Annual: The Films of 2017 - Part V

It's the final countdown
(PRAISE THE GODS OF CINEMA)

Soak it in, folks. Drink up all the pretentious, indie-loving, A24-wanking, artsy-fartsy hipster haterade I am about to unveil.

EVERYTHING I'VE SEEN IN 2017

#53 - 41

#40 - 31

#30 - 21

#20 - 11
#10 - 1

10) Good Time

The Bottom Line: A film that dares you to question every bottle of Sprite you'll ever look at again

(Also, Pattinson is incredible)

    Good Time is a f**king GOOD time (although impressively unsettling). The film is a bleak as hell depiction of the crime-ridden world of New York City. It’s raw, gritty, dark and it doesn’t hold back. 

  The shaky cam often hones way in on the actor’s faces exposing the audience to every character detail; the cuts and bruises, the sweat dripping down their brow; the fear in their eyes. It’s realistic and intense as all hell.

  That said, I’ve been championing Robert Pattinson since his miserable career began. The morose Twilight saga turned him into a clown. Even his brief bit in Harry Potter was fine but too small to talk about. Yet there’s always been something charming about Pattinson that gave hint at a legitimate performance in him... This film delivers that performance.

  Save for the whole cast just nailing it, Pattinson is a tour de force who carries the film by himself. His angst; his aggression; his fear; it’s so damn believable that I wouldn’t be surprised to see a nomination for him come January.

  And Pattinson aside, this is just a good movie. Like a love letter to early Scorsese, the gritty intensity is escalated from the film’s opening scene and it never lifts until the final scene. In fact, the opening and the closing are arguably bookends for what is one of the most believably intense pictures of 2017. The film is sharp, filled with twists, and has a pulse that never lets up. While it’s indeed a nerve-wracking, grieving depiction of the world of crime in New York, it’s also at its core a moral about the struggles of family and the personal importance's we hold dear no matter how terrible of a person we are.

  The film gets its message across without being tacky or conventional, yet it’s harsh and deep in a believable and tragic manner.

One of 2017’s most poignant satisfying surprises for sure.

*10 points to Pattinson

(And f**k Twilight)

Grade: A

9) The Florida Project

The Bottom Line: Willem Dafoe bosses around tiny, poor children
(and they are some of the best children I've ever seen directed in film)

Words cannot express the achievements this film reaches with only its child actors. 

  More often than not, children tend to ruin films. Depending on how they’re directed, children can completely suck the joy out of a moviegoing experience, making it even more of a risk to write children as both the protagonists and spotlights of a film, but by God, writer-director Sean Baker pulled it off and stuck the landing.

With its guerilla style filmmaking and its ability to bask in every small detail and observation, TFP is one of the most realistic depictions of childhood ever captured on screen. The film is a morose and tragic tale about poverty with the ultimate irony of focusing on an all too realistic community that lives out of a low-class motel strip just outside Disney World in Orlando, Florida. 

  By keeping the drama only so heavy with the genuine humor ever so present, Baker captures the childlike innocence and youthful sense of wonder better than nearly any other filmmaker to ever focus on children. Baker bottles up the life and adventure of a child’s mind and sense of thinking in ways I’ve never seen in a film before. The kids are genuine, observant, blunt and funny as hell.

  While many other films that focus on children tend to stray towards more adult subplots, TFP almost never loses its sight on the kids. Granted, a filmmaker can only do so much with only children due to lack of believable acting or appealing story telling, Baker somehow channels a near-impossible streak of talent through these remarkable kids, most notably through young Moonee as played by Brooklynn Prince.

  As for those adults, while Willem Dafoe is a pleasure as always (and actually playing a good guy for once), six-year-old Prince is the beating heart and soul of the picture and she’s a precious angel. Her innocent sense of discovery through the poor parts of her neighborhood are mesmerizing, and Baker’s ability to transform Moonee’s adventures through low class Orlando as if it were Disney World itself is, for lack of a better word, literally magical.

