Top 10 Films of 2017
Another year down, another Top 10 blog from me. You know me, I never break my promises of posting blogs. It's not like my last blog post was my Top 10 from last year or anything...I totally followed through on those "Horror October" or "12 Days of Flicks-mas" blogs, because I can never let down my people. In all honesty, this year has been a busy one, full of movies new and old. Hopefully this Top 10 makes it up to all three of my readers out there (shout out to my mom!!!....actually I'm not even sure if she reads this....)
Strangely enough, I saw 62 films released in 2016 last year. And this year I have seen 62 films released in 2017. Below are my my Top 10 of the year and genre superlatives. Click on the movie title to watch the trailer. As always, these are just my opinions. Just because I put a movie low on the entertainment list, does not mean that you cannot or will not enjoy it. That being said, if you like what you read, or if you want to fight me because my opinions are terrible, leave a comment below or on Facebook.
10. mother! - And with the first film on my list, I present the most divisive film of the year. Actually I'm not sure you can even call it that, as it received an "F" on Cinemascore, which rates films based on audience reactions as they leave the theater. Well I'm here to contradict what you may have heard about mother!. I think Aronofsky has created one of the most unique and refreshing films of the year. It is refreshing in the fact that it does not treat its audience as if they are stupid. mother! chugs along following a strange but very familiar narrative, but instead of straight out saying what everything represents, it trusts and demands that you figure it out on your own. If you saw it and didn't understand what you saw, I'd love to discuss it with you. I am not saying the film is perfect, and it can get a bit hard to watch, especially toward the end, but if you have a fairly strong stomach, give mother! a shot.
9. Okja - Oh wow, Kyle is one film in and he doesn't have a Korean movie yet, maybe this is the year he finally won't have one....and at Number 9, we have a Netflix original Korean movie, Okja. Okja tells the story of a young Korean farmer girl who takes care of a "superpig", which will eventually become the future of the meat-industry. But after the pig is taken away, the girl will stop at nothing to help save her friend. The cast is led by Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhall, who is channeling his inner Nicolas Cage in this performance and I absolutely love it. Obviously, this film takes a shot at the meat-industry, so if you're a vegetarian, you will appreciate the message of this film. If you are not vegetarian, I suggest eating your burger before sitting down for this one, because you may not want it immediately after. Both heart-warming and heart-breaking, Okja is a cute and powerful tale about the horrors of the meat industry and the lengths a little girl will go through for friendship.
8. Good Time - Coming in at #8 is a very under-the-radar Robert Pattinson film. Yes, THAT Robert Pattinson. But if you wrote this movie off because he is in it, then you are making a grave mistake because he is a great actor. Good Time follows a young man who is trying to save his mentally handicapped brother after he was arrested for a botched robbery attempt. The camerawork in this movie is close and tight, presenting a claustrophobic feel as if you were stuck in these escalating situations with the main character. The electronic soundtrack is amazing, creating tension when necessary and introducing a unique sound that you're not used to hearing when watching movies. Whenever you think the movie is out of steam, a new element is introduced that completely throws a wrench in the gears and it ultimately leads to a suspenseful movie from start to finish.
7. Phantom Thread - Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite film of all time is, I always give the same response...PT Anderson's 2007 masterpiece There Will Be Blood. So when I saw that Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis were reuniting, obviously I had very high hopes. And while Phantom Thread is not my #1 of the year, it is still brilliantly crafted and absolutely beautiful. The film is slow-paced and meticulous, just as Day-Lewis's character, Reynolds Woodcock. Phantom Thread centers around Woodcock who is an esteemed dressmaker and his relationship with his new girlfriend Alma, played by Vicky Krieps. Krieps is fantastic in this movie, and it is easy to tell as she stands her ground even while acting opposite of Day-Lewis for most of the film. Day-Lewis obviously gives an absolutely stunning performance. Honestly, the fact that he is retired now is depressing, knowing that I will not get to see another performance like this one or his performance in There Will Be Blood. PT Anderson is a master at his craft, seemingly always getting the best performances of an actor's career, and Phantom Thread, albeit sluggish, is a joy to watch in the hands of the maestros Anderson and Day-Lewis.
