The Best Movies of 2017: Part 2

I already discussed some of my favorite films of 2017 (you can read them here), but now we enter the cream of the crop. Here are my top ten films of the year.

#10: Call Me by Your Name

I've rarely seen a film as gloriously romantic as Call Me by Your Name. Director Luca Guadagnino has crafted a movie that is both incredibly vital to today, but already has the feel like a classic. This is the sort of film that endures, and just feels essentially timeless. The relationship between young Elio (breakout star Timothée Chalamet) and Oliver (Armie Hammer, who perfectly channels an old-school Hollywood star vibe) is a touching one, and a beautiful depiction of what first love feels like.

Also, yeah, the speech Michael Stuhlbarg gives at the end will go down as one of the greatest film speeches of all time.

#9: Coco

Pixar's strengths as a film studio have always been strong storytelling, creative world-building, and an ability to shoot an arrow directly into your emotional core and make you weep far more than you've ever expected. All three of these strengths are on full display in Coco. The story is a bit predictable, but still wholly original and wonderfully told. The world-building is incredible, brought to life by the unique premise, the clear reverence for the traditions surrounding The Day of the Dead, and as always the gorgeous animation. But the reason Coco is on my list is because of the third strength--the emotional arrow thing. Other films this year have made me cry, and some have made me cry a lot, but no movie has made me sob the way Coco did. It's beautiful and a wonderful addition to Pixar's canon.

#8: Colossal

There is a theory that there exists in this universe an infinite number of realities. And of those realities, there must be one where the movie Colossal received the critical and audience recognition that it fucking deserved. Why does no one talk about this movie? Colossal had one of the most unique premises of any film in recent memory. AND it examines difficult subjects like alcoholism and depression in a wonderful way. AND it features really great work from Anne Hathaway and Jason Sudeikis. I want to talk about how great this movie is, and the wonderful, surprising turns that it takes. But rather than talk too much about it, I instead encourage everyone to watch this wonderful movie. Because it deserves to be seen and to talk about the best parts of it would in some ways spoil it. See this movie. Make this movie a cult classic. Tell your friends about Colossal. Please.


#7: Raw

There have been many great horror movies in the past few years, and Raw is one of the best. This French film about an uptight vet student who discovers latent cannibalistic urges is shocking and compelling. I often avoid gross-out horror movies, because I think that movies which rely on those types of scares tend to be lazy (a la the Saw franchise). But Raw also has really great characters and clever twists and superb tension, all of which is only helped by the innate reaction body horror can elicit. Full of symbolism and artistic merit, Raw might not appeal to more squeamish audiences, but I think anyone can recognize just how beautifully crafted this film is. I hope to see a lot more from first-time feature director Julia Ducournau, as well as her excellent stars Garance Marillier and Ella Rumpf.


#6: Mudbound

Here's another movie that I feel has gone woefully unrecognized. Mudbound is a brilliant film, and the rare period piece that actually feels relevant to the modern day. Based off the novel of novel of the same name, Mudbound tells the story of the families of two World War II vets, one black and one white, recently returned to their homes in rural Mississippi. I do not understand why Netflix, which produced and is distributing the film, is not pushing it more. It's easily the service's best film in terms of quality, and should be a genuine Oscar contender. Mudbound is just so wonderfully made. Director Dee Rees has created a true marvel, which has a distinct look, excellent pacing, and most importantly, wonderful characters. The seven principal characters of this film fall on various places in the moral spectrum, but Rees and her brilliant cast treat all of seven with conviction and respect, making all clear portrayals. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best directed and best acted film of the year.

