By Mark Saldana
2017 may have been a turbulent year in news, but cinema has offered people some wonderful opportunities to escape and also made some relevant commentaries about the state of our world. This year should be known as the year of the woman. Films about, by and for women made some major breakthroughs critically and financially. As some women were speaking out about the abuses endured in entertainment, others expressed themselves through film. Actresses have outshone their male co-stars in movies and even one of the year’s best superhero movies featured a strong woman as its lead. Women are doing it for themselves and I feel they deserve high praise for what they brought to cinema this year. It is also about time these incredible ladies stood tall and proudly.
Every year, I never get to see all the movies up for awards by the end of the year. Last year, I decided to release a work-in-progress list of my top films for the year to be updated when my list is finally complete. All in all, I did pretty well in 2017. I was fortunate to sneak in a few last minute viewings, but some films still aren’t available for the humble, DIY film critic I am. There are still a handful of movies I need to see before finalizing my top 25 and selecting my picks for other accolades. So for now, here is my temporary list of top 25 movies for 2017. I am sure some of these might change a little before I am finished, but there are others which will remain firmly in their ranking. I want to wish all of my readers and supporters a very Happy New Year. Here’s to hoping that 2018 is better not only in cinema but in the world at large.
- THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI Review
- THE SHAPE OF WATER
- BLADE RUNNER 2049
- THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER Review
- INHERITANCE Review
- PROFESSOR MARSTON AND THE WONDER WOMEN Review
- THE LIGHT OF THE MOON Review
- COLOSSAL Review
- THE FLORIDA PROJECT Review
- PHANTOM THREAD
- BABY DRIVER Review
- COCO Review
- THE DISASTER ARTIST Review
- RAW
- I, TONYA
- GET OUT Review
- MUDBOUND
- DUNKIRK
- GOOD TIME Review
- CALL ME BY YOUR NAME
- MOLLY’S GAME Review
- THE POST
- LADY BIRD Review
- IT COMES AT NIGHT Review
- BRIGSBY BEAR Review
Honorable Mentions:
JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2 Review
MOSCOW NEVER SLEEPS Review
A GHOST STORY Review
GERALD’S GAME Review
PERSONAL SHOPPER
THE BIG SICK Review
STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Review