Earlier this year, 2026 is the new 2016, was trending all over the social media. Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat were full of content that reminded people of the older, happier times. The songs, popular filters of 2016 were trending and were used all over again. People shared throwback pictures, videos and photos, posted songs of the yesteryear on their social media.
Many celebrities and influencers also participated in the trend. In India Kareena Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Aalia Bhatt, and Ananya Pandey shared their valuable memories from that year.
In retrospect, we think 2016 was not just a year, it was a time when we were experimenting, changing and accepting our tastes in music, movies, and almost everything. “Closer” by Chainsmokers was just as loved as its remix version by Vidya Vox. In fact, it was the year where e had so many blockbuster hit movies. We have compiled a list of the best movies from 2016 remind of the beautiful times of the past.
So watch these films.You’ll be transported to 2016 albeit for a short while, one movie at a time.
1. Moonlight
The film is based on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. It captures the life a young Chiron, a black guy who’s living in rough neighbourhood of Miami. The gripping drama is divided into three chapters: childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood, it captures his life through the struggles and tragedies he witnesses in his life.
2.Neerja
The film is based on true story of Neerja Bhanot, a 23-year old flight attendant. When Pan Am flight was hijacked in 1986, on its way to Karachi, the brave woman saved life of 359 passengers but could not save hers. She tried to pacify the terrorised passengers in the face of chaos, being duty bound even as she faced death. The film beautifully captures her personal loss, relationships, and love for Rajesh Khanna. Sonam Kapoor’s remarkable acting makes us feel that we are watching Neerja live on screen. A film that tells us courageous story but leave you teary-eyed in the end.
3. Udta Punjab
The film is a crime drama built around the life of four totally different people: a rockstar, doctor, police officer and a migrant labour. While they are totally different from each-other the use and misuse of drug in the state of Punjab connects them together. It explores the theme of addiction and how it exploits the youth, the weak and those in-power. And as police try to investigate, little do they know, the drugs have made way into their homes as well. Some films make us happy, other open our eyes. Udta Punjab belongs to the latter category.
4. Dangal
Dangal is India’s first film on female wrestles and also the one based on the real life free style wrestlers: The Phogat sisters. Mahavir Singh Phogat, a former national level wrestler, harbours dreams of making his son a wresting champion. But, destiny has other plans in mind, when he and his wife give birth to four daughters in hopes of a son. He decides to give up on his dreams and raise his daughters. However, life happens for him when his daughters beat boys of their class, black and blue on being teased, wrestling style. And, they rest as they say is history.
The neo-noir comedy is set in 1977 in Los Angles. Two totally different individuals, Holland March(private investigator) and Jackson Healy(contract killer) come together to find a porn star, Misty Mountains, as her aunt claims that she has seen her alive. The film is a beautiful reminder of the bygone era of buddy comedies, where friendships, misadventures of the main characters especially due to their contrasting personalities were a thing.
6. Arrival
A linguistics professor, Louise Banks, and her team, is hired to communicate with extra-terrestrials as a gigantic spaceship lands on Earth. She decodes their language which is non-linear. Their language helps her gain a perspective on how to see “time” holistically and shift her in a role where her visions about future help her play a constructive role in preventing global conflicts and crises.
7. Madaari
Madaari is a common man’s story as he seeks justice against a corrupt system. Normal lost his only son due to negligence of the government. Unable to bear this loss and teach the authorities a lesson, he kidnaps 10-year old Rohan, son of the home minister. Thereby forcing the authorities and administration meet his demands. Irfan Khan’s acting and expressions keeps us hooked from the start to the end.
There’s nothing extra-ordinary about this movie and yet this film pulls you in. The Kapoor’s of Connor district have a reputation of a perfect dysfunctional family. A marriage that is one the brink of an end, parental favouritism, and underlying secrets. When the senior Mr. Kapoor suffers a heart- attack the family is united, once more. And, everything that has to happen rolls out naturally, without inhibition. An affair comes to light, or one of the son’s homosexuality is revealed and much more to watch in this subtle and yet-so delicately handled masterpiece.
9. Pink
Pink is a film that stood out from its contemporaries when it was released. Minal was molested by boys of rich and powerful family. She and her friends try to lodge a police complain against them, however, they are helpless. No one registers the complains and they also start receiving threats. However, by a chance encounter they meet Deepak, a retired lawyer, who agrees to help help them. What follows is an intense courtroom drama and dialogues that just leave us spell bound.
