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| Sony, Disney & Fox |
December is always an interesting month at the movies, as studios drop both their most Oscar-baiting movies and most expensive blockbusters in an eager bid for gold status and box office bucks.
Not everything was as successful as we wanted them to be, but there were only two undeniable duds in cinemas this past month, with both indies and tentpoles alike faring surprising well for the most part.
As for what January holds? 2016 holdovers such as La La Land, Manchester by the Sea, Jackie, Lion and Live by Night get their UK releases, while typical January releases such as the impending Underworld and xXx sequels are sure to dominate the box office while getting plenty of critical scorn.
There's also a new M. Night Shyamalan movie (Split) and the long-awaited Trainspotting 2, so there's still plenty to look forward to.
Here are December 2016's movies ranked from worst to best...
15. Collateral Beauty
RottenTomatoes Score: 13% (3.5/10 average score)
Box Office: Grossing just half of initial projections in its opening weekend, the Will Smith-led drama will make back its budget and a little change, but it's far from the holiday hit Warner Bros. were banking on.
Verdict: A hilariously misguided attempt at an Oscar-baiting drama, Collateral Beauty not only manipulates audiences with a misleading marketing campaign but one-ups this with an extremely cruel, outrageously implausible series of events that's more a baffling, flaming trainwreck than the achingly human drama it clearly wants to be.
Will Smith's trying, but for the most part the stunning cast (including Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Keira Knightley, Helen Mirren and Naomie Harris) are completely wasted in this soul-destroyingly awful film.
14. Monster Trucks
RottenTomatoes Score: 18% (4.2/10)
Box Office: Having only opened in a handful of countries at the end of December, no box office info is available, but considering that Paramount are taking a $115 million write-down due to its projected status as a box office bomb, this one doesn't even stand a chance.
Verdict: Well, it could've been worse (it could've been Collateral Beauty), but Monster Trucks is still a stunningly dull family flick with little in the way of style or personality. Some of the car chases are serviceable, but overall it's not cute, it's rarely funny, and simply doesn't capture the feeling of wonder you might hope for (but surely not expect).
13. Office Christmas Party
RottenTomatoes Score: 42% (4.8/10)
Box Office: Made for a mid-range $45 million, the festive R-rated comedy opened slightly above expectations and has almost doubled its budget to date. Expect it to also turn in solid profits on the home video circuit next Christmas.
Verdict: It's not big or clever, but Office Christmas Party is a totally watchable romp, even if that's more down to the charming cast (especially Jason Bateman, T.J. Miller, and Jennifer Aniston) than the scattershot script.
The humor is hugely hit-and-miss and a number of terrific supporting comedians are criminally wasted (especially Rob Corddry), but as a holiday-themed take on The Hangover formula, it's really not that bad.
12. Why Him?
RottenTomatoes Score: 40% (4.9/10)
Box Office: The James Franco and Bryan Cranston-led comedy opened on the lower end of expectations, and should claw back all of its $38 million budgets soon enough. It's easy to see it being more successful as part of Netflix's library, though.
Verdict: Franco and Cranston's chemistry is easily the most entertaining part of this utterly middle-of-the-road comedy, for while it's too long and wildly inconsistent, it's hard to call the film bad or tough to watch: it merely exists and is propped up by its talented cast.
You likely won't remember much of it in the days and weeks that follow, but it's totally watchable all the same.
11. Passengers
RottenTomatoes Score: 31% (5.0/10)
Box Office: Releasing to less than one-third of initial box office projections, Passengers is an unexpected box office bomb, and may struggle to recoup its hefty $110 million budget.
Verdict: Though well-mounted and touting an incredible premise, Passengers ultimately succumbs to wonky tonal choices, with Chris Pratt's protagonist coming off more creepy than relatable.
Pratt and Jennifer Lawrence give oddly phoned-in, off-note performances that prove to throw the two hottest actors working today together doesn't automatically generate spectacular results.
An interesting film, but ultimately not that successful as a Titanic-rescue star-crossed romance. Character beats fall catastrophically flat, and there's a clear disparity between what film was being made and what film came out the other end in editing.
10. Snowden
RottenTomatoes Score: 61% (6.2/10)
Box Office: Oliver Stone's biopic failed to recoup even its rather modest $40 million budget, and this belated UK release hasn't done much to help. Ouch.
Verdict: Though Stone basically pulls a W. and plays things weirdly safe, Snowden is still a decent enough biopic, anchored by surprisingly good work from Joseph Gordon-Levitt considering how miscast he seemed for the part.
Yes, there are cheesy asides, it's far too long and it's easily bested by Laura Poitras' astounding 2014 documentary Citizenfour, but for those who want a slick, informative account of Snowden's life and game-changing act, Stone basically delivers the goods. Basic being the key word.
9. Bleed For This
RottenTomatoes Score: 71% (6.3/10)
Box Office: Unable to reap back its tiny $6 million budget despite the general appeal of boxing movies, Bleed for This is a bust.
Verdict: A film both conventional and entertaining, Bleed for This succeeds despite Miles Teller being fundamentally miscast as boxer Vinny Pazienza, thanks to a staggering comeback story and a slew of entertaining performances.
Teller gives an impressive physical turn even though he looks nothing like Paz, while Aaron Eckhart delivers his best work in years as his trainer, though Katey Sagal is unfortunately wasted in a surprisingly small role as Paz's mother.
