Overlooked Movies from 2016
I think it’s not a great shocker to anyone that I love taking risks on movies. Anyone who has read my list of Halloween films that are fun to drink to knows I must have gone through a lot of bad cinema to find the ones with redeeming qualities. Well good news, my love for the good/bad/unexpectedly amazing doesn’t just extend to horror schlock, I also greatly enjoy movies from all kinds of genres. And let’s be honest, after several weeks of blogs that were in some way linked to promo work for the new release, I’m overdue to talk about someone else’s art. So today I am going to talk about some of my favorite movies from 2016, either to drink to or just to enjoy, that got overlooked by the bulk of movie goers.
Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates
For the life of me, I can’t tell if this is actually a good movie or not. I strongly suspect that it’s not, at least in terms of script and plot, but fuck me if I don’t love watching it all the same. The reason for that is because the cast is insanely talented, and they pull off every scene with so much charisma and humor that even if the words aren’t funny they still manage to sell that shit. And I mean, can you really be surprised? This is a collection of crazy talented comedic actors, all playing off one another at every opportunity.
The movie stars Anna Kendrick and Aubrey Plaza as the female leads, both of whom are amazing alone and fucking unbelievable when they work together, as well as Adam Devine and Zac Effron as the titular Mike and Dave. Adam Devine is strong as always, from starring roles in Workaholics to side-parts like in Pitch Perfect, the man always turns in quality work. As for Zac Effron… you folks might fight me on this in the comments, but I’m still going to say it: I think Zac Effron is among the most criminally underrated comedic actors out there right now. The guy nails every bit of humor handed to him, be it in films like this or awful trainwrecks like Dirty Grandpa, where Zac is one of the few good things on screen. Anyway, with these four anchoring the main cast they could have done Titus Andronicus and pulled some funny bits out of it, working with an okay script made for a few hours of unexpectedly enjoyable hilarity. Like I said, the movie itself might not be good, but you’ll still be glad you took the time to watch it.
Bonus Drinking Game: Drink every time someone says the name Mike or Dave.
The Bronze
I know my audience pretty well, so I’m keenly aware that telling most of you to watch a film anchored by someone whose biggest credit is The Big Bang Theory is going to meet with eye-rolls and mutters about laugh-tracks. Truthfully, I doubt I would have picked this one on my own, and it would have been a mistake on my part. This film was a passion project for Melissa Rauch, and wow does it ever show off another side to her acting skills.
Switching off from her usual meek persona (she played that even on other shows like True Blood) Rauch comes out swinging as a foul-mouthed, bitter, entitled former gymnastic prodigy who is still coasting through life on the glory of her former accomplishments. From getting free pizza at the mall food court to demanding to be treated like a celebrity in her small town, Rauch starts off as unlikable and then digs in at every chance to make the audience think less of her. It’s a lot of commitment that leads to some really hilarious moments, but it’s when the movie’s plot actually kickstarts that things get moving well.
I won’t bother doing a synopsis, if foul-mouthed former gymnast didn’t get you then this movie isn’t going to be your jam, but it does present the opportunity for Rauch’s character to show another side to herself. I really liked that they never tried to redeem or excuse her, new facets of her personality are treated exactly like that: she’s a dick, and she’s also these other things, but neither cancels out the other. It’s a strong character piece that lets a previously underrated talent show what she can do, and all in all it’s definitely worth a rental.
Bonus Drinking Game: Drink every time Melissa Rauch drinks, lies, or curses.
Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
For the life of me, I can’t imagine how this movie ended up on an under-appreciated list. It’s the fucking Lonely Islands doing a movie-length segment with new music, tons of cameos, and hilarious performances. The plot is strong; the acting is what you’d expect from SNL alums like Andy Samberg, and the songs are catchy as shit. My only guess here is perhaps that some people thought what worked for music-video length segments wouldn’t hold up over a full movie, and they might be right if that’s what Lonely Islands had done. But to their credit, they branched out, telling a complete, cohesive story that’s got a great mix of comedy with an unexpected amount of heart.
Satire can be a tough genre to sell in sometimes, and music-based satires are always fated to be compared to the juggernaut that was This is Spinal Tap, which makes it an extra intimidating field to put a film in. Popstar holds its own though, with a veteran cast, a tight narrative, and an insightful poke at our current music industry. It’s really good, and if you’ve liked anything by Lonely Islands you are going to love this film. So stop reading and go rent the thing already!
Bonus Drinking Game: Drink every time a celebrity cameos as themselves.