The end of the year is a time to take stock, look back at the triumphs and failures, and, for 2017 at least, scream like the damned for something like an hour straight. Yeah, my airing of grievances for this year's Festivus began 2 weeks ago and is still going to this day. It may go into 2018. But one place I didn't have too many grievances to air is film, since the movies were pretty good. And while there are still a few I desperately want to see (cough
The Phantom Thread cough), it's already 2018 and I gotta finish this list. So, without further stalling or waiting, here are my favorite movies of 2017.
#10: Thor: Ragnarok
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| I will not sing Immigrant Song, I will not sing Immigrant Song, I will not I COME FROM THE LAND |
The 10th spot is always tight. Even as I sit here, I feel like I should give this to
Lady Bird or
Beatriz at Dinner. But, outside of
Deadpool, superhero films have been suspiciously absent from my top 10s, even as their presence at the theaters become bigger. So giving this slot to what is easily the best MCU movie in years, a movie with a fantastic cast and a great script, feels like a good idea. Maybe Marvel will be inspired to make more movies like this...by being at the bottom of a top 10 list from a Z list internet critic. Shut up, it could happen.
#9: The Disaster Artist
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| "Don't worry man, they cut most of your backstory." |
The Room is, far and away, my favorite bad movie, and
The Disaster Artist is one of my favorite books. So while the movie may not be perfectly adept at putting all of the contents in the book into the movie, it is excellent at including the emotions and themes at the core of its story, both in how
The Room's creator can be toxic and cruel, but also in how he remains, at heart, a desperately intense dreamer. He may not be a great person and he's a terrible filmmaker, but its hard not to be inspired by what he's done with his failure.
#8: Wonder Woman
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| No, I did not get to see Professor Marston, hope to when it hits DVD. |
The second of 3 superhero films appearing on this top 10 list and this one is long overdue. I mean, Daredevil has 2 seasons and a movie.
The Punisher
has 2 movies and a TV show. Ghost Rider, of all things, has 2 movies, but we just now got a Wonder Woman movie? But hey, if we had to wait this long to get a Wonder Woman, it's good that it's absolutely perfect. A great actress, a great director and a solid script combine to make the second best superhero movie of 2017.
#7: Logan Lucky
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| "No, no, Logan is the really depressive superhero film, we're the comedy heist movie." |
Look, I like heist movies, I like good scripts and I like engaging characters. And while a lot of people are talking up the much more flawed
Baby Driver, this really is the platonic ideal for a heist movie. Some great acting from all involved and easily one of the best scripts of the year. It even managed to make me not roll my eyes during a climactic scene at a child beauty pageant, which is honestly really impressive.
#6: Dunkirk
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| "Man, why couldn't I be in that Winston Churchill movie? That looked a lot easier." |
For some reason a movie about resisting fascism while trying to hold on to both survival and some semblance of humanity really resonated with me this year. But even outside of the political climate,
Dunkirk is a brutally intense, tightly made thriller, with a unique structure and fantastic direction. Of course, it's pretty impressive that an almost silent, almost character-less movie was not only a summer blockbuster but a massive hit, so that's something.
#5: Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
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| Bring. Me. All. The. Porgs. |
To say
The Last Jedi is the best
Star Wars film of my lifetime is to understate massively. The only way to keep
The Last Jedi from being the best
Star Wars movie of my lifetime is to be alive for
Empire. And as not only the best
Star Wars film in nearly 40 years but also one of a handful of movies to get me to cry recently (I like Binary Sunset, leave me alone)
The Last Jedi deserves a slot here.
#4: Logan
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| "No, no, Logan Lucky is the comedy heist movie, we're the depressing superhero movie." |
Very few franchises know when to quit, and while the
X-Men as a whole may not be ending any time soon, it's fantastic that it managed to give Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart such an intense send off. Add in one of the best scripts of the year, a bleak and unforgiving tone and brutal, unrelenting action and we have a formula for the best superhero (sort of) film in years.
#3: Get Out
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| All of 2017 was the Sunken Place. |
It's become something of a tradition in the last few years for a low-ish budget, indie horror film to wind up on my top 10 and this is by far the best one. I have no idea what Jordan Peele is going to do with his career next, but managing to go from making a great sketch comedy show to one of the best horror films in years, filled with not only genuine scares but also fantastic metaphors and story beats is enough to make me follow him anywhere.
#2: Colossal
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| This movie is better than this poster makes it look. |
I know this hasn't been showing up on many top 10 lists, but it managed to grab my attention and never release it. I've seen it four times at this point, a 2017 record and I'm still totally fascinated by it. It's sitting there on Hulu right now, so if you haven't seen it yet, get off your butt and go hit it up. After all, it's the second best movie of 2017. And what's the first? Well...
#1: The Shape of Water
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| God this movie has the best poster. |
I've been looking forward to this movie from the moment it was announced and I was hoping it would be good. And when the buzz around it turned out great, I actually got kind of worried my expectations were too high. So what a treat it is that they weren't just met, but exceeded.
The Shape of Water is the best romance, the best story, has the best acting, the best overall movie of 2017 and I want to see it again like 20 more times.
Elessar is a 27 year old Alaskan-born, Connecticut-based, cinephile with an obsession with The Room and a god complex. 
