Favourites from 2017
Favourite films, specials and new shows (etc.) throughout the year.
Shout-outs:
Batman & Bill, Five Came Back, Thor: Ragnarök, I Tonya, Mother!, The Devil's Candy, A Ghost Story, Lady Bird, Detroit, Lemon, Another Yeti a Love Story: Life on the Streets, Loving Vincent...
Still need to check out:
Twin Peaks: The Return, The Death of Stalin, Feud, The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Godless, Brimstone, 1922, The Mick, Western, The Post, Mugen no jûnin, November, A Quiet Passion, I'm Dying Up Here, A Cure for Wellness, Jia nian hua, Babylon Berlin, Obit., Alias Grace, Dark, Le grand méchant renard, Gold...
Shout-outs:
Batman & Bill, Five Came Back, Thor: Ragnarök, I Tonya, Mother!, The Devil's Candy, A Ghost Story, Lady Bird, Detroit, Lemon, Another Yeti a Love Story: Life on the Streets, Loving Vincent...
Still need to check out:
Twin Peaks: The Return, The Death of Stalin, Feud, The Ballad of Lefty Brown, Godless, Brimstone, 1922, The Mick, Western, The Post, Mugen no jûnin, November, A Quiet Passion, I'm Dying Up Here, A Cure for Wellness, Jia nian hua, Babylon Berlin, Obit., Alias Grace, Dark, Le grand méchant renard, Gold...
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- DirectorAndrey ZvyagintsevStarsMaryana SpivakAleksey RozinMatvey NovikovA couple going through a divorce must team up to find their son who has disappeared during one of their bitter arguments.Loveless is incredibly sad. A dour and depressing f#cking film. That being said, it is excellent. Probably the best drama of 2017, with complex characters, providing a poignant social commentary about the selfishness of our times.
- DirectorNiki Lindroth von BahrStarsSven BjörklundMattias FranssonCarl EnglénA dark musical enacted in a market place, situated next to a freeway. The employees of the various commercial venues deal with boredom and existential anxiety by performing cheerful musical turns. The apocalypse is a tempting liberator.
- DirectorPaul Thomas AndersonStarsVicky KriepsDaniel Day-LewisLesley ManvilleSet in 1950s London, Reynolds Woodcock is a renowned dressmaker whose fastidious life is disrupted by a young, strong-willed woman, Alma, who becomes his muse and lover.Another stunning film by Paul Thomas Anderson. Phantom Thread explores the dynamics of a relationship like no film I've seen this year. The acting is superb, the cinematography cosy and elegant and at last the gorgeous score, which is tender and playful, yet full of grace (deserving to have won the Oscar).
- StarsGemma HoskinsAbbie SchaubVirginia AnzengruberA seven-part docuseries about the unsolved murder of a nun and the horrific secrets and pain that linger nearly five decades after her death.
- DirectorEmer ReynoldsStarsFrank DrakeCarolyn PorcoJohn CasaniIt is one of humankind's greatest achievements. More than 12 billion miles away a tiny spaceship is leaving our Solar System and entering the void of deep space - the first human-made object ever to do so.
- DirectorRick BarnesOlivia Neergaard-HolmJon NguyenStarsDavid LynchLula LynchEdwina LynchArtist and filmmaker David Lynch discusses his early life and the events that shaped his outlook on art and the creative process.If you love David Lynch, this documentary is a must. Even if you don't, The Art Life gives a wonderful insight into how a contemporary artist thinks and works.
- DirectorJames GunnStarsChris PrattZoe SaldanaDave BautistaThe Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family issues, notably Star-Lord's encounter with his father, the ambitious celestial being Ego.The humor and some of the character conflicts felt forced to me, but Gosh darn it James Gunn really knows how to tug at your heartstrings. The film almost made me cry. It's a fun superhero movie (one of the best) with a huge heart, a fantastic soundtrack and a touching ode to fatherhood.
