Worst2First: 2017 Films #20 - #1

Worst2First: 

2017 Films #20 - #1

2017 was a spectacular year for film, and I was privileged enough to see 80 of those movies.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see them all (such as "The Disaster Artist" or "The Shape of Water"), but I was able to see a large amount.

So I compiled all the 80 movies I saw that were released in 2017 and made four different Worst2First lists, breaking it up so you don't have to read through one super long list.  I've also split the films by color, as well as number:

If the film image is in red, it means I graded it a D+, D, D-, or F, and should probably never be seen again.
If the film image is in yellow, it means I graded it a C+, C, or C-, and if you want to watch them, be warned that they probably won't be great.
If the film image is in blue, it means I graded it a B+, B, or B-, and that means the film was alright - not memorable or terrible, just forgettable.
If the film image is in green, it means I graded it an A or A-, and while they were missing that certain special something, you should definitely give them a shot.
If the film image is in purple, it means I graded it an A+, and was among the best films of the year in my opinion.

We've reached the end, here are my top twenty films of 2017!

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

When it was revealed that the third "Thor" movie would focus on Ragnarok, it was an interesting thought.  Marvel is known for their more family-friendly films as opposed to DC's darker tone, and Ragnarok on the level is nothing to laugh about - it's the utter destruction of Asgard, Thor's homeland, as well as several main characters we've gotten to know and love.  Then word spread that the Hulk would appear, and the film would be one of Marvel's funniest.  How this was supposed to happen was boggling, but somehow they managed to make a purely comedic buddy comedy in the wake of utter destruction and ruin work so well, making it the best "Thor" movie, and also one of the best in the MCU.

2014's "The Lego Movie" was groundbreaking in that I didn't think it would've been great, but it was even better than I imagined.  Batman was easily the most memorable side character, and giving him his own spinoff movie was nothing short of genius.  Will Arnett shines as the Caped Crusader, who manages to make fun of himself while still showing some heart as he serves as a begrudgingly surrogate father to young, naive Robin (played hilariously by Michael Cera).

Margot Robbie manages to transform herself into her roles, so much so we don't even recognize her as an actress.  Here, she plays disgraced figure skater Tonya Harding, who's best known for the attack on Nancy Kerrigan before the 1994 Winter Olympics.  The film is a tongue-in-cheek view of those events - as well as Tonya's rough upbringing - told in a mockumentary style.  It's lavishly funny and surprisingly tragic, fueled by award-winning performances by Robbie and Allison Janney as Tonya's overbearing mother.

Comedian Jordan Peele wrote and directed this year's most prolific horror movie, transcending the term "horror" and creating a whole new entity in itself.  The film spoke about racial tensions and how racism is still rampant in society, but there's a deeper meaning that goes beyond that which I cannot speak of because it will spoil it for you.  Needless to say, this film is revolutionary, has earned several Golden Globe nominations, and could even garner some Oscar attention - something unheard of for a horror film.

This is how romantic comedies should be done.  This true story of how a Muslim comedian fell in love with an American girl (and the backlash he received from his deeply devout Muslim family) is equal parts humorous and heartfelt, especially when the girl comes down with a severe sickness and is put in a coma.  He meets her parents for the first time, and he must traverse the sticky situation he's found himself in.  This should be the staple of romantic comedies, and elevates the subgenre to new heights due to heartfelt performances (especially by Holly Hunter, who should earn a Best Supporting Actress nod) and an emotionally resounding script.

One of the best prequels in cinematic history, "War for the Planet of the Apes" ends Caesar's journey on a high note, as he goes up against a villainous general (played beautifully by Woody Harrelson), as he struggles with his own dual nature of animal and human.  Andy Serkis played Caesar throughout the three films, and has unfortunately been denied Oscar nominations mostly due to him playing an ape.  If this was done by humans, he would've been nominated easily.  This is the best of the three prequels, blending heart-stopping action, humor, and deep resonating emotions - all told through the eyes of intelligent apes.

Directed by Steven Soderbergh (who also directed the "Ocean's" movies), "Logan Lucky" is called "Ocean's Eleven" for the redneck world - something even tongue-in-cheekly mentioned in the film itself.  We're given two brothers down-and-out on their luck (Channing Tatum and an unforgettable Adam Driver) who plan to pull off a heist at a NASCAR race in North Carolina.  To do this, they enlist the help of convict Joe Bang (Daniel Craig, who absolutely electrifies the screen), even though he's currently incarcerated (or, as he puts it, in...car...cer...a...ted).  The story of how they pull off the heist is humorous and exciting, filled with fantastic performances and a terrific ending.

