2017 In Movies

This year, I saw 51 movies which were new releases and/or movies I watched for the first time. Generally, I felt like the movies I saw in 2017 were pretty good.  On my scale of 0-100, 2017's releases averaged 67.35.

That being said, I don't think any of the movies I saw which were released in 2017 qualify as a masterpiece. I'll get to the movie I saw this year which I do think qualifies shortly.

Let's get to it. And no - there's no spoilers here.

My Favorite Movies Released in 2017

Normally this would be a top 10 list, but I had some movies which finished with the same score and I'm not interested in picking them apart to separate one of these from the rest. So, I'll list these 11 movies in tiers:

Tier 1:

Lost City of Z. Directed by James Gray.

Hypnotic and beautiful film about English explorer Percy Fawcett's South American expeditions. Tremendous location work emphasizes the physicality and danger of the settings in South America. Wonderful performances all around by Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller and Tom Holland.

Blade Runner 2049. Directed by Denis Villenueve.

Visually staggering sequel to 1982 classic both broadens and deepens the universe. Strong performances by Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Sylvia Hoeks, Ana de Armas. Genuine concern about how male lust for control is a hollow pursuit & becomes its ultimate demise is reflected in the barrenness and emptiness of the future depicted in this film.

Tier 2:

Get Out. Directed by Jordan Peele

Wonderfully creepy with strong subtext and some deliciously dark comedy about the co-opting of black bodies for white profit and dismissal of black consciousness. Strong performances abound, especially an empathetic Daniel Kaluuya and an insidious Catherine Keener.

Logan. Directed by James Mangold

Strong western-themed comic book thriller. modeled on the classic film Shane. Great work from Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and Dafne Keen. Crisp brutal action and strong social commentary regarding diversity. Because the film does right by its characters, multiple moments are deeply affecting.

Wonder Woman. Directed by Patty Jenkins

Rousing & deeply moving throwback superhero film where earnestness, sincerity, compassion & loving sacrifice drive the story. Gal Gadot is sensational, and Chris Pine provides splendid support. For more on Wonder Woman (and Moana), click here.

The Beguiled. Directed by Sofia Coppola

Feels like looking inside a hermetically sealed world of women who refuse to see it rotting from the inside out. Performances, setting, & details are subtle and fantastic. Somewhat hampered by languid pace, but the slow burn really pays off by the end.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Directed by Rian Johnson

Entertaining sequel stakes out a new path in Star Wars, examining idolatry, legacy, and what it means to learn and teach, while making diversity and class a point of emphasis. Mark Hamill is superb and gives Luke Skywalker a fitting coda. There's some narrative fat in the middle section, but deeply moving and fun.

Tier 3:

John Wick: Chapter 2. Directed by Chad Stahelski

Expands the universe and adds more terrific action scenes, some strong new characters, and has more fun than the original. Also less driven and focused than the original.

Baby Driver. Directed by Edgar Wright

Great soundtrack, strong staging, great pacing. Ansel Elgort, Jaime Foxx, Jon Hamm, and Kevin Spacey are sensational. A combination Heist film, Musical, and Love story which wears its heart on its sleeve.

Dunkirk. Directed by Christopher Nolan

Dunkirk has staggering physical production work. The details are amazing & the action is completely believable. Uses claustrophobia to make the larger event individual. The production quality and strong ensemble work offset gimmicky use of time as plot device and a terribly overbearing score.

The Big Sick. Directed by Michael Showalter

Strong performances by Kumail Nanjiani, Holly Hunter, Ray Romano and interesting cultural notes strengthen this odd-duck love story. The cultural differences are both amusing and enlightening. Always sweet, often funny, occasionally wrenching.


Other 2017 Movies I Liked

• Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume 2. Directed by James Gunn.
• Logan Lucky. Directed by Steven Soderbergh.
• It. Directed by Andres Muschietti.
• Split. Directed by M. Night Shyamalan.
• Thor: Ragnarok. Directed by Taika Waititi.
• Murder on the Orient Express. Directed by Kenneth Branagh.
• The Greatest Showman. Directed by Michael Gracey

Movies Released in 2017 I Still Want to See

• The Post. Directed by Steven Spielberg.
• All The Money In The World. Directed by Ridley Scott.
• The Shape of Water. Directed by Guillermo del Toro.
• Phantom Thread. Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson.
• Darkest Hour. Directed by Joe Wright.
• Lady Bird. Directed by Greta Gerwig.

5 Favorite Movies I Saw in 2017 - Regardless of Release Date and not already mentioned above.

Silence (2016). Directed by Martin Scorsese

Silence is the one movie I saw in 2017 which I'd call a masterpiece. It's difficult to watch and emotionally detached but ultimately powerful; a fascinating examination of what constitutes real faith & moral courage. Starkly beautiful, and the production makes you feel like you've been transported back in time.

Moana (2016). Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

Visually resplendent movie with great music, great heart, and strong feminist subtext. Voice work is splendid. Emotionally involving and deeply affecting. As mentioned earlier, I wrote about Moana (and Wonder Woman) in more detail here.

I Am Not Your Negro (2016). Directed by Raoul Peck

Spellbinding, occasionally meandering documentary about the writing & insights of James Baldwin regarding black experience in the US, the Civil Rights era, and white complicity in social injustice.

Inherent Vice (2014). Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson

A near masterpiece of setting and mood. The neo-noir plot turns to comedy with a stoner's haze, but the film somehow retains a childlike sense of innocence, loss, and sadness. Brilliant performances abound. Evokes a lost era without details which would otherwise make it too specific.

It Follows (2014). Directed by David Robert Mitchell

Deliciously uncanny creepy horror film where an entity stalks a group of sexually active young adults. Lovely compositions are juxtaposed with oddly un-contemporary settings. Has the quality of living in a nightmare.

Worst Movie I Saw in 2017

The Circle (2017). Directed by James Pondsoldt

A very talented cast is wasted in a punchless thriller, outside of one strong sequence. Lots of provocative ideas and almost none are explored with any depth. Ragged plotting and pacing. Characters appear and disappear arbitrarily.

Most Frustrating Movie I Saw in 2017

(tie)

Alien: Covenant (2017). Directed by Ridley Scott

I wrote in more detail about Alien: Covenant here. Narrative structure & housekeeping problems handicap some really strong thematic & symbolic material. Tense but not quite scary. Visual splendor, solid performances, & evocative score help immensely.

The Hateful Eight (2015). Directed by Quentin Tarantino

The 1st Tarantino movie I didn't love. Languid meditation on paranoia bordering on sadism/nihilism. It's the first time Tarantino's slow-burn storytelling fizzles out before catching fire. Also feels like a remake of John Carpenter's The Thing, but without Carpenter's narrative economy and mastery of the widescreen frame. It's saved in part by a great cast and Tarantino's peerless ability to write dialogue.

Classic Films I Got to See In Theaters in 2017

• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). Directed by Steven Spielberg
• Alien (1979). Directed by Ridley Scott.
• Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Directed by Nicholas Meyer.
• Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991). Directed by James Cameron.

1st 2018 Movie I'm Really Looking Forward To

Annihilation. Directed by Alex Garland and based on the novel by Jeff VanderMeer. Starring Natalie Portman, Oscar Isaac, Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh. A sci-fi thriller from the writer of 28 Days Later, Sunshine, and the writer/director of Ex Machina, with this cast? I'm in line already.