Though hardly a King of the genre, Bleed for This makes an impressive production out of its tiny budget, even if it's not the most memorable of sports pics.
8. Ballerina
RottenTomatoes Score: 92% (6.2/10)
Box Office: Made on a modest $30 million, the French animation has grossed $10.6 million to date, though a North American rollout in March should add a decent amount to it. Still not a success, though.
Verdict: Though there's never much doubt where it's going, this is still a surprisingly solid effort despite the lack of marketing, delivering a sweet, sharply-animated story about achieving your dreams, creating a decent role model of a protagonist for young girls in the process.
There are definitely moments where the tone wavers, especially in the third act, but for the most part this is just different enough not to be lumped in with all those other middling animated films released this past year.
7. The Birth Of A Nation
RottenTomatoes Score: 72% (6.7/10)
Box Office: Having nearly doubled its $8.5 million budget, The Birth of a Nation is nevertheless viewed as a box office disappointment for Fox Searchlight given the sizable Oscar campaign they launched. It's likely that Nate Parker's checkered past led to boycotts in many quarters.
Verdict: An impressively ambitious debut for writer-director-star Parker, this savage drama about Nat Turner's slave rebellion falls pretty damn short of all that Sundance awards hype, but it's still hard to argue with the bracing impact of Parker's vision.
Yes, it's heavy-handed as Hell, but the performances are searing, and it makes its point with sledgehammer force.
6. I Am Not A Serial Killer
RottenTomatoes Score: 93% (6.8/10)
Box Office: Box office info isn't available, but given its $1.45 million budget, even a mediocre VOD performance would probably serve it well enough.
Verdict: Dan Wells' 2009 novel is adapted into a cerebral slasher flick with strong performances from young Max Records and the terrific Christopher Lloyd.
It'll be too quiet, slow and weird for some tastes, but director Billy O'Brien exercises admirable restraint when it comes to the blood 'n guts, instead focusing on compelling character work that eventually leads to a fascinating third-act showdown.
It's hard to discuss without spoiling the numerous surprises it has in store, so see it before someone ruins it for you.
5. Sully
RottenTomatoes Score: 85% (7.2/10)
Box Office: On a $60 million budget, Tom Hanks' drama has grossed an impressive $233.1 million. Never bet against Hanks.
Verdict: Though it's destined to be remembered as a fairly minor effort in director Clint Eastwood's filmography, Sully makes solid use of an excellent Hanks performance to mine palpable drama out of the iconic Miracle on the Hudson.
It's an amazing true story and the film successfully conveys that, even if its messy structure and over-reaching melodrama sometimes feel a little too much. Considering that the central event was over in mere minutes, there's blatant filler here with even just a 96-minute run-time.
4. The Eagle Huntress
RottenTomatoes Score: 92% (7.3/10)
Box Office: Having grossed $2 million to date, this ones decisively in the black given the generally lower costs of documentary filmmaking.
Verdict: Though the central message sometimes feels a little too pat ("young women can do the same things men can, don'cha know?"), 13-year-old Kazakh eagle hunter Aisholpan is an incredibly admirable "protagonist", and the cinematography throughout is absolutely staggering.
The editing sometimes feels a little manipulative and adding Daisy Ridley's narration post-Sundance is a bit pandering, but if it allows more kids (especially young girls) to connect with the film, then it's a fair concession.
Overall, it's hard not to feel uplifted, especially with an infectious Sia song as the lead musical selection.
3. Chi-Raq
RottenTomatoes Score: 80% (7.4/10)
Box Office: Spike Lee's musical drama has recouped just $2.7 million of its $15 million budget. What a shame.
Verdict: Easily Lee's best film in years, Chi-Raq is a satirical musical that ranks among the director's funniest ever films, while still propelled forward by his usual biting social commentary.
Led by a magnificent turn from Teyonah Parris with strong support from the likes of Samuel L. Jackson, John Cusack and...Nick Cannon (seriously, he's good here), what could so easily have been another ambitious misfire for Lee is instead a rousing success, an angry cry for peace delivered in unforgettable fashion.
2. Rogue One
RottenTomatoes Score: 85% (7.4/10)
Box Office: Made for a hefty $200 million, Rogue One has just passed the $700 million mark at the time of writing and is on-track to be one of 2016's very highest-grossing films. Did anyone ever expect otherwise?
Verdict: Though it doesn't reach the heights you might hope for and it's blatantly clear the movie has been cut up in post-production, Rogue One is nevertheless a mostly-satisfying addition to the Star Wars saga, even if it absolutely pales in comparison to The Force Awakens.
Fully committed to the grim nature of its story even though the outcome was never much in doubt, it's a visually spectacular mythology expansion albeit one that never really feels necessary (because it isn't).
1. Moana
RottenTomatoes Score: 95% (7.9/10)
Box Office: On a $150 million budget, Moana has made just over $350 million to date. Not a Zootopia-sized success by any means, but still fine.
Verdict: It's not as clever or socially relevant as Zootopia, but Moana is nevertheless a visually gorgeous adventure with excellent vocal performances from Auli'i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson.
Cleverly subverting the stereotypical Disney princess movie while still holding onto timeless themes which hold up in contemporary society, Moana gets to have its cake and eat it too by harkening back to those classic tropes, but injecting a modern-day sensibility as well.
Plus, The Rock does the People's Eyebrow in animated form, which is all the film really needed to do.
What did you think of December's 2016's movies? Share your thought below in the comments.
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