That’s a wrap!

With the end of 2016 fast approaching, it’s time to take a look back at the best and worst films of the year.

2016 was a year of surprise, and film was no exception. There were bunnies affected by racial prejudice, dangerous villains with hearts of gold, and oh, so many sequels.

With films like Captain America: Civil War, Finding Dory and Suicide Squad, the year was not without box office hits, but many failed to fulfill their high expectations.

“Box office numbers don’t necessarily correlate with the quality of a movie,” says junior Craig Johnson, “DC tried to replicate the magic of Marvel but ended up making one of the worst films I’ve ever seen, Batman v. Superman. I never felt depressed leaving a movie until then.”

Although many DC blockbusters like Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice and Suicide Squad fell short in ratings, Marvel had a winning year with hits like Captain America: Civil War and Doctor Strange.

“Marvel always does an amazing job going from comic book to screen,” says sophomore Jersie Rabb, “but X-Men: Apocalypse was horrendous.”

While sequels and reboots are exciting in theory, most recycle the same tropes that we have seen many times before.

“A plot that makes you think is worth watching,” says sophomore Desirae Flores. “It’s not worthwhile to see remakes over and over again when you can watch something that changes your perspective.”

It’s easy to get lost in the sea of blockbuster movies, but there were also many hidden gems to pick from in 2016.

Moonlight, a coming of age tale of a young black man in a dangerous Miami neighborhood, has gotten glowing reviews from Slant Magazine, Variety and IndieWIRE, and is being talked about for the Oscars.

“I’m dying to see Moonlight,” says sophomore Sydney Cramer. “It sounds like it’s gonna blow my mind.”

With movies like Ghostbusters and Moonlight both gaining recognition for different reasons, the factors that make a movie worth watching are called into question.

“There’s always a satisfying feeling when a movie takes you somewhere emotionally, and brings you to a sense of awakening,” says Broadcast Media teacher Amy Moore. “Any movie can make money, but a great movie stands the test of time.”

Any movie worth remembering is a movie worth watching, but the key to a noteworthy movie is unknown and hard to achieve.

“If a film resonates with a lot of people, than it will transcend time and be remembered,” says senior Laura Romano.

There were many standout films this year, but there may not be a prevailing winner this time around.

“No movie is perfect,” says Moore. “But I don’t think there was an all encompassing best movie of the year for 2016.”

The quality of a movie differs from who you ask, but film remains to be an art medium that all people can enjoy. Here’s to another year of hits and misses!