#5: Norman: The Moderate Rise and Tragic Fall of a New York Fixer

Reading the title of this movie, you’re probably thinking, “Never heard of it.” Norman kind of came and went without much notice, and that’s a shame because it’s a fucking brilliant movie that deserves to be remembered. A problem I have with most political and financial thrillers, to me, is that the crimes portrayed tend to be glamorous. In movies like The Wolf of Wall Street or The Big Short which claim to be criticisms of such crimes, the people committing them are still held up as perverse pictures of cool, and usually include some sort of speech where the despicable main character talks about how "people want to be" him. What makes Norman so fascinating to me is that it centers on a wannabe influential hot-shot, but shows how pathetic that world truly is. The titular character, Norman Oppenheimer, is played by Richard Gere in what is absolutely career-best work from him. Norman is unscrupulous—a liar who will say anything to get ahead. He often claims to know people he doesn’t, and when someone seems suspicious, he will claim that his dead wife knew them (and whether such a wife ever existed remains a mystery). But Norman doesn't shy away from the fact that its main character is a loser. Everyone in the movie hates him, and if you knew Norman in real life, you’d hate him too. And yet, in the movie, you love him for reasons you don’t quite understand. Perhaps it’s pity, perhaps it’s Gere’s enthralling performance, or perhaps it’s that we all see more of ourselves in Norman than we care to admit—the person who is so desperate to be a success whatever the cost, and can't admit when he's in way over his head.

As he did with his previous film Footnote (an Oscar-nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, and a personal favorite of mine), directed Joseph Cedar uses unexpected whimsy and fantasy to tell what could have been a more pedantic film. I would never have guessed that this movie would be as entertaining, and even magical as it is. The best example is probably a scene when Norman is at a party surrounded by more powerful people than he has ever been around in his life. Suddenly, in the film, time stops, and everyone except Norman freezes as he walks around and takes in the room around him. It's an AMAZING moment. It immediately shows us what Norman is feeling in that moment in a way that mere realism never could. And it's moments like that which make Norman so extraordinary, and a step above similar films. And, again, I cannot stress how amazing Richard Gere is in this film. He's almost unrecognizable.

#4: The Wound

To be fair, I haven't seen many acclaimed foreign language films from this year, but The Wound  is my favorite foreign language film of 2017 that I've seen so far, and I hope that it advances off of the shortlist to receive an Oscar nomination, and hopefully more recognition. This South African film follows Xolani (Nakhane Touré), who is in a closeted sexual relationship with Vija (Bongile Mantsai). Both serve as mentors in a modern-day Xhosa initiation ritual, where Xolani is mentoring a sensitive boy named Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini). From there, I'm tempted to say a love triangle develops, but this movie is not really about love. These men don't live in a culture that would support their relationship, so love is not allowed to exist. The relationships between these men are not as important as the suppression of those relationships, and how toxic that this repressed environment can be. Don't watch The Wound expecting a love story. Watch The Wound expecting a tense character-based thriller.

And given how few characters there are, the film succeeds on the strength of the central performances. Touré is unbelievably compelling, with so much more going on behind his eyes than he is allowed to show around others. This film would not work half as well if a lesser actor had played Xolani. As the increasingly violent Vija, Mantsai is both charismatic and volatile, exuding a power and command that translates to genuine menace. And Niza Jay Ncoyini is wonderful as Kwanda, the character who probably undergoes the biggest journey throughout the film. This trio is fantastic, and the story of these characters is riveting and a vital addition to 2017 cinema.

#3: Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

This write-up includes some slight spoilers for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri has been one of the more acclaimed films of the year, and perhaps because of that acclaim, it has become one of the most controversial. There are some valid criticisms to make of this film, such as the fact that the black characters in the film are pushed to the side and are far less developed than the white characters in the film. But the primary criticism of the film seems to revolve around the character Jason Dixon, played by awards contender Sam Rockwell. Dixon is a racist cop, who is known in the film to have tortured the black people in the town. The controversy comes from the fact that the character is portrayed sympathetically towards the end of the film, and is even given a redemption arc and allowed to be heroic by the end of the film. I can more than understand people being uncomfortable with such a portrayal of this type of character. But, as Three Billboards' placement on this list should imply, I don't agree with this criticism and I certainly don't think it ruins this fantastic movie.