6. The Shape of Water - Looking back at my old Top 10s to prepare for this one, I noticed that two years ago, I mentioned how I do not like horror movies. I laugh at this now, as watching horror movies from across the century the past two years has led to the genre being one of my favorites. Now The Shape of Water is certainly not a horror movie, as much as a fairy tale, but it is a love letter from Guillermo del Toro to old horror monster movies like Creature from the Black Lagoon. Very different however from Creature plotwise, The Shape of Water is about a mute custodian working in a government science lab. The lab holds a fish creature, with whom the custodian forms a relationship and she eventually tries to break him out of the lab. Sally Hawkins shines as the mute custodian, who believes that the fish creature sees her as whole, despite not having a voice. The underrated Michael Shannon stars as the film's main villain, and he is as menacing as ever. The soundtrack is also the best of the year, Alexandre Desplat deserves an Oscar for this score. If I had to make one gripe about the film, it is that the film focuses a little too much on sex, particularly at the beginning, adding scenes and dialogue that I do not think had much of an effect on the end product. But overall, The Shape of Water is a beautiful, heart-warming fairy tale of a monster movie, and I highly recommend it.
5. Blade Runner 2049 - Director Denis Villeneuve made an appearance on my Top 10 of 2016 list with Arrival, and here he is again with another sci-fi movie, Blade Runner 2049. A sequel to Blade Runner, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi films of all-time, Blade Runner 2049 obviously had a lot to live up to, and it certainly did so. My mancrush Ryan Gosling continues to be on an absolute tear. It seems that any movie he touches lately turns to gold. Villeneuve is fantastic and cementing himself as the modern king of sci-fi, but lest we forget one of the true heroes of the film...cinematography master Roger Deakins. I thought this would be his year for the Oscar, but it still is not looking that way and I just do not understand it. Every shot is a painting. His vision is unbelievable and he deserves to be recognized. With an intricate but easy-to-follow plot and gorgeous visuals, Blade Runner 2049 is a sure bet, and it is a very honorable sequel to its massively influential predecessor.
4. Baby Driver - I will start this review off by saying that I do not agree or support what Kevin Spacey did at all. That being said, just because of his horrible actions off the screen, I will not stop liking films in which he appears that I already liked. If you skip out on Baby Driver because of Spacey, then you are missing out on one of the most fun movie experiences you will ever have. Edgar Wright is at the top of his game. Baby Driver is centered around a young man with tinnitus (a constant ringing in his ears), which he drowns out by constantly listening to music. He also happens to be the best getaway driver around. The action of the film, the car's engine revving, the screeching of tires, and the gunshots are all timed up with the rhythm of the music that is pumping through Baby's headphones. If you have seen Wright's classic Shaun of the Dead, it is basically like the "Don't Stop Me Now" scene, but for the entire movie. Baby Driver is a blast, watch it to hear some great tunes and see some perfectly edited car chases and action sequences that blend with the music.
3. Wind River - This movie snuck into theaters back in August, yet it has stuck with me so much that it feels like I have seen it more recently than that. It is a movie that deserves to be in talks for Oscars, yet sadly will not be nominated for a single one. No matter, I will give it the recommendation it deserves. Wind River is a hard-hitting, unsettling piece of cinema that is absolutely fantastic. It takes place on a snowy Indian Reservation in Wyoming, where a local man, played by Jeremy Renner, tries to help an FBI Agent solve the rape and murder of a young native woman. It depicts the unfortunate living situation for many Native Americans on those lands and pulls no punches. It is penned and directed by Taylor Sheridan, who wrote Hell or High Water, which came in at my #12 last year. If he keeps writing such suspenseful films, he has a very bright future ahead. Well acted by Renner and Elisabeth Olsen, with a director who utilizes the setting perfectly and builds up massive amounts of suspense, Wind River deserves to be seen and seen again.
