2017 was, in my humble opinion, one of the strongest years for cinema in recent memory, comparable to notable years such as 1948, 1950 and 1999. As a result of some of the extremely strong and distinctive work this year, creating a list has been an exhausting and difficult task, and many fantastic films have had to be left out completely in the pursuit of listing the very best of the year. As always, I am releasing this list now, the day prior to the Academy Awards, the event that celebrates the best of the year in cinema, or at least alleges to, with once again many wonderful, worthy performances being entirely ignored. This list will hopefully give praise to some of the contenders that we will be seeing tomorrow night, as well as many others that were entirely left out. However, this list is not too concerned with the Academy Awards and the opinions of those who vote for them, but rather as a celebration of a truly incredible year in cinema.
Before we get onto the matter at hand, I’d like to note the large presence of the film distribution studio A24 on this list. No less than seven of the films on this list were distributed by the studio. This either means I have far too much of an admiration for their brand of trendy, idiosyncratic independent cinema, or the studio just chose some absolutely astonishing films to distribute this year. If they continue towards becoming one of the most prestigious distributions studios in cinema today, then we could very likely be seeing this list renamed “The Best Film of 2018 Not Distributed by A24” next year. They know what audiences want, being able to find the perfect balance between mainstream fare and arthouse masterpieces, and they are efficient and profound in their choices, and their growing success is fantastic.
Without any further ado, here is the list, beginning with some honourable mentions. These are very good films, but they just lacked something that could have pushed them into the main list, and it is a great pity that they cannot be included further on in the list, as they were all absolutely terrific in their own way, just not quite good enough to make it to the ranks of the very best of the year. Regardless, they are all strong and memorable films and could have easily found their way further in any other year.
Honourable Mentions
Get Out
The Lost City of Z
The Other Side of Hope
mother!
The Shape of Water
Columbus
Menashe
Lady Bird
#15 – Raw
A psychotic, mesmerizing and unique horror from Julia Ducournaum, a director who is redefining horror cinema, taking it to extremely disturbing and innovative heights, and proving to be a powerful new voice in a cinematic landscape that is starting to realize the extraordinary capabilities that female directors possess, and how they are able to make works that are stimulating and horrifying in equal measure. With an astonishing lead performance from Garance Marillier, and some of the most hypnotic, subversive and intelligent filmmaking of the year, Raw blends horrific explorations of visceral desire with the experience of growing up. Not since Carrie has coming-of-age been this terrifying. It may grow into obscurity over time, but Raw is simply an astounding, extraordinary and absolutely grotesque film, and something unlike anything you’ll ever see.
#14 – Good Time
2017 was the year Robert Pattinson officially shed the stigma of being involved with the Twilight films, both in The Lost City of Z, where he gave a considerably more mature and fascinating performance, and Good Time, the latest independent masterpiece from two directors who are forcing independent cinema to play by their own audacious rules, Josh and Ben Safdie. Good Time is a memorable throwback to the energetic, gritty neon crime films of the New Hollywood era, pulsating with fear and adrenaline as we encounter a pair of young criminals who navigate an uncanny and terrifying of New York City. A thrilling crime drama that keeps the audience on the very edge of their seat, featuring some of the most ambitious narrative filmmaking of the year, and a piece of cinema that officially establishes the Safdie Brothers as incredible cinematic craftsmen, capable of redefining cinema and creating films that are shockingly and profoundly brilliant.
#13 – The Square
In The Square, Ruben Östlund creates one of the most elaborate pranks the cinematic world has ever seen. A nearly-three hour odyssey into the pretentious, arrogant world of the artistic elite that parodies society with such relentless ruthlessness and scathing sarcasm, the audience itself starts to feel personally violated by the brutality of this film. Containing a magnificent, multicultural cast, lead by an astonishing lead performance from Danish thespian Claes Bang, and featuring a memorable but small performance from indie arthouse queen Elisabeth Moss, The Square is relentless in its provocative, outrageous approach to commenting on the ostentatious nature of art devotees, who try despearately to find meaning when there just sometimes isn’t any meaning to be found, and comments directly on that despicable faction of society that is intent on proving that it does have something meaningful to say, even when it really does not. Like the great social critiques of Luis Buñuel and his contemporaries, The Square does not hold back in vitriolic abuse of society, but it does so in such a witty, cerebral way, it is nothing short of extraordinary.
