A lot of you guys will remember the poll series we did a while back where we journeyed from 1980 all the way to 2017 and voted for our favorite movie of each year.
By the time we got to 2017, it was only July so we just had to work with what was available at the time. You can review that thread here:
Logan was our winner. But a lot of movies have come out since July so I figured we'd run it back and see what the true 2017 winner is.
One quick note: I've tried to skew the poll toward films that people have actually seen, so while there were some smaller releases that are arguably better than a lot of the movies that actually made it onto the poll, if I noticed that the threads for those films have very few responses then I skipped over them. Don't feel bashful about clicking the Other option if you want to go with something that's not on the list.
ITT we will also talk about our Top 10 films of 2017. You'll find mine below. What are yours?
So go ahead and cast your vote for your favorite movie of the year. Give us your Top 10. Discuss. Enjoy.
Premise: A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Col. Percival Fawcett, who disappeared while searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.
Stars: Charlie Hunnam, Robert Pattinson, Sienna Miller
Why It's on the List: People often complain that we don't seem to get anything but superhero movies and remakes these days. Well The Lost City of Z is that mature, thoughtful, adult-oriented movie that you probably didn't see. While a bit slow and contemplative in its pace, I found the film's performances, cinematography and based-on-a-true-story narrative to be quite interesting and unlike anything we else we got in 2017. It could perhaps be described as arthouse Indiana Jones, an intellectual take on the explorer genre.
9. Megan Leavey
Premise: Based on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq.
Stars: Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton
Why It's on the List: This is one of those movies that I just randomly decided to watch because I ran across it on Amazon and figured I'd roll the dice. It's also one of my biggest movie-watching surprises in recent memory. I didn't expect much from this film going into it but ended up really finding it to be a well told and emotionally affecting story about a girl and her dog. Kata Mara does a great job as Cpl. Megan Leavey and her bond with her pup in the film feels entirely genuine. Anyone who loves dogs or who enjoys war movies should give this one a look.
8. The Man Who Invented Christmas
Premise: The journey that led to Charles Dickens' creation of "A Christmas Carol," a timeless tale that would redefine the holiday.
Stars: Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer, Jonathan Pryce
Why It's on the List: It's another film that flew under most people's radar even though it actually happened to be one of the best movies of the year. It is both a biography of Charles Dickens while also being a fictionalized take on his writing of A Christmas Carol, perhaps the most beloved Christmas story of all time. I found this movie to be entirely original and imaginative, and absolutely one of the most delightful theatrical experiences I had last year. I really hope that more people discover it during holiday seasons to come.
7. The Big Sick
Premise: Pakistan-born comedian Kumail Nanjiani and grad student Emily Gardner fall in love but struggle as their cultures clash. When Emily contracts a mysterious illness, Kumail finds himself forced to face her feisty parents, his family's expectations, and his true feelings.
Stars: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Holly Hunter
Why It's on the List: This is a film that I kept hearing good things about but didn't actually get around to watching until about a week ago. Now that I've seen it, I understand where all the positivity comes from. It's funny, it's heart-breaking, and it's heart-warming, all at the same time. Some of you will know Kumail from HBO's Silicon Valley; well this film is based on his marriage to his real-life wife and was co-written with that same wife. He plays himself; she's played by Zoe Kazan.
6. John Wick: Chapter 2
Premise: After returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Riccardo Scamarcio, Ian McShane
Why It's on the List: Arguably better than the first entry into the series, John Wick 2 ratchets up the visual style and action. While I do agree with the film's critics that it lacks the emotional core of the original John Wick, I think that it makes up for that in other ways. It's a great action movie, all the way down to the modern-day recreation of Bruce Lee's mirror scene from Enter the Dragon.
Premise: In a world where families are limited to one child due to overpopulation, a set of identical septuplets must avoid being put to a long sleep by the government and dangerous infighting while investigating the disappearance of one of their own.
Stars: Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe
Why It's on the List: A lot of people were lukewarm on this one when it was released to Netflix in August, but I absolutely loved it. It is, for me, one of the best sci-fi action films to come out in the past several years. The action is excellent, the cinematography is striking, Noomi Rapace does an amazing job playing seven different characters, and it all leads to an ending that I didn't see coming. If you have not yet watched What Happened to Monday, then do that immediately and see the light on this great film.
4. Wind River
Premise: A veteran tracker with the Fish and Wildlife Service helps to investigate the murder of a young Native American woman, and uses the case as a means of seeking redemption for an earlier act of irresponsibility which ended in tragedy.
Stars: Jeremy Renner, Elizabeth Olsen, Julia Jones
Why It's on the List: It's written and directed by the writer of Sicario and Hell or High Water. That alone was enough to get me jazzed about this one and the film lived up to my expectations. It's an interesting exploration of America's native culture and of what sometimes happens when that culture clashes with the outside world. Jeremy Renner turns in a great performance in the lead role and Elizabeth Olsen also does well as the rookie FBI agent who is out of her depth. If you haven't seen this one, you need to get on it.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Premise: Rey develops her newly discovered abilities with the guidance of Luke Skywalker, who is unsettled by the strength of her powers. Meanwhile, the Resistance prepares for battle with the First Order.
Stars: Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Mark Hamill
Why It's on the List: Whoo boy! I don't think I've seen people argue over a film like people have been arguing over The Last Jedi in a very long time. And here's the deal: I understand the criticisms. I get why some people are pissed. But the bottom line, for me, is that it was one of the most fun theatrical experiences I've had in the past few years. My feelings have grown more complicated as I've continued to evaluate the movie, but when I walked out of the theater my reaction could basically be summed up as: FUCK YES!
2. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Premise: A mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
Stars: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell
Why It's on the List: It's just a hell of a movie. It's a complicated story about love, hate, forgiveness, justice and revenge that is bolstered by a fantastic cast who are all bringing their A-game and turning in top-shelf performances. During its 115 minute run time I was almost never bored or restless and the film felt entirely fresh and original to me. In an era where so many movies just feel like more of the same, this one feels different. In a good way. Go watch it.
1. Blade Runner 2049
Premise: A young blade runner's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former blade runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
Stars: Harrison Ford, Ryan Gosling, Ana de Armas
Why It's on the List: I have only gone to watch a movie twice in the theater on a few different occasions, but Blade Runner 2049 is one of those films. It's absolutely amazing. An intelligent and thoughtful story, great performances, incredible production design, and beautiful cinematography all come together to create what for me is easily the best film of 2017. While I don't think it's a perfect movie, I do think that its strengths far outweigh its weaknesses and it's going to be a movie that I continue to revisit and ponder in the years to come. If you saw it once and didn't fully get on board with it, then I would recommend giving it a second look. It really is an incredible movie and it should've been far more successful at the box office than it ended up being.
Favorite film was A Cure for Wellness. The atmosphere in the film was just incredible along with the best cinematography of the year. While some criticize the cartoonish ending I personally loved it. It felt like an old school film and not one of these soulless modern blockbusters. My only criticism was it could have used an extra 30 minutes to explain some things.
As for The Last Jedi I almost walked out of the film it was so bad. I did walk out of two films this year(Valerian and Get Out) but Star Wars is Star Wars.
Are you SURE you're serious about Ghost in the Shell and Alien: Covenant? And are you SURE you're serious that motherfuckin' Death Note is in contention?
It's an interesting spin on the original anime. The anime was about an immoral bastard while the filmatization puts the moral question of the Death Note at the very center of it's theme. Sure the black guy didn't really work but other than that I really dug it.
Like Death Note, it was an interesting inversion of the original subject.
In the original Ghost in the Shell, robotization leads to a Brave New World -- the next step in human evolution. In the 2017 Ghost in the Shell, robotization leads to a loss-of-identity, nostalgia, and a existential disconnect from one's biological matter.
Even while I was watching that film in the theaters I was going like: "Fuck everyone is going to hate this except me".
I really liked the David character. And I especially liked how the Xenomorphs are basically a reflection on how David sees biological lifeforms; his wonderment at their basic strive for survival and reproduction but also his loathing for all of their higher cognitive functions. They are basically a warped image of everything that he likes about organics.
Don't get me wrong: Covenant did A LOT of things wrong. But my atitude to all the bad shit was basically, "If Ridley Scott doesn't care about these scenes then neither am I". It's like he really wanted to get to his David-stuff so badly that he just half-assed the rest.
I actually thought it ended up being a pretty solid year for movies. The thing is, a lot of the best films are not in the poll. They're movies that relatively few people saw.
I actually thought it wanted up being a pretty solid year for movies. The thing is, a lot of the best films are not in the poll. They're movies that relatively few people saw.
Only film I really liked was 3 Billboards, and that was an 8.5. Even the films I enjoyed (Baby Driver, Kong, Planet of the Apes, Disaster Artist, Shape of Water, Dunkirk) were 7.5 at best.
Don't think I'll bother with franchise movies again. The new Avengers I'm sure will have the fans moistening their panties, but you basically know whats going to happen already.
It's an interesting spin on the original anime. The anime was about an immoral bastard while the filmatization puts the moral question of the Death Note at the very center of it's theme. Sure the black guy didn't really work but other than that I really dug it.
I thought it had a cool visual style but the script had serious problems. It was one of those movies that I started out liking but the more it went on, the more I was like, "This thing sucks."
Like Death Note, it was an interesting inversion of the original subject.
In the original Ghost in the Shell, robotization leads to a Brave New World -- the next step in human evolution. In the 2017 Ghost in the Shell, robotization leads to a loss-of-identity, nostalgia, and a existential disconnect from one's biological matter.
I really wanted to like it and it was a highly-anticipated film for me. But, much like Death Note, I thought that while it had some cool visuals that it had narrative problems. Ultimately I just found it to be a rather dull and somewhat disjointed movie.
Even while I was watching that film in the theaters I was going like: "Fuck everyone is going to hate this except me".
I really liked the David character. And I especially liked how the Xenomorphs are basically a reflection on how David sees biological lifeforms; his wonderment at their basic strive for survival and reproduction but also his loathing for all of their higher cognitive functions. They are basically a warped image of everything that he likes about organics.
Don't get me wrong: Covenant did A LOT of things wrong. But my atitude to all the bad shit was basically, "If Ridley Scott doesn't care about these scenes then neither am I". It's like he really wanted to get to his David-stuff so badly that he just half-assed the rest.
Only film I really liked was 3 Billboards, and that was an 8.5. Even the films I enjoyed (Baby Driver, Kong, Planet of the Apes, Disaster Artist, Shape of Water, Dunkirk) were 7.5 at best.
Don't think I'll bother with franchise movies again. The new Avengers I'm sure will have the fans moistening their panties, but you basically know whats going to happen already.
Yeah, I meant to put Three Billboards in the poll but fucked it up. Too late to change it now, unfortunately.
You'll notice that more than half of my Top 10 is not even in the poll, so if I was just making it based on my personal favorites it would look very different. But I knew there was no point in putting movies like The Big Sick or Megan Leavey on there.
EDIT: Looks like jeicex fixed the poll. Three Billboards is now on there.
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