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Martin McDonagh is getting a lot of Oscar buzz this year for both his writing and directing of Three Billboards. It is almost as if the Academy is starting to realize what I noticed way back in 2008 about McDonagh, which is that he has a unique voice, the blackest of humor, and is one of the most talented writers currently working. His last film Seven Psychopaths was my #1 of 2012 (waiting 5 years between his films has been excruciating), and his previous film In Bruges is one of my favorite black comedies of all time. His style is unique and like Tarantino or Sorkin, you can tell when you're watching a McDonagh-written movie.
Enough gushing about McDonagh though, as it is time to start gushing over Frances McDormand, who gives one of the best performances by an actress that I've seen in years. She is empowering and merciless yet you can feel the pain behind her anger. She delivers this material better than anyone else could. Sam Rockwell is also excellent as always. With the dark tone, darker humor, and relevant themes, Three Billboards is a film that should not be missed.
1. The Big Sick - Coming in at #1 is a comedy. Wow, it feels so friggin' good to say that. I believe that comedy in film is a dying art. In my opinion, most comedies that come out now are just crass or slap-sticky, lacking any real heart or talent. How many times do we have to watch Kevin James fall over and break something, for God's sake? The Big Sick stars Kumail Nanjiani, playing himself in a movie that he and his now wife, Emily Gordon, wrote about their relationship. That's right, people, not only is a comedy in my #1 spot, but it is also a ROMANTIC comedy. That's how good this movie is.
Holly Hunter is excellent in her role as Emily's mother, but the true standout actor of this movie is Ray Romano, who plays Emily's father. In "Everybody Loves Raymond", he was goofy and was a very over-the-top character. In The Big Sick, he plays the straight man, and his humor derives from his awkward attempts at being funny. And Romano shows some fantastic dramatic range throughout the movie as well.
The movie starts as a focus on Kumail's struggles with relationships and the Muslim concept of arranged marriage. His mother is always trying to set him up with another Muslim woman, but he never feels a connection to them, nor to arranged marriage or the Muslim religion in general. When he meets Emily, a white, Non-Muslim, things become difficult as he knows that he is with a girl he actually likes, yet has to hide it from his parents lest he become disowned by his family for rejecting their religion. To make matters worse, Emily becomes very sick and is unconscious in the hospital, and Kumail now constantly finds himself at the hospital with Emily's parents. This all sounds very deep, but the movie takes a very light-hearted side to tell the story. While there are sad and serious moments throughout, they are always lightened up by the hilarious writing. This is some of the best comedic writing I've seen in a movie in a long time. The Big Sick is the best comedy to come out in years and is the greatest romantic comedy of all time, and it has cemented its place in my #1 spot. Go watch it.
Best Action Movie: John Wick 2 - One of the most badass, adrenaline-pumping movies I've ever seen!
Best Animated Movie: Coco - Gorgeous animation, great soundtrack, amazing setting, touching moments = Classic Pixar.
Best Blockbuster: Spiderman: Homecoming - I normally hate Marvel movies, so for this to be my #1 blockbuster of the year over Star Wars and Planet of the Apes should definitely make a statement. This may be the best Marvel movie ever.
Best Comedy: The Big Sick - rave review above
Best Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - review above
Best Horror Movie: The Devil's Candy - Terrifying low-key, very short runtime completely packed with suspense and holding-your-breath moments. Out of 7 solid horror movies I saw this year, this is the best.
Best Sci-Fi Movie: Blade Runner 2049 - review above
Below is the list of every 2017 release I saw in the order of enjoyment:
Justice League
Kong: Skull Island
Kingsman: The Golden Circle Ghost in the Shell The Great Wall Geostorm
The Florida Project
Free Fire
Call Me By Your Name
The Beguiled
A Ghost Story Logan Lucky
Win it all Lost City of Z Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Their Finest Atomic Blonde American Made The Man Who Invented Christmas The Post Personal Shopper Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
The Darkest Hour Thor: Ragnarok Logan Lego Batman Gerald’s Game Lady Bird Battle of the Sexes Murder on the Orient Express Wonder Woman It
I, Tonya I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. Molly’s Game Brawl in Cell Block 99 The Void Captain Underpants Split
Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Disaster Artist Stronger Get Out John Wick 2 Dunkirk It Comes at Night Colossal The Devil's Candy Coco
Brigsby Bear
mother! Okja Good Time Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Blade Runner 2049 Baby Driver Wind River Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri The Big Sick
Strangely enough, I saw 62 films released in 2016 last year. And this year I have seen 62 films released in 2017. Below are my my Top 10 of the year and genre superlatives. Click on the movie title to watch the trailer. As always, these are just my opinions. Just because I put a movie low on the entertainment list, does not mean that you cannot or will not enjoy it. That being said, if you like what you read, or if you want to fight me because my opinions are terrible, leave a comment below or on Facebook.
