16) Waves
After Trey Edward Shults crushed my soul with his compelling psychological drama, It Comes At Night, I was curious about what he would do next. This was definitely the last film I expected from him, but I’m happier for it, as it is his most daring and experimental film to date. He takes a seemingly typical family drama about ambition and toxic masculinity and elevates it through his gorgeous cinematography and creative use of his soundtrack. It definitely has the best use Kanye West in any soundtrack. Of course on top of the filmmaking, the film is only as strong as its performances, and Sterling K Brown, Kelvin Harrison, and Taylor Russell in particular shine through all the flash and flair of the film’s production. There was genuinely no other film like it this year or this decade.
