The Best Movies of 2017
In a year littered with acrid, depressing residue at almost every notable corner, the world of film provided some much-needed sanctity
Despite what a blissful cartoon doggy might suggest, 2017 felt like a year littered with turmoil and tragedy in every meaningful crevice of society. People seem divided — along with a mixture between confusion and fervent rage—regarding a myriad of issues far and wide. I don’t think those issues need to be elaborated on; you should, hopefully, know to those which I’m referring. Things just kinda suck right now.
But when I sit back and retroactively examine the things that happened in 2017, I find that — from an admittedly selfish perspective, all things considered — it was a year that gave me many morsels of joy and satisfaction in the areas that I care about most dearly. If you couldn’t tell from the somewhat pretentious title of this column, one of those areas was movies.
2017 in film seemed to offer a little something for everyone; superheroes continuing their superhero-ing; a Will Smith movie; women just flat-out kicking an incomparably high level of ass; everything A24 Films — all of which proving that movies are still, indeed, a very good thing (except for the Will Smith part, why can’t he be in anything truly good again?).
So without further ado, allow me to graciously list my top-10 favorite movies of 2017. I promise this list will not fully represent your own personal opinions, so please don’t hit send on that surely mean-spirited reply message. Or, as the jolly ole’ kids like to say these days, don’t @ me.
*Spoiler Warning*
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
There may be no clearer summation of Marvel’s grip on the industry than the resounding success of Guardians. Not many moons ago, even I couldn’t tell you the first thing about a group of galactic mercenaries that includes a talking tree and raccoon. Now they’re household names, with Chris Pratt a bonafide superstar — even if I do sometimes question whether or not he’s truly an A-lister on the levels that he’s currently being treated as.
For Guardians Vol. 2, however, there’s no questioning Pratt’s irresistible charm as Star-Lord — or the rest of the cast, for that matter. Special props to Dave Bautista as Drax and Michael Rooker’s surprisingly impactful redemption romp with Yondu. I’d be lying to you if I said Yondu’s ultimate sacrifice didn’t hit me, and I think most would agree. I expected to get the unexpected from a Guardians film, but some emotional luggage isn’t what I imagined.
Even though most critics seemed to be split on Vol.2, I found myself consistently entertained throughout, even if there was some glaring flaws. The humor occasionally felt overwhelming and unnecessary (Tazerface?!?), while the film felt disorganized and inexplicably erratic in it’s plot development as a whole. But that doesn’t bother me, because after all isn’t this kind of awkwardness and haphazardness what makes the Guardians so lovable? Here’s to the gang of misfits, and all the silliness that accompanies them.
9. Colossal
A young, unemployed woman who unintentionally acquires the ability to control a giant alien that wreaks destruction halfway across the world? Jason Sudeikis not playing a comedic role? Sign me up!
What I didn’t expect from Colossal was just how profoundly diverse it would be. Not in terms of race, but in it’s blend of multiple genres. It’s like a beginner chef making a soup that has a splash of Gareth Edwards’ giant monster spectacle draw and a tinge of The Edge of Seventeen’s grounded demeanor that somehow manages to be strangely insightful. Colossal is a fusion of ideas, and mesh together in such a way that you’ll be consistently — and pleasantly — surprised at where the story goes. Plus it’s the best I’ve seen of Anne Hathaway in years.
8. Good Time
It’s a shame that the stench of Twilight seems to still have it’s traces left on Robert Pattinson, the fantastic main performance on display here in Good Time. Directed by Josh and Ben Safdie — the latter of whom stars alongside Pattinson — Good Time is a stark contrast to the movies I’ve mentioned thus far, telling a much more simple story about two brothers and their botched bank robbery that lands one in prison. As a film, there isn’t necessarily anything here that points to a deeper meaning or commentary, but it does execute on it’s gritty crime-drama premise almost flawlessly. There’s a number of twists that befall our main characters, and just enough minor nudges that make the entire runtime oozing with tension — no explosions or massive shootouts required.