My Top 10 Movies of 2017
10. mother! - And with the first film on my list, I present the most divisive film of the year. Actually I'm not sure you can even call it that, as it received an "F" on Cinemascore, which rates films based on audience reactions as they leave the theater. Well I'm here to contradict what you may have heard about mother!. I think Aronofsky has created one of the most unique and refreshing films of the year. It is refreshing in the fact that it does not treat its audience as if they are stupid. mother! chugs along following a strange but very familiar narrative, but instead of straight out saying what everything represents, it trusts and demands that you figure it out on your own. If you saw it and didn't understand what you saw, I'd love to discuss it with you. I am not saying the film is perfect, and it can get a bit hard to watch, especially toward the end, but if you have a fairly strong stomach, give mother! a shot.
9. Okja - Oh wow, Kyle is one film in and he doesn't have a Korean movie yet, maybe this is the year he finally won't have one....and at Number 9, we have a Netflix original Korean movie, Okja. Okja tells the story of a young Korean farmer girl who takes care of a "superpig", which will eventually become the future of the meat-industry. But after the pig is taken away, the girl will stop at nothing to help save her friend. The cast is led by Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano and Jake Gyllenhall, who is channeling his inner Nicolas Cage in this performance and I absolutely love it. Obviously, this film takes a shot at the meat-industry, so if you're a vegetarian, you will appreciate the message of this film. If you are not vegetarian, I suggest eating your burger before sitting down for this one, because you may not want it immediately after. Both heart-warming and heart-breaking, Okja is a cute and powerful tale about the horrors of the meat industry and the lengths a little girl will go through for friendship.
8. Good Time - Coming in at #8 is a very under-the-radar Robert Pattinson film. Yes, THAT Robert Pattinson. But if you wrote this movie off because he is in it, then you are making a grave mistake because he is a great actor. Good Time follows a young man who is trying to save his mentally handicapped brother after he was arrested for a botched robbery attempt. The camerawork in this movie is close and tight, presenting a claustrophobic feel as if you were stuck in these escalating situations with the main character. The electronic soundtrack is amazing, creating tension when necessary and introducing a unique sound that you're not used to hearing when watching movies. Whenever you think the movie is out of steam, a new element is introduced that completely throws a wrench in the gears and it ultimately leads to a suspenseful movie from start to finish.
7. Phantom Thread - Whenever anyone asks me what my favorite film of all time is, I always give the same response...PT Anderson's 2007 masterpiece There Will Be Blood. So when I saw that Anderson and Daniel Day-Lewis were reuniting, obviously I had very high hopes. And while Phantom Thread is not my #1 of the year, it is still brilliantly crafted and absolutely beautiful. The film is slow-paced and meticulous, just as Day-Lewis's character, Reynolds Woodcock. Phantom Thread centers around Woodcock who is an esteemed dressmaker and his relationship with his new girlfriend Alma, played by Vicky Krieps. Krieps is fantastic in this movie, and it is easy to tell as she stands her ground even while acting opposite of Day-Lewis for most of the film. Day-Lewis obviously gives an absolutely stunning performance. Honestly, the fact that he is retired now is depressing, knowing that I will not get to see another performance like this one or his performance in There Will Be Blood. PT Anderson is a master at his craft, seemingly always getting the best performances of an actor's career, and Phantom Thread, albeit sluggish, is a joy to watch in the hands of the maestros Anderson and Day-Lewis.
