2016 saw a bit of an uptick in movie watching for me, with the vacation over the past 3 weeks of December helping to greatly boost my total to its highest level since 2011. I managed to watch 88 movies last year, 19 more than last year, though my fifth consecutive year under 100. Again, many things contributed to this, chiefly the insane amount of TV I’ve been watching, the greater effort made towards going out for walks, and the awful amount of time I spend either at work or getting to and from work.
Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I did manage to watch last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.
RU Awake? (2015)
A short film starring the lovely and talented Molly C. Quinn.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)
A young kid tries to solve a mystery connected to his father who died in the 9/11 attacks.
The Pact (2012)
A bad horror film starring TV’s Caity Lotz.
Tell Tale (2010)
A short that I have no real recollection of.
Let’s Be Cops (2014)
Two Purdue alums find that impersonating cops is better than their normal lives.
John Wick (2014)
Keanu Reeves returns in a surprisingly good turn about a mourning hitman who returns to work after his former boss turns on him.
If I Stay (2014)
A teenage girl faces a choice to live or die after a car accident puts her in a coma.
Two Night Stand (2014)
A snow storm forces a hookup to last much longer than either participant anticipated.
Hot Pursuit (2015)
Reese Witherspoon is a no-nonsense cop who learns to bend the rules while trying to arrest Sofia Vergara.
Backcountry (2015)
A city couple gets lost in the woods while camping.
The Final Girls (2015)
A group of friends get pulled into an 80s horror film, where one of their mothers starred as the final survivor.
Sleeping With Other People (2015)
Two cheaters become friends and eventually more as they learn how to stick with one person.
The Loft (2015)
A group of married men keep a secret apartment for shenanigans, but a murdered girl threatens to unravel their secrets.
Fantastic Four (2015)
For some reason, it is seemingly impossible to make a good Fantastic Four movie.
Unfriended (2015)
A supernatural force is haunting an online group using the account of their dead friend.
22 Jump Street (2014)
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return for the sequel to their surprise hit of 2012.
Amy (2015)
A pair of ex-lovers spend a spontaneous afternoon together.
Deadpool (2016)
The surprise hit about Marvel’s merc with a mouth was the first film I saw in a theater last year.
The Revenant (2015)
Leonardo DiCaprio turned getting eaten by a bear into his first Oscar win.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
A group of powerful woman ride through the desert.
The Gift (2015)
A married couple finds their life thrown into disarray by an old acquaintance who cannot stay away.
Room (2015)
A young mother and her son escape from the man holding them hostage and learn to re-adapt to the real world.
Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)
The a cappella group returns in this sequel I was forced to watch on drive to Disney World.
Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets (2002)
The second film in the series, which I am watching as I complete each of the books.
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban (2004)
The third film in the series, featuring the escape of Sirius Black from the wizarding prison.
Captain America: Civil War (2016)
A new treaty forcing people with powers to register with the government turns the Avengers against one another.
Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire (2005)
Harry is entered in the Tri-Wizard Tournament and witnesses the return of his greatest enemy in the fourth film in the series.
Star Trek Beyond (2016)
Kirk wants to leave Starfleet, but changes his mind after fighting a former Starfleet officer changed by space magic.
Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix (2007)
Harry and Dumbledore are thought to be crazy as the wizarding world denies that Voldemort has returned in the fifth film in the series.
The Martian (2015)
Matt Damon is stranded on Mars and tries to find ways to survive while his crew tries to find a way back to rescue him.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
The story of NWA, from their beginnings on the streets of Compton through the death of Eazy E and the fall of Death Row Records.
San Andreas (2014)
A giant earthquake devastates California.
The 5th Wave (2016)
Aliens attack in this horrible film.
Pitch Perfect (2012)
A female a cappella group tries to make history at their school.
Batman V Superman: Dawn Of Justice (2016)
Batman decides Superman must be stopped, until he realizes that their mothers share the same name.
Amanda Knox (2016)
A documentary about the American college student arrested for the murder of her roommate in Italy.
Mulva Lends A Hand (2016)
A short about a new couple that needs the help of a hand puppet in order to be intimate.
Most Likely To Die (2015)
A killer attacks a group of friends attending their high school reunion.
Doctor Strange (2016)
Benedict Cumberbatch joins the MCU as Stephen Strange, Sorcerer Supreme.
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
A secret society protects Britain, and the world, from the dangers all around.
10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
A young woman is taken captive by a man who thinks the end of the world has come.
Poltergeist (2015)
A remake of the classic 80sm horror film about a young girl who gets trapped in another dimension accessible through the closet in her bedroom.
Mr. Right (2016)
Anna Kendrick falls in love with a hitman trying to go straight.
Atari: Game Over (2014)
A documentary about the rise and fall of the video game pioneer and the rumored burial of the mythical E.T. game cartridge.
Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (2009)
Harry Potter witnesses his least favorite teacher murder his beloved headmaster.
Krampus (2015)
A bickering family sees their Christmas ruined when Santa’s shadow pays them a visit.
Yoga Hosers (2016)
The second part of Kevin Smith’s Canadian horror trilogy pits his and Johnny Depp’s daughters against killer Nazi bratwurst.
Pride And Prejudice And Zombies (2016)
This strange combo of classical fiction and zombies was utterly forgettable.
Emelie (2016)
A psycho babysitter tries to replace her dead child with one of her young charges.
The Remains (2016)
A family moves in to a haunted house in this tale that has been told many times before, and rarely worse.