Good Time may not be as artsy and meticulously crafted as some of A24’s other films, but it does deliver on being a somewhat nostalgic tread through the crime dramas of old. A period most folks have certainly been yearning for.
7. Wonder Woman
I’ve given the DC comics slate of superhero films plenty of flack — almost all being justified, even with my Marvel bias—over the past few years. Wonder Woman didn’t shake my views on their long-term “Extended Universe” vision, nor does it deter from my belief that DC’s roster of heroes are in desperate need of being more modernized and relatable. Rather, what Wonder Woman did do was satisfy; satisfy myself and, I assume, millions of others by just being a well done film.
Gal Gadot’s breakout adventure felt like a welcome departure from not only DC’s previous films, but Marvel’s as well. Whereas Spider-Man: Homecoming felt like an updated, almost millennial take for the teenage hero, Wonder Woman was more grand and heartfelt. There’s nothing witty or self-aware in it’s nature, just an origin story that gave us what we expected, and needed.
Of course, just praising Wonder Woman, in a vacuum, for simply being a well-crafted piece of entertainment doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s impossible to discuss the film without mentioning it’s defining image: A female superhero lead. However, I’m not going to divulge too deeply on this particular aspect. I’m not a woman, so I personally feel like it isn’t appropriate — or reasonable—for me to explain or even wholly understand the social impact the film has had. I can only imagine there must have been something special about women seeing, for example, the spectacular almost-Spielbergian No Man’s Land battle scene.
All I know is that it meant something. It certainly meant something.
6. The Big Sick
Sitting down at my usual lunch spot in high school — a rowdy, cluttered cafeteria with almost no reconcilable features aside from more food being easily accessible if need be (and where some of the cute girls sat, according to my friends) — I can remember how I would triumphantly reiterate my disdain for romantic movies. How proud and ultra-masculine I must have felt! Fast forward to the present, and here I am writing about how a romantic movie was one of my favorites I’d seen all year.
The Big Sick sees Kumail Nanjiani star as himself in a romantic comedy based on the real-life story between himself and his would-be wife Emily V. Gordon. It’s both laugh-out-loud funny at times while also being genuinely heartwarming. It’s a film that captures the beautifully awkward social ramifications surrounding two individuals from obviously different backgrounds. That’s not to say the film is a raging machine of constant political statements or one that entirely ignores its inherent racial complexity. Instead, it just tries to be real.
5. Get Out
Get Out is one of those films that can be taken in a variety of different ways. By different ways I don’t explicitly mean genres, though, as the Golden Globes mistakenly attests to. I mean that, as a viewing experience, Get Out has a lot to offer. It’s a deeply methodical commentary on racism in America, yes, but a true cinematic thrill; both as a concept and in it’s distinctive imagery. Sometimes the characters didn’t even need to say a word, like the auction bingo scene. Or perhaps just the calmness in which Chris’s girlfriend declines to give him the car keys. It’s all acted — and expertly directed by Jordan Peele—in such a way that I found myself thinking about it for days later. In fact, I still think about it now.
I’d recommend reading some other think pieces and commentary that exists on the film (I enjoyed this New Yorker piece, for example) and would love to see it make some awards noise. Even if it doesn’t, though, I truly believe Get Out will remain a landmark achievement for years to come.
4. Baby Driver
Few directors possess the kinetic sensibilities and direction that Edgar Wright does, and Baby Driver is perhaps his most complete film yet. It doesn’t channel some of the deeper-meaning intricacies of other films on this list, yet I can’t seem to bring myself to rate it any lower for the sheer amount of fun I had while watching it. I do admit its final act does feel quite over-the-top — which says a lot for a film of this caliber—as well as ending in a way that feels a bit too trite and idealistic. That doesn’t take away from it’s creative stunts, balls-to-the-wall performances (John Hamm stock is rising!), and outstanding directing. It’s what Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive should have been: Actually enjoyable.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
“We are what they grow beyond.”