  2017 has been A24’s year and Florida is only another one for the books. Their films are so damn rich, you can nearly taste it like it were the overtly purple motel complex the film is saturated in.

This film is glorious.

*10 points to Dafoe
*50 points to likable children

LONG LIVE THE CHILDREN

Grade: A

8) A Ghost Story

The Bottom Line: Rooney Mara eats pie for 9 minutes straight

(in one of the most beautifully melancholy portrayals of death, grief and time, ever portrayed on film)

I'll keep saying it until it sticks. A24 Films is the best production company putting out mainstream films right now. And perhaps it's because it's an indie based LLC that sorta creates these blurred lines between the very "indie" movies they put out vs the many mainstream theaters that host them but whatever formula they're experimenting with, they're succeeding with flying colors. Their films, while not always on target (they put out Tusk [Yeah, the Kevin Smith walrus movie]) continue to inspire, surprise and provoke me year after year and with A Ghost Story, they've once again outdone themselves.

  Some of the best aspects to AGS are the ones that keep it from being a "big" movie in the grand scheme of things. The catch 22 here is that while its simplistic nature is what holds it back, it is also the very thing that makes the film as special as it is. 

  Shot at 1.33.1 aspect and 33 frames per second, containing almost no dialogue, the film is a literally boxed in story of a silent, lonely, aching ghost.

  Part of why the flick is so beautiful is not just because it's a throwback to old school film technically speaking but it's also a damn-near silent performance from Casey Affleck who wears a grade-school bed sheet with cut holes for eyes, and we feel all of his emotion. What seems so silly at first becomes a truly emotionally straining experience as we follow this ghost travel through years that go by for him in seconds; Ages and motions of human existence evolving without him as he stirs in silence, waiting to fulfill his purpose. It's personal; it's poignant; it's powerful.

  And yes, Rooney Mara comfort-eats a gorgeous pie in one take for nine minutes (David Lynch would be proud). It is moments like these that the film basks in; to salivate its viewers and let them stew in the raw grief of this dazzling, haunting journey of life after  death. The film takes its sweet time to really allow the audience to savor each moment the nameless ghost experiences during his time. It's sad; it's sweet; it's completely enduring.

  And while it may not have the wow factor of some of A24's more talky pieces, AGS is one of the most unique portrayals of grief I've ever seen depicted on film. It has crawled under my skin and stayed with me long after the credits rolled. 

  In such an age of loud garbage, films like this speak volumes beyond any blockbuster. And for that, A24 can continue to put out whatever movies they want. At least they're breaking new ground.

Grade: A

7) The Killing of a Sacred Deer

The Bottom Line: Colin Farrell's beard vs. a creepy young lad - WHO WILL REMAIN TRIUMPHANT?

AKA: Horrific & bleakly funny (and at times disturbingly brilliant)

A couple flags to pick up on to know if KOASD is for you: 🚩Most A24 Films, 🚩the work of Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. 

  Between A24’s ambiguously anti-Hollywood nature and the remarkably anti-genre mood of Lanthimos’ films, Sacred Deer although flawed is at once one of the most unique films of 2017.

  Without going into a history lesson, I’ve never been floored by Lanthimos’ work. His 2009 critical hit Dogtooth was overtly pretentious with its “harsh” family lessons (YEAH I SAID IT) while last year’s dark comedy The Lobster was much more of a step in the right direction in balancing appropriately awkward behavior and bleak-as-f**k humor. Rest assured, The Killing of a Sacred Deer just might be the director’s best work yet.

  The issue with Lanthimos is that he never quite seems in control of steering his ship. His films veer way off sometimes into absurdly uncomfortable territory while much of the earned laughs feel inappropriately out of place. That said, perhaps that’s exactly why his films stand out and maybe I’m just reading too narrow between the lines. 

  Sacred Deer has been deemed ‘horror’ by many and although I certainly wouldn’t classify it as such it’s still an unsettling, disturbing picture that plays with the morose ideas of psychological, horrific acts that take place between a seemingly normal, loving family. The way the tension builds between the characters unravels in such a stressful, deeply rooted disturbance that it’s hard to shake once the film is finished. 

