Top 10 Movies of 2017

This year provided the typical movie-going audiences with some of the most enjoyable cinematic achievements to help get our minds off of all the mayhem. If you managed to make it out to your local theater this year hopefully you were able to catch some of the year’s best films. If not, it’s never too late to catch up before the new year!

There were plenty of movies this year in nearly every genre, from indie to romance to horror to superheroes. For the sake of this list, we focused on horror, action, and comic-based films (sorry indie films).

These were the top 10 best movies of 2017!

10) It

Though met with a lot of skepticism upon the movie’s initial announcement, the ‘It’ reboot still delivers a scary and enjoyable experience. The movie manages to avoid the typical cinematic fatigue usually associated with the constant barrage of horror film rehashing and provides something refreshingly entertaining by boiling down much of the excess storytelling from the novel while enhancing the aspects that made the original version memorable. Bill Skarsgard’s performance as the titular dark entity, Pennywise, opposite the amazing performances from the talented cast of kids in the Losers gang makes this one of the better films to stand out this year.

9) Thor: Ragnarok

The third installment of the ‘Thor’ series was a much-needed departure from its predecessors. Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe making way for fresher, newer takes on pre-established material, ‘Ragnarok’ was a surprisingly funnier take on the franchise. It was especially thrilling to see Chris Hemsworth opposite Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk considering a solo movie with the green goliath likely won’t happen outside of these types of team-ups and ‘Avengers’ sequels thanks to Universal still retaining the rights. Being one of the most visually engaging MCU movies coupled with the show-stealing performances from both Jeff Goldblum and Cate Blanchett, this was by far the best Marvel movie of the year.

8) Get Out

Probably the biggest surprise hit of the year, ‘Get Out’, directed by ‘Key and Peele’ co-creator, Jordan Peele, proved that you can still take audiences by surprise. This bodes true not only for the movie’s ability to subvert expectations for your typical horror/thriller but also for filmmaker Jordan Peele, known almost exclusively for comedy. Managing to create a constant atmosphere of dread and anxiety throughout the plot, the story depicts a sort of exaggerated “worst case scenario” when meeting the family of someone you’re romantically involved with when you’re different races. ‘Get Out’ addresses the tension felt by those in that situation while creating an almost ‘Twilight Zone’ inspired backdrop that complements the subject matter perfectly.

7) Wonder Woman

At long last, one of the most important superheroes in pop culture history finally has an epic film to call her own. Following up the unforgettable debut of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in 2016’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, this movie is widely considered the most well-received DC Extended Universe film to date, with good reason. Gadot opposite Chris Pine’s Steve Trevor provided one of the few actually moving and believable romances in a comic book adaptation. Although the typical lack of an entertaining villain was evident here, the action throughout was comparable to that of any quality superhero movie to date. Despite the many missteps of the DCEU, ‘Wonder Woman’ has been the first ray of hope that the cinematic universe in question isn’t dead and buried, but capable of much more that the likes of travesties like ‘Suicide Squad’.

6) John Wick: Chapter 2

Fans of the first ‘John Wick’ were pleased to discover the second chapter in the series was more than a worthy successor. When legendary assassin, John Wick, is forced back into action thanks to a blood oath he took during his career, he will stop at nothing and no one to finally be free of the life he’s so desperately been trying to escape. The driving force of these movies is the heart-pounding action made all the more thrilling thanks to the commitment of veteran actor, Keanu Reeves. These movies would not be as enjoyable if it weren’t for his obvious care and consideration for the franchise and it shines through more evident than ever in ‘Chapter 2’. The ending even does a phenomenal job of getting audiences excited for the next one, suggesting a total departure of form that might prove for one of the greatest action trilogies of all time.

5) The Belko Experiment

Written and co-created by ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ 1 and 2 director, James Gunn, this was his bloody little horror/thriller between Disney funded family films. With the litany of jump-scare reliant horror movies like the ‘Insidious’ or ‘Paranormal Activity’ sequels, it was refreshing to see this fun and exhilarating installment to the genre. The plot centers on a building full of office workers who discover they are unsuspecting participants in a brutal experiment in human nature and primal instinct. The very well-executed, high-stress plot injected with some well-placed comedic moments throughout is perfect to create a gut-wrenching “what if” mentality that pushes the boundaries of typical horror movies, making ‘The Belko Experiment’ one of the most underrated movies to release this year.

4) Baby Driver

Shockingly enough, Sony Pictures was actually the studio behind this fresh take on organized heist plots. ‘Baby Driver’ was a much more personal story than you might expect, focusing more on the romance and music than the fast cars and bank robbing, but still finding that healthy ratio that leaves you wanting more. The plot centers on Baby, a young man whose skill behind the wheel gets him caught up with a crime boss who won’t let him leave this fast-paced life of danger. The revolving door of colorful characters keeps things interesting and provides a story that remains so until the end. Thanks to director, Edgar Wright, famous for such hits as ‘Sean of the Dead’ and ‘Scott Pilgrim vs The World’, this movie looks to be one of the many projects to release this year that deserves some serious recognition.

3) Kingsman: The Golden Circle

‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ grew quite the following after its initial release, and that fan base continues to expand thanks to the amazingly rambunctious sequel, ‘The Golden Circle’. Director, Matthew Vaughn, continues to prove that he deserves to be one of the most celebrated masters of comic book adaptions. Already providing a name for himself with both ‘Kick-Ass’ movies, and essentially being responsible for resuscitating the ‘X-Men’ franchise with ‘First Class’, the ‘Kingsman’ movies are probably his best projects to date. In the sequel, the Kingsman headquarters are destroyed by a megalomaniacal drug lord, forcing the last remaining agents to enlist the help of their US counterpart organization, the Statesman. The devastation the characters face allow you to seem them in a new light considering their usual resources are now gone, leaving them with nothing but each other. The introduction of the Statesman seems like a logical place for the series to go, without heavy-handedly suggesting a nauseating amount of spin-offs or unnecessary side stories. With action and laughs aplenty, one couldn’t have asked for not only a worthier sequel, but arguably one of the best comic book movies of the year.

2) The Shape of Water

Director, Guillermo Del Toro, has been pretty closed-off when it comes to the mysterious origins of this passion project. The similarities between his character of the Amphibious Man and his other famous fishy friend, Abe Sapien from the ‘Hellboy’ movies, is uncanny and has left many scratching their heads as to the possible connection. In any case, ‘The Shape of Water’ is a beautifully told story that sends audiences on a hauntingly imaginative tale of a beauty/beast relationship between a mysterious creature with extraordinary abilities, and a lost, misunderstood woman that never really knows her place. Every performance meshes perfectly with the next, especially when it comes to Michael Shannon’s truly hateful government agent, Richard Strickland. The movie is a visually stimulating work of cinematic art coupled with a story that keeps you engaged from beginning to tear-jerking end.

1) Logan

By far, the best movie of the year has to be ‘Logan’. If you grew up with the ‘X-Men’ movies, this was an emotional end of an era. Hugh Jackman may have been a controversial choice for Wolverine when he was initially cast, especially if you were a fan of the comics, but he made it his own and introduced an interpretation that will live on in our culture. ‘Logan’ was not only the best (and possibly only watchable) ‘Wolverine’ movie, but its R rating freed the movie to give us one of the most heartbreaking send-offs for not only Jackman as the titular character, but Patrick Stewart as Professor X. With the ‘X-Men’ film franchise now ready to branch off into new territory with movies like ‘Deadpool’ and the upcoming ‘New Mutants’, the passing of the torch was necessary and it couldn’t have been done with more dignity an