Completing the "trilogy" of Taylor Sheridan's modern American frontier ("Sicario" and "Hell or High Water" preceded it), "Wind River" features Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen who investigate the death of an American Indian woman on a reservation in Wyoming.  We're given a deeply emotional look in the world of Native American laws, and how they go against American laws, as well as given terrific performances by the two leads.  Plus there's excitement abounding and a shocking cameo that ties the entire film together in a way that remains memorable long after seeing it.

Many people would be surprised to see this film so high on my list.  It was heavily lauded when it was released, given a D score, and received the ire of pretty much every critic.  Yet, I found this film incredibly fascinating.  Darren Aronofsky has never shied away from outlandish storytelling, and "mother!" is no exception.  This is a film that deserves a second viewing in order to fully understand all the metaphorical tales being told, but that's only if you could stomach it after the first watch.  Easily, this is the most freaked out film I've seen all year, one that left my mouth open in astonishment at the end, not fully sure what I had just witnessed.  That doesn't happen too often.  The nature of the film is easily the darkest I've seen, but I found myself captivated by it nonetheless.

Christopher Nolan is one of today's most prolific directors, and his take on Dunkirk - when, during World War II, 330,000 allied soldiers were miraculously rescued - was something revolutionary.  Instead of giving a straight-on narrative told through the eyes of one Dunkirk soldier, Nolan split the film into three distinct times, focusing on the attack from land, sea, and air, told at differing times.  When they all come together, it's pure cinematic magic.  You won't find any standout performances here (Tom Hardy himself only has about twenty lines total), but "Dunkirk" isn't about one singular actor - it's about telling the story of what happened as realistically as it could.  And Nolan pulled it off.

Sometimes, all it takes is a woman's touch.  The DC Cinematic Universe had been failing miserably, but then Patty Jenkins took the helm to "Wonder Woman," and the result is pure cinematic magic.  Gal Gadot - who debuted as Diana back in "Batman v. Superman" - takes center stage here, performing with a brilliant blend of innocence, naivety, fearlessness, and bravery.  Even though the film goes to traditional superhero tropes at the end with an epic CGI battle, the entire dramatic two-thirds of the film more than makes up for it.  The No Man's Land scene itself still gives me goosebumps, and will easily go down as one of the best action sequences in recent memory.

Stephen King has had a tumultuous relationship with bringing his novels to cinematic life, but "It" was easily his crowning achievement in bringing his horror novel to life ("The Shawshank Redemption" is still the best, but that's not horror).  Bill Skarsgard plays Pennywise with utter brilliance, and the seven young actors (most of them never having acted in a movie before) who play the children in the town shine in a way that can't be duplicated.  For me, it brought back the youthful innocent of earlier days, when I would ride my bike around town with friends, go exploring in mysterious new places, and experience life.  Except here, they're also trying to stop an inter-dimensional evil demon.

Denis Villeneuve directed some of the best films in recent times, including "Arrival" and "Prisoners," but it's "Blade Runner 2049" that's his crowning achievement to date.  Ryan Gosling stars as K, a blade runner who uncovers a long-buried secret and sets out to find the truth of his own existence.  This leads him to find former blade runner Rick Deckard, resulting in shocking consequences for everyone involved.  Enough can't be said of the pure brilliance the film exudes - from the terrific acting to the unparalleled visuals and sound effects - that mere words don't seem enough.  It's easily the most beautifully shot film of the year, led by a stellar cast, with a complex, moving story that keeps you riveted from start to finish, and one that clearly demands multiple viewings.

Last year, director Yorgos Lanthimos brought the darkly humorous "The Lobster" to the big screen, but his "The Killing of a Sacred Deer" is no laughing matter.  In fact, it's easily the most unnerving, unrelenting film of the year.  What makes it so shockingly memorable is the unhinged performances by Colin Farrell and newcomer Barry Keoghan, a duo that plays chillingly well off one another.  This is a film that you shouldn't know a lot about going into it, because you'll be totally shocked by what you will see on screen.

