Besides the abysmal summer box office, 2017 was another great year for movies. The fall festival season has wrapped up and the Oscar contenders are vying for gold in March. With this comes the announcement of critics and organizations' end of the year lists with their top 10 films. I always like to join in on the fun because of my love of cinema.
Unfortunately, I don't have the benefit of seeing premieres or screenings of movies before they come out so I haven't seen every movie yet; including, obviously, the December releases. Therefore, I have yet to see Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Steven Spielberg's The Post, Downsizing, Del Toro's The Shape of Water, Anderson's Phantom Thread with Daniel Day Lewis' last role, Margot Robbie in I, Tonya, and even Pixar's Coco. Also, I plan on seeing the hilarious looking The Disaster Artist in the next couple of days and I never got around to seeing Blade Runner 2049, but I will soon.
My list could certainly change at the end of December, but you get the point. Now, here are my top 10 films of the year right now:
10. War for the Planet of the Apes
My number 10 was a toss up between this and Wonder Woman but I had to go with Apes. This powerful franchise has been extremely underrated and War was the perfect closing to the story of Caesar. Wonder Woman was fantastic but if you know me, I will pick any other quality film over a quality superhero film.
9. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
A clever, dark-witted film with great performances by Frances McDormand in the lead, Woody Harrelson, and Sam Rockwell. It's both a heartbreaking and heartfelt Midwest tragedy.
8. Baby Driver
Edgar Wright's action-thriller driven (
7. A Ghost Story
Here's a movie that no one saw and it happens to be one of the best films of the year. The Dallas based director, David Lowery's stunning story of loss and love is not for everyone. It requires patience and if you find it humorous while watching then you don't deserve to watch this film or any powerful work of cinema for that matter. A Ghost Story is touching, strange, and refreshingly honest.
6. The Big Sick
Who says the rom-com is dead?
5. Mudbound
Netflix bought this epic back in January at the Sundance Film Festival and it's the best movie on the streaming platform right now. It's a tough watch, but powerful and necessary.
4. Get Out
Sometimes you don't have to look in the Sunken Place for good movies. It's a blessing that Universal let Jordan Peele make this smart horror/thriller satire about race. It's one of the most
3. Wind River
Poor Wind River. Another hidden gem of a masterpiece that will get no Oscar consideration and that to me is more disappointing than Baker Mayfield winning the Heisman. Please just watch this magnificent movie.
2. Lady Bird
There's little room for coming-of-age stories in movies. Then along comes Greta Gerwig with her semi-autobiographical directorial debut and you have one of the most genuine, real and relatable high school coming-of-age films with
1. Dunkirk
Christopher Nolan's career has led up to this film. His magnum opus is a true cinematic experience. Told almost silently and in a non-linear way, Dunkirk is mesmerizing. La La Land director Damien Chazelle described it best: "It's cinema as music- a continuous, breathless flow of images and sound that feels elemental and primal." It's a bold film, almost experimental in a way but with a massive blockbuster budget. Only Nolan could pull off such an intimate epic about survival like this. Dunkirk for Best Picture. Dunkirk for Best Movie of the Decade