6. The Shape of Water - Looking back at my old Top 10s to prepare for this one, I noticed that two years ago, I mentioned how I do not like horror movies. I laugh at this now, as watching horror movies from across the century the past two years has led to the genre being one of my favorites. Now The Shape of Water is certainly not a horror movie, as much as a fairy tale, but it is a love letter from Guillermo del Toro to old horror monster movies like Creature from the Black Lagoon. Very different however from Creature plotwise, The Shape of Water is about a mute custodian working in a government science lab. The lab holds a fish creature, with whom the custodian forms a relationship and she eventually tries to break him out of the lab. Sally Hawkins shines as the mute custodian, who believes that the fish creature sees her as whole, despite not having a voice. The underrated Michael Shannon stars as the film's main villain, and he is as menacing as ever. The soundtrack is also the best of the year, Alexandre Desplat deserves an Oscar for this score. If I had to make one gripe about the film, it is that the film focuses a little too much on sex, particularly at the beginning, adding scenes and dialogue that I do not think had much of an effect on the end product. But overall, The Shape of Water is a beautiful, heart-warming fairy tale of a monster movie, and I highly recommend it.
5. Blade Runner 2049 - Director Denis Villeneuve made an appearance on my Top 10 of 2016 list with Arrival, and here he is again with another sci-fi movie, Blade Runner 2049. A sequel to Blade Runner, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest sci-fi films of all-time, Blade Runner 2049 obviously had a lot to live up to, and it certainly did so. My mancrush Ryan Gosling continues to be on an absolute tear. It seems that any movie he touches lately turns to gold. Villeneuve is fantastic and cementing himself as the modern king of sci-fi, but lest we forget one of the true heroes of the film...cinematography master Roger Deakins. I thought this would be his year for the Oscar, but it still is not looking that way and I just do not understand it. Every shot is a painting. His vision is unbelievable and he deserves to be recognized. With an intricate but easy-to-follow plot and gorgeous visuals, Blade Runner 2049 is a sure bet, and it is a very honorable sequel to its massively influential predecessor.
4. Baby Driver - I will start this review off by saying that I do not agree or support what Kevin Spacey did at all. That being said, just because of his horrible actions off the screen, I will not stop liking films in which he appears that I already liked. If you skip out on Baby Driver because of Spacey, then you are missing out on one of the most fun movie experiences you will ever have. Edgar Wright is at the top of his game. Baby Driver is centered around a young man with tinnitus (a constant ringing in his ears), which he drowns out by constantly listening to music. He also happens to be the best getaway driver around. The action of the film, the car's engine revving, the screeching of tires, and the gunshots are all timed up with the rhythm of the music that is pumping through Baby's headphones. If you have seen Wright's classic Shaun of the Dead, it is basically like the "Don't Stop Me Now" scene, but for the entire movie. Baby Driver is a blast, watch it to hear some great tunes and see some perfectly edited car chases and action sequences that blend with the music.
3. Wind River - This movie snuck into theaters back in August, yet it has stuck with me so much that it feels like I have seen it more recently than that. It is a movie that deserves to be in talks for Oscars, yet sadly will not be nominated for a single one. No matter, I will give it the recommendation it deserves. Wind River is a hard-hitting, unsettling piece of cinema that is absolutely fantastic. It takes place on a snowy Indian Reservation in Wyoming, where a local man, played by Jeremy Renner, tries to help an FBI Agent solve the rape and murder of a young native woman. It depicts the unfortunate living situation for many Native Americans on those lands and pulls no punches. It is penned and directed by Taylor Sheridan, who wrote Hell or High Water, which came in at my #12 last year. If he keeps writing such suspenseful films, he has a very bright future ahead. Well acted by Renner and Elisabeth Olsen, with a director who utilizes the setting perfectly and builds up massive amounts of suspense, Wind River deserves to be seen and seen again.
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Martin McDonagh is getting a lot of Oscar buzz this year for both his writing and directing of Three Billboards. It is almost as if the Academy is starting to realize what I noticed way back in 2008 about McDonagh, which is that he has a unique voice, the blackest of humor, and is one of the most talented writers currently working. His last film Seven Psychopaths was my #1 of 2012 (waiting 5 years between his films has been excruciating), and his previous film In Bruges is one of my favorite black comedies of all time. His style is unique and like Tarantino or Sorkin, you can tell when you're watching a McDonagh-written movie.
