2016 might go down as one of the shittiest years in recent memory: shootings, bombings, the deaths of Alan Rickman and David Bowie, Zika and Ebola outbreaks, Hurricane Matthew, and the sideshow attraction that was the U.S. Presidential Election. For movie lovers, though, this year has brought catharsis in the form of truly great films, from Yorgos Lanthimos' The Lobster to the Daniels' Swiss Army Man. To commemorate this, Louis Plamondon of Sleepy Skunk has made a mashup video of all of the visionary, entertaining, and boundary-pushing films that graced the screen this year. Check it out below:

The cool thing about this mashup is that it highlights films that came out of Hollywood as well as the indie sector: Suicide Squad and The WitchAssassin’s Creed and Moonlight. And since you get a nice bird's-eye-view of all of the types of projects that were released in 2016, you begin to notice certain things about what subjects and styles caught the eye of filmmakers, studios, and distributors.

Perhaps the most striking thing I saw in the mashup, or didn't see rather, was action and all out Michael Bay level destruction and chaos. Now, 2016 wasn't without its tentpole superhero films; we had DeadpoolBatman vs. SupermanCaptain America: Civil War, Suicide Squad, Doctor Strange, Guardians, and X-Men: Apocalypse. But this year seemed far more subdued that previous years in cinema, with a lot more attention placed on more dramatic action films like Arrival (dramatic sci-fi?), 10 Cloverfield LaneBilly Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Hacksaw Ridge.

Another thing you might've noticed from watching the video is that this year was huge for indies. Films like MoonlightManchester by the SeaThe Witch, Swiss Army Man, and so many more really got audiences excited about lower budget movies, specifically ones coming out of A24, which is quickly becoming the indie production company to watch for.

Plamondon provides a list of all the films he used on his Tumblr page for all of you curious cats.


See all of our 2016 Year-in-Review coverage.

Source: Sleepy Skunk