While 2017 has had plenty of bad moments regarding current events, one of the bright points throughout has been all of the amazing films this year. Seriously, this is probably the best year for cinema since at least 2007 (which brought us such masterpieces as No Country For Old Men, There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, Gone Baby Gone, Hot Fuzz, and the Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford). When thinking about what films to include on this list, I kept expanding the number of films that I included to be able to mention and recommend more great films. Even now as I have settled at 30 films, I still feel the need to mention even more entertaining and well-made films which I did not have room to include.
I have seen a LOT of films this year (partially thanks to the lovely service provided by Moviepass, as well as my local library buying new titles on dvd immediately upon release). I typically try to avoid bad films, and while I still saw a few bad films (and certainly a few mediocre films) I managed to see a ton of good to great films.If you are curious for a full list of every film I have seen this year, it can be found here: https://letterboxd.com/thezodiackiller/list/my-favorite-2017-films/
As far as general discussion of the year in film, I have a few thoughts. First, blockbusters had a really good year. I have kept a running list of the films I have seen in previous years are almost always populated by indies, but this year the big budget blockbusters have really killed it this year. Basically every superhero movie this year has been at least passable (I wasn't a huge fan of Spider-man: Homecoming or Justice League), with most being great. Additionally, the horror genre had a really good year yet again. Not to spoil my list, but most sub-genre's of horror had good movies this year I think. Independent "art house" horror, mainstream jump-scare horror, found footage and psychological thrillers all had some solid flicks this year. As per usual, there were also a lot of killer independent films this year. Well, I have talked in generalities long enough, here is my list.
First, a disclaimer. As many films as I have seen this year, there are a few major releases with awards and critical buzz which have not released in my area yet. As much as I am looking forward to them, I have yet to see The Shape of Water, Phantom Thread, or the Post yet. Of course there are a few really small releases throughout the year which have also slipped under my radar. That said, this list is based on what I have seen. It will likely change in time as I see more or rewatch some of the films.
Despite having 30 spots on this list, I feel the need to throw out some honorable mentions: Logan Lucky, Free Fire, The Blackcoat's Daughter, Split, Ingrid Goes West, A Cure For Wellness, the Beguiled, Creep 2, Better Watch Out, Colossal, Gerald's Game, the Void, Molly's Game, Annabelle Creation, Girls Trip, Battle of the Sexes, the Lego Batman Movie
Running List of the Best Films of 2017:
30. T2: Trainspotting
The original Trainspotting is one of the best independent films of the 90's, and a sequel 20 years later had me nervous. But all the original cast and the director Danny Boyle returned, and it actually turned out great! Just as stylishly insane and energetic as the first film, Trainspotting 2 examines the themes established in the first film and builds upon them. It examines the toll that a life of addiction can take on someone, what it means to get old and lose touch with old friends (even ones that are bad people), and what it means to truly embrace and live your life. Fun, thrilling and emotional, Trainspotting 2 manages to be a worthy sequel to the original leaves an emotional impact that I was impressed with.
29. Mother!
Much has been written about this incredibly divisive film, from it famously receiving an "F" Cinemascore to the massively divergent critical opinions on the film. For me, Darren Aronofsky's nightmarish biblical/environmental/artistic allegory worked. Sure, it is nihilistic and difficult to watch at times, and definitely does not follow a typical narrative 3-act structure. But it is rewarding if you dive into it looking for the allegory and meaning that Aronofsky buried in this film. Even on a technical level, this film does a great job of creating tension, fear and terror as the nightmare unfolds, and sympathy for Jennifer Lawrence. Aronofsky uses long tracking shots as the insanity unfolds to truly immerse the audience in what is going on, and the soundtrack is a real marvel. The biggest complement I can give this film is it really changes its audience to think for themselves, which I believe should be rewarded.