Enough gushing about McDonagh though, as it is time to start gushing over Frances McDormand, who gives one of the best performances by an actress that I've seen in years. She is empowering and merciless yet you can feel the pain behind her anger. She delivers this material better than anyone else could. Sam Rockwell is also excellent as always. With the dark tone, darker humor, and relevant themes, Three Billboards is a film that should not be missed.
1. The Big Sick - Coming in at #1 is a comedy. Wow, it feels so friggin' good to say that. I believe that comedy in film is a dying art. In my opinion, most comedies that come out now are just crass or slap-sticky, lacking any real heart or talent. How many times do we have to watch Kevin James fall over and break something, for God's sake? The Big Sick stars Kumail Nanjiani, playing himself in a movie that he and his now wife, Emily Gordon, wrote about their relationship. That's right, people, not only is a comedy in my #1 spot, but it is also a ROMANTIC comedy. That's how good this movie is.
Holly Hunter is excellent in her role as Emily's mother, but the true standout actor of this movie is Ray Romano, who plays Emily's father. In "Everybody Loves Raymond", he was goofy and was a very over-the-top character. In The Big Sick, he plays the straight man, and his humor derives from his awkward attempts at being funny. And Romano shows some fantastic dramatic range throughout the movie as well.
The movie starts as a focus on Kumail's struggles with relationships and the Muslim concept of arranged marriage. His mother is always trying to set him up with another Muslim woman, but he never feels a connection to them, nor to arranged marriage or the Muslim religion in general. When he meets Emily, a white, Non-Muslim, things become difficult as he knows that he is with a girl he actually likes, yet has to hide it from his parents lest he become disowned by his family for rejecting their religion. To make matters worse, Emily becomes very sick and is unconscious in the hospital, and Kumail now constantly finds himself at the hospital with Emily's parents. This all sounds very deep, but the movie takes a very light-hearted side to tell the story. While there are sad and serious moments throughout, they are always lightened up by the hilarious writing. This is some of the best comedic writing I've seen in a movie in a long time. The Big Sick is the best comedy to come out in years and is the greatest romantic comedy of all time, and it has cemented its place in my #1 spot. Go watch it.
Genre Superlatives
Best Action Movie: John Wick 2 - One of the most badass, adrenaline-pumping movies I've ever seen!
Best Animated Movie: Coco - Gorgeous animation, great soundtrack, amazing setting, touching moments = Classic Pixar.
Best Blockbuster: Spiderman: Homecoming - I normally hate Marvel movies, so for this to be my #1 blockbuster of the year over Star Wars and Planet of the Apes should definitely make a statement. This may be the best Marvel movie ever.
Best Comedy: The Big Sick - rave review above
Best Drama: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - review above
Best Horror Movie: The Devil's Candy - Terrifying low-key, very short runtime completely packed with suspense and holding-your-breath moments. Out of 7 solid horror movies I saw this year, this is the best.
Best Sci-Fi Movie: Blade Runner 2049 - review above
Below is the list of every 2017 release I saw in the order of enjoyment:
Justice League
Kong: Skull Island
Kingsman: The Golden Circle Ghost in the Shell The Great Wall Geostorm
The Florida Project
Free Fire
Call Me By Your Name
The Beguiled
A Ghost Story Logan Lucky
Win it all Lost City of Z Guardians of the Galaxy 2 Their Finest Atomic Blonde American Made The Man Who Invented Christmas The Post Personal Shopper Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
The Darkest Hour Thor: Ragnarok Logan Lego Batman Gerald’s Game Lady Bird Battle of the Sexes Murder on the Orient Express Wonder Woman It
I, Tonya I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore. Molly’s Game Brawl in Cell Block 99 The Void Captain Underpants Split
Star Wars: The Last Jedi War for the Planet of the Apes Spider-Man: Homecoming
The Disaster Artist Stronger Get Out John Wick 2 Dunkirk It Comes at Night Colossal The Devil's Candy Coco
Brigsby Bear
mother! Okja Good Time Phantom Thread The Shape of Water Blade Runner 2049 Baby Driver Wind River Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri The Big Sick
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