Firstly, I think Martin McDonagh is one of the best writers working today. And a trademark of all of his works is his focus on the moral complexity of bad people. In his first film, the much beloved In Bruges, the two main characters are hitmen. Ray (played by Colin Farrell in a Golden Globe-winning performance) in particular is a whiny assassin who seems to insult everyone he meets and constantly uses slurs. He's incredibly unlikable. But he's also incredibly, surprisingly sympathetic. And while you don't necessarily like him, you do recognize him as human and can sympathize with the horrors he's going through. In McDonagh's follow-up, Seven Psychopaths, which also stars Rockwell, the entire premise of the film is that everyone is a horrible person. Even if we look at Three Billboards, the main character Mildred Hayes (played expertly by Frances McDormand) is not exactly a likable person. She's crude, she's mean, and she's violent. Some might say that in today's political climate, a racist cop is unforgivable territory to delve into, but for me Officer Dixon seemed rather par for the course for McDonagh, and I thought his character was handled in a surprising and wonderful way.

The big redeeming factor for the film, for me, is the fact that I don't think Dixon is likable. While some of his actions at the end of the film are heroic, the film also doesn't shy away from showing his awful behavior. His racism is at the forefront, and we see him commit some awful, violent, and unforgivable acts (a particular one-take sequence stands out as some of the most gripping filmmaking of the year). In the end of the film, the movie doesn't ask us to wipe Dixon's slate clean. As McDonagh is so good at doing, he subverts our expectations. Dixon doesn't end up finding the person Mildred has been looking for the entire film. When Sheriff Abercrombie (Clarke Peters), who had fired him earlier in the film, praises him for his recent work, that praise doesn't come with an invitation to be reinstated to the force. Dixon may have changed as a person, but the film doesn't ask us to absolve him of his past misdeeds. Nor should we.

And so if we can look past this controversy (which I feel is justified, and others may not) then we're left with a brilliantly told story, filled with vibrant characters. It's original, it's invigorating, and it's perfectly paced. It's the third best film of the year.

#2: Lady Bird

Greta Gerwig has made a name for herself starring in offbeat comedies with a “slice of life” feel to them. And most critics agree that Gerwig tends to be one of the best parts of those movies that she’s in. Seeing Lady Bird shows why: Gerwig understands the genre better than anybody. Lady Bird manages to check almost all of the typical coming-of-age story boxes, while still making those tropes feel original and true. And while I could go over why the story and the script and the humor are great, the real reason Lady Bird is my second favorite film of the year is because of the characters. Moreso than any other movie this year, the characters of Lady Bird feel like real people dealing with real stakes. It’s unsurprising that this film has become the best reviewed movie of all time on Rotten Tomatoes. It’s hard to imagine anyone not finding something to love about Lady Bird, both the film and the titular character brought to life by Saoirse Ronan.

Lady Bird McPherson will, I think, be remembered as one of the greatest teenage film characters of all time. Seeing this character written and portrayed so well was a reminder of just how few well-written teenage characters there are in film. Lady Bird is portrayed as a flawed person--she's often selfish, and more frequently immature, and filled with the all-too-relatable attitude of a teenager. But then she's also portrayed as sympathetic. You like her, and you root for her, and she comes across as completely genuine. Part of this, of course, is Ronan, whose performance is great no matter what, but is even better considering what a departure this is from most roles Ronan has played. But part of this is also due to Gerwig, whose script and direction both treat Lady Bird with a respect filmmakers usually don't give to their teenage characters. Gerwig acknowledges Lady Bird's flaws, but more importantly celebrates her strengths. It is unknown just how much of the film is autobiographical, but the film still feels autobiographical because Lady Bird (and for that matter all the characters in the film) feel so personal and fully-realized. I left the movie feeling like I knew these characters intimately in a way that I didn't feel to the same extent for any other movie this year.