  The film eventually takes a semi-pseudo-supernatural twist that’s based on Greek lore and while it never quite gets as metaphorical as this year’s Mother! it stays in enough of an unexplained although grounded reality that ends up being far more bleak and unsettling than expected. 

  And as grounded as it is, the film is presented in such an off kilter manner. The dialogue is spoken in a very alien nature; It often feels stagey and overly theatrical creating an abundantly awkward atmosphere that is sometimes very out of place. That said, when the film does eventually become funny it never feels intentional, it always feels bleak, and often comes at the expense of something terrible happening to the characters. It’s a dark comedy but much more subtler than The Lobster. This is ultimately a demented, mean spirited picture and Lanthimos fully embraces that notion.

  Also, shoutout to the young Barry Keoghan who plays the exceptionally creepy Martin. He showed small promise of quality acting in Dunkirk and here he glows. Farrell and Kidman are remarkable as always but this is ultimately Keoghan’s movie. He never once cracks his range of emotion; His mute and monotone delivery, whether presenting a thoughtful gift or describing a horrific threat while eating spaghetti, is exceptionally disturbing.

  A24 has been KILLING it this year and KOASD fits the strange and hauntingly beautiful nature that exists in most A24 Films in that it’s genuinely far too strange for a mainstream audience, making this one of the more uniquely original films of 2017.

(But f**k the mainstream, am I right?)

*10 points to Keoghan
*20 points to A24

Grade: A

6) Phantom Thread

The Bottom Line: Phantom Bread: The Tale of Daniel Day's breakfast being ruined by the girl who buttered her toast too loudly

(AKA: The most introverted and quietly disturbing depiction of Stockholm syndrome ever portrayed on film)

"There is an air of quiet death in this house, and I do not like the way that it smells."
(This is how I felt the entire movie)



A couple notable flags here for the folks who trek out to see a movie about an old man who designs dresses and woos a young lady into wearing them:

🚩 Paul Thomas Anderson’s name.
🚩 Daniel Day-Lewis’ final performance.

On the one hand, this is a much different take for PTA. Unlike most of the man's work, Phantom Thread is quiet, intimate and lacks the unhinged darkness that exists in much of his usual characters. On the other hand, DD Lewis' role is one that is internally twisted enough that it can only be silently mastered by the likes of someone as gifted as Anderson.

It's difficult to speak about Phantom Thread because there's simply so much that's packed into it with a result that often feels like so little.
  Set in 1950s London, with lush cinematography, gorgeous set and wardrobe design, and stellar performances, it's easy to see why critics eat up the film simply as a film, but Anderson's craft creeps into such a deeper level making Thread the filmmaker's most personal and intimate film yet.

Once again written and directed by Anderson, the film masquerades itself as a romance but literally unravels (pun intended) as something much darker as we see the slow-brooding abuse between young Alma and renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock.
  Day-Lewis and Vicky Krieps have a burning chemistry that crackles with dispute and dances with rage. Most importantly, Anderson often keeps these lead performances dialed back to nearly zero and hanging by a thread (pun intended again) so that when the tension escalate, it nearly bursts at the seams (also intended).

The brilliance behind Anderson's direction and Day-Lewis' performance is that it's all so bottled up. As he did with Philly Hoffman in The Master, PTA keeps all of the secrets of his leading man to himself, sparing only breadcrumbs of character development, constantly keeping the audience guessing where the character will go next. And as the film often proposes, this one is riddled with psychological games.

  Just when we feel sorry for Krieps' Alma, the story provides a slight twist or turn that keeps her in just as much of a demented playing field as Day-Lewis' Woodcock. The two lovers are often locked in a destructive, toxic tennis match of a relationship and by the film's end, we feel just how poisonous a love as theirs truly becomes (secret pun intended). Adding to the master craft of this dynamic is Anderson's ability to keep enough of the tension internal, passive aggressive and quietly abusive in both directions, depicting one of the most realistically unsettling relationships ever on screen.

