Best and Worst Films of 2017
Plus a few other musings.
Note: I know that I wrote the absolutes “Best” and “Worst” in the title, but obviously my personal tastes are a huge factor in this list. These are more accurately my favorite and least favorite films of the year. I do believe that the films’ excellence/worthlessness is generally objective — the question is how much was I compelled in either direction.
You can also check out a statistical analysis of my movie watching here as well as my scathing thoughts on how stupid Best Of lists are here.
Worst of the Year
10. Only Living Boy in New York
This is a movie that has to be seen to be believed (although you might prefer not to see it, given it’s trash). The story of a young writer who has an affair with his dad’s mistress is not an innocuous Graduate ripoff, but something far more dangerous. The film includes so much toxic masculinity one assumes a rousing condemnation of our self-centered protagonist is coming, only for the film to take a harsh turn deeper into its own navel. Make no mistake, ‘artistic’ films are just as capable of sexism as blockbusters. The only bright spot is that it was panned and flopped at the box office!
9. Friend Request
There’s not much to say about this risible attempt at a movie. Every year films that should have been released online, or never at all, make their way into 2,000 theaters. I won’t kick Friend Request while it’s down, but it’s perhaps more notable than other whiffs because of its lazy focus on cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is a real problem and deserves a real movie to take on the subject.
8. IT
IT is not a scary film. I’m sorry to say, but the movie is a morass of jump scares and silly CGI creations. It’s also frequently boring, illogical, pandering, and unnecessarily sexist. I’m a fan of Stephen King, but this adaptation of half of his major novel doesn’t do the merits justice or fix the flaws. I liked most of actors though, so that’s why it’s only at number eight on the list.
7. Hazlo Como Hombre
Mexican cinema has given some really good movies lately, especially international co-productions like How to be a Latin Lover. But Hazlo Como Hombre is not one of them. The film is essentially one long sketch about gay panic. I’m willing to accept that cultural norms are different in other countries, so perhaps Mexico is a little behind the times to confront homophobia in the mainstream (After all, the US is only 20 years past Ellen DeGeneres coming out on air). That being said, HCH isn’t funny or insightful on its subject matter. The weak attempts to combat homophobia amount to lazy, hypocritical back-patting. I doubt that anyone will leave this film with their minds changed.
6. Downsizing
Long before Downsizing gets racist, it has already failed. The Alexander Payne dramedy film about a regular guy who decides to shrink himself can’t decide if it wants to explore the environment, the economy, American society, international politics, etc. So it spends a few minutes circling each topic before moving on. Oh, and then it gets racist.
5. mother!
Don’t be fooled by the controversy surrounding mother! to think that it’s hip to dissect, discuss, and possibly praise. It doesn’t deserve your attention. The film depicts the hallucinatory downward spiral of a microcosmic universe when strange guests crash the home of an unnamed artist and his prisoner/wife. For all of the artistically valid biblical and environmental allegory on screen, mother! is torpedoed by the disingenuous apology at its core. So much of the screen-time is taken up with a the scathing self-take down of writer/director Darren Aronofsky by writer/director Darren Aronosfky. It’s not that I don’t have patience for an artist saying, “Hey! I’m sorry that being a director makes me a vain tyrant!” (lots of other movies make this mea culpa); it’s that mother! expects you to pat its creator on the back for it. The narrative of Aronfsky as an underdog when his film flopped only enhances the hypocritical nature of his apology. If he really thinks he’s a shitbag, is he surprised that audiences and many critics were not down to gaze at his dirty soul for two hours? In a year that gave us such populist triumphs as Get Out and Wonder Woman, it’s obvious that transcendent art reaches outwards not inwards. Better luck next time, Mr. Aronofsky.
4. Snatched
What wasted potential! Amy Schumer teamed up with a comedy icon (Goldie Hawn), a comedy workhorse (Ike Barinholtz) and a strong comedy director (Jonathan Levine). Somehow the result is a 90 minute Madlibs that’s missing jokes. It’s not a good movie because it’s only the shadow of a movie and nothing more.
3. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter
The action in this film is so incoherent, I cannot understand how it was actually planned, filmed, and edited. Given the amount of CGI and post-production control these days it could have looked better with some tweaking. What happened? Who allowed this assault on the senses to enter cinemas?
2. I Love You, Daddy
Several weeks before the NY Times and other new sources dropped articles detailing serious sexual misconduct allegations against mega-comedian Louis C.K., I saw his newest film at the Toronto International Film Festival. There were already many warning signs of his behavior, which meant that I was uncomfortable seeing his film at all.
I was unprepared.