I know what people are saying. I know that there are people who loathe The Last Jedi with all their being. I know some compare the film’s lasting impression to that of the prequel trilogy.
Those people are wrong.
The Last Jedi is a film that seeks to examine everything we knew about Star Wars, what we thought we knew about Star Wars, and what we thought we should expect from Star Wars. Director Rian Johnson follows the melody attributed to the Star Wars of old, but creates his own tune within the confines of it, like all great artists do. The film feels relentless in comparison to it’s iconic predecessor The Empire Strikes Back, instead choosing to burst with new ideas throughout rather than one “I am your father” wrecking ball being in its final moments.
The intense vitriol surrounding The Last Jedi is both confusing and, admittedly, understandable. After all, it’s not every day that a mainstream, blockbuster entertainment franchise — and the most popular in the world, no doubt—actually takes enormous risks. But that’s what makes the film so memorable for me: the subversion of expectations. The Last Jedi doesn’t utilize the “twists” and theories that you, the fan, wanted. How does your preconceived notions fit into what, in actuality, makes a film compelling? That’s easy: They don’t.
It’s beautiful, in my eyes, to absorb the sentiments that The Last Jedi has protruding from the it’s narrative make-up. From the commentary on whether or not the reverence we give to the past is justified, the often misguided “I’ll do it myself because I’m right” blueprints of toxic masculinity, or that our main hero is not just another branch extending from the dynasty of Star Wars lore (Rey is quickly becoming one of my favorites). The Last Jedi is not perfect, or even my favorite Star Wars film. What it is, though, is the one with the most to say — and that is a truly beautiful thing.
2. Lady Bird
I’m a sucker for coming-of-age stories — be it comedy, romance, or any other genre that fits — and unapologetically so. When I heard the buzz surrounding Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut in Lady Bird, I knew I was going to enjoy it. What I didn’t know, however, was just how much I’d fall in love with the movie. At it’s core, this is just the story of a relationship between a passionate, hard-working mother and her equally as passionate daughter. That’s it; Lady Bird is off to the races.
There’s a level of intimacy that cascades throughout the 90 minutes of adolescent happenings in Lady Bird. It’s deeply, almost disturbingly relatable; Saoirse Ronan’s portrayal of a high school senior the most riveting aspect of all. There are clever knits and subtlety with her performance that will certainly net award season success, I’m sure of it.
Furthermore, Lady Bird is smart and clever as a whole. It seeks to move you in ways that might have — without this specific context and build-up — seemed ordinary, like the airport scene towards the homestretch of the film, or the prom night. If this is just Gerwig’s first foray into directing, I can’t begin to imagine the tantalizing prospects and promise of whatever her sophomore outing turns out to be.
1. Logan
I’ve already discussed at a great, unnecessarily long length, my feelings about Logan. So, I just wanted to close things out by discussing one specific moment and why it impacted me so immensely.
Throughout the film, it’s made blatantly clear that Wolverine isn’t anywhere to be found. There’s Logan — a bitter, broken-down old man—but there isn’t the Wolverine character I’d grown up with. My Dad and I would watch the X-Men films, or even read some of the comics together. We shared an affinity for this particular thing. Over the years, I found that Wolverine and the X-Men always had a place for us; we’d still find a common fandom there even if we’d been divided in so many other areas.
Then there was the climactic forest scene that sees a bunch of terrified mutant kids fleeing from their evil pursuers. All of a sudden, there was the sound of that iconic yell in the background. Logan had left, and the hero that these kids idolized like I did, and still do, had finally reappeared — for what I knew in my heart would be the last time. It was something, I imagine, that was intentionally reminiscent of the mansion invasion sequence in X-Men 2, one of the first films I can remember seeing — and one my Dad and I love very much to this day. It was a special moment.
“That’s him,” I thought, as I smiled and felt a tear streaming down my eye, “There he is, that’s The Wolverine.”