When it comes to the films of 2017, if Mother! is the all-too-literal metaphorical take on toxic relationships, Phantom Thread is the all-too-metaphorically literal take on toxic relationships. The irony to the relationship between the two leads is that although operating like a ticking time bomb, it is one neither can deny, leave or even want to pull away from. The characters are perfect for each other for all the wrong reasons and by circling both Woodcock and Alma in a merry-go-round of Stockholm syndrome, Anderson has somehow crafted one of the most beautifully destructive relationships ever in film.

  On the surface, the film is a more silent are arguably weaker entry for both Anderson and Day-Lewis, but beneath the inner-workings of these two entrepreneurs of cinema, Phantom Thread will be a showcase for Day-Lewis' bottled up performance, and will inevitably be one day hailed as another PTA masterpiece, if it isn't by some already.

*10 points to PTA
*50 points to DD-Lewis

If DD is actually done, then Godspeed. He truly has been all that he’s chocked up to be; the cats 
pajamas; bees knees and all. 

Grade: A

5) Raw (2017 US Release)

The Bottom Line: Not for vegans

(It’s like Frozen only instead of the prontagonist turning into an ice queen she turns into a cannibal)

Raw is as every bit twisted, beautiful, gory and glorious as the hype makes it out to be. Rather than going with a formulaic approach that tends to be loud, predictable and silly, the film buzzes with a quietly dreaded sense of grotesque fear that never loses control but slowly lets loose as it evolves. More than that it’s also a cunning examination of young adulthood and a truly haunting coming of age fable for womanhood and the craving of flesh in every sense of the word.

  For starters, this is most definitely a horror film regardless of its lack of lazy jump scare tactics or the inclusion of a murderous villain. What’s brilliant about Raw as a character piece is that the protagonist is also very much so the antagonist. Justine is experiencing real adulthood for her first time and so while the audience can relate, the film slowly turns her into a monster (quite literally) and when the gore delivers it f**king engorges like a filthy American slob waiting to devour a steak dinner.

  Once Justine officially turns and realizes she can never go back (you’ll know the exact moment by the haunting and excellent soundtrack), the film takes a chilling plunge into madness and some of the horror is so disgusting but so wonderfully crafted, we can’t help but look away allowing the audience to be exposed were we the next course on the menu.
  Unlike other horror flicks the blood and gore is frighteningly realistic with flesh wounds, and exposed skin and bone making this one of the more accurate body films I’ve ever seen in horror. And to have the film take place in a hardcore veterinary school? Bloody brilliant. The rush/hazing abusive nature of the film creates an edgy atmosphere but the animal parallels only add to the film’s clever analogies and by the time we reach the uncaged climax it often feels like the audience is watching animals rather than humans. It’s gritty. It’s raw. It’s a fitting-ass title.

  The film is also very much so a sibling piece about two clashing sisters so on top of the mortifying nature of the film it also resonates emotionally on a family dynamic (the relationship is brutal and precious).

2017 has been crushing it with the horror genre (I know the French release date was 2016 but we didn’t get it until Spring of ‘17 so haters can eat a d**k [cannibal pun intended?]) and Raw is no exception to the new wave of prestige horror flicks. It may not be an edge-of-your-seat thriller but it’s a deep, dark character study on womanhood that gets pretty f**king gross (and I LOVE gross). 

  Not since Ginger Snaps have I seen female based horror that so accurately captures young adulthood on film. It’s easily the best depiction of horny, hormonal, hungry women I’ve seen in ages (if not ever). How it doesn’t go full blown werewolf is not only a blessing but a horrifyingly realistic curse. 
  This film is excellent, not just for horror but for the whole damn year.
  We need more movies like this.

