2017 marked a pretty huge year for films with the releases of huge tent pole franchises, sleeper hits, and of course some good old fashioned “Oscar” movies. This year was packed full of releases that blew audiences away, made them cry laughing or brought them to tears.
We decided to round up our 10 favorite films from throughout the year and decided to rank them here for your amusement! From the latest installment in the global phenomenon Star Wars to the action packed (and really funny) Thor: Ragnarok, big blockbuster titles proved to be a smash with critics and audiences alike. While the huge blockbuster titles made their way to screens around the world, many low key titles like Lady Bird, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and mother! came to blow everyone’s minds!
Check out our picks for the Top 10 Must See Movies of 2017.
10. Thor: Ragnarok
Director: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson, Cate Blanchett
Release Date: November 3rd, 2017
Buy: Amazon
In an effort to reinvigorate audience interest in one of their main members of the Avengers, Marvel enlisted the help of comedic director Taika Waititi (director of the brilliant What We Do In The Shadows) to reshape the Thor series. Thankfully, the effort delivered and Thor: Ragnarok has become one of Marvel Studios’ best films to date! Full of big belly busting laughs, tons of engaging action scenes, and a score that is absolutely stellar, the film succeeds in re-correcting the mistakes of the originals! Plus, with a cast as spectacular and talented as this it’s no wonder why this film was great (Tessa Thompson = MVP)! With this new path set for Thor’s character, we can’t wait to see what’s in store come time for a sequel!
9. Wonder Woman
Director: Patty Jenkins
Starring: Gal Gadot, Chris Pine, Robin Wright, Danny Huston, Connie Nielsen
Release Date: June 2nd, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Who would ever think we’d be putting a DCEU film on a Top 10 list, but alas here we are because not only is Patty Jenkins’ take on Wonder Woman amazing…it’s wonderful. Full of heart, humor and a heroine that’s been begging to be put on the big screen, Wonder Woman transcends the stigma of other movies in its franchise and rises above most other superhero movies. Gal Gadot shines bringing this bad-ass and beautiful heroine to the screen in one of the best performances as the character to date. While we don’t know the fate of any other films in the DCEU, what we do know is that Wonder Woman is here to stay and will forever be a force to be reckoned with.
8. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega
Release Date: December 15th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Alright, I know it just came out but hear me out, Star Wars: The Last Jedi is one of the best films in the franchise to date. Director Rian Johnson does a phenomenal job of subverting every expectation we had of the franchise and integrates his own style it as well. Playing not really like other Star Wars movies, The Last Jedi aims to deepen our relationships with the characters we’ve come to know and love. Rather than new planets and tons of battles, we get to witness the Resistance at its weakest and get to witness their epic rise to victory. It’s a truly different Star Wars film but its also one of the best.
7. Baby Driver
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Ansel Elgort, Jon Hamm, Lily James, Eiza Gonzalez, Jamie Foxx
Release Date: June 28th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Directed by Edgar Wright, Baby Driver is a film that does something no other film I’ve seen does this year, its narrative heavily revolves around the music of the film. Wrapped in a soundtrack full of rock and soul classics, Baby Driver weaves a wicked tale of a getaway driver who gets wrapped up a little to far in the “gang” he’s working for. Led by Ansel Elgort who plays the shy and tinnitus affected “Baby”, the cast plays a ruthless gang of robbers who’ll stop at nothing to get away with the money. Eiza Gonzalez and Jon Hamm deserve praise for their twisted couple, “Darling” and “Buddy”.
6. Logan
Director: James Mansgold
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Boyd Holbrook, Stephen Merchant, Dafne Keen
Release Date: March 3rd, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Like saying goodbye to a friend we’ve known most of our life, Logan marked the end of Hugh Jackman’s performance as the iconic Wolverine. Taking a cue from Deadpool, 20th Century Fox allowed the last film in the solo Wolverine series be an R-Rated action film that surely benefited from the rating. Logan is a film that transcends every trope of the superhero genre and delivers a moving and touching farewell to the character we’ve come to love over the past 17 years. Farewell Wolverine, we’ll see you in the MCU reboot.
5. Lady Bird
Director: Greta Gerwig
Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothee Chalamet
Release Date: November 3rd, 2017
Buy: Amazon
For years many have begged indie darling, Greta Gerwig, to finally flex her directing muscle and direct a feature film. With her debut, Lady Bird, Gerwig crafts a magnetic and warm film about the pains of growing up and the virtues of home. Lady Bird is a film that lets you into the life of a teenage girl ready to bust out of her drab surroundings and into the larger parts of life, yet to discover that everything she needs may be already surrounding her. It’s a fantastic debut from a director who will continue to impress in her next feature.
4. mother!
Director: Darren Aronofsky
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Ed Harris, Michelle Pfieffer, Caleb Landry Jones
Release Date: September 15th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
mother! is a film that should be seen without knowing anything about its plot. Director Darren Aronofsky has created something that somehow transcends normal films. mother! may not be your ordinary film but it is one of the most frightening and horrific films that has released all year but it also hides a secret message that resonates pretty much with every human on Earth. Led by Jennifer Lawrence in what may be her best performance to date, mother! will have viewers shaken for weeks but pondering many of life’s questions.
3. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Director: Martin McDonagh
Starring: Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell, John Hawkes, Peter Dinklage
Release Date: November 10th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is one of those films that comes around once in a while that’s full of energy, an amazing script and a performance from Frances McDormand that’ll make the Devil himself fear her character Mildred Hayes. Three Billboards follows the struggle of single mother Mildred as she reels from the rape and murder of her daughter Angela and decides to take matters into her own hands when the local police have yet to do anything. The film is magnetic and full of amazing performances, Three Billboards is a film that needs to be seen!
2. Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Starring: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Bradley Whitford, Caleb Landry Jones, Catherine Keener
Release Date: February 24th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
Get Out is unlike any movie you’ve ever seen. Full of dark comic humor, a high-caliber cast that exceeds every expectation, and a terrifying yet very prevalent plot. Directed by Jordan Peele (of Key & Peele fame), Get Out is a masterclass in horror that unexpectedly creeps up on you before rewarding you with a balls to the wall, all out insanity ending. Without spoiling the film, Get Out sets the bar for horror films proving that the genre is full of potential and that even though it may not feature monsters or demons, humans are always scarier than them all. Whatever you do, Get Out is a film that deserves to be watched regardless if you like genre or not because it touches on problems our country faces today.
1. Blade Runner 2049
Director: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana De Armas, Robin Wright, Sylvia Hoeks
Release Date: October 6th, 2017
Buy: Amazon
When tasked with directing a sequel to the acclaimed 1982 cult classic Blade Runner, Denis Villeneuve returned with a film so stunning and full of themes that are prevalent in today’s society. Blade Runner 2049 is a futuristic science fiction film that instead of focusing on giant action scenes, it chooses to examine human nature in a time when humans are no longer the only species capable of emotions and “humanity”. Full of landscapes and dense populated cities, Denis Villeneuve captures the spirit of the original film’s depiction of Los Angeles while also adding his own spin on things. It’s impossible to really talk about without spoiling main parts of the movie but Blade Runner 2049 is a film that demands time and attention, but give it just that and you will be rewarded with a thoughtful and complex take on what humanity means.