And, of course, Lady Bird is not the only great character here. While she's at the center of the film, I love how Gerwig gives us just enough details about all the other characters to hint at their complex and developed lives outside of Lady Bird's sphere of observation. I loved how we see Danny (Lucas Hedges) initially through Lady Bird's eyes, so that a certain plot twist involving him comes as much of a surprise to us as it does to Lady Bird. In one emotional scene where he speaks to her after he has become far more insignificant in her life than he once was, both we and Lady Bird suddenly understand that his story extends far beyond hers. Without having to go into much detail, in fact in just one short scene, Gerwig imbues Danny with remarkable depth. This is also true of characters like Lady Bird's best friend Julie (Beanie Feldstein, who is GREAT), her brother and father (Jordan Rodrigues and Tracy Letts), and even priest and theater director Father Leviatch (Stephen McKinley Henderson, who leaves a lasting impression even with little time on screen). Not to mention Bob Stephenson's Father Walther, who might have been the most underrated and hilarious character of the year. But most importantly, there's Lady Bird's mother Marion. Played wonderfully by Laurie Metcalf, who seems on track to pick up an Oscar for her work, the mother/daughter relationship between Marion and Lady Bird is very much the heart of the film, and what makes the film truly soar.

Soar like a bird. Cause it's called Lady Bird.

And now, my number one pick for best film of the year is...

#1: Get Out

Not only is Get Out the best movie of the year in terms of quality, it is also the movie of the year in that it sums up the state of film in 2017. And if Get Out is an indication of what film can do in the present day, then we’re in for some great movies going forward. Writer and director Jordan Peele, making his directorial debut, has mentioned that Get Out is the movie the always wanted to see, but never did, and in doing so succeeded in making something unlike anything that came before it. This is horror and sci-fi at its best—it puts a character in an unreal situation which allows the film to comment on reality in a stronger way than it could have if it were confined to the boundaries of normalcy. Disturbing and brilliant, Get Out is also instantly iconic. “The sunken place” has already entered the national consciousness, and the image of Daniel Kaluuya in a wide-eyed, hypnotized state is one of the standout images of film this year. 

Thanks to the Golden Globes, much has been made of how the film can be classified, and indeed, what exact genre to put the film in is up to debate. Parts of it are hilarious and satirical, and quite a good deal of it offers social commentary. But it is at its core a horror movie, and a great one at that. When I first watched it, what immediately came to mind was the horror masterpiece Rosemary's Baby, and I think Get Out comes closest to being that movie's spiritual successor than any other movie up until now. Like in Rosemary's Baby, there are plenty of standard horror tropes to satisfy those looking for a good scare. But Get Out uses those horror tropes to say something important. What's exciting about art is that art can speak to things in a far more emotional and visceral way than reality. If you want to look at the topic of racism, there are no shortage of statistics and speeches you can look at. But art can speak to the topic on a deeper level, and that's what Get Out does so effectively. I love it because it's an entertaining film that made me think and genuinely thrilled me. But it's the best film of the year because it stays with you far beyond when you leave the theater. It's essential viewing. It is not only the best film of the year, but one of the best horror thrillers ever made.

So, there you have it. These are my picks for the very best films that 2017 had to offer. What movies do you think that I missed? I'd love to know your lists, and your thoughts on mine!

***UPDATE: I recently had a chance to see a few more films from 2017, which I had not gotten to see before the list was published. Two standouts were The Insult and A Fantastic Woman, two of the foreign language film nominees at this year's Oscars. They were fantastic, and I would now place them as my #10 and #11 films of the year respectively. Which means that I'd place the two of them between Coco and Call Me by Your Name. Just wanted to make this edit for future prosperity!

The Best Movies of 2017: Part 1

Yes, yes, I know what you're thinking. We're already halfway through January, 2018! What are you doing releasing an end-of-year list NOW, Miles? Well, as you may be aware, a lot of really great movies are only released at the end of the year so they're fresh in voters' minds come awards season, and it meant that I didn't want to release my list until I had seen certain titles. Like, I thought there was a good chance that Phantom Thread would make my list, so I didn't want to release it until I'd seen Phantom Thread. Then, I saw it, and absolutely hated Phantom Thread, so there you go. But I'm still glad I waited.