*5 points to red meat
*10 points to clever cannibal movies

Grade: A

4) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Bottom Line: Frances McDormand spews vulgarity at every pathetic soul who crosses her path, in one of the most relevant films of 2017 

(Martin McDonagh shoots for the Oscars)

  Between Martin McDonagh’s signature brand of black humor and Frances McDormand’s ‘don’t-take-shit-from-nobody’ attitude, Three Billboards is easily one of the most satisfying films of 2017.

  What I respect most about McDonagh’s ambition with Billboards is that the film definitely goes against the usual McDonagh grain of mean spirited, crude attitude, despicable characters meeting a very violent (and often bloody) ending, and very darkly comedic personality, in favor of a truly relevant, powerful, emotionally resonant film for a perfectly shattered current age of the broken America that we’re living in (a relevant film which happens to be peppered with McDonagh’s darkly comedic nuances), and is completely female driven by a badass bitch.

  And SPEAKING of badass bitches, this is easily one of Frances McDormand’s most memorably leading roles since Fargo. I actually can’t stress this enough. She’s so ridiculously good in this movie. Her smug intimidation carries such a strong force, she’s an inspiration to women everywhere. She drives the film from beginning to finish and without her the movie wouldn’t have been what it has become. 

  That said, McDonagh’s pieces as a director fall so well into place and the supporting actors (notably Harrelson and Rockwell) are so good that the film stays afloat for numerous reasons. But at the end of the day this is McDormand’s film and the woman deserves an Oscar nomination at the very least.

  The whole damn movie deserves Oscar nominations but beyond its well deserved praise it’s also just a remarkable social commentary on what’s happening in America today without being an overtly political piece.
    The script tackles everything from divided issues on the police force, police brutality, racism, sexism, feminism, the gravity of crime, where the lines are drawn in crime, who’s responsible for said crime, and it’s all snowballed into what is essentially a superbly directed pitch black comedy of social satire on the justice system. If there’s a film relevant enough for living in a Trump America, it’s this movie.

  And just when the issues at hand seem like they’re reinforcing enough to drive the film for any common American moviegoer, we get Frances f***ing McDormand as the driver and she steers the film to near perfection (As I said, I can’t stress it enough), and the fact that McDonagh also wrote the part with McDormand in mind only makes the film that much satisfactory.

  It isn’t as cynically pleasant as Seven Psychopaths. It won’t be as quoted or as cult-followed as In Bruges. But Three Billboards just might be McDonagh’s most well rounded film yet. It’s certainly one of the best flicks of ‘17.

*10 points to McDormand
*10 points to McDonagh
*100 points to stern women who put rapey men in their place

Grade: A

3) Dunkirk

The Bottom Line: Like being dropped into the middle of a war

(Harry Styles is a national treasure)

In maybe the boldest move of his career, Christopher Nolan trades nearly all character development and exposition for exhilarating cinematography and a unique time-jumping narrative. 

  Because of these decisions, some folks have deemed this one of Nolan's weaker films, but it's also undeniably, strikingly different in that it's unlike anything Nolan (or many filmmakers) have ever risked on screen before, and yet amidst it all, so many of the familiar Nolan trademarks are present. 

  Nolan hides the Germans, never once giving the audience the formulaic "good guys vs bad guys" angle that so many war movies portray. By keeping the enemy hidden we fear them more than expected as their unpredictable dreaded presence looms over the atmosphere from beginning to finish. 

  For another notable aspect, the casting decisions are dead-on. From Tom Hardy as the near silent pilot (Nolan loves putting pretty boy in a mask) down to breakout youths Barry Keoghan and Harry f**king Styles, these folks nail it. On the contrary, Nolan also casts many young, brunette, Caucasian males as the soldiers blending together much of the characters during the action. Perhaps this wasn’t intentional but it makes for a pretty traumatic outcome of not quite knowing who is getting killed during all the action.  

  It’s as if by masking his biggest actor (Hardy) and by keeping blended familiarity with the rest of the cast, Nolan wanted to keep audiences as out of Hollywood and as zoned in on the war in the most realistic sense possible. Nolan even goes as far as to keep many of his characters completely nameless, giving the audience the least connected sense to them as characters rather than actual, everyday people. Because of this method Nolan creates a looking glass for his audience to peer in on the war as if they were watching the actual battles take place in real life. It’s as immersed an experience as war movies get.