Sometimes, a big risk pays off.  Here, it's the risk of putting Casey Affleck - who just earned an Oscar last year - under a sheet with nothing more than two slits for eyes to act from.  Yet he gives a commanding performance nevertheless, exuding emotion with a simple turn of the head or shrug of the shoulder.  The concept seems silly at its premise - a young man dies and comes back as a ghost wearing a sheet to watch over his wife - but somehow they pull off a film that's equal parts beauty and pain, past present and future, and the futility and loveliness of life.

A feast for the eyes, ears, and heart, Hugh Jackman's "The Greatest Showman" was met with criticism because it glorified the life of P.T. Barnum - a man of ill refute at best - but this isn't a biopic.  It's a musical that's geared for the entire family, much like the circus of old brought families together for a night of magical entertainment.  That is what this film delivers in spades - from one rousing musical number to the next, each one hits its mark like an expert marksman aiming at a target - resulting in a crowd-pleasing spectacle delivered with heart and purpose.

This lavish love story takes place in the beautiful countryside of Italy in 1983, and director Luca Guadagnino uses his scenery to epic proportions to further elevate this tale.  Young Elio (played to brilliance by Timothee Chalamet) is living with his parents when American doctoral student Oliver (Armie Hammer) comes to work with his father.  What follows is a love story between the two men that occur naturally, in a beautiful pas de deux of flirtations that - while heartfelt and emotional - ultimately results in sadness and heartbreak, much like most summer romances.  Chalamet and Hammer have brilliant chemistry, and both perform at the top of their games - and both will easily be rewarded with nominations come Oscar time.

You may think you know where this story will go.  Frances McDormand plays a determined mother who won't let her daughter's rape and murder go unsolved, so she rents three billboards that advertise the event and calls out the police for not doing enough to find her killer.  You may think the film will be about the police force tirelessly searching for the killer because of it, leading to a satisfying conclusion where all loose ties are neatly bound.  You'd be wrong.  Instead, you'll be gifted with a deep character study where the lines of right and wrong are blurred, good characters do bad things and bad characters do good things, and you learn about the suffering of pain.  This is easily McDormand's best work since "Fargo," and Sam Rockwell equally shines as the young upstart deputy who has more than one ugly skeleton in his closet.

This semi-autobiographical work by Greta Gerwig centers on young Lady Bird (Saoirse Ronan, in another obvious eventual Oscar-nominated role), a senior who is far more confident in herself than she should (she gave the name Lady Bird to herself, refusing to go by her given name of Christine).  She lives on the wrong side of the tracks (both literally and metaphorically), and wants to go to the East Coast and attend a liberal arts school to get out of the humdrum of Sacramento and her overbearing mother (Laurie Metcalf, who will also easily earn an Oscar nod).  What results is a year-long look at Lady Bird's life - her loves, her friends, her enemies, and especially her emotional roller coaster ride with her mother - and how it shapes her and changes her views on things.  It's an absolutely rollicking tale filled with self-deification and social irony, with a gut-wrenching emotional conclusion.  It's a formula we've seen done in the past, but never this beautiful.




























And now...






























The moment you've been waiting for...










































My #1 movie of 2017....

Seventeen years.  Nine movies.  One character.  One actor.  When Hugh Jackman was cast as Wolverine back in 2000, I bet not even he could've predicted how monumental his performance would be.  He's the only actor to appear in every single "X-Men" movie (including a surprise cameo in "First Class") and, for better or worse, he's maintained the Wolverine mantra.  After the surprise success of "Deadpool" (the first superhero movie earning an R rating), director James Mangold decided to give Logan - and Jackman - the proper sendoff.  No longer was Logan confined to the PG-13 world, but he was now free to live in an R-rated world, where he truly belonged.
Decades after the rest of the X-Men are gone, Logan is now an older man, weary, and his healing abilities are failing him.  He's taking care of the ailing Professor X, and falls upon a young girl who exhibits the same powers he once had.  What results is a road trip for the ages, showcasing the lives of the past, present, and future in a beautiful trio of monumental actors in Jackman, Patrick Stewart, and newcomer Dafne Keen.  Sadly, since this film falls under the subgenre of "superhero film," it won't earn Jackman or Stewart any award nominations - although they more than deserve them.  Still, it's the most fitting way to end Hugh Jackman's run as Logan, going out on the highest note possible, and forever changing the way we see superhero films in the future.


So there you have it.  80 movies in 2017 ranked, and here's to even more in 2018!