I've rewatched it many-a-times and it has become one of my all-time favourites. - DirectorTrey Edward ShultsStarsJoel EdgertonChristopher AbbottCarmen EjogoSecure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.*stay away from the trailers*
- CreatorJoe PenhallStarsJonathan GroffHolt McCallanyAnna TorvIn the late 1970s, two FBI agents broaden the realm of criminal science by investigating the psychology behind murder and end up getting too close to real-life monsters.
- DirectorKaouther Ben HaniaStarsMariam Al FerjaniGhanem ZrelliNoomen HamdaA college student seeks help after a brutal assault but faces a bureaucratic nightmare when she reveals that her perpetrators are police officers.
- DirectorYorgos LanthimosStarsBarry G. BernsonHerb CaillouetBill CampSteven, a charismatic surgeon, is forced to make an unthinkable sacrifice after his life starts to fall apart, when the behavior of a teenage boy he has taken under his wing turns sinister.Yorgos Lanthimos achieved almost Kubrickian levels of filmmaking here. The direction and story grabs you and forces you into an alternative reality. It's a surreal nightmare of a film, full of suspense, eerie music and chilling performances.
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTimothée ChalametArmie HammerMichael StuhlbargIn 1980s Italy, romance blossoms between a seventeen-year-old student and the older man hired as his father's research assistant.It's a warm blanket in the best possible way. I was completely enamoured by this film. Call Me by Your Name is a beautiful, touching and judgement free romance told with elegance and sophistication. The palpable and realistic chemistry between the cast was sooo refreshing to see.
- DirectorDon HertzfeldtStarsJulia PottWinona MaeJesse CilioEmily is visited by a backup clone of herself from the even-more distant future, as they must venture into each other's psyches in order to restore the clone's deteriorating mind.
- DirectorDaniel LindsayT.J. MartinStarsHenry AlfaroDanny BakewellJohn D. BarnettTwenty-five years after the verdict in the Rodney King trial sparked several days of protests, violence and looting in Los Angeles, filmmakers examine that tumultuous period through rarely seen archival footage.
- DirectorNacho VigalondoStarsAnne HathawayJason SudeikisAustin StowellGloria is an out-of-work party girl forced to leave her life in New York City and move back home. When reports surface that a giant creature is destroying Seoul, she gradually comes to the realization that she is somehow connected to this phenomenon."If the trick is good f#ck the story, if the story's good f#ck the trick."
- DirectorMartin McDonaghStarsFrances McDormandWoody HarrelsonSam RockwellA mother personally challenges the local authorities to solve her daughter's murder when they fail to catch the culprit.
- DirectorJairus McLearyGethin AldousStarsEldra 'Vegas' III JacksonAaron Ortega-PiddingtonBrian NazarofSet inside a single room in Folsom Prison, three men from the outside participate in a four-day group-therapy retreat with a group of incarcerated men for a real look at the challenges of rehabilitation.An intense, raw and tearjerking look into the broken life and psyche of not just convicts but everyday men. A therapeutic experience for your mind and soul.
- DirectorGuillermo del ToroStarsSally HawkinsOctavia SpencerMichael ShannonAt a top secret research facility in the 1960s, a lonely janitor forms a unique relationship with an amphibious creature that is being held in captivity.The Shape of Water is a delightful fairy tale from the master of the genre. The film itself has a borderline childish mentality, but it's so alluring in its enchantment that it just did not bother me. I completely see why people would love or hate this film, though.
- DirectorJessica YuStarsMaria BamfordRiver ButcherAlex Blue DavisMaria Bamford performs a rapid-fire, playful stand-up set for crowds at park benches, bowling alleys and LA theaters in this roving comedy special.
- DirectorDenis VilleneuveStarsHarrison FordRyan GoslingAna de ArmasYoung Blade Runner K's discovery of a long-buried secret leads him to track down former Blade Runner Rick Deckard, who's been missing for thirty years.
- DirectorBenny SafdieJosh SafdieStarsRobert PattinsonBenny SafdieJennifer Jason LeighAfter a botched bank robbery lands his younger brother in prison, Connie Nikas embarks on a twisted odyssey through New York City's underworld to get his brother Nick out of jail.A thrillride from start to finish with an extremely charismatic performance by Pattinson.
