Top 30 Films of 2017

Honourable Mentions: Spider-Man Homecoming, a slight but enjoyable return of the friendly neighbourhood webslinger; Last Flag Flying, an entertaining old-school buddy dramedy with stellar performances across the board; Baby Driver, lesser Edgar Wright but still entertaining Edgar Wright; Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool, predictable but heartfelt tearjerker; Logan Lucky, a flawed but delightful crime caper with a great cast; God's Own Country, a low-key and affectionate rural romance; Free Fire, a slightly contrived but very entertaining comedy-thriller; Molly's Game, a somewhat hit-and-miss but frequently compelling Aaron Sorkin feature.

2017 has been a pretty great year for films thus far; let's see how my top 30 shape up at this point (subject to change)

30. The Death of Stalin

Entertaining political comedy from the one and only Armando Iannucci. It doesn't quite hit the heights of In the Loop in the satire department, Alan Partridge in the laughs department, and it feels a bit tonally imbalanced towards the end, but it's effortlessly entertaining for the most part, with fine performances across the board exploiting the ludicrous horror of the the Soviet power struggles. 

29. Stronger

One could consider this a failed attempt at Oscar bait, with regards to it underperfoming in awards season thus far. I'd say this is a far better film than a lot of similar fare, though. It tells the inspirational story of the recovery of Boston Bombing victim Jeff Bauman with many of the usual story beats, but with nice doses of humour and honesty that make it seem far more genuine than the usual 'inspirational biopic', with excellent performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Tatiana Maslany.

28. Maudie

A simple, straightforward real-life tale of Canadian artist Maud Lewis (played brilliantly by Sally Hawkins) who defied her impoverished background and arthiritis condition to become an underdog success story. It's very much your standard sort of prestige biopic, but what elevates it are amazing performances by both Hawkins and Ethan Hawke as her brutish husband with hidden depths, and sensitive direction by Aisling Walsh who creates a portait-like atmosphere with every frame.

27. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

I'll admit my enthusiasm for this particular Marvel film has diminished a bit over time. I still like it a great deal, but it does go through the plot in an all-too-predictable yet somewhat disordered fashion, and fails to develop many of its characters. Having said that, it's still very funny, very entertaining, visually impressive, and with many outstanding sequences, many involving either Michael Rooker's Yondu being a badass, or Dave Bautista's Drax just being Drax.

26. It

Another film I'm still a fan of, but removed from the hype I've come to appreciate it more as a pretty good rather than great horror film. It ticks all of the boxes in terms of scares and chills, and brings together the Loser's Club gang together in an organic and realistic fashion, but never quite goes the extra mile for me to truly love it. It's a strong film overall, but it never quite gets under your skin like it could. I will say though that it's testament to the strength of 2017 that this is so low on my list.

25. Thor Ragnarok 

This is a great example of both Marvel's greatest weaknesses and strengths. On one hand it's constrained a bit by the universe-building aspect of its films, particularly the Thor films, and Cate Blanchett's villain is severely underwhelming. Having said that, the rest of the film when it's delving into less serious waters, is fantastic. Taika Waititi proves once again there's no one around quite like him, delivering both as a deliciously inventive sci-fi/action auteur and mo-cap rock monster Korg. It makes one of the less interesting Avengers surprisingly endearing and brings us along on a somewhat uneven, but more often than not very entertaining ride.

24. Lady Macbeth

Not an adaptation of Macbeth from the female perspective as the title might suggest, but a brooding, slow-burn period drama with a terrific star-making performance by Florence Pugh as Katherine, a socially and sexually repressed Victorian woman in a loveless marriage, who soon finds herself in a dangerous liason that spirals out of control. The film tests your patience and I'm not quite sure about the ending, but is genuinely quite exhilirating, haunting and even darkly funny in its portrayal of a Victorian household gone mad.

23. Your Name 

A small, modest and straightforward anime film that delivers on everything you'd expect of it - the tale of two teenagers divided by location, space and time is an endearing, enjoyable watch with a surprising amount of heart. This could easily go up my rankings with a re-watch.

22. Trainspotting 2

This one actually requires re-watches to properly appreciate. It's by no means a reprise of the original Trainspotting, a very different sort of beast. It is a more heartfelt, contemplative film on a very different set of themes. It may be a bit too understated at times, with a few unnecessary subplots. But while it's not quite as good as the first film, it is an effective, poignant and at times quite hilarious successor, and has particularly moving arcs for Sick Boy and Spud.

21. The Lego Batman Movie

The best film starring Batman this year, but that's not quite enough praise. I liked The Lego Movie but I liked this one even more. It's got perfect voice casting across the board, a gag within every frame that rewards repeat viewings, and a more poignant exploration of Batman as a father figure than perhaps any Batman film, ever. It's not perfect, there are a few groaners and they might employ one too many popular villains for their own good, but it's one of the most purely enjoyable films I've seen this year.