But, while I certainly saw enough movies this year to make one question my sanity, I sadly don't get to see everything. There might be some incredible movies that I didn't get around to seeing yet, or some great gems that I haven't even heard of.  In particular, this year, I wish I'd been able to see more of the foreign language films which are supposed to be wonderful but have either not been released in theaters in the States yet, or were only in theaters for two days and I missed them. I'm thinking of movies like Loveless, Foxtrot, and especially A Fantastic Woman which are supposed to be great and might have made this list if only I'd been able to see them. The same goes for the litany of fascinating-sounding films on the shortlist for Best Animated Feature which I also have not had a chance to see, such as Mary and the Witch's Flower. So of course bear in mind that this list can only take into account the films I've actually had a chance to watch.

Also, I should say that even though 30 seems like a lot of movies, this really is a rather select list, and there are plenty of movies that I liked quite a bit which still didn't quite make the cut here. And, as always, please look at this list with a grain of salt. This is not a definitive list, simply my personal preferences, which probably differ from yours. I don't mean to offend if your favorite movie of the year was left off of my list. Unless your favorite film of the year was the inexplicably popular Blade Runner 2049. Shots fired.

One final note before we continue: two years ago, an animated short film called World of Tomorrow was one of my favorites of the year, but I didn't include it because it wasn't a feature film. Well, the same animator, Don Hertzfeldt, has made a sequel to it called World of Tomorrow Episode 2: The Burden of Other People's Thoughts and it is brilliant. So, much like its predecessor, I'm not including it in my list, but I still encourage everyone to watch it because it's amazing.

Okay, onto my picks! As is my tradition, I'm sharing my list of top 30 films, and to start we're going to go through films #30 through #11.

#30: The Lure

To be honest, when The Lure ended, I sat there for a second thinking "What on earth did I just watch?" The Lure is a Polish goth musical about singing, man-eating mermaids, and is every bit as wild as its description. I had to include it on my list simply because I haven't seen anything else quite like it. Plus the whole thing is gloriously low-budget, but still goes all out with all its design, with lots of bright colors. It feels like The Rocky Horror Picture Show but with Polish mermaids, and if you're not rushing out to watch it right now then I don't know what more I can say to convince you to watch this glorious oddity.

#29: Loving Vincent

Loving Vincent made history as the first ever hand-painted feature-length animated film. I wanted to see it on the big screen just for that landmark achievement, and I'm so glad I did. This movie is simply stunning. The fact that it's painted is not a gimmick--it really does add to the look of the film and tells the story in a better way than it could have if the film had been animated any other way. Plus, I really liked the story. I didn't know much about the mystery surrounding Vincent Van Gogh's death, and the movie ended up being far more engaging than I had initially thought it might be. And seeing the actual Van Gogh portraits of all the characters in the film gave Loving Vincent my single favorite credits sequence of 2017. Come for the achievement in animation, stay for what is a really lovely film overall.

#28: Unrest

Documentaries still struggle to gain much audience recognition, but when they're done well they can provide some of the best film-viewing experiences of the year. In the film Unrest, filmmaker Jennifer Brea documents her experience living with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and reaches out to others with the condition. CFS is woefully misunderstood by the public, and the documentary does a great job of educating the viewer about what it's like to live with what can often be a debilitating condition. It's often difficult to watch, especially when you realize how often the clear distress of those with CFS is dismissed by the medical community, but it's a rewarding and important film that's currently on the Oscars shortlist for Best Documentary Feature. Which is no small feat given that it's the only film on that shortlist that was self-distributed, meaning that with no company advocating for its inclusion, it made the shortlist solely on its merits.

#27: Slack Bay

There was no shortage of weird films this year, but one of the weirdest must have been the French comedy Slack Bay. The movie's plot, as it were, follows the wealthy Van Peteghem family as they vacation in their summer home on the beach, and find themselves in the midst of a murder investigation when a bunch of tourists go missing (spoiler alert: cannibals are involved). But the plot is not important here. It's really director Bruno Dumont's chance to showcase the broad comedic talents of the film's impressive cast. It's beautifully shot, delightfully clown-like, and an utterly bizarre wonder.