- DirectorMatt SpicerStarsAubrey PlazaElizabeth OlsenO'Shea Jackson Jr.An unhinged social media stalker moves to LA and ingratiates herself into the life of an Instagram star.Ingrid Goes West is a wonderful character study with great acting and an absolutely perfect cynical ending.
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsEwan McGregorEwen BremnerJonny Lee MillerAfter 20 years abroad, Mark Renton returns to Scotland and reunites with his old friends Sick Boy, Spud, and Begbie.Trainspotting really did not need a follow-up, but Danny Boyle and team somehow pulled it off. T2 is a sequel that has no business being as poignant, touching and simply as good as it is. Loved it.
- 20171h 6mTV-MA7.9 (12K)TV SpecialDirectorStan LathanStarsDave ChappelleMorgan FreemanDave Chappelle gives his stand about racially charged run-ins, celebrity scandals and fatherly dilemmas in his stand-up set at Austin's Moody Theater.
- DirectorChristopher NolanStarsFionn WhiteheadBarry KeoghanMark RylanceAllied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.Dunkirk gave me a f#cking heart attack in the theatre.
- DirectorMike FlanaganStarsCarla GuginoBruce GreenwoodChiara AureliaA couple tries to spice up their marriage in a remote lake house. After the husband dies unexpectedly, the wife is left handcuffed to their bed frame and must fight to survive and break free.Mike Flanagan at his best. The plot is quite simple, but the way Flanagan approached and executed it is ingenius. Carla Gugino's performance is fierce, one of the best this year. The only issues I have with Gerald's Game is that the pacing initially is a bit too slow, there are a few corny effects and that the last 10 minutes will make or break the film for some people. For me, I could take or leave it.
- CreatorRichard MullinsDub CornettMike JudgeStarsMike JudgeKinky FriedmanShooter JenningsThe raucous adventures of musicians such as Johnny Paycheck, Jerry Lee Lewis, George Jones and Tammy Wynette, as told by those who knew them best. Season 2 covers the legends of funk.
- DirectorJon WattsStarsTom HollandMichael KeatonRobert Downey Jr.Peter Parker balances his life as an ordinary high school student in Queens with his superhero alter-ego Spider-Man, and finds himself on the trail of a new menace prowling the skies of New York City.Bubble-gum fun with a John Hughes flair and one of the better Marvel villains in years in Michael Keaton's Vulture.
- DirectorJordan PeeleStarsDaniel KaluuyaAllison WilliamsBradley WhitfordA young African-American visits his white girlfriend's parents for the weekend, where his simmering uneasiness about their reception of him eventually reaches a boiling point.Get Out is soOo much fun. It's a better satire of our times than a horror movie, but overall it's all-that-and-a-bag-of-potato-chips.
- DirectorJulia DucournauStarsGarance MarillierElla RumpfRabah Nait OufellaA young woman, studying to be a vet, develops a craving for human flesh.Raw is a clever and wonderfully twisted take on the classic coming of age story. It's disturbing and grotesque (as French horror's known to be), but at times it is at odds with balancing its sophisticated elegant style and trashy grisliness. Didn't much care for the last 2-5 minutes though.
- DirectorMichael WinterbottomStarsSteve CooganRob BrydonRebecca JohnsonActors Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon embark on a six-part episodic road trip through Europe. This time they're in Spain, sampling the restaurants, eateries, and sights along the way.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsJane GoodallHugo Van LawickHugo Eric Louis van LawickThe life and work of the renowned primatology scientist, Jane Goodall, especially on her research about chimpanzees.A stunning documentary, with impeccable editing, celebrating the incredible life and work of the extraordinary person that is Jane Goodall.
- DirectorNeal BrennanStarsNeal BrennanNeal Brennan is taking multitasking to a whole new level in this stand up special, which features the comedian switching between three different microphones symbolizing three different styles of comedy.