Like most films on this list, the actual craftsmanship was poor. I Love You, Daddy isn’t funny or thought-provoking. It’s plotless and repetitive to enhance its purported themes. It’s excruciating to watch Louie’s doofy avatar bounce between various condescending arguments with shrewish women over the age of consent. No one should be exposed to the psyche of such as asshole. Consider yourself lucky it won’t be released any time soon.
- Dark Night
Dark Night is an experimental film that may or may not be about the day following up to the Aurora, Colorado shooting in 2012. Gun violence in America is a big mantle to pick up, and sadly Dark Night drops the ball. The film is exploitative and then tries to hide beneath the protective blanket of “art.” Ultimately, Dark Knight’s failure delegitimizes genuine artists who might attempt to take on the same issues. If you’re going to be pretentious, don’t do it with a horrific tragedy.
Honorable Mention (in chronological order)
I capped my honorable mention at 10 movies, but it could have been longer. As I’ll elaborate on below, 2017 was a solid year for movies. I wasn’t hugely passionate on that much, but I was generally pleased with what I was watching. These 10 films are all worth your time.
Colossal, The Big Sick, The Limehouse Golem, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Call Me By Your Name, The Disaster Artist, The Shape of Water, I, Tonya, The Post, Phantom Thread
Best of the Year
10. Get Out
Due to the blowout success of Get Out as not just a film but a new cultural icon, there’s little I can write about it that hasn’t already been said. Whether you view Get Out as hugely entertaining horror film or a deft exploration of systemic racism, there’s bound to be something engaging in it for you. It was awe inspiring to watch a new classic be borne, especially a $4.5M-budgeted horror film from a first time director.
9. Logan
In the last few years, there have been a slew of superhero films that attempted to transcend, deconstruct, or subvert the comic book genre. Logan is the first to clear that bar with room to spare. It’s not disdainful of its origins, though. If anything James Mangold and company approach the comic book conflict with overt reverence. The film isn’t afraid to trade in high-minded symbolism and emotional depth while still giving us lots of people torn up by a dude with claws. The special alchemy of Logan is all the justification that the enduring “fad” of superhero cinema (it’s been 10 years since Iron Man kicked off the MCU) has a real place in film history.
8. Coco
Coco isn’t just the ‘usual’ Pixar triumph of gorgeous visuals and confident storytelling — it’s also the best musical of the year and a positive step in diverse onscreen representation. There’s a reason that Coco holds the dual honors of being the biggest movie ever in Mexico and an enormous hit in China. The deft memorable mariachi tunes make for the best cultural ambassador you could ask for.
7. The Meyerowitz Stories
Once again, Noah Baumbach presents family dysfunction and human frailty with a distinct, fabulous wit. Some of his winning technique comes from classic comedy editing (see: his hilariously deflating “cut to’s” at the end of scenes). Other parts come from spot-on casting, whether it’s Ben Stiller living comfortably in neurosis-land or Adam Sandler against type as a sad sack single father. The rest of the magic? Something in the dialogue. As Nerdwriter1 details in a video essay, Baumbach has a highly developed ear for realistic human speech that nonetheless achieves cinematic goals. The best praise I can throw at Baumbach is that he’s a supremely relatable filmmaker, and the catharsis on his films is a wonderful thing to experience.
6. Good Time
Good Time roars out the gate as a gritty thriller — and it is — but the ultra-dark comedy pulsing throughout gives it a spot on this list. There’s a sub-sub-genre of films that I call “From Bad to Worse movies,” essentially any movie where you know that your sweaty, morally ambiguous protag ain’t gonna survive the picture intact. The key to a good FBW film (see Coen Bros, Scorsese) and a bad one (Tarantino ripoffs) tends to be a good sense of humor. Not just gallows humor, either, but something truly unique. Rather than explain the jokes of Good Time, I’ll leave you with one. You can decide if Good Time tickles you’re fancy or just makes you feel sick.
Clip is NSFW:
5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO
Three Billboards wowed festival audiences and many critics this summer. In recent weeks since it’s fall release, though, it’s lost some steam. Sam Rockwell’s controversial performance as a dimwitted, racist cop who undergoes an about face into selflessness has been thoroughly criticized as an unnecessary spotlight on white male growth rather than the victims affected by his hatred. Those arguments stood in contrast to my positive first viewing and persuaded me to see it a second time. While I’ll concede some missteps regarding Rockwell, I was glad to see that the movie’s feminist core stands intact. I’ll go to bat for McDormand’s performance as a woman perpetually pushed aside by people that don’t value her opinion or her very human anger. Whatever you take away from Rockwell’s role, there’s a lot of catharsis to be had in McDormand’s character. Even when she’s ruining her life, her son’s, and her friend’s, it’s hard not to root for her. Three Billboards’ fragile humanity is only accentuated by the grand tragedy bleeding through every frame.