28. Personal Shopper
A haunting and intimate play on genre tropes, Personal Shopper is a film about grief, consumerism, objectification, and stalking. Plus, there may be literal ghosts. This film tries to do a lot of different things, and I think it does them all well. Kristin Stewart delivers an incredible performance as a spiritual medium and personal shopper who is attempting to establish a connection with her recently deceased twin brother from beyond the grave while also receiving texts from a mysterious stalker. Without going any further into the plot, this film manages to bounce back and forth between emotional moments, subtle cultural critique and sequence of intense tension and suspense to dramatic effect. Borderline Hitchcockian in its craft, this movie juggles its multiple balls with grace and is a massive middle finger to anyone who still dismisses Kristin Stewart as "the Twilight girl."
27. Wonder Woman
I know what you are thinking. "Wonder Woman this low? Are you serious?" Unfortunately I am. I seriously love 3/4ths of this film. Every bit up until the final battle in this film is incredible. Patty Jenkins shows the difference it can make hiring a female director for this type of film, as she handles both the character moments and action scenes with a grace unseen in many blockbusters. The entire No-Mans-Land sequence is one of the best set-pieces in comic books films ever. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine have insanely good chemistry. Pages and pages of essays have been written about how socially important this film is, and they are all right. But then there is that last act. I cannot get into it without spoilers, so if you have not seen Wonder Woman skip on down to the next section. You have been warned.
I have never seen a movie undo an amazing moment the way that Wonder Woman does with it's Ares reveal. There is such a powerful moment after Diana kills general Ludendorff, where Steve has to confess to her "maybe it's them. Maybe people aren't always good." He goes on to painfully declare "You don't think I wish I could tell you there was one bad guy to blame? It's not! We are all to blame." This scene is sublime. It works so well. But then it is revealed that Ares really does exist, he is a British guy with a stupidly CG armor. He and Diana duke it out in what looks like a video game cutscene. It actively defeats this amazing and profound moment that came before it. I still love Wonder Woman as a film, but it would be an all-time great superhero film without that needlessly cliche and bland finale that undermines the message the film had previously established so well. Still great and worth watching, but god I wish it ended differently.
26. Detroit
Make no mistake, this is a freaking horror film. Detroit tells the true story of the police raid on the Algiers hotel that resulted in one of the most harrowing incidents of police brutality in American history. Director Kathryn Bigelow brings the kinetic, hand-held style that she has shown off previously in films like the Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty to this bone-chilling story. While extremely well-made, this film is the definition of hard to watch. The police brutality shown in this film creates so much white-knuckle tension and a real sense of sympathy and concern for these characters that it is worth watching for that reason alone. Will Poulter provides a career-best performance as a truly evil racist police officer, and manages to be scarier than any of the "slasher villains" we have seen since the 80's. This film really shines in the hour and a half we are in the Algiers hotel, glued to the screen as we hope the characters can even survive this hellish experience. Unfortunately, this film is 2.5 hours long. The beginning and the end really kind of drag on. But it is not enough to undo the good-will that the high points of this film earns, and it proves to ultimately be a very good, if difficult to watch, film.
25. The Disaster Artist
"YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA!!" The Room is almost impossible to describe to someone who is unfamiliar with that particular insane cinematic experience. The Disaster Artist tells the story of the making of the worst movie ever made. James Franco directs and stars in this exploration of the enigma that is Tommy Wiseau. This film manages to not only be thoroughly hilarious (especially for fans of The Room), but also surprisingly nuanced and poignant. While it would be easy to just poke fun of how ridiculous Tommy is, Franco instead chooses to show off not only his eccentricities and his dark side but also humanize him. Tommy is a man with a dream and the determination to achieve it, who unfortunately does not have any talent at making films, and perhaps does not understand how humans work. This allows the film to not only be amusing but emotionally impactful.
Unfortunately there are two major flaws here. First, I found the visual style of this film to be a detractor. Franco's hand-held camera style felt appropriately documentarian at times but at other points took away from the emotion and sincerity of the scene. Additionally, Dave Franco plays the other protagonist and I found him to be majorly miscast. He just stares confusingly the entire film, and I felt it would have been better to have a different actor for the part. However, these flaws does not take away from all the Disaster Artist does right and it is definitely worth watching.
24. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
A great dramatic performance from both Ben Stiller and Adam freaking Sandler? In all seriousness, both of these actors can be phenomenal when they actually try at being a serious actor. Noah Baumbach is a notable indie director who sets himself apart with his naturalistic and extremely realistic dialogue, and The Meyerowitz Stories utilizes this to great effect in a depiction of a highly dysfunctional family. I can think of very few films that manage to accurately depict how family members who know each other well and do not get along talk to each other as well as this film does. The script does a great job of fleshing out each character, and the actors provide the best work we have seen in years from the likes of Sandler, Stiller and Dustin Hoffman. While it is a little overlong (I feel it could have ended a full 10-15 minutes earlier), I think that this is the best original film that Netflix has created, and definitely earns its place on the list.
23. Thor: Ragnarok
The world does not deserve Taika Waititi. For the last several years, he has been one of my favorite comedy directors with films like What We Do In the Shadows and Hunt For the Wilderpeople, and he brings the same quirky comedic sensibility to Thor: Ragnarok. This film is HILARIOUS. I was cackling with laughter throughout, and even in the non-comedy scenes manage to have a uniquely fun sensibility to it. From the neon aesthetic, 80's synth soundtrack, and Waititi's directorial sensibilities, this film feels quirky and fun. Every single actor delivers a movie-stealing performance, though personally I am a sucker for Jeff Goldblum and Waititi's Korg provides almost all of the best moments in the film. While this film stumbles a bit in the first act as it tries to reset what has come before in the other Thor films, once it gets to do its own thing Thor: Ragnarok is a delight and provides one of the funniest and most entertaining parts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
22. Coco
While Pixar has delivered many great films in the past, the past few years it has delivered some questionable films in my opinion (the Good Dinosaur, both Cars sequels, and in my controversial opinion Finding Dory). Thankfully, Coco (along with Inside Out two years ago) prove that Pixar can still make movies that are as great as any of Pixar's previous masterpieces. Coco beautifully depicts Mexican culture, and does so while telling a charming and heartwarming story about family, individuality, and legacy. With gorgeous animation and songs that will touch your soul, Coco is a treat. While it certainly treads familiar ground for Pixar (and made me sit through that god-awful 20 minute Frozen short), it still proves to be the best animated film of the year and one of the best Pixar films in my opinion.
21. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
A Marvel Studios film that actually has a heart and impacts me emotionally? Say again? James Gunn shows the heights that Marvel can go to if they allow a director to make a film that is completely his vision. This film has received a lot of flack for the very thing that I think works about it: instead of being a plot-focused film, Guardians 2 dares to be character-oriented. It takes its time, focusing on the internal conflict that these characters face and the ways they need to grow. It dares to even depict its main character as an insufferable man-child who is held back from a meaningful romantic connection because he needs to grow up. That is something that we have not seen from superhero films before, and this film succeeds for it. It is colorful, heartfelt and funny. It avoids the common Marvel problem of mediocre villains by allowing Kurt Russell to deliver a great performance as an unusual villain. While there are a few moments where the humor feels forced and overpowers dramatic moments, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 manages to pack unprecedented emotion, character growth, maturity, and creative vision into a Marvel Studios film. Between this and Thor: Ragnarok, Marvel has proved to even a skeptic like me that they can still potentially make great movies and not just generic, episodic fan-service.
20. Good Time
A fever dream of bad decisions, Good Time is a great crime thriller which does a great job of depicting the worst human being imaginable while also allowing you to understand why they are making the decisions they do. Robert Pattinson provides a captivating and truly daring performance, which should shake off the haters who think he is a bad actor for being in Twilight (Kirsten Stewart also has done a great job of proving her skill, as noted earlier). He is a despicable human being, willing to do whatever he needs to in order to accomplish his goal of getting his brother out of jail. We follow him on a 24-hour crime spree where things get continually worse. It is thrilling, and kinetically directed by the Safdie brothers who utilize a style of very close-up, in-your-face cinematography to reflect the chaotic mindset of our main character. Additionally, this film has one of the greatest flashbacks I have seen in a long time. Check it out, not enough people saw this.