- DirectorRandy GreenbackStarsKane HodderThom MathewsJennifer Ann BurtonFriday the 13th: The Game is a semi-open world third-person survival horror game set in the campgrounds around the fictional Crystal Lake during the mid-1980s. An asymmetrical multiplayer game, with up to eight people able to play.
- DirectorRuben ÖstlundStarsClaes BangElisabeth MossDominic WestA prestigious Stockholm museum's chief art curator finds himself in times of both professional and personal crisis as he attempts to set up a controversial new exhibit.A wonderful examination of the human condition and human nature. The Square is a little disjointed and heavy-handed, but it's immensely engaging and entertaining all throughout.
- CreatorMichael ShowalterDavid WainStarsNina HellmanMarguerite MoreauZak OrthThe campers and counselors of Camp Firewood meet ten years after their last day at camp.
- DirectorGabe KlingerStarsAnton YelchinLucie LucasPaulo CalatréJake and Mati are two outsiders in Porto who once experienced a brief connection. A mystery remains about the moments they shared, and in searching through memories, they relive the depths of a night uninhibited by the consequences of time.
- DirectorGriffin DunneStarsJoan DidionGriffin DunneAnna WintourLiterary icon Joan Didion reflects on her remarkable career and personal struggles in this intimate documentary directed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne.
- DirectorSteve GaynorMichael CsuricsStarsSarah GraysonCarl LumblyEva La DareAn officer investigates the space transfer center 'Tacoma' to find the whereabouts of the missing crew and it's AI after a meteor shower.Couldn't shake the elongated demo feel, but Tacoma is one of the most inventive and immersive story driven games I've played recently.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsChanning TatumAdam DriverDaniel CraigTwo brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.Ocean's Eleven without the sleekness or the flair, but with double the heart and sincerety. One of the most enjoyable films of the year.
- DirectorAaron SorkinStarsJessica ChastainIdris ElbaKevin CostnerThe true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.Molly's Game is a fast paced, immensely engaging and entertaining film about a fascinating real life story brought to the screen by a wonderful cast. The only harsh criticism I can give is that the last act is way sappy and that Sorkin's direction is a little too Fincher.
- DirectorChristopher LandonStarsJessica RotheIsrael BroussardRuby ModineA college student must relive the day of her murder over and over again, in a loop that will end only when she discovers her killer's identity.
- DirectorLynn SheltonStarsMarc MaronAmber PrestonComedian Marc Maron riffs on topics including Donald Trump, a Rolling Stones concert, and the hat-buying experience.
- DirectorJordan Vogt-RobertsStarsTom HiddlestonSamuel L. JacksonBrie LarsonAfter the Vietnam war, a team of scientists explores an uncharted island in the Pacific, venturing into the domain of the mighty Kong and must fight to escape a primal Eden.The most stylish and fun B-movie I've seen in years. Loved it.
- CreatorLiz FlahiveCarly MenschStarsAlison BrieMarc MaronBetty GilpinA look at the personal and professional lives of a group of women who perform for a wrestling organization in Los Angeles during the 1980s.
- DirectorRoger MichellStarsRachel WeiszSam ClaflinHolliday GraingerA young Englishman plots revenge against his late cousin's mysterious, beautiful wife, believing her responsible for his death. But his feelings become complicated as he finds himself falling under the beguiling spell of her charms.A perfectly executed sexually warped mystery wrapped in a beautifully shot and acted period-piece. It's definitely not for everyone, but it is right down my alley.
- DirectorScott BensonBethany HockenberryAlec HolowkaAfter dropping out of college, Mae returns to her hometown of Possum Springs where she slowly uncovers a dark mystery.
- CreatorNoah HawleyStarsDan StevensRachel KellerAubrey PlazaDavid Haller is a troubled young man diagnosed as schizophrenic, but after a strange encounter he discovers special powers that will change his life forever.
- DirectorChad StahelskiStarsKeanu ReevesRiccardo ScamarcioIan McShaneAfter returning to the criminal underworld to repay a debt, John Wick discovers that a large bounty has been put on his life.Liked it better than the original. No sugar coating just pure action with phenomenal choreography.