#12 –Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
While it may not be as witty and entertaining as Martin McDonagh’s previous masterpieces In Bruges, Six Shooter and Seven Psychopaths, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is a dark, hilarious and fascinating morality tale, a film that tells a truly human story about revenge and forgiveness, and the difficult relationship the two have with each other. Featuring an incredible performance from Frances McDormand in the lead role, as well as Sam Rockwell and Woody Harrelson is tremendous supporting performances (as well as a tremendous cast, who are magnificent in even the most insignificant parts), this film may be a little rough around the edges, but for the most part, it is a heartfelt, meaningful mediation on issues much bigger than ourselves, and McDonagh confirms himself to be one of the most fascinating writers of his generation, being able to create nuanced, complex characters, all of which contribute to a story with such delicate meaning imbued underneath its somewhat callous and gritty exterior.
#11 – Lucky
Harry Dean Stanton’s final film role is also one of his very best, a film that places him right at the centre, and serving to be a great spiritual successor to his amazing performance in Paris, Texas, and proving him to be one of the most extraordinary actors of his generation. Stanton plays Lucky, an elderly man with a unique outlook on life, who unfortunately needs to address his advancing years and face the impending fate that awaits all of us. The straightforward, simple story of a man coming to terms with his own mortality is heartbreaking, poignant and often incredibly hilarious, with John Carroll Lynch bringing out the endearing eccentricities of small-town mentalities in a loving and easygoing story about human relationships. Stanton is supported by a fantastic cast, including Tom Skerrit, Beth Grant and one of cinematic icon David Lynch’s greatest acting performances. The arid Californian small-town mentality is challenged by the magnificent philosophical nature of this film, with Lucky being a film about accepting death through celebrating life.
#10 – The Killing of a Sacred Deer
No one does absurdity quite like Yorgos Lanthimos. He may have made his most terrifyingly dark film to date with The Killing of a Sacred Deer, a surreal and unforgettable journey into the world of Steven, played to perfection by Colin Farrell (who is becoming a truly magnificent actor after over a decade of subpar performances), and his odd relationship with the sinister son of a former patient, portrayed with horrifying brilliance by Barry Keoghan (who is doubtlessly going to have an absolutely astonishing career, if The Killing of a Sacred Deer is anything to go by). This teenager proves to be far more dangerous than he appears, and Steven starts to see his family fall under his curse. Brilliantly dark and utterly bleak, Lanthimos has made something that is unique, mesmerizing and often, absolutely revolting. There are very few films that manage to keep me up at night, but The Killing of a Sacred Deer gave me utter nightmares.
#9 – All These Sleepless Nights
A documentary film about a group of Polish millennials who spend their days (and nights) going to rave parties, getting involved in meaningless relationships and looking towards an uncertain future as they come to terms with the fact that youth is fleeting, and that our early adult years may appear to be one, endless party, but it has to end eventually, much to our chagrin. Growing up and reaching maturity is a terrifying prospect, and this film looks at the fears and anxieties that come with realizing that we will have to eventually leave that rave party and start being adults at some point. All These Sleepless Nights blends fact and fiction in an account for the turbulent years of early adulthood, showing the fears and anxieties shared by an entire generation that will surely resonate with everyone. Also, it features perhaps the greatest cinematography ever seen in a documentary film, becoming a film as beautiful in aesthetic as it is in narrative execution. A film that questions more than it answers, it is a serene, unforgettable and tremendously complex piece of philosophical cinema.
