HERE IT IS! The bane of every movie blogger: constructing a Top Ten of the Year list. This year I found that many of my favorites gravitated towards the criminally under-seen, so hopefully this post will get the word out on some great movies! Like I say most years, this is a personal top ten list, so I'm really not trying to please everyone or appear "cool" with these picks. I just tried to choose movies that had a big effect on me. Enjoy!
Dir. Kathryn Bigelow
The tenth spot on any Top Ten list is always the hardest, because in effect you're bumping off a handful of other fantastic films. So to break the tie, I went with the movie that I thought most about after I left the theater. Kathryn Bigelow's Detroit shook me up - it details the night of July 23rd, 1967, when rioting took over the city and the Michigan State Police conducted a brutal raid and interrogation at the Algiers Motel.
The performances across the board are incredible; Algee Smith nails it as a young Motown artist whose life changes forever that night, Will Poulter is terrifying as a racist cop, and John Boyega is great as an African-American police officer torn between his identity as a black man and a "blue" man. Unflinchingly documentarian in style, disturbing, and all too reflective of the time we live in, Detroit is a fantastic film that shouldn't be overlooked!
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
9. Ingrid Goes West
Dir. Matt Spicer
Aubrey Plaza delivers a mesmerizing performance as the mentally unstable phone addict Ingrid Thorburn. After the death of her mother, Ingrid moves to Los Angeles in order to become best friends with Instagram celebrity Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen) at any cost. This movie is both a satirical and terrifying examination of contemporary communication, smartly taking the "stalker" genre into cyberspace. Ingrid Goes West is a Single White Female for the social media generation, and I could definitely see this movie being used as a teaching tool in communications classes!
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
8. Good Time
Dir. Josh & Ben Safdie
Robert Pattison transcends his Twilight "boy toy" image as lowlife bank robber Connie, who incidentally lands his mentally handicapped brother in prison. Good Time is basically Connie's twisted journey through the underworld of New York in an attempt to get his brother out of jail, getting his bail money by any means possible. Two mind-blowingly good central performances, an amazing electronic soundtrack, intense heist sequences, and a beautiful, neon-lit New York-on-acid setting make Good Time one of the most purely cinematic movies this year.
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
7. Get Out
Dir. Jordan Peele
I believe Get Out is going to define this era of horror movies for future generations of film students. A magnificent directorial debut from Jordan Peele, the comedic genius behind Key & Peele stretches beyond his comfort zone to deliver a "social thriller" that explores post-Obama racial tensions in a brilliant, "Twilight Zone" way. The story is about a black man (Daniel Kaluuya) visiting his white girlfriend's parents for the first time, but the trip slowly starts to grow more sinister. It's basically Guess Who's Coming To Dinner meets Rosemary's Baby. Get Out is also the only movie on the list I've had the chance to see multiple times, and it holds up with every viewing!
Available on HBO or buy on Amazon and iTunes
6. Land of Mine
Dir. Martin Pieter Zandvliet
This Danish-German WWII drama, based on true events, tells the story of a group of German prisoners of war forced to clear out land mines after the war ends. Though many of them were just teenagers, they had to comb the beaches of Denmark, defusing bombs with their bare hands. As we grow to know and like these boys, it becomes more tragic as the bombs detonate and either blows off a limb or even takes a character's life. Land of Mine is a no-holds-barred examination of the blurred lines between justice and vengeance. I had little-to-no knowledge of this story going in, and I found it completely harrowing and suspenseful the entire time.
Available on Starz or buy on Amazon and iTunes
5. Dealt
Dir. Luke Korem
Dealt is a documentary about the world's greatest playing card expert, Richard Turner. The guy is a true savant who can tell different cards apart by the teeniest of differences in weight or edge sharpness. He's also essentially a real-life Daredevil because he's blind! This "life story" doc is funny, engaging, and inspiring all the way through, painting a beautiful portrait of a truly amazing human being living beyond his limitations. I had the privilege of seeing this fantastic documentary with a Q&A with the director and star afterward, and Turner is just as awesome in real life as he's depicted in the movie. Absolutely loved this one and I hope it's eventually released to Netflix so more people can see it!
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
4. Okja
Dir. Bong Joon-ho
South Korean director Bong Joon-ho made his American debut with Snowpiercer (my #5 of 2014), and Okja continues his line of excellent, thought-provoking, flat-out bonkers science fiction movies. The film follows a young South Korean mountain girl Mija (Ahn Seo-hyun) who for years has cared for a large, pig-like animal she named Okja. However, the CEO of the multinational Mirando Corporation has different plans for Okja, and forcibly transports her to New York. Devastated and alone, Mija then takes matters into her own hands and single-handedly tries to rescue her best friend - one determined girl against a mega-conglomerate.
Okja is an action-packed, emotional, hilarious, multicultural, insane piece of filmmaking that could possibly turn you into an animal activist overnight. It's a fascinating look at how corporations and the food industry operates. It may be a little too "out there" and comic book-y for some viewers, but I was blown away by this movie. Bong Joon-ho is easily one of my favorite filmmakers working today!
