20 Best Movie Moments Of 2016

Fashion designer turned filmmaker Tom Ford returned to the big screen this year with his neo-noir thriller Nocturnal Adams, starring Amy Adams as art gallery owner Susan Morrow who is sent a copy of her ex-husband Edward’s (Jake Gyllenhaal) forthcoming and rather brutal novel that he’s mysteriously dedicated to her despite them not seeing each other for decades. It’s effectively a story within a story within a story, with three narratives – Susan’s present-day, a flashback story of how she and Edward met and the plot of Edward’s novel – playing out on screen. If that sounds confusing, don’t be put off: it’s an it’s an intricately but grippingly woven film whose stunning visuals are testament to its director’s sense of style.

It’s most gripping scene takes place within the novel’s narrative when its protagonist Tony (also played by Gyllenhaal) is driving through the night through the barren landscapes of west Texas with his family when they are run off the road by a group of not very nice local rednecks led by Aaron Taylor-Johnson whose intentions are not good at all. Gyllenhaal is great as the timid patriarch who tries to protect his family by reasoning with the rednecks, while Taylor-Johnson is superb as his gleefully deranged adversary.