Looking back on 2017, it’s been a fantastic year for film and television, but every year has its duds. While everyone is putting out lists of the 10 best movies, I thought I’d do something slightly different. No one can see them all, and I certainly didn’t (though I hope to catch up, especially with the Golden Globe nominees) but I did see over 30 films in theaters throughout those 12 months. This is part 1 of several articles where I will give general thoughts and rankings of every film I saw in 2017. I guess we’ll start at the top.
12 Must See Films from 2017
- Wonder Woman
DC Comics’ character Diana Prince/Wonder Woman debuted 77 years ago, and only recently are we finally privileged to enjoy a film where she is the main heroine. It has catapulted Gal Gadot’s career and made her a bankable movie star, and has a strong supporting cast including Chris Pine and David Thewlis. The Amazon Princess’ origin story was highly anticipated and with worthy themes of love, hope and justice, it didn’t disappoint. The film grossed over 820 million dollars worldwide and already has a sequel lined up with Gal Gadot reprising her role as Diana and Patty Jenkins as passionate visionary director. It is widely accepted as the best DCEU film to date, and it’s not hard to see why. For my more in depth thoughts on Wonder Woman, you can check out the Superhero Moviecast podcast I joined here, or my full review here.
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Talk about ending the year with a bang. Despite being extremely divisive among fans, there is no denying that Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a cinematic and box office success. The second highest grossing film in the Star Wars series, it definitely has casual and super-fans alike talking about the twists and turns for both the new and OG characters. Mark Hamill and the late Carrie Fisher are back reprising their roles as Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa respectively. Daisy Ridley (Rey), John Boyega (Finn), Oscar Isaac (Poe) and Adam Driver (Kylo Ren/Ben Solo) all reprise their roles and set up for grand finale of episode 9. With Carrie Fisher’s unexpected passing, the film’s messages have become even more powerful, as it seems to be a heartfelt last love letter to everyone’s favorite Princess from a galaxy far far away. It has also prompted the script for episode 9 to be rewritten. For my more in depth thoughts about The Last Jedi, you can check out the podcast I joined here.- Beauty and the Beast
Big and little girl’s dreams everywhere came true when Disney’s Beauty and the Beast live action film hit theaters in March. Starring Emma Watson, Dan Stevens, Luke Evans, Ewan McGregor, and Ian McKellen (just to name a few) and based off of the 1991 hit, this film brings to life the previously only animated characters, who have wonderfully enriched childhood for so many. It’s a tale as old as time that is brought to us in a fresh way, bigger and better than ever before. A film for everyone, but especially if you have kids, you won’t want to miss this Must See Film of 2017.
*Side Note*
So many unpredictable things happened in 2017, and while a lot of them weren’t great, there were a few hope inspiring surprises. Most notably, the top three highest grossing films in the U.S. (mentioned above) all star strong, independent yet diverse women. If you’ve kept up at all with Hollywood this year, you know that among other things, there has been an outcry for a greater number of better roles for women. Roles that are interesting, and representative of the half of the human race that is often stereotyped, oversexualized, underutilized and underpaid for their work in the film industry (and most other industries). The movement is far from over, but this was a BIG win for women in the entertainment industry, and everywhere.
Sequel to the 1982 Sci-Fi film, Blade Runner 2049 boasts fantastic cinematography and rich imagination. Gone are the days when The Notebook was Ryan Gosling’s best work. He proves himself a true talent in the film as Agent K, supported by Harrison Ford who reprises his role as Rick Deckard. They are additionally supported by Robin Wright, newcomer Ana de Armas and Dave Bautista. You don’t necessarily need to have seen or be a fan of the original to enjoy this post apocalyptic noir film. Denis Villeneuve directs, expertly wrapping the plot in mystery while also giving characters humanity in a futuristic world so void of authenticity and emotion. This unique film is one that adult sci-fi fans will enjoy.
- Thor: Ragnarok
The third film in the Thor trilogy, Thor: Ragnarok couldn’t be more different from the first two. Taking a page out of the Guardians of the Galaxy playbook, Ragnarok is all comedy action and doesn’t bog itself down with taking it too seriously like its predecessors, making Marvel fans all very happy. Chris Hemsworth breathes new life into the God of Thunder as a goofy (but still handsome) action hero who can laugh off the tension. Tom Hiddleston is back as fan favorite Loki, and Cate Blanchett raises the bar for Marvel villains with her portrayal of Goddess of Death, Hela. The supporting cast gets more impressive with the likes of Jeff Goldblum as the egotistical but hilarious Grandmaster, Mark Ruffalo’s childlike Incredible Hulk, and returning Idris Elba as the Gatekeeper, Heimdall. If that wasn’t enough, we also get a kick butt new female addition to the Marvel family (which we need, desperately), Tessa Thompson as the drunk but fierce Valkyrie, a fellow Asgardian with a complicated and painful past. Taika Waititi makes magic as both director and voice of one of the funniest new characters, Korg. For my more in depth thoughts on Thor: Ragnarok, you can check out Superhero Moviecast where I was a guest for the podcast episode.- The Greatest Showman
A heartwarming musical filled with family morals, The Greatest Showman is set in the mid 1800’s and has so much to offer. Hugh Jackman shines as the charismatic but distractible P.T. Barnum. The story follows his life, when he finds love, has a family, and how he chases his seemingly impossible goals with unbridled ambition. Though not very historically accurate, the themes of love, support, acceptance, family, following your dreams and remembering where you come from, all work to make a sad history into a wonderfully enjoyable movie. Michelle Williams plays Charity, P.T.’s supportive and loving wife, a relatable and honest character. Zac Efron and Zendaya play fictional Philip Carlyle and Anne Wheeler respectively, a star-crossed couple with chemistry they have to hide because she’s black, and interracial relationships were socially taboo at the time. Rebecca Ferguson rounds out the group playing the Swedish songbird Jenny Lind. You’ll be singing the soundtrack the whole car ride home.
- Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Both a reboot and a sequel, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle stars Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart. The four of them are avatars for troubled teenage kids who get sucked into a video game that they have to complete to earn their way out. A refreshing and updated take on the 1995 fantasy thriller, this film is funnier and just as action packed. Dwayne Johnson plays the avatar of nerdy Spencer, who feels uncool and taken advantage of by his friend Fridge. Kevin Hart plays the avatar of Fridge, a jock with trouble keeping up his grades. Then there is Martha, a shy intellectual played by Karen Gillan. Last but not least, there is Bethany, a self-absorbed girl with a social media addiction played by none other than Jack Black (this casting is particularly hilarious). Also a coming of age story, the four teens learn valuable lessons from the game that help them course-correct their lives, all without taking themselves too seriously.
- Atomic Blonde
Charlize Theron delivers a fiercely sexy performance as Lorraine Broughton in this Bond-ish spy film set during the end of the Cold War. Lorraine, an MI6 agent, is sent undercover to Berlin. Her mission is to recover a list of names and investigate the murder of a fellow agent, and if that wasn’t enough, she’s also supposed to root out a dirty double-agent, codename: Satchel, who has been a black mark on MI6 for years. It’s personal though, and dealing with other spies never makes things easy- so when her contact David Percival (James McAvoy) seems suspicious, things take a turn for the worst. An impressive list of supporting actors include Eddie Marsan, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella, and Bill Skarsgard. Based on the 2012 comic book The Coldest City, an amazing soundtrack and wild stunt choreography make this film truly electric, and Theron’s dedication to her craft by training tirelessly to do nearly all of her own (insane) stunts is nothing short of outstanding. McAvoy boasts a darkly raw performance that proves him a true master of his craft, and the third act of the film holds more than a few surprises.
- Dunkirk
A uniquely told perspective on the battle of Dunkirk, a famously hopeless event of World War II. The film follows several characters, and much like director Christopher Nolan’s other work, the viewer gets snippets of stories that unfold with time. Tonally, the film is very similar to Blade Runner 2049 (#4). They both rely heavily on striking cinematography, music and non-verbal communication to make them very “feeling” films, as opposed to “talking” films that have a lot of dialogue and/or exposition. It makes an experience for the viewer, and a powerful one at that. The cast features a myriad of lesser known actors, most notably Fionn Whitehead as main character Tommy. He is supported by several very well known actors, some famously associated as working with acclaimed director Christopher Nolan. Namely, Tom Hardy and Cillian Murphy have appeared in The Dark Knight trilogy and Inception, some of Nolan’s most successful work. Harry Styles has a small part to draw in the Millenials, and Kenneth Branagh to round out the cast.
Baby Driver
Critically acclaimed and almost revolutionary for its syncopation with music, this Edgar Wright directed film starring Ansel Elgort is a gem. One part Fast & Furious, one part Bonnie & Clyde, one part The Italian Job and it’s all mixed up with a killer soundtrack and a lot of blood. Elgort plays Baby, a hearing impaired getaway driver who has been forced into doing favors for a crime boss (the now disgraced Kevin Spacey) to get out of his debt. When that leads them to a job that seems doomed, Baby has no choice but to see things through. Along the way he meets Debora, (played by the lovable Lily James) a waitress who has an instant connection with Baby. Supporting cast also includes Jon Hamm, Eiza Gonzalez, Jon Bernthal and Jamie Foxx. It’s a good thing this movie came out when it did, (before the news of Spacey’s assaulting of a young actor) or the film’s brilliance could’ve been overshadowed by Spacey’s involvement and not received the praise and success it deserves. Luckily it didn’t, but hopefully because of the news, we shouldn’t have to endure Spacey for a sequel.
- Get Out
A racially charged horror flick brought to us by Jordan Peele (of Key and Peele), this movie is not what you expect. Main character Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) goes for a weekend away with his girlfriend Rose (Allison Williams) to meet her parents (Bradley Whitford and Catherine Keener). At first he thinks their awkwardness is an attempt to support their interracial relationship, but as strange events unfold, he realizes it’s something much darker... I will never understand why the Golden Globes chose to put this film in the comedy category for it’s best film nomination, when it is so clearly a horror movie; and a good one at that. Interesting, innovative and surprising, every actor starring and supporting delivers a commendable performance. This film is both chilling and thought provoking.
- Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol 2
2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy changed the superhero movie game as we know it, undoubtedly for the better. Vol. 2 is a worthy sequel and lives up to the original in many ways. Most of the jokes are hits and the themes of family and staying true to who you are overshadow the few misses. There is good character development from all our favorite returning characters, mainly Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill and Zoe Saldana’s Gamora. After the Guardian’s get a reputation for being the galaxy’s heroes, they’ve been saving the day non-stop. They finally get into a pickle and when a mysterious figure saves them, revealing himself to be Peter’s long lost father, the group separates as Peter goes to Ego’s home planet. Things head south when Gamora’s suspicions of Ego gain proof that he isn’t what he says he is. Other returning cast includes Dave Bautista as weirdly comedic Drax, Bradley Cooper as slapstick funny Rocket, Vin Diesel as adorably oblivious Baby Groot, Michael Rooker as dry Yondu, and Karen Gillan as prickly Nebula. Notable new additions include Kurt Russell as Ego (self explanatory), Pom Klementieff as innocent Mantis and Elizabeth Debicki as self-important Ayesha.
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