10. Jungle Book
The Jungle Book of 2016 is an adaptations of Walt Disney film of the same name which was based on Rudyard Kiplings story collections called, TheJungle Book. It is a fantasy adventure film that follows Mowgli’s adventure in the jungle. The orphan is adopted in a wolf family as the man-cub. However, the fearsome tiger Sher Khan is unhappy with his presence in the jungle. How must mowgli and allies face this dangerous challenge? Mowgli’s journey feels like a riveting journey where we are on a mission to find ourself in this timeless tale.
11. Deadpool
Deadpool is an American superhero film based on marvel comics character Wade Wilson aka Deadpool. He is the anti-hero, you love for wisecracking humour, agility, combat powers and antics. In the film, he is diagnose with fourth stage cancer ans as he is on the brinks of death, a mysterious person approaches him with a treatment that can completely cure him. As a result, he becomes immortal but his look have take a beating as now he looks scarred. He goes after the man who scarred his looks forever, one of the reasons that prevent him to reunite with his girlfriend.
12. Zootopia
In an animated world, animals live in societies and cities just like humans. The buddy comedy film shows a rabbit called Judy Hoops, who is a rookie police officer and fox, Nick Wilde, who is a con artist, come together to crack a case. The predators are missing from the the city one by one. They must uncover the truth behind the disappearance before it is too late.
13. La La Land
La La Land is the film that almost won the Oscars in 2016. The romantic musical is a story of two lovers who met each other when they are chasing their dreams. Mia is a barista on Warner Bros. who wants to become an actress but she is facing constant rejection in her auditions. Sebastian is a passionate jazz musician with dreams of opening a cafe. The film seems like a story from a fairytale but unlike one, its ending is not a predictable one.
If there’s one film that is a story of unconditional nature of mother’s love and an inspiring message to youngster, it has to be Nil Battey Sannata. Chanda, a poor maid in Agra wants her daughter Apu to receive education and take a shot at better life. However, watching the real life struggles of her mother Apu has accepted her fate as a maid’s daughter destined to be a maid and is least interested in studies. To motivate Apu, Chanda takes an unconventional step getting enrolled in her class. Watch the film to know the complete picture.
15. Sairat
The charm of regional cinema is that they make movies on the real issues that bug the society. Sairat, a Marathi film is one such landmark drama. It explore the love story between a fisherman’s son and an upper-caste politician’s daughter. It depicts the struggle the lovers face due to the difference in their cast. How despite escaping their city, they are unable to escape a dreaded fate. The film was later adapted in Bollywood as Dhadak, starring Jhansi Kapoor and Ishan Khatter.
16. Sully
It is based on the real events that took place when captain Sully made an emergency landing of his airplane on NewYork’s Hudson River. On 15th January 2009, the US Airways Flight 1549 had an miraculous escape as it struck a flock of geese. It had to make an emergency landing, as with no time on hand or free land in vicinity, the pilot does the unthinkable: landing the plane on Hudson River. Where all the passengers were rescued safely. Despite his heroic deeds, he faces a probe that can destroy his reputation and career.
The film follows the life. of four women who are just like all other women in the society. But, look a little closer and you will watch their secrets and desires unfold. The film celebrates their quiet rebellion against the rules imposed on them by the society, as they struggle for independence and identity to pursue — sexual desires, freedom, and ambition.
18. Captain America: Civil War
The Avengers are split into two factions over Sokovia Accords. It is a UN-backed law to regulate the superhumans. Iron Man and team supports the Accords while Captain America and team oppose it. But, what seems an political strife is actually a feud perprtuated deliberately by Helmut Zero to avenge the death of his family in Age of Ultron.
19. Shankhachil
It is a Bengali film about a family that live on the Indo-Bangladesh border. It is about a Bangladeshi teacher Badal, who along with his family enters India illegally with his family to save his daughter’s life, who is suffering from a heart-ailment. It explores various sub-plots like tensions on the border, loss of identity, and humanity that supersedes religion. Shankhachil had received the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in 2016
20. Visaranai
It is a hard hitting Tamil crime-thriller. The film is about four labourers confined in a police lock-up being asked to confess a crime they did not commit. The film explores the topic of police brutality on common people. It is produced by Dhanush and is based on M. Chandrakumar’s novel Lock Up. It had been critically acclaimed and was India’s official entry in Oscar inthe Best Foreign Language Film category in 2017.
Trends may come and go, but truth stays. And the truth about 2016 is that the films were very different from the ones that we see today. Films like Mrs Kapoor and Son were made, that changed the way people depicted homosexuality in India. For example, it is portrayed is a mature way as compared to the way it is showcased in Dostana. If you think we have missed any good film from 2016, do email us and let us know.