  The film also notably does not truly feature a beginning nor an end to the battle at Dunkirk, putting folks literally right in the middle of the action from the start. The brilliance behind this decision is that the time-jumping narrative keeps the story moving at a brisk pace whether one plot line takes place over a few hours and another takes place over a few days. By splicing together these timelines, the narrative is weaved together in such a creative, cohesive manner that is utterly and flat-out remarkable, making this easily Nolan's most ambitious work to date, if only from a technical standpoint.

  Sure it may lack the grandiose heroics of Nolan’s other films in a traditional (or non-traditional) Hollywood sense; it may lack the witty banter and easily digestible plot structure of an unlikely band of merry men; and yes, ballsy as it is, it may lack lots of character development. But by being as high-stakes and as frighteningly realistic as the film portrays, it’s not only another great film for Nolan’s resume, it’s also arguably one of the greatest war movies ever made (if not one of the most creative).

*10 points to Harry Styles' quaffed hair
(Say what you want about his music but the kid can act)

Grade: A

2) Get Out

The Bottom Line: Jordan Peele has bulldozed down the racial barrier harder and smarter than perhaps any other filmmaker ever

Here's the longer (and better) review.

  Remember the main trailer for Get Out? Watch it again. This movie created HYPE right from the get-go, especially for horror fans, except for a COUPLE notable red flags: 
🚩1) the February release (graveyard season for films) and 🚩2) Jordan Peele’s name attached as director, and by God all of the skepticism was for naught.

  From the intro set to Childish Gambino's Redbone, right to the final cop car, when I say Get Out is better than it has any right being, it is literally engaging from beginning to finish and that’s no exaggeration. It tackles horror, comedy and racial issues in ways that have literally never been blended in a film before. It’s genuinely funny with actual laugh-out-loud moments, while the thrills are legitimately thrilling creating social commentary on racial barriers that is flat out f**king brilliant.

  It tackles racism in America in ways that are so clever and so comical that you never once feel like the film is shoving commentary down your throat. It taps into a self aware humor of racism, but it’s done in such a classy manner fusing both horror and comedy that a product this cleverly absurd could only come from the mind of Key & Peele. Not to mention, the film builds up to an absolutely bat-shit ending that legitimately made me want to stand up and throw my fists in the air.

  Jordan Peele has done the unthinkable. He has written and directed a breakout hit that works as a horror, a comedy and a completely self aware commentary on racism that’s digestible for everyone. 

  He masquerades the race issue from the point of view of a black person in a white America as a straight up comedic thriller, allowing audiences to take in the film as a genuinely exciting movie without realizing they’re taking in a meta exploitation piece that’s nearly entirely satirical on the absurdity of modern day racism. On a scale it’s utterly brilliant and with just one film Peele has earned a newfound respect on a brand new pedestal of horror-commentary filmmaking.

  There are definitely more well crafted films to have been released this year, but as far as wide recommendations go I literally can’t hype this one enough. It’s the one everyone should watch.

Get out.
Get the f**k out and watch this movie.

*100 points to racial commentary being done in a funny, scary and legitimately relevant manner.

Grade: B+

1) Blade Runner 2049

The Bottom Line: It’s really good. Like, Terminator 2 good.

(The caliber of Baby Goose & Harry Ford are unmatched by all who are unfortunate enough to cross their holy path)

 This glorious film is one thousand times better than it has any right being. It is astoundingly better than the original Blade Runner on quite literally every scale. It is also one of the best sci-fi sequels I’ve ever seen, not to mention one of the greatest sci-fi films I’ve ever seen period.

  It probably helps that I find the original Blade Runner vastly overrated. It's great in its own right but some of it doesn't translate well to screen, especially more than 30 years later (and Lord knows the version with Harrison Ford's narrative voice over is outright dreadful). THAT SAID, 2049 does a beautiful job of piggy-backing onto what makes Blade Runner such a functioning film in its cult status without deteriorating its legacy and more importantly, adding to the mythology.

