Kinema Junpo has released their Best 10 and individual awards for 2016! Amongst some familiar and unfamiliar titles, Makoto Shinkai's Your Name is a noticeable absence. We could debate the how’s and why’s of that forever, but if Kinema Junpo says these films are good, then you can bet they’re worth watching. You may even have seen some at the last JFF 2016 as well!
1. In this Corner of the World (この世界の片隅に)
2. Shin-Godzilla (シン・ゴジラ)
3. Standing in the Abyss (淵に立つ)
4. Destruction Babies (ディすトラクション・ベイビーズ)
5. The Long Excuse (永い言い訳)
6. A Bride for Rip Van Winkle (リップヴァンウィンクルの花嫁)
7. Her Love Boils Bathwater (湯を沸かすほどの熱い愛)
8. Creepy (クリーピー 偽りの隣人)
9. Over the Fence (オーバー・フェンス)
10. Wrath (怒り)
Lead Actress: Rie Miyazawa in Her Love Boils Bathwater
Lead Actor: Yuya Yagirあ in Destruction Babies
Supporting Actress: Hana Yugisaki in Her Love Boils Bathwater and Scanner: The Man Who Reads Pieces of Memory
Supporting Actor: Pistol Takehara in The Long Excuse
Female Newcomer: Nana Komatsu in Sinking Knife (溺れるナイフ), Destruction Babies, I Won’t Do As Kurosaki-kun Says (黒崎君の 言いなりなんてならない), and Hero Mania –Daily Life—
Male Newcomer: Niijiro Murakami in Destruction Babies and Natsumi’s Fireflies
Director: Sunao Katabuchi for In this Corner of the World
Screenplay: Hideaki Anno for Shin-Godzilla
Foreign Director: Clint Eastwood for Sully
Kinema Junpo began its run in 1919 and is Japan’s oldest film publication. Known for their critical articles on films, their Best 10 list has acquired much domestic prestige.