20. Good Time

It was maybe a bit overhyped for me going in to see it - seems to be every Reddit film fanatic's top film of 2017 - but it certainly is a very, very good film. Featuring yet another excellent performance by Robert Pattinson (he's choosing such interesting projects) as a real scumbag, it's a fast-paced ride by the Safdie brothers where interesting visuals, a pulse-pounding soundtrack and some morbidly fascinating turns in the story make for a rather compelling trip through nighttime New York.

19. Battle of the Sexes

I'd go even higher if it weren't for a few nitpicks about how it uses certain individuals as straw men and women, but on the whole this is just a delightful old-fashioned crowd-pleaser. It merges the personal and professional lives of Billy Jean King (Emma Stone, fantastic) and Bobby Riggs (Steve Carell, surprisingly great) seamlessly, delivers its message for equal opportunity with the right amount of substance, and builds to its emotional finale very well. It's good comedy and effective drama blended together into a very sumptuous concoction.

18. Foxtrot

A strange, odd little Israeli drama, which takes perhaps the most twists and turns of any film I've seen this year even though it's not strictly speaking a mystery or genre picture. It is an excellently directed film by Samuel Maoz about a rich family finding out their son has died in the line of duty as a soldier - but it's not quite what it seems. The film endlessly pulls emotional tricks on the audience with a very deft hand, as it reveals the very odd and disconcerting story at its core about life in the military service gone terribly wrong. It might be a bit lacking in subtext, and not every stylistic touch pays off, but when they do it's a unique and compelling take on the traumas of life as a soldier.

17. Wind River

It's got a pretty terrible performance by James Jordan in a pivotal role and may feel a bit underwhelming for those expecting the heights of Sicario and Hell or High Water from screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (here making his directorial debut), but I really dug this low-key drama set on an Indian Reservation in Wyoming. It's tautly directed and written with that organic, beautifully flowing dialogue Sheridan's known for, and while the casting of its lead may be somewhat questionable, Jeremy Renner is pretty phenomenal in the role.

16. Wonder Woman 

I have a few issues, namely the once again underwhelming villains (though more forgettable than outright bad) that somewhat obscure the message the film is trying to make. However, it succeeds in so many regards that I'd have to call it a pretty big success overall. It's got beautiful cinematography and music, with such care and detail paid to its technical elements, and with such a inspiring streak of goodwill and optimism coursing through its veins that make it stand out so well among much of the overly snarky/cynical blockbuster fare nowadays. And that 'No Man's Land' scene will stand the test of time.

15. Paddington 2

Like the adorable little bear and his jar of marmalade, sweet and endearing as ever. Every bit as entertaining as the first film, it's marvellous how Paul King has managed to carve out a Wes Anderson-esque visual feast for the eyes in the story of this simple little bear and his beloved Brown family. It's got particularly entertaining turns by British veterans Brendan Gleeson and Hugh Grant (yes, Hugh Grant), Ben Whishaw's voice is pitch perfect as ever for Paddington, and pretty much every gag lands. A delightful film.

14. The Big Sick

It stalls a bit in the third act, but The Big Sick is one of the funniest films of the year, with Kumail Nanjiani and his wife Emily V. Gordon bringing to life elements of their real-life romance to the silver screen. I really enjoyed the film for its frequently hilarious puns playing on stereotypes and ethnic preconceptions, but what stood out for me most was its depiction of the love interest's parents, played perfectly by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, as fully-fledged, four-dimensional figures.

13. Blade Runner 2049

This return to the Blade Runner universe is supported by Roger Deakins' spellbinding cinematography, strong performances with the highlight being Ana de Armas, and a real sense of affinity with the original while stretching out in its own directions as its very own beast. There are problems I have with it, namely in its villains which I found a bit underwhelming compared to the original, and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about some of the last-minute third act revelations. But it certainly is a visual marvel, and I'm very glad Denis Villeneuve got to make his dream project since it's a damn fine film.

12. The Last Jedi 

As with the two other recent Star Wars film, this is a tough one to rank. I've settled on The Force Awakens as being a 'very entertaining if very safe' film and Rogue One as an 'daring but flawed film', and for this one I've no idea whether I'll end up more on the positive or negative side of things. There are elements of it that are pretty bad, and I don't mean the porgs: a subplot detour into a strange casino planet, and a few poorly placed jokes or corny moments, which don't feel as organic as in The Force Awakens, plus it doesn't build upon some of the best dynamics between the characters in that film. But almost everything else is very good or downright amazing. Everything between Luke, Rey, and Kylo is perfect. The action sequences once they really get going, carry a real weight and the cinematography is really fantastic. Every minute of the third act is the best Star Wars has ever been. I loved a lot, to the point I forgive a lot of the poorly conceived elements, though I still can't ignore them.