#26: Thelma

Following The Lure and Slack Bay, we have another great and strange foreign language film showing up on this list. The Norwegian film Thelma follows religious teenager Thelma (Eili Harboe) who realizes that she's falling in love with another woman, which in turn unleashes potent supernatural powers within her. Director Joachim Trier has a deft hand behind the camera and tells the story in a truly surprising way. Thelma is a lovely supernatural thriller, and deserves far more recognition than it has received.

#25: Icarus

Given that they're typically not as high-profile releases, I'm sure there are many great documentaries that I missed this year (I've heard wonderful things about Faces Places), but my favorite documentary from 2017 that I have seen is Icarus. Filmmaker Bryan Fogel initially set out to make a documentary about steroid usage in athletics, and enlisted Russian scientist Grigory Rodchenkov to help him out. But the documentary takes a turn when Rodchenkov ends up being implicated in the Russian Olympic doping scandal. The film becomes a tense thriller as Rodchenkov flees to the U.S. with Fogel's help. Fogel stumbled into an absolutely incredible and vital story, and it should be essential viewing. The good news is, it's on Netflix! Watch it. It's riveting.

#24: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)

I love quirky slice-of-life drama/comedies. And one of the leading filmmakers in this genre is Noah Baumbach. And yet, I have typically not been a fan of Baumbach's movies, and have always felt like something is lacking when I view his films. But I think that The Meyerowitz Stories is easily his best film to date, and features some pretty incredible work from its ensemble cast. Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Elizabeth Marvel are all great as siblings who must navigate their father and their family dynamic later in life. Sandler gives what might be the best performance of his career, and had received early Oscar buzz which unfortunately seems to have died down. While he hasn't received as much hype surrounding his performance, I also thought that Stiller was really strong, and the film reminded me what a good actor he is. But Marvel steals the film for me. She doesn't get as much screentime as her brothers, but the work Marvel does is really remarkable, and I'm sad that she's not been singled out for her excellent work. This movie is worth seeing for Baumbach's excellent screenplay and for these three nuanced performances.

#23: Columbus

One of the best movies of 2017 that you've never heard of is Columbus, about the relationship between the son of an esteemed architect and an intelligent young woman stuck in Columbus, Indiana. Haley Lu Richardson and John Cho do wonderful, quiet work here, and the movie manages to be incredibly affecting even though it's decidedly unflashy. But the real breakout here is first-time director Kogonada. This film is so artistically shot in a way that you don't typically see in indies like this. I feel like Kogonada's perspective is very similar to Wes Anderson's, but set in the real world. There's none of the cartoony whimsy, but Kogonada also emphasizes use of color and symmetry, and clearly loves architecture. Columbus is great, and makes me excited for Kogonada's future films.

#22: Logan Lucky

Steven Soderbergh has proven time and time again that he knows how to make really great movies. Logan Lucky is hardly essential viewing, but it's a wild ride and a lot of fun. I love the action and the brisk pace in this movie, but even more than that, I love the colorful characters that populate this film (with Daniel Craig especially a standout as explosives expert Joe Bang, which is such a departure for him). I just had a blast watching Logan Lucky, and I'm surprised it couldn't make my top 20.

#21: Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck tells two stories of children wandering New York by themselves, each set fifty years apart. The film is far from perfect, and there are a lot of flaws I could point out, but I loved it because there are moments in this movie of genuine magic. As both of the film's storylines involve children, Wonderstruck does a great job of showing us a childlike sense of wonder, and succeeded in bringing me back to a childhood perspective. Also, the camerawork for both stories is beautiful, with the 1927 storyline featuring great black and white cinematography (not to mention a great performance from deaf actress Millicent Simmonds) and the 1977 storyline showcasing bright, judiciously used colors. Both Wonderstruck and the Scorsese film Hugo from years ago are based off of books by Brian Selznick. I was not a fan of Hugo, but I think director Todd Haynes handles the ambitious screenplay really well here, with a much more subtle hand that is needed to bring out the beauty in the story.

