Through my association with The Slaughtered Bird I’ve watched more movies this year than last, particularly independent films. Some have been great, some middling, some terrible. A few have been real stand-outs, either through overall quality, or because I just liked them better. Even trashy films can be awesome. Here’s my list of the top five movies I’ve seen in 2016:
- 5. The Invitation: A prime example of a film that’s not great, but one I quite enjoyed. Yes, some of it was silly in parts, but it had an overall, apocalyptic concept that tied it together and made it memorable.
- 4. He Never Died: It’s usually a very good idea to avoid Henry Rollins in any guise, but in this movie he shone as an enigmatic, bizarre character in a brutal, hyper-violent story that’s got several laughs and plenty of blood.
- 3. Little Boy: It’s rare to see magical realism done right in any medium, but this film pulled it off. A poignant, if not terribly thoughtful movie about faith, family, and friendship that hits all the right notes.
- 2. Der Bunker: Hysterically funny despite the subtitles, it’s a German film that also focuses on childhood and family, though with a much more bizarre set of circumstances. Weird, but relatable.
- 1. Atmo Horrox: A film that’s so bizarre, so surreal, that it defies description. How can I describe the galumphing Catafuse, the french fry bucket, the horrible ghoul chasing the family man in a way that makes sense? I’m as surprised as you are that it’s my favorite film of the year, but when I sat down and thought about this list, Atmo Horrox topped it without effort. You’ve never seen anything quite like it.
I hope to have my Top 5 Books list ready by the end of the week.
The first is a Netflix movie: 
The second film is called 