#8 – Coco
After a few years of good, but unremarkable cinematic efforts, Pixar finally returns with a film that is one of their absolute masterpieces. A film with more emotional resonance than Toy Story, more intelligence than Inside Out and more beautiful than Up, Coco is truly something special and overcomes nearly everything the studio has ever made, in nearly every regard. Complex and brilliant in every way, it is a film that is equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Certainly a film that will make the audience laugh hysterically as much as they weep uncontrollably (speaking from personal experience), Coco is Pixar at its most creative and gorgeous, and it is a beautiful and poignant tribute to the unique culture of its subject, as well as being a meaningful ode to family and the unbreakable bonds that bind us together, living and dead. Be warned, very few films are as unbearably sad as Coco, nor nearly as exquisitely uplifting. Pixar truly made a masterpiece with this film.
#7 – A Ghost Story
Some may call A Ghost Story “meaningless” or “dull”, but what David Lowery achieved with this film is utterly extraordinary. Less about a story than it is about pure, unadulterated emotional resonance, Lowery constructs a film that questions existence in a way that is deeply profound and gorgeously simple. Featuring great performances from Casey Affleck (who does so much with so little) and Rooney Mara, who is as luminous and incredible as always and a story that looks directly at the philosophical mysteries that drive our existence, A Ghost Story is utterly incredible, a paced meditation on life and death, and the interactions between the past and present in the pursuit of an uncertain future. It may not be positively exciting, nor particularly perfect in any way, but it is a meaningful, humble and beautiful film.
#6 – The Florida Project
Pedro Almodóvar referred to Sean Baker as “the future”, and considering your previous film was the history-making Tangerine, a tender look at the trials and tribulations of a pair of Los Angeles prostitutes, followed by The Florida Project, a heartwarming, beautiful ode to the childhood innocence and the strengths of ordinary people when faced with desperate times was quite a shift in narrative for the director. The Florida Project was an explosive debut for young Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite, two performers who will doubtlessly have long and fruitful careers, as well as being one of Willem Dafoe’s most touching performances to date, with his delicate portrayal of Bobby, the sympathetic motel manager, is absolutely astonishing. Beautifully-shot, gorgeously-constructed and extraordinary in showing the wonder of childhood, looking at it through the tender lens of magical realism. It is a truly mesmerizing look at the childhood years, and while it may not be particularly plot-driven, it is extraordinarily touching tribute to childhood innocence, as well as commenting directly on the tragic circumstances of poverty that many individuals have to endure.
#5 – Call Me By Your Name
A film as beautifully romantic as Call Me By By Your Name does not come along very often, but when it does, it redefines cinema in some way. The performances, especially those of newcomer Timothée Chalamet and reliable, charismatic leading man Armie Hammer, as well as the dedicated character actors Michael Stuhlbarg and Amira Casar, are astonishing in every way. Call Me By Your Name is a tender, sweet and moving film, and one that changes every notion of what romance is by showing the limitless nature of love, and the extents to which we will go to prove our undying devotion to someone, as well as the sheer bleakness of realizing that love is sometimes fleeting and that many of us will face the absolutely devastating experience of having our hearts broken when what we feel was truly love to us is clearly not meant to be. Heartbreaking beyond belief, Luca Guadagnino and James Ivory crafted one of the most beautiful films of the current century, a delicate and endearing romance that redefines the raw, passionate love that cinema is able to convey through simple storytelling and incredible performances.
#4 – The Disaster Artist
How does one make a film about a work of transgressive trash, a work that has come to be seen as one of the worst artistic achievements in human history, but still make it a meaningful, loving meditation on friendship and the pursuit of one’s dreams? James Franco achieved the impossible with The Disaster Artist, a hilarious but heartfelt story about the making of The Room, a film that I personally love more than nearly any other. As Tommy Wiseau, Franco is astonishing, and he brings out the true emotional gravitas of the otherwise folkloric character, giving arguably his greatest performance to date, fully inhabiting his odd but lovable character. Dave Franco gives one of his strongest performances yet as Greg Sestero, who is simply a young man foolishly chasing a dream that seems so despairingly elusive to him. The chemistry between the cast is marvellous, the story is hilariously funny but also extremely meaningful, and the film as a whole pays tribute to The Room, a film that can be seen as nothing more than the physical embodiment of audacity. Franco found the true heart in a film that could’ve been entirely outrageous and ridiculous, and it goes beyond its historically-bad subject matter, transforming it into something superbly wonderful and unforgettable.