19. It
I have always been a huge Stephen King fan, and despite its weirdness the book version of It is one of my favorites. Pennywise is one of the greatest horror villains of all time. As such, I had very high expectations for this film and was very nervous that I would be disappointed (the 90's miniseries was awful, other than Tim Curry). I saw this at 10pm the Thursday it premiered in a packed theater, and somehow it managed to be good. Not only good, but great actually. Bill Skarsgaard does an incredible job as Pennywise, managing to be equally terrifyingly menacing and darkly hilarious. Each of the kids also does a great job (though some definitely get the short end of the stick, which is to be expected given that the massive book is being turned into a 2 hour movie).
While it definitely was a mainstream horror film full of jump scares, it does this to the maximum impact. Each jump scare is real and not a fake scare with a massive sound effect. Additionally, there is a real sense of dread and tension here that a lot of lesser mainstream horror films lack. Also, it manages to be a touching coming of age story that worked very well with being juxtaposed with the bleak horror. There are a few minor complaints I have (Bev becoming a bit of a damsel in distress towards the end, soundtrack could have been more effective if it was more subtle, and as I said there is a few too many jump scares) but It still manages to be a crowd-pleasing thrill ride that did a great job adapting a difficult source material.
18. Raw
A coming-of-age cannibal movie. If that one sentence intrigues you, you might be interested in this French film. It follows a first year veterinary student who is forced to eat raw meat as a part of a hazing ritual which leads to unexpected consequences. This film is horrifying, touching and all-around impressive. It works simultaneously as a film exploring this teenage girl becoming her own person, and a horror film as she discovers dark secrets about herself and commits some pretty horrific actions. If you have not seen it and are not completely turned off by the concept, I would recommend giving it a watch. It is currently available on Netflix!
17. The Big Sick
Whoever said the romantic comedy is dead needs to go ahead and watch The Big Sick and take back everything they have ever said. This film is unique in it's love story, while also managing to be sincere and hilarious. Depicting the true story of how the main actor Kumail Nanjiani met his wife (played charmingly by Zoe Cazdan), this film provides more laugh out loud moments than any other film I saw in a theater this year. It also manages to be heart-breaking and provides some of the years best comedy performances, particularly the parents of the female lead (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter) providing career-best performances. While a little visually bland and an ending that didn't quite work for me (though I can't complain too much, that is how it played out in real life), The Big Sick was wonderful, amusing and heartwarming.
16. Baby Driver
Edgar Wright is one of my favorite working directors, and I feel that his style of editing is perhaps the best comedy and action editing I have ever seen. Wright puts these skills to use again with Baby Driver, the action/musical hybrid that I never knew I wanted. Eschewing dialogue and a traditional score for a hand-picked soundtrack reflecting our main leads emotions and thoughts, Wright uses music here as almost a character. Additionally and more interestingly, Wright takes the music that our main character Baby plays before every heist to choreograph all of the action scenes in the film, a gimmick that pays off brilliantly. While a few plot points seem rushed and the love interest is a little under-written, Baby Driver shows off Edgar Wright's attention to detail, provides some of the most thrilling action sequences of the year and incorporates the films soundtrack in a way I have never really seen before. Another hit from a master director.
15. John Wick: Chapter 2
Speaking of thrilling action sequences, John Wick Chapter 2, like its predecessor, provides some of the best, no-frills action sequences in modern cinema. The directors of the John Wick are former stuntmen, and the cinematography and choreography of this franchise shows it. Each fight shows off real stunt-work (with throwbacks to the classic stunt films of old from the likes of Buster Keaton), with wide lenses and no quick cuts which really allow you to soak in the action. Keanu Reeves once again returns as our intimidating yet charismatic main hero, and this film utilizes its larger budget to bring back more of the same, but bigger. And I loved it. The John Wick formula works extremely well, I am glad they did not change much. While the motivation is not as pure this time around and it is a bit more clunky, the larger budget allows it to do even more with its action sequences. I cannot wait for part 3 of this franchise.
14. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Whew, the internet has been abuzz with debate about Star Wars: the Last Jedi for the last month. Opinions are intense and varied, with thousands of fans signing a petition to get the film removed from cannon, while many others defend it as one of the franchises best. I happen to fall into the latter camp. The Last Jedi for me was a flawed masterpiece which had its flaws but also did everything that I wanted the newest installment in my favorite franchise to do. For those who haven't seen the film yet, I am going to remain spoiler-free.
Sure, the 20 minute sequence on Kanto Byte was not as compelling as the Rey/Kylo/Luke plot, and one sub-plot hinges on two characters not communicating when they clearly should. These are flaws. However, I have a fairly easy time overlooking those because the rest of this movie is so damn amazing. Kylo Ren remains the most compelling character in the entire Star Wars franchise, with Adam Driver delivering a perfect performance yet again. The places that they took Luke Skywalker, while angering some fans who expected the same heroic Jedi we last saw in Return of the Jedi, blew me away in its bravery and how well it worked.
Ryan Johnson actively plays with what we expect from a Star Wars film, subverting tropes and playing with our familiarity of how we think this franchise works. The cinematography and score are both breathtaking, and both of the lightsaber fights in this film are among the franchises best. The finale of this film brought me to tears, and while it has its flaws at least half this film is essentially perfect in my eyes so it evens out.
13. Wind River
Taylor Sheridan, the writer of Sicario and Hell or High Water, delivers another neo-western hit in this detective thriller set in a desolate, frozen Indian reservation. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen play law enforcement officials seeking to solve the rape and murder of an Indian teenage girl. The frozen wilderness provides the perfect backdrop for this harsh tale of survival in an unforgiving place. Sheridan proves a competent director in his first effort, providing excellent tension throughout as the mystery unravels. There is one particular point where the film cuts to a flashback suddenly (without you realizing it at first) which rockets up the tension extremely well. If you are into mysteries, westerns or action thrillers, Wind River is for you.
12. The Florida Project
I notoriously dislike child actors. Yet I love this film. The Florida Project tells the story of the "hidden homeless," a group of impoverished people who live week to week at hotels in Florida. Focusing on a mother and daughter who live at a purple-themed hotel within eyesight of Disney's magical kingdom, this film depicts a side of America we do not typically see. It simultaneously captures the magic of childhood and the harsh reality of poverty. The child actress starring in this film, Brooklynn Prince, absolutely kills it and so does the Instagram star Bria Vinaite who plays her mother. I was completely won over by both of their performances. Willum Dafoe also provides a fantastic supporting actor performance. This film does not minimize the problems of living in poverty, nor the bad choices that the mother makes. Yet it depicts those bad decisions in a completely relatable and understandable way. This films humanistic pathos is so heartwarming and beautiful that I cannot recommend it enough.
11. It Comes At Night
While thought by some as purposefully obtuse, It Comes At Night is a great example of the fact that what you come up with in your mind is always scarier than what a film can show you. A post-apocalyptic fever dream of paranoia, this film feeds on the mistrust between humans and leaves you terrified of a threat you never really get to see. It draws out tension through cinematography and editing and character reactions while never giving you the relief of showing you what is causing their fear. It never lets up and provides one of the most tragic and haunting endings of the year. If you like a little art with your terror, It Comes At Night provides a great, tense thriller.
10. Dunkirk
Dunkirk is a pure adrenaline rush. I am not sure that I have ever seen a film that is so tense from minute one that does not let up until the final moment. Christopher Nolan uses every single ounce of his tremendous talent for technical film-making to create this terrifying tale of the true story of the escape from Dunkirk. This movie avoids Nolan's biggest weakness of extreme exposition by telling a bare-bones tale with minimal characters, instead purely focusing on the events and the resulting tension. The score is a real highlight of the film, adding so much intensity and emotional impact. With breathtaking cinematography and Nolan's typical gorgeous practical effects, Dunkirk is a testament to the power of pure technical film-making.
