Top 10 Movies of 2017
It's time to take a look back at the year of 2017 and all of the best movies. We'll be going off the UK release times and my personal opinion. I obviously didn't seen every single movie released last year and your favorite might not appear here, but you should check out my picks if you haven't already.
10. Personal Shopper
The story doesn't always feel completely cohesive and it leaves you hanging a little but the immersive, creepy scares are boosted by Kristen Stewart's amazingly realistic performance and the movie's attempt to deal with loss is certainly interesting. Definitely worth a watch for any fans of the supernatural.
9. Get Out
Get Out isn't entirely unpredictable but it's somehow able to trick you a couple of times by making you think you know what's going on when it isn't that simple. Little moments here and there are a lot more important than they look and it demands repeated viewings and that's a lot of the fun Get Out has within it, digging deep and exploring.
8. Raw
Raw taps into some usual and mostly unexplored areas of horror. It's bizarre, cringy and impactful, all the features you want for modern indie horror. Raw almost teases you with shots that say "We could go this far... but we won't" and with plenty of memorable moments, Raw will linger with you for a while.
7. Power Rangers
I grew up on Power Rangers and I'm still very fond of it. So naturally, I was paranoid about the upcoming major movie reboot. I found myself very happy when the credits rolled. Power Rangers is very forward thinking and it nicely sits between colourful playfulness and a really serious character piece. Some of these actors blow it out of the water and they represent different kinds of people really well. It's pretty adult for a Power Rangers movie but there's plenty of fan service for classic fans and a nice new twist on Zordon.
6. Gerald's Game
Mike Flanagan keeps on impressing me with his ability to craft simple and effective horror movies. This time he tried his hands at a Stephen King novel and nailed it. Any movie that can accomplish so much entertainment in one room deserves some praise. Gerald's Game dives into some deep, uncomfortable waters and features some really strong acting. I've seen a lot of good Stephen King movies, this might be one of the best.
5. Alien Covenant
Covenant dances between the existential conversations and themes of Prometheus and the messed up gore scenes of the original Alien. It plays it way too safe with the new cast of characters and wastes one of it's last ones but there's plenty of crazy Xenomorph scenes, conversation pieces and lovely shots.
4. War for the Planet of the Apes
Andy Serkis is stunning in his final portrayal as Caesar. War for the Planet of the Apes does a wonderful thing and commits fully to the apes. We see everything from their perspective and after following them for two previous movies, this was the best way to do it. This might be the strongest movie from the entire franchise and is a wonderful send off to an amazing trilogy.
3. Spider-Man: Homecoming
The trailers for Homecoming made me a little worried about the MCU's first Spider-Man movie but after seeing it, I was surprised how true to Spider-Man it really was. Instead of being this huge Avenger-esque superhero blockbuster, it was a simpler movie about the core of what makes Spider-Man who he is and such an endearing character. He's a resilient, relatable kid who can overcome anything he puts his mind to, he does not give up. Plus any movie that manages to make The Vulture cool is doing something right.
2. IT
Every once and a while a horror movie comes along that changes the general audience's opinion of the genre. The Exorcist, The Sixth Sense and The Silence of the Lambs all had this effect. This year Stephen King's IT captured the attention of everyone and scared them half to death. With some of the most urine releasing scenes I've seen for years and an outstanding performance not just from Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise but from every child actor involved. IT really adds the weight with uncomfortable themes and lingering scares. A future horror classic.
1. Logan
Simply one of the greatest comic book movies ever made. Logan rejects all the fuss that make modern superhero movies massive hits. No end of world stakes, city destruction or some preposterous villain. It's brutal and poetic. The characters are heartbreaking and Hugh Jackman and Patrick Steward give their best performances as Logan and Charles by far. I Couldn't have asked for a better end to the story and I don't think I'll see another comic book movie this important for a very, very long time. I could sit here and talk about Logan all day, it's not very often a movie effects me like this.
There are my personal favorite movies of 2017. Not a bad year for horror at all. Let's hope 2018 brings in a similar level of entertainment. Thanks for reading.