11. Call Me By Your Name

Blasphemy! I hear you say. How can this be so low? Well as I've iterated before, it's testament to the year that films I had such strong feelings for feel relatively 'low' in placement, and this is certainly the case here. This is a visually sumptuous romance that depicts its central relationship with style and yet without pretension. It feels heartfelt and earns every bit of joy and sorrow it squeezes out of you, and creates a real sense of being in the presence of true love and pain. A beautiful film.

10. The Shape of Water

Guillermo del Toro is simply a genius fantasy filmmaker. Everything here involving his Asset, played by of course Doug Jones, and its romance with the mute Eliza (another great Sally Hawkins performance), is some of the best filmmaking he's ever done. Del Toro recreates the period setting of 60s Baltimore with such eloquence and passion. Technically a few of the subplots are a bit on the simplistic side, but they still work well for the film, and it only ever moves and resonates with the depiction of its odd, affecting, and oddly affecting central relationship.

9. Okja 

Bong Joon-ho is one of the best directors working today, blending entertainment and emotional depth like few others, and with Okja he's made perhaps the most accessible of his films. It works as an exciting adventure story, an environmental/animal rights message film, a clever social satire, it blends together so many different tones and themes, yet works completely. There's an overwrought performance by Jake Gyllenhaal that slightly sullies things, but the acting is otherwise stellar across the board, and you really grow to care so much about the big lumbering creature.

8. Lucky

A remarkable film which may not seem like much on the tin, old scraggly man confronting his mortality, where have we seen that before. Well this one really stands out from the ouevre by being genuinely heartfelt, moving, as well as incredibly hilarious, without ever really making a fuss about it. I loved every moment spent in the company of the titular individual, played to perfection by Harry Dean Stanton. It's a breezy film that finds profundity in the smallest moments, with John Carroll Lynch proving that he may well be the next great actor-cum-director with his Jim Jarmusch-esque work here.

7. Logan

The best Wolverine film, the best X-Men film, and one of the greatest comic book movies of all-time. It puts such an inspired spin on the character and utilized a perfect blend of hard-hitting violence and emotional depth and devastation, to craft a great neo-Western and a fitting tribute to not only Jackman's Logan but also Stewart's Charles Xavier. I don't even like the X-Men all that much in general, but I loved this film.

6. The Florida Project

Divisive ending which I've grown to like in its own peculiar way aside, this is a near-masterpiece which manages to make the worldly housing projects of Orlando have an air of childlike magic, while never shying away from its unsavoury truths. It's a powerful and poignant film, but also filled with such optimism at its edges, and directed beautifully by Sean Baker with two wonderful performances by Brooklynn Prince and Willem Dafoe (Kermode discusses it really well here so I'll link his review)

5. Dunkirk 

The best directed film of the year, this might not be Christopher Nolan's best film but it's probably the best example of his direction. The film is an unflinching symphony of war, amplified by an outstanding Hans Zimmer soundtrack, depicting the horrors of war in an utterly devastating yet compelling. It's a terrific war film that achieves so many things at once, from dogfights to sea warfare to a heartfelt tribute to the British spirit.

4. The Disaster Artist

The funniest film of the year, and also one of the most inspiring. It nails the insanity of Tommy Wiseau's 'The Room' and the man himself, but is also a rather fascinating examination of the unique and sometimes ugly determination of the man to achieve his dreams. The Franco brothers are both great, and the film achieves the perfect balance between comedy and drama, and uncanny recreations of scenes from The Room.

3. Get Out

WARNING: if you haven't seen the film, don't watch the trailer. Instead, I'll leave one of Key & Peele's funniest sketches here. Anyway, this is another film which perfectly balances laughs with a more serious side, though here the horror element is more prevalent. I loved every moment of Get Out, a tale of meeting the parents evolving into more than meets the eye, and thinking more about it just makes me even more excited and giddy talking about it. Jordan Peele is a great debut director and a fantastic screenwriter, and he crafts such a compelling, genuinely unnerving while also eerily realistic film, with just the right amount of hilarious jokes and crowdpleasing moments. TS, motherfuckin' A indeed.

2. Detroit

The scariest film of the decade so far, and it's not even really a horror film. This is Kathryn Bigelow's masterpiece as she takes the real-life incident of the 1967 Algiers motel incident and makes such a horrifying, tense yet human tribute showcasing the racial tensions and escalating horrors of the time period. It's got a fantastic ensemble and strikes the perfect balance in each act, the first such a masterful buildup, the second such a nerve-wracking experience, the third a tragic release.

1. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri 

Much as I loved all my top 10 or so, I have to say my #1 pick was fairly easy. Martin McDonagh has made something nearly as good as In Bruges. Although I must say don't go in expecting the next In Bruges, cause it's a very different sort of film. Its more of a bleak drama than black comedy, feeling a bit like the cunt kid of In Bruges' absurdist morality play and Seven Psychopath's madness, in the best possible way. It's a haunting and funny, hard-hitting and heartwarming, enjoyable and painful watch all in one.