4. The Florida Project
The Florida Project, a portrait of itinerant life in Orlando motels starts with the incongruous song “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang. That’s the zany sense of humor that director Sean Baker possesses. For more info, look no further than his breakout film, Tangerine, which dove headlong into the world of trans prostitutes on the streets of LA. During Christmas, of course.
The Florida Project isn’t quite as “funny” as the opening would suggest, though. The film’s humanistic depiction of poverty reaches traumatic places. The central thrust of the movie follows a young girl’s attempts to construct a carefree childhood amidst the crushing realities of her existence.
Sean Baker is able to capture underrepresented communities without condescending or resorting to a mawkish depiction of poverty for easy sympathy. As a result, The Florida Project isn’t an easy watch. It is, however, the exact definition of uncompromising movies that “no one makes.” I can promise you won’t see any fictional film like it in 2017.
3. Molly’s Game
Aaron Sorkin’s directorial debut is a crowd-pleasing delight that validates everything you love about the Sorkin-brand. It’s got bold characters, rip-roaring monologues, and exposition disguised as entertainment. Furthermore, Sorkin ably translates poker’s literal stakes into dramatic ones. It helps that the film actually about someone running poker games rather than participating in the game herself; this way Sorkin can delve headlong into the various metaphors that poker can represent and not get too caught up in the specifics.
As for the presentation, it just works. For a first time director, the execution is confident and flawless. Working with an auteur like David Fincher in the past produced the modern classic The Social Network; on his own, Sorkin’s slick directorial style proves more than satisfactory to manage his script.
2. Lady Bird
Greta Gerwig doesn’t reinvent the wheel with this coming-of-age tale. She justifies why we need these particular wheels in the first place. Lady Bird hits the exact right balance of specific-to-universal in the portrayal of the eponymous protagonist and her struggles with her overbearing mother. For those who loved The Edge of Seventeen from last year, you can do no better than this rock-solid high school dramedy.
- Dunkirk
It’s tempting to view Dunkirk, with it’s has a nightmarish vibe, as a 100 million dollar experimental film. That’s because most exciting filmmaking comes from the ebb between the furious action scenes. There are a few meditative moments on the desolate beach or in the iron sky that portray magnificent beauty amidst the carnage. These enigmatic images are filmed with the same blockbuster majesty as swooping planes and bursting bombs; even more so than in his space epic Interstellar, Nolan finds the best use for his IMAX film stock.
It’s these moments that elevate Dunkirk from a finely made technical exercise. Nolan has made sentimental films before, but Dunkirk is his most sorrowful since Memento. The image of a broken plane gliding over thousands of soldiers feels different than the fun operatic solemnity of his Batman fare, even if it’s both operatic and solemn too. That’s what sticks with me after Dunkirk. Not the harrowing escapes, but the poetry of human history in action.
Extra Categories
Most Overrated Film
Wind River
My disappointment in Wind River exemplifies my usual attitude on bad movies. On a technical level, Wind River fails its explicit goals. Writer/director Taylor Sheridan crafts a shallow mystery which ultimately “tells” us the answer. There’s no progression of clues, just a lazy cutaway to explain the central murder. On top of that, the cutaway features an unnecessary depiction of sexual violence, the kind that is so pervasive in modern cinema. When people rail against the rape in Game of Thrones treatment of women, they’re also talking about films like Wind River. Yeah, Jeremy Renner says some introspective shit at the end, but that doesn’t give it a pass. If the film actually cared about the plight of Native American women, don’t you think it would have considered the consequences of its filmmaking? Wind River shows a disdain for its audience on several levels and that I cannot endorse.
Runner up — IT
See Worst Of list above.
Most Underrated
Annabelle 2: Creation
Hiring David F. Sandberg was a fantastic choice. Following in the footsteps of fellow indie horror director Mike Flanagan who took the reigns on Oujia 2: Origin of evil, Sanders crafts a horror sequel that is infinitely better than its predecessor. Annabelle 2 isn’t terribly ambitious, but it’s an absolute corker. This what mainstream horror should be.
Runner Up — A Lot
This was actually a surprisingly hard category to write for, given that I’ve seen tons of digital ink spilled to advocate for awesome small movies like Colossal, Raw, Logan Lucky, and Princess Cyd. So my Runner Up is all of those movies, plus a special shout out to The Limehouse Golem, which was a favorite of mine at TIFF in 2016. If you like mysteries, give it a whirl.