 2049 is the Mad Max: Fury Road of 2017. It is a psychedelic, hypnotic, mesmerizing masterpiece, if only from a visual standpoint. It is a captivating pallet of pure, vibrant wonder. Every frame is gorgeous and the colors pop in ways that are legitimately convincing and utterly salivating. More importantly, the mechanisms to the film all work flawlessly.

  The film is an immediate staple to the sci-fi genre, from beginning to finish. It creates a captivating and haunting glimpse into the future, incorporating a completely technologically controlled society. It plays with philosophical ideas of man vs. machine and tackles these themes better than most sci-fi movies to ever exist. The essence of humanity; what it means to be human, is all boiled down into a morosely deep and complex story arc that takes time to explore its characters and themes, making this arguably one of the least mainstream films all year (and anti-mainstream has been my theme all year). Everyone involved completely nailed it.

  Gosling continues to prove to be a dark horse of stern and studly protagonists. His acting here won't earn him any nominations (arguably due to much of his familiar silence) but even the look in his eye shows every range of emotion without him speaking a word (he's also most likely the dark horse for most man-crushes in Hollywood right now). The rest of the cast also comes together nicely. Jared Leto doesn't hog the antagonist spotlight and Harrison Ford most definitely plays second fiddle to Gosling, and is  only used for absolutely necessary reasons. As for the icing on the cake, Ana de Armas is not only drop dead gorgeous as Joi, but she makes for one of the best and most heartbreaking love interests in 2017's films.

  DP Roger Deakins deserves a cinematography Oscar for his pallet of visual orgasms. This is easily the most stunning visual film of 2017 and some of Deakins' best work yet. To match the cinematic glory, composer Hans Zimmer’s synth score is literally spine-tingling. As far as these two auteurs go, you could watch the film on mute and be swept up by the visuals. You could listen to only the score and be transported to another planet.

  To top it off, Denis Villeneuve is the f**king man right now. His direction is astute, powerful, believable and with each new film, he is on his way to becoming one of the most visually notable filmmakers of all time.

  When it comes to blending the respect of craft for pure filmmaking vs. personal affection, not many movies hit that middle ground for me so perfectly, but I I literally can't hype this movie up enough. Every damn aspect to the film is a wonder to take in. It's glorious from beginning to finish.

Alright, I'm done wanking. This is the winner. That just happened. When I saw the previews I anticipated it, but I wasn't quite positive it would actually happen. And it happened. 
Blade Runner 2049 locked in the #1 slot for me for Best Picture of 2017, by MILES.

LONG LIVE BABY GOOSE

Grade: A+

*EPILOGUE*

Well there you have it, folks. Blade Runner topped the list, although this was easily the most difficult year in recent memory when it came to narrowing down the top 20. Much of what I saw I was genuinely pleased with, regardless of my stubborn rebelliousness against some critical fan favorites. That said, this was overall probably one of the better years in film of recent memory, and I look forward to cherishing my time wasting away, irrelevantly ranking all these silly movies until I am nothing but dust in the wind. May you all expand your pallets of cinema and find your own pretentious tree to sit under as you too grow weary, longing and living for film until the darkness consumes us all.

To those who embark on this journey, to the underworld of reading these novellas of nonsense, year after year, to you I owe my highest gratitude.

Knibb High football rules.

 *END OF EPILOGUE*

2018 Wish List:

• Black Panther
• Annihilation
• Red Sparrow
• Isle of Dogs
• You Were Never Really Here
• A Quiet Place *MOST ANTICIPATED*
• The New Mutants
• Avengers: Infinity War
• Solo: A Star Wars Story
• Deadpool 2
• Sicario 2: Soldado
• The Predator
• Venom 
• David Gordon Green's Halloween

   Let's hope the year isn't terrible

And yes, let's please just banish me to the Quiet Place already.

-End of Part V-

May the Force be with you all.