#3 – Faces Places
Agnès Varda is not only the greatest female filmmaker to ever live, she is also quite possibly the most important living director, with her career spanning over half a century, and her output including groundbreaking narrative films and definitive documentaries that blend the fascinating subject matter with the life of the filmmaker herself, becoming increasingly personal and indicative of Varda’s own insecurities, ambitions and fears. In Faces Places, Varda collaborates with graphic artist and subversive photographer JR, who is her opposite in many ways, with his physical youth complementing Varda’s youthful spirit, proving the duo to be instantly compatible collaborators and friends, bring their own unique perspectives and audacious artistic talents together in one extraordinary celebration of humanity. The two artists are most certainly wild at heart, and their journey through the French countryside, visiting all the “places” and encountering all the “faces” is truly extraordinary. Upbeat and entertaining but endlessly meaningful and unbelievably melancholic, what Varda and JR created here was absolutely astonishing, and it represents one of the most meaningful journeys into the nuances of humanity, something that both JR and Varda have constructed their entire artistic careers around investigating with humor and good heart, making Faces Places wonderfully touching and beautifully poignant.
#2 – Phantom Thread
Paul Thomas Anderson is a visionary, and even when he detaches himself entirely from his comfort zone, he manages to achieve something utterly extraordinary. Phantom Thread, a love story set in the couture world of 1950s London, is a film that seems dull and lifeless in concept, but in the hands of Anderson, it is a sensual, thrilling and defiantly brilliant film. Daniel Day-Lewis gives one of his finest performances to date, Vicky Krieps makes an impressive mainstream debut and Lesley Manville is as fantastic as one would expect. The film as a whole is simply a twisted, subversive and extraordinary experience that serves to be a relentless provocation of form and content, and further proof that Paul Thomas Anderson is one of our finest directors working today, with Phantom Thread being one of his finest moments yet, something that will doubtlessly help redefine his career as a filmmaker capable of unexpected narrative prowess, as well as the uncanny ability to construct unforgettable films around the most audacious of concepts, and bringing out the very best in the actors that occupy these memorable characters.
#1 – Endless Poetry
The moment I finished watching Endless Poetry, I was struck with a panoply of complex emotions. Desire, sadness, nostalgia and most importantly, life-affirming joy. Alejandro Jodorowsky is truly one of the greatest artists to ever work in cinema, and his films are provocative, alluring and complex. His adoration with the absurd and his relationship with magical realism have allowed him to hand-craft some of the most audacious, original and unforgettable cinematic fables, stories that are visually stunning and narratively scintillating. Jodorowsky is more than a film director – he’s a true artist, and Endless Poetry is a melancholic testament of his early life (following on from the astonishing The Dance of Reality), and without any vanity, he manages to chronicle his formative years, showing his development from innocence to experience. There was very little doubt that anything else would be better than Endless Poetry, simply one of the most extraordinary pieces of cinema I have ever seen. I adore Jodorowsky, and this film was almost celestial in its perfection, and months later, I still find this film lingering on within my mind. This is what cinema should be – beautiful, fascinating and meaningful.
Thus we come to the conclusion of the year in cinema that was 2017. It was a wonderful year, with several incredible films, and compiling this list was a challenge, as I had to leave some really terrific films out. However, the final list is just a small representation of the multitudes of incredible films that we were given the opportunity to experience this year. Here is hoping every year is as memorable as this one was. Cinema continues to flourish, new and exciting filmmakers interact with iconic veterans, creating a cinematic landscape that continues to be unbelievably astonishing
The Postmodern Pelican 