For many 2016 will be remembered as a bad year, with massive political upsets and a slew of high profile celebrity deaths (continuing, unbelievably, right to the last few days). In contrast, my personal cinematic journey through 2016 has been something rather celebratory: I got to meet film heroes of mine Michael Biehn, Mark Kermode and John Carpenter (who I also saw in concert, which was frankly amazing); I saw a lot of great movies, including one which has snuck into my top 10 of all time (more on this in a future blog); and I got a gig as a contributing writer for Total Film magazine, a publication I have read since I was 17 years old.

As such here is my review of the year. A disclaimer however: this is not a definitive look at every theatrical release for 2016. For that you would be better off checking out the features in film mags and newspapers. As I have a full-time day job and a young family, I fit my film watching in around other commitments and have not seen everything. Plus, my local multiplex did not screen many of the years indie / international movies (leading to a rather disgruntled email from yours truly) which means I am waiting for a lot of these on DVD (Under the Shadow, Hunt for the Wilder People, Swiss Army Man, Captain Fantastic, Hell or High Water, etc).

I have however seen 187 features this year (plus 9 TV seasons), ranging from new cinema releases to early silent classics. As such this a personal log of my own journey through film in 2016 across a wide spectrum.

To kick it off below is a list of everything I’ve seen with an accompanying star rating (where I am allowed to say). In a few days I’ll also post up a second blog with my list of the Top 10 theatrically released films of 2016, plus my Top 10 Films released in another year which I saw in 2016. Hope you enjoy!

Everything I Have Seen in 2016

January

• Back to the Future part 2 (4*)
• How to Train Your Dragon (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3*)
• The Goonies (3*)
• Slow West (4*)
• Monsters: Dark Continent (2*)
• How to Train Your Dragon 2 (3*)
• Big Trouble in Little China (5*)
• Die Hard (5*)
• Barbie: Princess Charm School (2*)
• The Gift (2015) (4*)
• The Big Short (3*)
• Fruitvale Station (5*)
• The Babadook (5*)
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier (5*)
• Labyrinth (5*)
• They Live (3*)
• The Revenant (4*)

February

• A Separation (4*)
• Nebraska (3*)
• Beasts of No Nation (4*)
• Back to the Future part 2 (4*)
• Cobain: Montage of Heck (3*)
• Blackfish (5*)
• Macbeth (2015) (3*)
• The Good Dinosaur (3*)
• Safety Last! (5*)
• Goosebumps (4*)
• The Cabin in the Woods (3*)
• The Look of Silence (5*)
• A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (5*)
• Berberian Sound Studio (5*)
• Deliver Us From Evil (4*)

March

• Mad Max: Fury Road (5*)
• The Lego Movie (4*)
• Deadpool (3*)
• 20 Feet from Stardom (4*)
• Disorder (3*)
• Spotlight (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (3*)
• Spectre (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (4*)
• Steve Jobs (4*)
• Pi (5*)
• Harry Potter and Prisoner of Azkaban (4*)
• The Lady in the Van (3*)
• The Hallow (3*)
• Tremors (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (5*)

April 

• Zootropolis (4*)
• 10 Cloverfield Lane (5*)
• Brooklyn (5*)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (3*)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3*)
• Home (3*)
• Take Shelter (5*)
• Airplane! (3*)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4*)
• Toy Story (5*)
• Song of the Sea (4*)
• Aliens: Special Edition (5*)

May

• Mr Peabody and Sherman (2*)
• Alvin and the Chipmunks: the Road Chip (3*)
• Captain America: Civil War (5*)
• Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (3*)
• Bridge of Spies (4*)
• The Croods (3*)
• The Hateful Eight (4*)
• Ran (5*)
• My Little Pony: Friendship Games (3*)
• The Jungle Book (2016) (3*)
• X-Men: Days of Future Past (4*)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 (3*)
• Daredevil: Season 1 (4*)
• The Purge (2*)
• X men: Apocalypse (2*)

