A Subjective Ranking of 40 Films from 2017
Bring on the disagreement.
Yeah, I’m ready for the comments. That’s why “subjective” is in the title. Note that there are films that were released that I haven’t been able to see yet.
Movies marked with an *asterisk are one’s that I screened at the Arclight Cinerama Dome—an unparalleled moviegoing experience that will definitely impact your opinion and enjoyment of film.
40. Bright: I just wanted this to be a buddy-cop comedy. Total waste of time. Watch Get Out instead.
39. Justice League: Dumb. The Avengers are way better.
38. The Killing of a Sacred Deer: Weird. Watch (or re-watch) The Lobster instead.
37. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle: Was it not-as-scary as the original Jumanji? Yes. Was it better? No. Was it worth it? Idk, I used a MoviePass.
36. Hostiles: It’s a very realistic western which I can appreciate, but B-roll footage of Western American landscapes isn’t enough to sell me. I just wanted it to be better.
35. Murder on the Orient Express: The original is better.
34. Walking Out: I really wanted to love this, but B-roll footage of Western American landscapes isn’t enough to sell me (again).
33. Star Wars: The Last Jedi: I’m just not a Star Wars fan. I fell asleep for the last 30 minutes. I’m not saying it’s a bad movie, I just don’t enjoy Star Wars.
32. The Zookeeper’s Wife: Not sure if the accents really added to the story. Probably would’ve been better as a foreign language film.
31. Downsizing: Great concept. Climate change propaganda.
30. Roman J. Israel. Esq.: I’m all about plea-bargain reform, but this story could have used some fine-tuning.
29. Mother!: Horrifying and mesmerizing. An artistic allegory that made me weep.
28. Wonder Woman: It was really great, but still a DC Comics movie. I’m sad that Wonder Woman will never get to meet Black Panther and vice versa. Each to their own.
27. *Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2: Not as funny as the original, but still a decent movie.
26. Wind River: This should’ve gotten more exposure.
25. Logan: Just when you thought there shouldn’t be another Wolverine movie, they surprise you with a Wolverine movie that’s actually good.
24. Wonder: Beautiful story that everyone should watch and discuss. It was scattered though…the writing needed work.
23. War for the Planet of the Apes: Not just your basic action movie…and that’s what I love about it.
22. Spiderman: Homecoming: Tom Holland is the best Spiderman. That’s all.
21. Call Me By Your Name: I really wanted to like this, but the story just wasn’t there for me.
20. Thor: Ragnarok: Why weren’t all the Thor movies retro-80s themed?
19. Phantom Thread: The darkest romantic comedy ever. The best thing about this movie is that you can fall asleep for a bit, wake up, and not miss a thing.
18. The Post: Meryl Strep is a national treasure. The rest of the movie is meh. It’s an important story that shouldn’t have been rushed.
17. All the Money in the World: So this is the story behind The Getty Center in Los Angeles? Fascinating.
16. Coco: Because Pixar.
15. The Disaster Artist: I love that this is a good movie about the making of a bad movie.
14. *Blade Runner: 2049: Beautiful and stunning. I’m happy about this sequel.
13. The Big Sick: Spoiler alert…it’s the real story co-written by Kumail Nanjiani and Emily V. Gordon. How can you not love it?
12. Molly’s Game: I’m a huge Aaron Sorkin fan and he did not disappoint in the making of this movie. One of the best storytelling pieces of the season.
11. Mudbound: I watched this before I cancelled Netflix and I’m glad that I did.
10. Darkest Hour: The acting is phenomenal and it’s actually a good movie beyond that.
9. Get Out: Redefining.
8. The Florida Project: I wish this would’ve gotten more exposure. It’s a completely relevant film with outstanding performances and production.
7. *Dunkirk: This was the first time sound editing made me want to cry. The story is lacking, but the visual and audible components are spectacular.
6. The Greatest Showman: I saw this movie 5 times. Be warned: the music is very catchy.
5. *Alien: Covenant: I know you’re wondering why it’s number 5…Alien to me is Star Wars to you. Let me have a moment since it’s the first time in 38 years that the franchise has an arching plot.
4. The Shape of Water: I really wanted to hate it, but I must publicly admit that it was mesmerizing. Pansexual propaganda.
3. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri: I know this is placed high, but this film was a surprising adventure. Frances McDormand’s performance is a riot. Don’t ever mess with Mildred Hayes.
2. Lady Bird: I mean, c’mon. The story. The acting. The directing. The music. The production. It’s all just so good.
- *Baby Driver: Definitely the most enjoyable movie I’ve seen in a while. The film editing is spectacular. I walked around with Ray-Bans and earbuds in for a month after I saw this.
And there you have it. Bring on the heat in the comments. What were your top 5 movies of 2017?
