I know, I know. It’s 2018. It’s almost the end of 2018, actually. And here I am, posting my list of Best 2017 Films. I intended to do this in, like, February. Back when this was still a relevant topic. But I never did. I suppose I was too busy watching movies to put this together. But then a funny thing happened. My torrid film-watching pace through the first 5 or 6 months of the year finally dissipated. I knew it would eventually. There’s no way to keep up a 25 movies a month schedule. Not if you have a full time job and two kids and a wife. And not if you want to write a novel (but that’s another topic entirely).

So here we are. It’s October 2018 and the Oscar race is just starting to heat up. Before we get into prime movie season, I figured it was a good a time as any to go back and revisit 2017’s best movies.

2017 was a great year for movies. I saw every single Best Picture nominee, and I thought every single one of them had a shot at winning. That’s pretty rare. Not that Oscars are the end-all-be-all when it comes to assessing a film’s greatness. But it just so happened that they pretty much got it right, across the board. Even though my favorite didn’t win, at least it wasn’t Three Billboards (the only misstep on their list).

The good thing about making this list so late is that I’ve had a chance to re-watch them all. I’ve had time to reflect on what I liked about them, and why. And all of the films on this list endeared themselves to me even more. I might even count a few of these as potential all-time favorite movies.

 

10. Get Out

What is there to say about a movie that’s been talked about so much already? This is a great blend of horror, drama, comedy, and thriller. And it paved the way for a whole new generation of filmmakers, and a whole new wave of ideas.

 

9. The Shape of Water

This shouldn’t work. But it does. It’s not a perfect film. But every once in a while, there are just movies that spark our imaginations, regardless of problems in may have. This is one of those films. It’s creative, and weird, and lovely. And it works. Somehow.

 

8. Mudbound

Watching this was like reading a novel. A collection of narrators gives a 360° view of the lives of two families in rural Mississippi during World War Two – One white family, one black family. The tension goes back centuries, and it’s heartbreaking to see the depths of racism that still existed during a time when the country should have been coming together. This obviously mirrors our current times. Progress has been made since then. But not nearly enough. Films like these tragically remind us of that.

 

7. Blade Runner 2049

What a visually stunning movie. One of the best-looking movies I’ve seen recently. It somehow manages to retain the feel of the original Blade Runner while also staying cutting edge and fresh. It’s a bit too long probably. And the plot feels convoluted at times, mostly because it’s trying to be abstract. If there’s not another sequel in the works, I’d question some of the story elements they introduce. But overall, this was about as good as I could expect from a sequel to the original.

 

6. The Post

Obviously there are parallels between the events of this film and our current political situation. I won’t get into those details here. But I wonder how this movie will age. It feels more relevant today because of what’s going on in our country. But in a few years, will this movie still pack a relevant punch? Or will it just be a good movie about a really interesting moment in American history? Time will tell. In the meantime, this is a great film.

 

5. mother!

Dare I say it? This is a movie about…everything. About life, and death; creation and the apocalypse. About our world, and the destruction of nature as a result of humanity’s greed. It’s about inspiration, and God, and obsession, and art, and the darkness and goodness of humanity. It’s about war. It’s about healing. It’s about the possibility of burning everything down to the ground to start again, hopeful that we can learn something from the last time we messed everything up. But are we doomed to keep repeating the past? Is there something at the core of us that both keeps us alive and vibrant, and yet dooms us for constant self-destruction, no matter what we do? At what point will we lose the ability to rebuild ourselves? At what point will we destroy our lives and our world for good? Maybe we already have, and we don’t know it. Maybe we’re in a constant cycle of forgetting. Forgetting that we’re past saving. Forgetting that we’ve sucked the world dry of everything it’s given us, and that we don’t deserve it anymore. I don’t think I’ve begun to scratch the surface of what Aronofksy has done here. But wow, has he given me a lot to think about.

 

4. Lady Bird

There’s so much right about Lady Bird. It’s hilarious, first of all. Much more so than I expected. I laughed out loud multiple times while watching it. And it’s a quick-witted movie too, but not in an unrealistic Aaron Sorkin way (not to knock Sorkin). The comparison that comes to mind is Juno. Both are about quirky high school girls who talk fast and get into self-made awkward situations. But Lady Bird has something extra, that I can’t quite put my finger on. This is one of those movies that sucks you into the character’s world. One of the best films of 2017.

 

3. Phantom Thread

I think this might be brilliant. After finishing it, all I could do was think back over the course of the entire movie, picking it apart in my mind, trying to remember why something happened, or what something looked like, or how something sounded, what something might have tasted like. I think Paul Thomas Anderson might be showing off. Proving that he can secretly make a masterpiece, while also winking an eye at his audience. There were times during the movie that I asked myself “Why did Paul Thomas Anderson make this movie? A movie about a 1950’s British fashion designer? Why did Daniel Day Lewis want to portray this grumpy, rigid man for his last role?” But after contemplating the movie as a whole, I’m starting to understand why. The movie is not just about the rigidness of this man’s past. It’s about art, and love, and beauty, and power and trust, and putting everything on the line for all of those things. And even with all those haughty goals, it’s also hilarious. The whole idea of the movie is hilarious to me now (something I could not have said while in the middle of watching it). So yeah…I suppose I’m saying this is brilliant.

 

2. Dunkirk

I’ll keep this short and sweet. Dunkirk is a particular kind of masterpiece. The first time you watch it, you’re on the edge of your seat the whole time. It’s breathtaking. And stressful. It’s a visceral experience – especially if you’re lucky enough to see it in the theater in IMAX. After I left the movie theater, I was jarred and somewhat shocked by the experience. The film stuck with me for a while. I knew it was a monumental movie. But because of how harrowing and intense it was, I couldn’t truly appreciate it for all that it was worth. Watching it again is still stressful. But the second viewing shows just how truly astounding Dunkirk is. This is a great film. A great piece of history. A great piece of art.

 

1. Call Me By Your Name

Look, I’ll be honest. I would not recommend this film to everyone I know. But for some reason, it just struck an emotional chord with me. A lot of that has to do with it being set in Italy. If it was set in the US, for instance, I don’t think it would be as effective. There’s something about the foreignness of both the subject matter and the setting that creates this magical atmosphere. By now, I have seen this movie dozens of times. It’s the type of movie that I’ll put on when I don’t feel like watching anything else. It’s the type of film that hits me hard every single time. Plain and simple, it’s become one of my all-time favorite films. And it was the best movie of 2017.

 

What films did you love in 2017?