9. A Ghost Story
There are several divisive films on this list, and this might be the most divisive one. Constantly bordering on the edge of pretension, A Ghost Story is an exercise in minimalism and visual storytelling. This movie is about 80% dialogue free, instead telling its story purely through music, cinematography, editing and minimalistic acting. For me, this was an intoxicating tale which explored the intensely relatable themes of fear of death, mortality, loss, the meaning of our existence, and our insignificance when compared to the infinity of time.
This film is admittedly extremely slow paced, however it is very worth it in my opinion. It plays with the concept of time, and actively plays with our expectations of a film about ghosts. It is haunting, beautiful and the last 20 minutes provide one of the most beautiful montages I have ever seen. The pace at the beginning might turn you off, but stick with it. By the end, you will hopefully be as entranced as I was. I wept by the end of this film, and it resonated with me in a way that few other films this year have, despite its flaws.
8. Logan
The swan-song of a character we have spent 17 years with, Logan provided a cathartic and emotional conclusion to the story of Wolverine. Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart provide the best performances we have seen with them in the X-men franchise, and newcomer Dafne Keen impresses as well. Logan as a film takes a superhero character and throws him into a western setting, and it totally works. Logan is an old man, losing his skill and haunted by the guilt of the violent acts he has committed throughout his life. Akin to westerns like Shane or Unforgiven, Logan is focused on the legacy and cyclical nature of violence. These themes (along with excellent performances and deft direction by James Mangold) elevate Logan above any other superhero film since the Dark Knight and transcends being a great superhero film to just being a great film.
7. War for the Planet of the Apes
I have argued for several years that the rebooted Planet of the Apes franchise is the best blockbuster franchise we have right now, and this movie proves me right and perhaps even provides the best entry in the franchise. Andy Serkis continues to provide a mind-blowing motion capture performance that stands up with other performances in every way. The way Matt Reaves handles this film should be applauded. Instead of focusing on the "war," he instead chooses to focus on the character of Caesar and the toll that revenge and violence takes on him. This film keeps you on the edge of your seat without sacrificing the quiet character moments. It made me cry several times, and truly exemplifies the quality that mainstream blockbusters can reach if they are not afraid to be introspective and focus on characters. Apes. Together. Strong.
6. Call Me By Your Name
If I had to describe this movie in a single word, it would be sensual. Everything in this movie is a sensory experience, from the lush Italian countryside to the delicious food to the intimate moments of romance. Call Me By Your Name tells the story of Elio as he falls in love with an American graduate student, Oliver, who is sent to Italy to study with Elio's father over a summer. This film takes its time and meanders, as these characters do in the summer heat which really gives us time to get to know them.
The chemistry between the two main actors, Timothee Chalamet and Armie Hammer, is some of the most believable I have ever seen on-screen. The cinematography is equally nuanced, using subtle things like camera placement, character position within the frame, slow push-ins and long, static camera takes to communicate information about these characters non-verbally. This movie, while steering clear of some of the conflict tropes in queer cinema such as homophobic relatives not approving of the relationship, is emotionally devastating. There is a monologue at the end of this film that is not only the best monologue of the year but one of the best ever. Additionally, the final shot of this film exemplifies what makes it great. It is slow paced, takes its time and trusts its actor to deliver a complex emotional message with just their face. And it leaves you weeping as a result.
