Best Movies of 2017
2017 was an interesting year for movies, but a great year for movies. The first half of the year was very hit and miss, with a couple great films thrown in the middle of some overrated hits and complete disasters. However, the second half proved to be one of the strongest I have ever seen, with consistent greatness coming all the way until the end of the year. The year had its up, its downs, its surprises, and its disappointments. But overall, I loved the 2017 movie year, which why making a ‘Best of the Year’ list was so tough. I saw 190 movies this year, a personal best but just short of my goal of 200. I easily could have made a list of 25 movies that I legitimately loved, but those aren’t the rules of the game. I narrowed down my list to ten movies, plus seven honorable mentions, that I think were the ver best movies of 2017. Here is that list.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (Luca Guadagnino) – A beautiful, timeless love story led by a performance by Timothee Chalamet that should put him on Hollywood’s A-list.
DETROIT (Kathryn Bigelow) – A timely, pulse-pounding true story that proves Bigelow is one of cinema’s best.
HOSTILES (Scott Cooper) – Christian Bale gives one of the best performances of his career in Scott Cooper’s brutal Western.
I, TONYA (Craigh Gillespie) – An unconventional, darkly hilarious look at one of the biggest sports scandals of all-time.
THE MERCILESS (Sung-hyun Byun) – A slick, Departed-esque gangster flick with never-ending twists and turns.
THOROUGHBREDS (Cory Finley) – An upper-class horror-comedy that highlights the young and talented Anya Taylor-Joy and Olivia Cooke.
WIND RIVER (Taylor Sheridan) – Sheridan completes his American Frontier Trilogy with a chilling, heart-racing thriller featuring a never-better Jeremy Renner.
And now, here are my picks for the best movies of 2017.
10 – MOLLY’S GAME (Aaron Sorkin)
Aaron Sorkin’s screenplay is dynamite, but who knew is he was also a sound director as well? Sorkin’s directorial debut shows us the ins and outs of high stakes poker games run by Molly Bloom. Chastain is on fire as Bloom and we get outstanding supporting turns from Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, and Michael Cera. This fast-paced true story keeps the poker fun, the story interesting, and shows that Sorkin is a Hollywood juggernaut.
9 – THE FLORIDA PROJECT (Sean Baker)
The Florida Project is movie that has stuck with me since I saw it back in September. Sean Baker puts us into the mind of a precocious six year old (a wonderful Brooklyn Prince) to show us life living out of a rundown motel in the shadow of Disney World. Eye-popping cinematography and authentic performances from the entire cast lead the way in a film that will take you on an emotional roller coaster.
8 – WONDER WOMAN (Patty Jenkins)
Far and away the best comic book movie of 2017, Wonder Woman is a true game-changer. Gal Gadot became a star playing our titular hero and Patty Jenkins shows she can hang with the big boys in one of the best directorial efforts of the year. This is a rousing, fun, inspiring film that features the single best scene of 2017. Wonder Woman will go down as one of the greatest comic book movies of all-time.
7 – GET OUT (Jordan Peele)
Jordan Peele hangs up his comedy spikes for the best directorial debut of the year. Inspired by the likes of David Lynch and Roman Polanski, Get Out is a psychological thriller nobody saw coming. Peele keeps us on our toes with suspense while commenting on social norms and Black America. Smart, creepy, and at times funny, and a perfect breakout performance from Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out is incredibly rewatchable, which allows you to dissect every layer Peele brilliantly places in the film.
6 – THE SHAPE OF WATER (Guillermo Del Toro)
The Shape of Water is a film only the great Guillermo Del Toro could have made. Every line, every camera move, every inch of this movie is from the twisted, brilliant mind of Del Toro. Sally Hawkins gives a fearless performance and Michael Shannon and Richard Jenkins give great, awards-worthy supporting turns. Del Toro’s monster fairytale is one of the best love stories of 2017.
5 – SPLIT (M. Night Shyamalan)
M. Night Shyamalan has returned! Not since The Sixth Sense (1999) has Shyamalan made a movie this fun, creepy, and brilliant. James McAvoy gives the best performance of his career and the best lead actor performance of 2017 as a man with 23 personalities with a 24th on the way. With excellent visual story-telling, eerie tone, and a jaw-dropping ending and mid-credit scene, this is a movie that I saw all the way back in January and it only got better the more I saw it. For the first time in a long time, I cannot wait to see what Shyamalan does next.
4 – THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI (Martin McDonaugh)
Francis McDormand gives a towering performance in Martin McDonaugh’s look at revenge, anger, and morality. Acting as the Southern, angry step-sister of Fargo (1995), McDonaugh shows us how one small act of revenge can unfold into things nobody saw coming. A flawless ensemble, smart screenplay, relatable themes coupled with empathetic characters, raw emotion, and laugh-out-loud moments make Three Billboards a true gem.
3 – THE POST (Steven Spielberg)
Steve Spielberg just can’t stop upping himself. The latest entry in what I like to call his Amendment Trilogy, following Lincoln (2012) and Bridge of Spies (2015), The Post is arguably the best Spielberg film of this decade. The dynamic duo of Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks give two excellent performances as two newspaper tycoons who are fighting for the truth. This is one of Spielberg’s best directorial efforts, making a movie about newspapers and laws as exciting as any action movie in 2017. Compelling and riveting with a rousing climax, this is a great American movie and one of Spielberg’s best.
2 – THE DISASTER ARTIST (James Franco)
Who would have thought the most inspirational movie of 2017 would be about the worst movie ever made? Director/star James Franco made a truly special film about artists, passion and friendship. Franco does the impossible by making the bizarre, mysterious Tommy Wiseau come to life in one of the year’s best performances, and brings in a cast of characters to bring this true story to life. This is a movie you fall in love the first time you see it and fall even deeper the more you watch it. This is one for all the dreamers and one that will inspire anyone to do what they love no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way. This was inches away from being number one, but just missed it at the end of the day.
1 – DUNKIRK (Christopher Nolan)
Dunkirk is the definition of cinema. It is the reason why we go to the movies, it is the reason we have IMAX, and it is the reason cinema was invented. This is cinema on the biggest scale possible. Dunkirk must be seen on the biggest screen possible to drink all of it’s jaw-dropping moments. Nolan shows us the horrors of war on the frontline and it is a thrilling, intense, cold look. He plays with time and perspective to give a full picture of what the Battle of Dunkirk really felt like. Anyone who complains about lack of character depth doesn’t get the point. That was what Dunkirk was. You don’t know who the guy next to you is and you don’t care. Your survival is all the matters and doing whatever it takes to get out was your focus. This is a technical marvel on every level and one of the greatest war films of the 21st century. Christopher Nolan continues to prove why he is arguably the greatest director working today and Dunkirk is one of his greatest achievements, which is why it is the best movies of 2017.
What are your picks for the best movies of 2017? Comment below or hit me up on Twitter and Instagram, @kevflix, or on Facebook by searching Kevflix.