Available on Netflix
3. The Florida Project
Dir. Sean Baker
The Florida Project is one of the most important movies of the year, perfectly capturing the state of America today. It tells a "grown up" story from the naive eyes of a child, almost like an R-rated Rugrats. The film follows six-year old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince), who lives with her rebellious mom Halley (Bria Vinai) in a budget hotel, the "Magic Castle," just outside the utopia of Disney in Orlando. While it's a major struggle for Halley to provide for her daughter, Moonee remains an ebullient little girl, hanging out with her pals and causing trouble - much to the chagrin of the hotel manager Bobby, played by Willem Dafoe.
The Florida Project is funny, gorgeous, well-acted (with a nice mix of veterans and newcomers), warm, tragic, and totally authentic. I can't think of a movie that better captures what it feels like to be a kid in summer, fantasizing and playing with your friends. I adore this movie and I seriously don't understand why Willem Dafoe is the only person involved that's getting Oscar buzz. I could have easily put this movie at my #1 spot!
Now playing in select theaters
2. Dina
Dir. Dan Sickles & Antonio Santini
Dina is an unbelievably intimate fly-on-the-wall documentary about an eccentric married couple living on the autism spectrum. Playing out as a kind of real life romantic comedy, it's one of the funniest, most endearing movies I've seen this year. Dina does not mock or alienate its subjects - instead it's incredibly empathetic and moving. It's a beautiful love story with two differently-abled, warm people that you can't help but love. An absolute joy to watch, I can not recommend this movie highly enough.
Available to buy on Amazon and iTunes January 9th, 2018
1. Gook
Dir. Justin Chon
Gook is a movie I'm guessing none of you have likely seen or even heard of. It never got much of a release, which is a huge shame. I caught this movie at IFF Boston and without any expectations of what I was in for, I stumbled into my favorite movie this year!
Set on the first day of the 1992 LA Riots, Gook follows the unlikely friendship between two Korean-American brothers who own a women's shoe store and a vivacious, hell-raising 11-year-old African American girl named Kamilla. This raw, powerful, and yet genuinely hilarious movie mixes the low-fi, black and white aesthetic of Clerks with the insightful lens on racism from Do The Right Thing. It may be difficult to have a casual conversation about this movie with such an audacious title, but Gook feels like the beginning of a fantastic, fresh new filmmaker in writer-director-star Justin Chon. I hope it turns out to be true!
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
🎬 THE BELKO EXPERIMENT - Dir. Greg McLean
In a deadly game, office workers are forced to kill each other. A twisted, bloody, intense b-movie that explores some interesting concerns about "corporate culture."
Available on Cinemax or buy on Amazon and iTunes
🎬 BRIGSBY BEAR - Dir. Dave McCary
A funny and sad tale of a man who is obsessed with finishing the storyline to his favorite childhood show that was abruptly taken off the air. A very offbeat ode to creativity.
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
🎬 THE DISASTER ARTIST - Dir. James Franco
James Franco stars and directs as Tommy Wiseau, who starred in and directed The Room, one of the worst movies ever made. Based on the fantastic book of the same name, it's a hilarious and heartfelt Hollywood story about following your dreams.
Now playing in select theaters
🎬 I, TONYA - DIR. Craig Gillespie
Not your average sports biopic, this "true" story of controversial ice skater Tonya Harding has the snappy pace of Goodfellas and the smart-ass self-referential humor of Deadpool. Margot Robbie and Allison Janney kill it!
Now playing in select theaters
🎬 LUCKY - Dir. John Carroll Lynch
Harry Dean Stanton's final screen performance couldn't have been better. This story of an aging atheist going about his usual routine but knowing his time is nearly up was extremely moving. Best "old guy" movie since Up.
Available to buy on Amazon and iTunes January 2nd, 2018
🎬 NOVITIATE - Dir. Margaret Betts
Maybe the best film about nuns ever made? Fascinating character study that humanizes these people willing to "marry" Jesus. Great cast; Melissa Leo is ruthless as the Reverend Mother.
Available to buy on Amazon February 20th, 2018
🎬 PATRIOTS DAY - Dir. Peter Berg
Intense manhunt thriller chronicling the Boston Marathon Bombing. Extremely tense, dramatic, realistic, and respectful of the victims.
Available to buy on Amazon and iTunes
🎬 THE SHAPE OF WATER - Dir. Guillermo del Toro
Guillermo del Toro's beautiful Cold War love story between a mute janitor and an Amazonian fish-man. His best work since Pan's Labyrinth!
Now playing in select theaters
🎬 WIND RIVER - Dir. Taylor Sheridan
Thriller-with-a-message set on an Indian Reservation where the law is spread thin. A wildlife officer and an FBI agent team together to solve a teen's brutal murder.
Available to rent on Amazon and iTunes
Movies I missed:
Beats Per Minute, Brawl in Cell Block 99, Columbus, Faces Places, A Fantastic Woman, First They Killed My Father, Lady Macbeth, Lemon, Marjorie Prime, Molly's Game, Patti Cake$, Personal Shopper, Phantom Thread, The Post, Professor Marsten and the Wonder Women, Rat Film, The Square
Hope you enjoyed my Top Ten of 2017! I just have one last post coming up this year, my Top Ten most anticipated movies of 2018, which should be posted soon! Thanks for reading!
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