5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
Just like every film from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, this film is incredibly weird. Every character talks in an awkward, stilted, deadpan way and reacts to horrifying events in a very emotionally stunted way. And it works perfectly for this film. A modern tragedy/horror in the vein of classic Greek plays, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is uniquely dark, uncomfortable and hilarious. Every scene simultaneously can be played as a horrific moment of tension or absurdist humor, and in my opinion it works to great effect. I found myself uncomfortably sitting on the edge of my seat throughout while also laughing out loud at many moments. Lanthimos uses the camera similarly to Stanley Kubrick in the Shining, as it moves on its own, floating around and following our characters, creating a feeling of tension as we feel like an omniscient force watching the horrifying events unfold on these characters. While certainly not for everyone, this movie affected me deeply. It created real tension throughout and left me thinking about and discussing this film days and weeks after I saw it.
4. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Another dark comedy/drama directed by playwright Martin McDonagh, this film provides another fantastic film in the career of the writer and director of one of my favorite films, In Bruges. Three Billboards tells the story of a grieving mother who rents out three billboards leaving a rather provocative message to the local police department to put pressure on them to solve her daughters murder. Equal parts dark and profoundly emotional, Three Billboards presents us with dark and morally questionable characters while still humanizing all of them and refusing to make morally absolute judgements about them. Even the most awful characters (such as a violent, racist cop played impeccably by Sam Rockwell) get shown as being not all bad, and the film chooses to say that even the worst people are not beyond redemption. Characters go from pissed-off and confrontational to tender and compassionate at the flip of a switch, and the film manages it beautifully. Because of this, the film is unpredictable and you are never really sure what decisions characters will make. With hilarious and almost Shakespearean dialogue fit for a playwright and a poetic visual style similar to his past films, McDonagh creates one of the best comedies and dramas of the year.
3. Get Out
This film came out of nowhere for me. As a big fan of Key and Peele, the only reason I knew this movie was coming out was that it was Jordan Peele's directorial debut. And it floored me. This movie manages to not only work as an incredibly tense horror/thriller but also as a thought-provoking political satire and allegory for racism. It hides its twist and turns with some incredibly clever foreshadowing, and proves that Jordan Peele is one of our best emerging directors. It is smart, terrifying, gripping and holds up to repeat viewings extremely well. The more I think about this movie, the better it gets.
2. Lady Bird
Lady Bird is the most charming film to come out this year and is also the best coming of age film of the decade. Greta Gerwig takes the lessons that she learned from collaborating with indie darling Noah Baumbach and puts them to good use as she writes and directs this film. It is an authentic and emotionally impacting tale of becoming your own person and the conflict that inevitably results from that. Saoirse Ronan gives another incredible performance as the titular "Lady Bird" and does a phenomenal job of showing off the endearing independent streak and harmful self-centeredness which inevitably co-exist in teenagers at that age. The script is charming, every actor does a great job and the themes in this film are universal. It is charming, hilarious and uses its script to simultaneously be witty and emotionally poignant. Just like real life, there are no huge speeches and clean resolutions. But there are moments of emotional expression, authenticity and heartbreak which affected me deeply. Lady Bird is a gem that I can only describe as delightful.
1. Blade Runner 2049
And here we are, my favorite film of 2017. The original Blade Runner is one of my all-time favorite films, and I am a huge fan of all of Denis Villeneuve's previous work, so I went into this film with sky-high expectations and I was still blown away. The way this film engages with the themes of the original Blade Runner while also expanding the world and builds upon what came before is nothing less than outstanding.
When it comes to the technical aspects of film-making, this movie is flawless. Every shot, edit, sound and visual effect is flawless. Each performance, even the smallest ones, are haunting and emotionally impacting. Ryan Gosling especially gives one of the best performances in his already incredible career. Roger Deakens needs to not only be nominated for best cinematography, but he needs to win. In regards to a technical film-making experience, Blade Runner 2049 is unrivaled this year. It was definitely my favorite theatrical experience as well. See this film on the largest screen and with the best sound system that you can.
The philosophy of this film, the way it plays with what it means to love, to have a purpose, the concept of free will, or to even be human, is extraordinary for a mainstream big-budget movie. This movie worked for me on every level, and I think it is one of the rare sequels that not only equals the original in quality but perhaps even surpasses it. I loved every moment, I have no flaws with it and it is my favorite film of 2017.