- DirectorMacon BlairStarsMelanie LynskeyChris DoubekMarilyn Faith HickeyWhen a depressed woman is burgled, she finds a new sense of purpose by tracking down the thieves along with her obnoxious neighbor. But they soon find themselves dangerously out of their depth against a pack of degenerate criminals.
- DirectorSean BakerStarsBrooklynn PrinceBria VinaiteWillem DafoeSet over one summer, the film follows precocious six-year-old Moonee as she courts mischief and adventure with her ragtag playmates and bonds with her rebellious but caring mother, all while living in the shadows of Walt Disney World.Very well handled balancing act b/w a dire tone and an alluring sense of playfulness. The slice-of-life aspects with Bria Vinaite's entertaining performance and Brooklynn Prince's adorable charm along with Dafoe's excellence really make up for all the film's shortcomings (the ending... isn't great).
- DirectorAna Lily AmirpourStarsSuki WaterhouseJason MomoaJayda FinkIn a desert dystopia, a young woman is kidnapped by cannibals.
- DirectorSofia CoppolaStarsNicole KidmanKirsten DunstElle FanningThe unexpected arrival of a wounded Union soldier at a girls school in Virginia during the American Civil War leads to jealousy and betrayal.
- DirectorMichael BonfiglioStarsJerry SeinfeldJimmy BroganMark SchiffComedian Jerry Seinfeld takes the stage at the comedy club where he began his career to recount his early life.
- DirectorJohn Carroll LynchStarsHarry Dean StantonDavid LynchRon LivingstonLucky follows the spiritual journey of a 90-year-old atheist and the quirky characters that inhabit his off the map desert town.
- CreatorDavid E. KelleyStarsReese WitherspoonNicole KidmanShailene WoodleyThe apparently-perfect lives of upper-class mothers of students at a prestigious elementary school unravel to the point of murder when a single mother moves to their quaint California beach town.
- DirectorJames MangoldStarsHugh JackmanPatrick StewartDafne KeenIn a future where mutants are nearly extinct, an elderly and weary Logan leads a quiet life. But when Laura, a mutant child pursued by scientists, comes to him for help, he must get her to safety.There are many things in Logan (character motivation, muddy plot points etc.) that I found straight up annoying and sloppy, nevertheless, it is a magnificently dire, bittersweat and moving swan song for a beloved character.
- DirectorS. Craig ZahlerStarsVince VaughnJennifer CarpenterDon JohnsonA former boxer-turned-drug runner lands in a prison battleground after a deal gets deadly.More like "Crawl to Cell Block 99", amiright? Bad jokes aside, it is a borderline 'boring' film, but for that glorious ending alone it's well worth a watch.
- DirectorOlivier NakacheÉric ToledanoStarsJean-Pierre BacriJean-Paul RouveGilles LelloucheA hectic wedding party held in an 17th century French palace comes together with the help of the behind-the-scenes staff.
- DirectorRian JohnsonStarsDaisy RidleyJohn BoyegaMark HamillRey develops her abilities with the help of Luke Skywalker, as the Resistance prepares for battle against the First Order.The good is great, the bad is genuinely awful. There's plenty of both...
- DirectorM. Night ShyamalanStarsJames McAvoyAnya Taylor-JoyHaley Lu RichardsonThree girls are kidnapped by a man with a diagnosed 23 distinct personalities. They must try to escape before the apparent emergence of a frightful new 24th.Shyamalan through and through. Both exhilarating and unintentionally comedic.
- DirectorMac WaltersSam McGlynnStarsFryda WolffTom TaylorsonJules de JonghThe Andromeda Initiative sets a course for a new galaxy, hoping to find a new home for the species of the Milky Way.It's not good, buuut I actually enjoyed my time with Andromeda (to my surprise).
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsMichael FassbenderKatherine WaterstonBilly CrudupThe crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.A glorified big budget B-movie.
It's a bit frustrating though, that Ridley Scott scrapped his original idea of a more direct Prometheus sequel. It doesn't really matter now I guess, Prometheus is probably the better made film overall, but Covenant is much more enjoyable.