The Best Films Of 2017

The 10 movies of 2017 that have or will go on to become re-watched favourites of mine, whether it be for guilty pleasures or for masterful direction.

1. Call Me By Your Name

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I feel tame talking about this movie, because I know I will not do it the brilliant justice that it not only receives, but EARNS. But, I will give context... Call Me By Your Name is one of the best movies I have ever seen IN MY LIFE. PERIOD. I SWEAR. It not only makes us feel apart of the beautiful locations, but it connects us with the relationship of Elio and Oliver better than most love stories ever told. Movies like Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind made me feel connected, and this film did too. Both films are two of the most honest love stories ever told, but to a degree, this movie is even better.

2. A Ghost Story

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Weird artsy-fartsy nonsense that actually manages to be both smart and meaningful. A Ghost Story lets on with one of the most gorgeous atmospheres I have ever felt in a movie, an atmosphere built up of cold, depressing sorrow. But these unwavering tones help to make the audience feel a part of the mesmerising experience of seeing this ghost find its purpose, while also having to face its whole before-life in order to understand the concepts of the world. This is not just the single most different movie of 2017, this is one of, if not, THE most different movie I have ever seen.

3. IT

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The best horror film of 2017 doesn't even feel like a horror film for much of its runtime. IT was able to bring out emotions in me that I haven't felt in a very long time, and this is centrally due to the main message of growing up. Growing up means overcoming many things, but fear will always be a staple of life. Fear is what many feel, and it is a pure element of uncontrollable nature. But, as long as you know how to fade it, that is what matters. IT is a scary movie that teaches kids not to be scared... how rare is that?

4. Get Out

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A stylistic train-wreck of epic proportions. This is easily the most unique horror film of 2017, with doses of social commentary and masterful foreshadowing scattered throughout, to keep its viewers eagle-eyed for more brilliance. Jordan Peele pulled off a mesh of tones that very few directors have been able to implement so well. Comedy and horror prove as the biggest staple of Get Out, and they jell perfectly to offer an incredibly fun, horrifying and weird experience that I was so happy to be apart of.

5. Super Dark Times

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This is a dark, seizure-inducing film, but an awaiting classic. Super Dark Times felt like a more hardcore version of Stand By Me, with a dose of Donnie Darko, and as a result, we get this absolute gem in filmmaking. It is a film that kept me wrapped up with its central situation, and this was mostly due to the many 180 degrees this film offers. I honestly couldn't see anything coming. If you were only to watch the first 15 minutes, you would never be able to predict how this film ends, and THAT is a test to masterful filmmaking.

6. Logan

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My most anticipated movie of the year was Logan, and the same thing that happened with "War", applied with this film too. All expectations were exceeded. Not just in the violence, the acting, the directing, or the cinematography, but mainly in the central story. It is a story about overcoming your darkest times, and as a result, it was an emotional experience that drew me in from the beginning furthermore. This is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made, just behind Spider Man 2 and Guardians Of The Galaxy.

7. War For The Planet Of The Apes

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As a fan of 'Rise" and 'Dawn", I was incredibly excited to see how the Apes trilogy would finish, and my expectations were fulfilled on levels that I can't even begin to comprehend. War For The Planet Of The Apes is the best film of the trilogy, and is a marvel in cinema overall. It is literally EVERYTHING I wanted out of a conclusion in this trilogy, and despite my massive expectations going in, it managed to be even better than what I could've imagined.

8. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

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Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri should win the best picture or best screenplay Oscar at the awards this year. Why? Because, while this isn't my personal favourite film of 2017, no other movie was as ballsy in terms of how it conveyed real life situations like unsolved murders, racism, and everything in-between. It is a film that never once shays away from the brutal reality of today, and as a result, it is able to be very meditative and true towards its audience. This is emotional, funny, and everything I wanted out of a movie in 2017.

9. The Greatest Showman

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Critics bashed this film, but I am not just a critic. I am a movie lover. And I did't just love the Greatest Showman, I adored it. The film takes the true story of P.T Barnum and turns it into a fiction fantasy that, while not anywhere close to the actual true story, immerses you into the magic displayed on screen. The gravity between each actor was nothing short of perfection, and newcomer Michael Gracey did such a beautiful job helming the movie as director. This is not just a film, this is an experience, and one of the most magical experiences of 2017.

10. It Comes At Night

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The most "unsettling" horror film of the year. It Comes At Night forces its viewer to fill in the gaps themselves, as it is a film of mysterious nature, but nature that resembles true horror, horror that is unspeakable. Terror can come in many shapes and forms, but the most real terror of all, comes from the act of a human, and what drives them to commit such act. This film utilises symbolism, truly Oscar-worthy acting, and direction with precision, to become the most deeply unnerving movie of the year.