#20: Good Time

Good Time is a difficult film to watch, but there's one very good reason to watch it: Robert Pattinson. Pattinson has never before had such a great chance to showcase his considerable acting chops, and he is truly remarkable here, and gives one of the best performances of the year. The filmmaking here is unrelenting, and Good Time is as harrowing and memorable as its title is misleading.


#19: Last Flag Flying

Every year I see a film that has everything going for it to be a serious awards contender that then just kind of goes by unnoticed and I don't understand why. This year, that film is Last Flag Flying. No one is talking about the latest from prolific director Richard Linklater, but I think it's one of his best movies to date. Telling the story of three army buddies reunited later in life to attend a funeral, Last Flag Flying is a careful character study and reflection on grief and the past. The central trio of the film (Steve Carell, Bryan Cranston, and Laurence Fishburne) are all incredible, and there's also great work from J. Quinton Johnson as a young soldier, and the legendary Cicely Tyson who steals the movie with one scene. The work is so strong and it's a shame that these performances seem to be forgotten. At the end of the film, I learned in the credits that Last Flag Flying is based off of a book, which honestly shocked me because these characters felt so lived in that I just assumed they were original creations. Carell in particular gives what might be the best performance of his career.

#18: The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a brilliant movie. It's meticulously told and impeccably crafted. It's also incredibly disturbing and difficult to watch in one sitting. Many felt that director Yorgos Lanthimos' previous film The Lobster was a tough movie to watch, but The Killing of a Sacred Deer makes that one feel almost cheerful in comparison. But, as brutal as this movie is, it's powerful as long as you can stick with it. This revenge thriller is legitimately harrowing and succeeded in making me actually reconsider my thoughts about all the characters on the screen. Plus, the acting is amazing all around, with Barry Keoghan giving a truly powerhouse performance as a disturbed young man seeking revenge. It's not for everyone, and if you didn't like The Lobster then definitely stay away. But I'd actually say The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a better film than The Lobster. It's more cohesive, and while not for everyone's tastes, it's a bit of a storytelling marvel, and certainly one of the most memorable films of the year.

#17: Personal Shopper

Much like Robert Pattinson (whose great work in Good Time I've already discussed), Kristen Stewart became one of the most hated actors in the world after her work in the Twilight franchise. But she has proven time and time again that she's a really talented actress. Every time she turns in an amazing performance, I think that THIS is the one that's going to finally get her invited to awards shows. First, there was Still Alice, then there was Clouds of Sils Maria, and now there's Personal Shopper. From Olivier Assayas (who also did Clouds of Sils Maria), Personal Shopper tells the story of Maureen Cartwright (Stewart), an American woman living in Europe who is trying to connect with the spirit of her deceased brother Lewis. Anyone going into Personal Shopper expecting a traditional ghost story will be disappointed, but ghosts and the unknown are still a huge part of this film, which mostly utilizes a slow burn but can ramp up the tension beautifully when it needs to. Both is and Stewart deserve more recognition.

#16: Maudie

Sally Hawkins is expected to receive an Oscar nomination (and possibly the award itself) for her work in The Shape of Water this year. And she was great in that movie, but it was actually not her best performance of the year. She does even better work in Maudie, a biopic of arthritic Canadian artist Maud Lewis. I went into this film knowing very little about the life or work of Maud Lewis, and was quite taken with the sweet underdog story of the unlikely art sensation. Hawkins is incredibly endearing and plays the understated Lewis with a strength that could have easily been missing in the hands of a lesser actress.

