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My Top 10 Best Movies of 2017

My Top 10 Best Movies of 2017

2017 has been an awesome year of movies. There are still a bunch of movies that I haven’t seen or reviewed, but out of all of the ones I saw, these are my 10 favorites.

Honorable mentions:

Dunkirk (directed by Christopher Nolan)

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (directed by James Gunn)

The Big Sick (directed by Michael Showalter)

Thor: Ragnarok (directed by Taika Waititi)

10. Wonder Woman (directed by Patty Jenkins)

Credit: Warner Bros.

Wonder Woman was great. Despite a cheesy third act and weak villain, I had a fantastic time at this movie. It’s not only a really solid origin story for the character but gives us an awesome female-led superhero movie for 2017. Gal Gadot shines as Wonder Woman and the movie boasts lots of humor, heart, and some really cool action and visuals.

9. Spider-Man: Homecoming (directed by Jon Watts)

In Spider-Man: Homecoming, we got to see not only the web-slinging action of Spidey, but also the high-school aspect of the character, which is what I love most about this movie. Tom Holland gives us a Peter Parker that feels like a kid, and its endlessly entertaining. Although Michael Keaton’s villain feels flat at times, it’s made up for by the gorgeous visuals, charismatic performances, and super fun story. Homecoming was a blast, and does the iconic character justice.

Credit: Marvel Studios

8. Logan (directed by James Mangold)

Logan is another type of superhero movie completely. It’s bleak but never too dark, and Hugh Jackman is the best he’s ever been as the Wolverine. The movie, although it has its fantastic, intense action sequences, also really explores its characters in a way we haven’t seen much before and gives us a fantastic X-23 in Dafne Keen. It’s very…different, and shows us these “superheroes” at a breaking point in a way that’s both somber, satisfying, and heartbreaking.

Credit: 20th Century Fox

7. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (directed by Rian Johnson)

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is a very unique Star Wars film. It subverts your expectations in a way that’s both shocking and interesting. It was so much fun from start to finish. It has some of the best action sequences from a Star Wars movie, humor that works really well, and a complex, damaged performance from Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker. Aside from one subplot that could have been cut out, I loved Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Credit: LucasFilm

6. It (directed by Andrés Muschietti)

It works on a lot of levels. It’s a both horror story and a coming-of-age one. The kids in this film are fantastic acting in their respective roles, and make us really care about them and where the story takes them. Not to mention the fantastic, at times horrifying visuals that add to the effectiveness of the movie. Andy Muschietti gives the movie a creepy atmosphere that will have you constantly nervous. Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise is definitely super scary, and he gives a really, really good performance as the titular clown. It balances scares, some really genuine humor, and an emotional, at times touching story deftly and makes for a very interesting watching experience.

Credit: Warner Bros.

5. Coco (directed by Lee Unkrich)

Pixar gives us a very emotional, heartfelt, and gorgeously animated film in Coco. This movie has everything you could want from a Pixar movie and more. It’s characters are so well-developed and I found myself really invested them by the end of this movie. There’s some super catchy music in here and visuals that are amazing to the point that they don’t look like they’re animated. This movie made me cry, it made me laugh, and it has a great story for all ages.

Credit: Pixar

4. Get Out (directed by Jordan Peele)

Jordan Peele, who’s known for his comedy, and not exactly psychological thrillers, made his directoral debut with Get Out. And, boy, is it good. Get Out is a mixing of a lot of different things. It’s part satire, part thriller, part social commentary, part drama. Get Out provides an accurate, scary look at racial tensions in America now, and does so while balancing this commentary with old-fashioned scares. All of the performances in Get Out are great, and Daniel Kaluuya shines as the protagonist, Chris, who must escape his girlfriend’s (Allison Williams) house. There’s also a good comic relief in Chris’s friend Rod, which adds a bit of levity to the movie. Get Out is a unique experience, and a film you can revisit many times.

Credit: Universal Pictures

3. Baby Driver (directed by Edgar Wright)

Edgar Wright is one of the best directors working. His films are hilarious and have his trademark editing and style. Baby Driver is those things, but also more. It’s an action musical that has a great soundtrack, thrilling car chase sequences, and lots of humor. The way that everything syncs up works as more than just a gimmick and adds a ton to the movie. Baby Driver doesn’t lack on plot either: it’s story is engaging and never lets you get bored. Ansel Elgort gives a ton to the role of Baby and other standouts from the cast include Jamie Foxx’s insane Bats as well as Jon Hamm’s Buddy. Baby Driver is a movie you remember long after you watch, and as soon as you’re done watching it, you want to turn on the soundtrack and crank it up to 11.

Credit: Tri-Star Pictures

2. Blade Runner 2049 (directed by Denis Villeneuve)

The original Blade Runner is widely considered a masterpiece, and after watching it, I…thought it was fine. But it was 2049 that did it for me. This movie expands on the original in a way that honors its themes and idea, but gives it new ones too. This movie looks just gorgeous. Its cinematography is some of the best I’ve seen ever and the visual effects are groundbreaking. The score is otherwordly and Denis Villeneuve gives this movie a gritty, realistic, yet still futuristic feel and does a great job directing it. It deals with some really interesting themes in a very thought-provoking way, and has a compelling story. Although it’s long, it uses its runtime effectively and doesn’t ever feel boring. 2049 is a truly well-made film.

Credit: Warner Bros.

1. War for the Planet of the Apes (directed by Matt Reeves)

Credit: 20th Century Fox

War for the Planet of the Apes is a masterpiece. Every shot in this film looks amazing and there isn’t a dull part of it. And even though the movie doesn’t skimp on action, it shows the more personal aspect of war than the actual fighting. Andy Serkis is once again amazing as ape Caesar and despite the fact that his performance was using motion-capture, it showed more emotion than any other in this movie. Speaking of which, this movie’s visual effects are rival to none and the apes were unable to be deciphered as CGI. The plot is emotional, brutal, and bleak, and has high stakes that keep you inside the story at all times. And finally the score was some of the best I’ve heard in a movie this year, and just made this movie better. War for the Planet of the Apes is a flawless film, and my favorite of the year.

Well, these were my top movies of the year, but what were yours? Post your favorite movies of 2017 in the comments below!

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3 thoughts on “My Top 10 Best Movies of 2017”

  1. I really liked Coco and Baby Driver. In Coco, the touching story and beautiful setting was great. Baby Driver’s song timing was awesome as well.

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