Thursday, January 18, 2018

2017 in Film: A Year in Review

Going to the movies in 2017 proved to a frequently joyous and rewarding experience. My initial weariness when looking at the release schedule last January quickly faded thanks to a steady steam of very good-to-excellent films in the early months and that feeling of pleasant surprise only grew stronger as the year went on.

What made this cinematic year so refreshing was the number of movies I was looking forward to that ended up delivering the goods. Everything from small indie projects (Ingrid Goes West, Wind River) that I found out about shortly before they were released to sequels to films that I loved (The Fate of the Furious, John Wick: Chapter 2) to films I'd been waiting for years to see (The Disaster Artist, Thor: Ragnarok) all managed to either meet or shatter my pre-release expectations.

Of course, there was the obligatory bursts of sorrow among the many triumphs. While the number of disappointments fell for a second straight year, the letdowns in 2017 REALLY stung. Dreary superhero Logan failed to hit the necessary emotional notes, Guy Ritchie squandered a great  opportunity to put a fresh spin on the story of King Arthur with Legend of the Sword, the Guardians of the Galaxy's second mission got bogged down by poorly-executed family melodrama and a murderer's row of gifted comedians couldn't prevent The House from being wildly average.

Below you'll find a list of every film I saw in 2017 ranked from worst to best (w/star ratings) and a plethora of awards that shine a light on everything I was delighted and underwhelmed by in the world of cinema over the course of the year. Please feel free to share your favorite and least favorite movies and things about the 2017 cinematic year in the comment box below.

Haven't seen yet, but plan to watch in the future:
All the Money in the World
A Bad Moms Christmas
Band Aid
Beach Rats
The Beguiled
Better Watch Out
Blade of the Immortal 
Brad's Status
Brawl in Cell Block 99
Coco
Daddy's Home 2
Darkest Hour
Death Note
The Discovery
Downsizing
Father Figures
Flatliners
The Florida Project
Geostrom
Hostiles
It Comes at Night
Jigsaw
Killing Gunther
Last Flag Flying
Little Evil
LBJ
Marshall
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) 
Murder on the Orient Express
Only the Brave
The Post
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women
Raw
Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Sandy Wexler
The Snowman
Suburbicon 
Thank You for Your Service
Tragedy Girls
Transformers: The Last Knight
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
What Happened to Monday
Wonder
Wonder Wheel

113.Message from the King (1/5)
112.The Only Living Boy in New York (1/5)
111.The Layover (1/5)
110.Monster Trucks (1.5/5)
109.Okja (1.5/5)
108.Mr. Roosevelt (1.5/5) 
107.Gerald's Game (1.5/5)
106.The Little Hours (1.5/5)
105.Collide (2/5)
104.The Foreigner (2/5) 
103.War for the Planet of the Apes (2/5) 
102.Take the 10 (2/5)
101.American Assassin (2/5)
100.Alien: Covenant (2/5)
99.Columbus (2/5) 
98.Beatriz at Dinner (2/5)
97.The Book of Henry (2/5) 
96.Split (2/5)
95.Annabelle: Creation (2/5)
94.The Zookeeper's Wife (2.5/5) 
93.The Incredible Jessica James (2.5/5)
92.The House (2.5/5)
91.Wonder Woman (2.5/5)
90.Lowriders (2.5/5)
89.Snatched (2.5/5)
88.King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2.5/5)
87.Colossal (2.5/5)
86.The Glass Castle (2.5/5) 
85.Mother! (2.5/5)
84.Table 19 (3/5)
83.War on Everyone (3/5)
82.Crown Heights (3/5)
81.American Made (3/5)
80.To the Bone (3/5)
79.Wilson (3/5)
78.ChiPs (3/5)
77.Sleight (3/5)
76.Patti Cake$ (3/5)
75.The Dark Tower (3/5)
74.Life (3/5)
73.The Mummy (3/5)
72.The Hero (3/5)
71.The Great Wall (3/5)
70.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (3/5)
69.A Cure for Wellness (3/5)
68.Before I Fall (3/5)
67.The Lego Ninjago Movie (3/5)
66.Call Me by Your Name (3/5)
65.Free Fire (3/5)
64.Fist Fight (3/5)
63.Logan (3/5)
62.Blade Runner 2049 (3/5)
61.Going in Style (3/5)
60.Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (3/5)
59.Star Wars: The Last Jedi (3/5) 
58.Sleepless (3/5)
57.Win It All (3/5)
56.All Eyez on Me (3/5)
55.Baywatch (3.5/5)
54.Dunkirk (3.5/5)
53.Girls Trip (3.5/5)
52.Underworld: Blood Wars (3.5/5)
51.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (3.5/5)
50.Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (3.5/5)
49.Mayhem (3.5/5)
48.T2: Trainspotting (3.5/5)
47.Pitch Perfect 3 (3.5/5)
46.Battle of the Sexes (3.5/5)
45.Shot Caller (3.5/5)
44.Goon: Last of the Enforcers (3.5/5)
43.The Babysitter (3.5/5)
42.The Belko Experiment (3.5/5)
41.Mudbound (3.5/5)
40.Landline (3.5/5)
39.It (3.5/5)
38.Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie (3.5/5)
37.Logan Lucky (3.5/5)
36.The Hitman's Bodyguard (3.5/5)
35.Gifted (3.5/5)
34.The Lego Batman Movie (3.5/5)
33.Good Time (3.5/5)
32.Detroit (4/5)
31.Wheelman (4/5)
30.Our Souls at Night (4/5)
29.Atomic Blonde (4/5)
28.Bright (4/5)
27.Stronger (4/5)
26.The Shape of Water (4/5)
25.Spider-Man: Homecoming (4/5)
24.Justice League (4/5)
23.Kong: Skull Island (4/5)
22.Power Rangers (4/5)
21.Rough Night (4/5)
20.Happy Death Day (4/5)
19.Jumanjii: Welcome to the Jungle (4/5)
18.Lady Bird (4/5)
17.Dean (4/5)
16.xXx: Return of Xander Cage (4/5)
15.Kingsman: The Golden Circle (4/5)
14.Ghost in the Shell (4/5)
13.I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore (4/5)
12.Brigsby Bear (4/5)
11.John Wick: Chapter 2 (4/5)
10.The Big Sick (4/5)
9.Molly's Game (4.5/5)
8.I, Tonya (4.5/5)
7.Baby Driver (4.5/5)
6.Thor: Ragnarok (4.5/5)
5.Get Out (4.5/5)
4.Ingrid Goes West (4.5/5)
3.The Fate of the Furious (4.5/5)
2.Wind River (4.5/5)
1.The Disaster Artist (4.5/5)