Welcome Surprise
Power Rangers
I wasn’t dreading seeing a Power Rangers movie, but I didn’t think I’d get much out of it. I’m not a passionate fan or an eleven year-old anymore. Luckily, the film packs in enough heart and smarts that I did feel like an eleven year-old again — an especially spoiled one with a movie this good. It didn’t make enough money that a sequel is guaranteed, so we may have to live with this film. But it’s not a bad thing to be left with.
Runner Up — Wonder Woman
The DCEU track record isn’t great, so I wasn’t as psyched as I should have been for Wonder Woman. Silly me! The reason that the kick-ass film is the runner up and not the winner of Welcome Surprise category, is that its success isn’t actually all that surprising. We already knew that Gal Gadot is perfect in the part, that Patty Jenkins is a strong director, and that Chris Pine can sell ice to Eskimos. Bring on Wonder Woman 2!
Didn’t Suck like we thought it would
The Cure for Wellness
I’m a big Gore Verbinski fan (his remake of The Ring is very good) but the February dumping ground didn’t make me feel super confident. Little did I know, but The Cure for Wellness is a batshit-crazy horror flick made with Verbinski’s typical visual flair. If you slept on this one, give it another shot.
Runner Up — How to be a Latin Lover
It looked awful, but was actually pretty funny. The best “Adam Sandler” comedy in years even though he isn’t in it. Just pure irreverence.
Biggest Disappointment
Roman J Israel, Esq
Dan Gilroy knocked Nighcrawler out of the park. When I heard he was teaming up with Denzel Washington for a legal thriller, it felt like an unimpeachable film was on its way. Sadly, Roman J Israel, Esq was a misfire. It’s not a total piece of trash. It’s just unfocused. The film valiantly attempts to make us interested in the internal struggle of our protagonist, but can’t escape the more traditional thriller elements half-baked into the plot. It’s awkward and underwhelming, if well intentioned. The third time will be the charm for Gilroy, I hope.
Runner up — War of the Planet of the Apes
I really liked Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. I found War to be a disappointing pastiche of other movies. It undermines the grandiose tone of the finale when most of the tricks its pulling have been done before, don’t you think?
On my list to see…
Faces Places, Nocturama, Personal Shopper, Beats Per Minute, Okja,
And more! Please recommend movies that I might not have seen.
Final Thoughts
Last year, I stated 2016 was a bad year for movies that nonetheless produced a few all-time greats. With some perspective, I still agree with my former self. My enthusiasm for Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, La La Land and Arrival has not dimmed. Hidden gems like Popstar Never Stop Never Stopping or Everybody Wants Some!! were lucky enough to find a little bit of cult status. Otherwise, 2016 retains the stink of all-time lows (Suicide Squad, Zoolander 2) and dishearteningly common Hollywood garbage (Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass, X-Men Apocalypse).
Luckily, 2017 had an improved slate. I was a little worried going into the year that I had become — if not exactly jaded — inured to the visceral sensation of watching a new movie. I watched more movies in 2016 than I ever had in my life, and isn’t it possible that the behavior influenced my cynical perspective? That I *gasp* got tired of movies? I needn’t have worried. In my experience, 2017 was a pleasant year at the cinemas. I liked a lot movies this year. As a result, I feel much more guilty about my honorable mentions this year than I normally do. There are so many films I could recommend! The only downside is that I didn’t fall in love with that many movies this year. There weren’t even 10 films that felt truly essential to me; I admit that the upper few films on my top 10 are padding. I’ll go to bat for them as fine films, but they aren’t transcendent. I had a similar reaction to 2015, which gave me Mistress America and The End of the Tour. I also put the Love & Mercy on my list and I confess that I have thought about that film in years. It’s “excellent” but ultimately forgettable.
I recognize that my reaction to 2017 is highly personal. More so than normal, I feel like my “Best of” list has little authority or utility beyond myself. I respect those that thought The Shape of Water or Call Me By Your Name are masterpieces. I love reading that minority-focused fare like Girl’s Trip and The Big Sick are so popular (to say nothing of Wonder Woman’s record breaking run). I agree that it’s important we release daring mainstream films like Blade Runner 2049 alongside deftly made popcorn entertainment like Baby Driver and Logan Lucky. I even connect to both those that loved Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi and those that thought it was pretty bad. Hot take: you’re both right.
Ultimately, 2017 may have been one of the worst years in human history, but it was not one of the worst for cinema. I’m glad that in such a divisive time, I felt connected to a lot messages I saw artists make. Maybe, just maybe, art did its job this year: entertained, distracted, informed, persuaded, broadened, reflected. You’ll notice I used “catharsis” a couple times in my description above. Art can be wonderful thing.
Maybe 2018 will bring nuclear annihilation. That’s not for me to know. I’m just a boi who likes movies. So hopefully I get to see a few more before the world ends.