#15: Lucky

  
If you are unfamiliar with the work of the late, great Harry Dean Stanton, watching Lucky will make you understand just what a talent was lost this year. Stanton plays the titular character in Lucky, and while he couldn't have known this would be his final role, he couldn't have picked a more fitting one to go out on. Lucky is an aging atheist in the South, facing his own mortality. Not much of note happens in Lucky, but the character study of Lucky is a wonderful one and Stanton makes every frame worth watching. And prolific character actor John Carroll Lynch proves he's more than capable behind the camera, getting great performances out of the whole ensemble. A quiet and philosophical film, it's impossible not to love Lucky--the movie or the character.
 
#14: The Florida Project

One of the most acclaimed films of the year, it is a testament to how many good movies there were this year that The Florida Project can't make my top ten. Focusing on the lives of impoverished children in a project right outside Disneyworld, The Florida Project is incredibly emotional and frequently heartbreaking. The movie doesn't exactly portray young Moonie (Brooklynn Prince) or her single mother Halley (Bria Vinaite, who was discovered through instagram) in a positive light, and yet you root for them and understand innately the impossible situation they're both in. The film is bleak, and at times unbearable, which is enhanced by the brilliant production design. Director Sean Baker uses a lot of pastel, "happy" colors and bright lights to jarringly contrast the dismal world the movie resides in. It's simultaneously volatile and quiet, and understandably one of the standout films of the year.

#13: Ingrid Goes West

I had no idea what to expect when I went into Ingrid Goes West. But given that it starred Aubrey Plaza, I thought it would be a comedy. I certainly did not expect such a tense drama which offered a rather blistering commentary on social media culture. Plaza stars as Ingrid Thorburn, a woman who seemingly conflates instagram with the real world, and believes the "social media influencers" she follows on instagram are her real life friends. When she schemes her way into the life of insta-star Taylor Sloane, Ingrid's deception leads her down an increasingly precarious path to both hide and discover her true self. Plaza has often been criticized for being a limited actress, and that all of the roles she plays are just versions of her breakout Parks and Recreation character April Ludgate. anyone who believes this needs to see this movie. Plaza is outstanding, and manages to make Ingrid far more sympathetic than one could ever expect, playing her with complete confidence and without pity. This is a really smart screenplay, and Plaza manages to elevate the already strong material she has to work with.

#12: The Shape of Water  

Masterful director Guillermo del Toro is known for his amazing visuals, and The Shape of Water has the gorgeous look we all expect from him (if you like this film's aesthetics, check out the wonderful film The City of Lost Children, which I think inspired a lot of this movie). But what really stands out to me here is the story, and The Shape of Water's place in del Toro's filmography. Guillermo del Toro's early work is frequently very dark, and his significant imagine runs wild, creating unparalleled works of ingenuity. But, once his talent was noticed in the States, he became a popular director who now had bigger budgets, but had to answer to studios. I really like all of Guillermo del Toro's films, but I do think that in his more recent works he's had to work against constraints placed on him by producers looking to market his films, and that his considerable vision has been perhaps limited due to this. In The Shape of Water, I think we see a polish that is missing from del Toro's more recent works, as if he has finally found the balance needed to make his own vision soar now that there are audiences he must answer to. It's an exciting new chapter in del Toro's filmography, and it's always exciting to see such vision and wonder on the big screen.

#11: The Big Sick

Given how insightful and hilarious Kumail Nanjiani's stand-up comedy is, it's no surprise that The Big Sick is as great as it is. Nanjiani co-wrote the screenplay for this rom-com with his wife Emily V. Gordon, and it tells the rather incredible story of the beginning of their relationship. The real life romance at the center (with Nanjiani playing himself and Zoe Kazan stepping in for Gordon) is wonderful, but this movie is really about family. Specifically about dysfunctional families. Specifically about the special variety of love that it takes to hold a dysfunctional family together. But perhaps what I love most about The Big Sick is that it depicts a relationship that we rarely see on film even today, but still manages to feel like a typical heartwarming romcom (albeit, several steps above most in quality). It shows that the cultural differences we perceive are in fact universal, and that's the type of message we need to see in American film during the current presidential administration.

This is a list of 20 amazing movies. So, which films did I like even more? You can read part 2 here!