Top 25 of 2016: 11) Manchester by the Sea

MANCHESTER BY THE SEA REVIEWED

“Manchester by the Sea” probably has the best audio design of a movie in 2016. Listening to amplified sounds relays how uncomfortable Casey Affleck remains throughout the duration of the film. He wants to be there for his nephew, but everything about the titular town is driving him mad. Whether it’s a botched suicide attempt or trying to relate to his nephew, nothing is working out. Couple that with his efforts to make peace with his wife, Affleck does amazing work as a man whose life keeps hanging on by a thread.

While a lot of people are mad at the movie due to Affleck’s real-life douchbaggery, you shouldn’t let that keep you from seeing the movie. Hell, the real life garbage might help an audience to understand the poor choices that Affleck makes in the movie. Grief porn works by overwhelming the audience with feelings of dread and pure cringe. This film has both by the truckload, but it does something more. Much like a few other films on this list, it asks that the viewer come to sympathize with the unfriendly. Nobody starts life as a screw-up, so take the time to find out what went wrong.

FILM STATS

• 2 hrs and 17 mins
• R
• Amazon Studios

RELEASE DATE: 12/16/16