and serious acting. He also gets tangled up in the kidnapping of Baird Whitlock, a case he knows more about than he thinks. He’s unknowingly funny and sweet and is a scene stealer in this Coen’s gem.
3 – BLACK PANTHER (Chadwick Boseman) in CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR
Captain America: Civil War was our introduction to Black Panther and he did not disappoint. The Prince of Wakanda is on a revenge mission after Bucky Barnes is accused of killing his father. Rocking the all black, vibranium suit, Panther literally jumps on the screen ready to fight. He’s sleek, fast, and badass, making him the highlight of one of the best comic book movies of all-time.
2 – SEBASTIAN (Ryan Gosling) in LA LA LAND
I was torn between Sebastian and Gosling’s other performance as Holland March in The Nice Guys. But Sebastian is a character, similar to Davis, that I resonated with. The way Sebastian loves Jazz reminded me of how I love movies and the grind you have to do to do what you love, which is similar to what I am doing right now. He’s also incredibly charming and nice and just wants Mia to follow through with her dream. It can also tap dance, sing, and play the piano as good as anyone. Sebastian is true pleasure to watch.
1- JUAN (Mahershala Ali) in MOONLIGHT
Juan is as complex as characters got in 2016. This is a man who has a heart of gold, yet is ethically questionable. As the drug dealer who helps young Chiron, he’s a human mystery. He’s a sweet, kind soul disguised in this tough, brooding gangster. He walks with a swagger and intimidation that scares everyone in the room, except for those who know him. Played masterfully by Mahershala Ali, Juan is a rounded, brilliant character.
FEMALE CHARACTERS
5 – MICHELLE (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) in 10 CLOVERFIELD LANE
In this chilling thriller, Michelle represents the viewer and there is nobody I would have rather gone on this trip with than her. She has no idea what is going on and neither do we. Luckily for us, Michelle is a tough, crafty badass and defends herself against the weird and creepy man holding her hostage in a bunker. You would think Michelle would be a direct descendent of Ripley from Aliens (1986). She is that awesome.
4- HOLLY MARCH (Angourie Rice) in THE NICE GUYS
Holly March may be only twelve years old, but she has the toughest job in the world; keeping her bumbling P.I. father in check. She’s basically the third wheel to her father and his new, violent partner, going on the case with them and helping them with solving the biggest crime in Los Angeles. She’s smart, witty, and a character I would love to see have her own movie some day.
3- JUDY HOPPS (Ginnifer Goodwin) in ZOOTOPIA
Judy Hopps is a small town bunny with big bunny dreams. She is undersized, too nice, and missing the killer instinct to be a cop. But what she has more of than anyone is determination and that is what makes her succeed. Determined to find out why carnivores are attacking other animals in the peaceful Zootopia, Hopps is unafraid to push the status quo. She teams up with a questionable fox and will go after cops and politicians. She also has a bright, bedazzling personality to boot. Watching Judy go from beat cop to top cop is one of the best things you’ll see all year.
2- NADINE (Hailee Steinfeld) in EDGE OF SEVENTEEN
Nadine personifies every high schooler ever. No matter what your social status was, jock, geek, stoner, Nadine goes through things that everyone has been through. Her sense of humor is golden and the way she deals with her issues is something that resonates with me, even if I’m 10+ years out of high school. I also loved her rapport with her teacher, who just happens to be the only person in the school she can actually talk too. This is one of the most rounded high school characters of this millennium.
1 – ELIZABETH SLOANE (Jessica Chastain) in MISS SLOANE
Elizabeth Sloane is somebody you do not want to fuck with. She is a ruthless, backstabbing, brilliant lobbyist who is always one step ahead of her opponents. She will go right for the throat, digging into your personal life or anything she can get in order to win. She is obsessed with winning and won’t accept anything less, which is refreshing in this participation medal society we live in today. This is one of the strongest female characters written in years and Jessica Chastain was the perfect actress to bring the ferocious woman to the screen.
Who do you think were the best characters of 2016? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook and YouTube by searching Kevflix.