Year-End Awards:
Best Picture: The Disaster Artist
Best Actor: James Franco, The Disaster Artist
Best Actress: Aubrey Plaza, Ingrid Goes West
Best Supporting Actor: Ray Romano, The Big Sick
Best Supporting Actress: Tatiana Maslany, Stronger
Best Director: Edgar Wright, Baby Driver
Best Original Screenplay: Jordan Peele, Get Out
Best Adapted Screenplay: Scott Neustader and Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist
Best Animated Film: The Lego Batman Movie
Best Cinematography: The Shape of Water
Best Score: The Shape of Water
Best Visual Effects: Ghost in the Shell
Best Villain: Jamie Foxx, Baby Driver
Best Performance in a Bad Movie: James McAvoy, Split
Worst Performance in a Good Movie: Jason Clarke, Mudbound
Most Shameful Piece of Acting by a Talented Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Message From the King
Finest Piece of Acting by a Suspect Actor: Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Shot Caller
Best Overacting: Elizabeth Banks, Power Rangers
Worst Overacting: Jude Law, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Best Theater Experience: Get Out
Worst Theater Experience: Split
Best Blockbuster: The Fate of the Furious 
Worst Blockbuster: War for the Planet of the Apes
Best Action Sequence: Stairwell Fight, Atomic Blonde
Worst Action Sequence: Final Battle Between Spider-Man and The Vulture, Spider-Man: Homecoming
Most Surprising Indie Delight: Brigsby Bear
Most Insufferable Indie Trash: Mr. Roosevelt

Biggest Surprises:
1.I, Tonya
2.Brigsby Bear
3.Happy Death Day
4.Power Rangers
5.Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie

Biggest Letdowns:
1.Logan
2.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2
3.The House
4.King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
5.Star Wars: The Last Jedi

Most Underrated:
1.Ingrid Goes West
2.Brigsby Bear
3.Ghost in the Shell
4.xXx: Return of Xander Cage
5.Rough Night

Most Overrated:
1.War for the Planet of the Apes
2.Wonder Woman
3.Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
4.Blade Runner 2049
5.Split

Top Performances:
1.James Franco, The Disaster Artist
2.Aubrey Plaza, Ingrid Goes West
3.Jessica Chastain, Molly's Game
4.Jeremy Renner, Wind River
5.Ray Romano, The Big Sick
6.O'Shea Jackson Jr., Ingrid Goes West
7.Margot Robbie, I, Tonya
8.Elizabeth Olsen, Ingrid Goes West
9.Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
10.Sally Hawkins, The Shape of Water

Breakthrough Performances:
1.Daniel Kaluuya, Get Out
2.Lil Rel Howrey, Get Out
3.Kyle Mooney, Brigsby Bear
4.Billy Magnussen, Ingrid Goes West
5.Paul Walter Hauser, I, Tonya
6.Jessica Rothe, Happy Death Day
7.Abby Quinn, Landline
8.Tom Holland, Spider-Man: Homecoming
9.Tiffany Haddish, Girls Trip
10.Samara Weaving, Mayhem

Top Casts:
1.Ingrid Goes West
2.The Big Sick
3.I, Tonya
4.Get Out
5.Baby Driver
6.The Fate of the Furious
7.Wind River
8.Thor: Ragnarok
9.The Shape of Water
10.Lady Bird

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