June

• The Raid 2 (5*)
• High School Musical 2: Extended Edition (2*)
• The Walking Dead: Season 4 (4*)
• Better Call Saul: Season 2 (4*)
• Hotel Transylvania (3*)
• Spotlight (4*)
• Maleficient (4*)
• The Hateful Eight (4*)
• Independence Day: Resurgence (3*)
• Princess Mononoke (5*)

July

• The Walking Dead: Season 5 (5*)
• Creed (5*)
• The Assassin (3*)
• Fear The Walking Dead: Season 1 (2*)
• Man of Steel (2*)
• Withnail and I (4*)
• Ice Age: Collision Course (3*)
• Daredevil: Season 2 (4*)
• Krampus (2*)
• Stranger Things: Season 1 (3*)
• The BFG (3*)
• Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation (4*)
• The Tale of Princess Kaguya (5*)
• Star Trek: Beyond (3*)
• Paul (3*)
• The ‘Burbs (4*)
• Victoria (4*)

August

• The Way of the Gun (5*)
• Finding Dory (4*)
• Son of Saul (5*)
• Suicide Squad (4*)
• Star Wars: The Force Awakens (4*)
• The Witch (4*)
• High-Rise (4*)
• Midnight Special (5*)
• Robinson Crusoe (2*)
• Shrek (5*)
• The Jungle Book (2016) (3*)
• Time Bandits (5*)

September

• Barbie in Rock ‘N Royals (3*)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2: Freddy’s Revenge (3*)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) (5*)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors (3*)
• Ice Age: The Meltdown (2*)
• Jason Lives: Friday the 13th Part VI (3*)
• Swamp Thing (2*)
• Sing Street (4*)
• Blair Witch (2*)
• Hotel Transylvania 2 (2*)
• Transformers: Age of Extinction (2*)
• Norfolk (3*)
• Mustang (3*)
• The Darkest Universe (3*)
• Cars (3*)
• The Walking Dead: Season 6 (4*)
• The Girl With All The Gifts (3*)
• Green Room (5*)

October 

• Cars 2 (3*)
• John Wick (4*)
• Terminator: Genisys (1*)
• Our Little Sister (4*)
• Minions (4*)
• Kingsman: The Secret Service (5*)
• The Terminator (5*)
• Anomalisa (3*)
• Unfriended (4*)
• Dr Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who (3*)
• Bone Tomahawk (4*)
• A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) (2*)
• Escape from New York (4*)
• The Fog (1980) (5*)
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone: Extended Edition (3*)
• Beethoven (3*)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: Extended Edition (4*)

November

• Three Amigos! (4*)
• Blue Ruin (4*)
• Aliens: Live at the Albert Hall (5*)
• Doctor Strange (3*)
• City Slickers (3*)
• Swallows and Amazons (4*)
• Fear the Walking Dead: Season 2 (3*)
• Nocturnal Animals (2*)
• Three Amigos! (4*)
• Starless Dreams (5*)
• Holy Cow (3*)
• ET: The Extra-Terrestrial (5*)
• Arrival (5*)
• Stalker (3*)

December

• The Exorcist: The Version You’ve Never Seen (5*)
• Hail, Caesar! (4*)
• Snoopy and Charlie Brown: The Peanuts Movie (3*)
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (3*)
• Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas (3*)
• The Transformers: The Movie (1986) – UK version (5*)
• Frankenweenie (4*)
• The Salvation (3*)
• Love and Friendship (5*)
• Santa Buddies (1*)
• Evolution (5*)
• Rams (5*)
• The Survivalist (4*)
• Cop Car (3*)
• The Polar Express (3*)
• Trading Places (3*)
• The Transformers: The Movie (1986) – US version (5*)
• Endless Poetry
• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (5*)
• Sunrise (5*)
• Elf (3*)
• Notes on Blindness (4*)
• Everybody Wants Some!!(2*)
• Kubo and the Two Strings (5*)
• Arthur Christmas (3*)
• Penguins of Madagascar (4*)
• The BFG (3*)
• Die Hard (5*)
• The Good Dinosaur (3*)
• Barbie & Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure (2*)

Part 2 of my Review of 2016 will be up in a few days.