36 thoughts on “Movie Podcast Weekly Ep. 272: The Shape of Water (2017) and All the Money in the World (2017) and Bright (2017) and MPW’s Top 10 Movies of 2017”

1. Hey guys, been looking forward to this episode, since it’s my first full year of listening to the network and contributing a Top 10 list. A few of my choices made the listeners list and even some of the hosts. Thanks for reading some of my quotes from my list, even though Karl gave me the business on my Star Wars The Last Jedi line. It is a masterpiece even though some of Rian Johnson’s choices are, at this point, head scratching. Now I’m anxiously waiting for the HMP Top 10.
   Also I was one of the naysayers of netflix’s Bright. Ryan has a good point in that maybe the world it’s based in doesn’t need to be totally explained. Just be happy that it does. I get that. Sometimes movies get too mired in backstory or flashbacks that it can really slow the pacing of the story. I’m huge fan of Lord of the Rings and to have it set in modern times seems interesting, but my complaint was, unless you’re already a fan or aware of orcs, elves and magic, it was asking a lot of a viewer that watched it on face value. I read it may get a sequel, so I’m apparently in the minority.

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2. Fun show, guys. A lot of laughs.

   I was disappointed, though, that we didn’t really get J’s top 10 movies of the year. J, this is “Movie” Podcast Weekly, not “Movies except for horror” Podcast Weekly. I get that you would make a separate list of horror-only films specifically for HMP, but I’d like to hear where certain horror films might have fallen among all of the films you saw. You don’t exclude reviewing horror movies on MPW, so why exclude them from your MPW top 10? J, you like to make lists… give us a list of your top 10 of the year, all included!

   More later…

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   • Fair enough, Eric. I will provide my ALL GENRES (including Horror) Top 10 list here below… I can’t do it right now, but I will, since you requested it. (If you cared enough to ask, then I will be happy to provide it.)
     -J

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     • By the way, the HMP Top 10 episode is available:
       https://horrormoviepodcast.com/horror-movie-podcast-ep-137-top-10-horror-movies-of-2017/
       J

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     • Aw, thanks. You’re a great guy, J. (Despite what everyone says.) 🙂

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       • I didn’t include my horror picks either, so I understand why Jason did as he did. I am such a super horror fan that I didn’t want my bias to interfere in what I personally thought was one of the best year’s for film in a long while, regardless what Karl says. Plus, selfishly it allows me to get more films out there on my list 🙂 I know it’s cheating in a way, but what can I say. I definitely get your point though, Eric.

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3. Thanks for the prize of one of Ryan’s top 10 picks. I will go with Baby Driver.

   Thanks again!
   JodyHorrorGuy

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4. What’s with you guys and mother!? Worst movie of the year without having seen it?? Or did I miss some previous joke about that? I haven’t seen it yet (it’s on the list of films that might still bump others from my final top 10 once I see them), and I realize it’s had a mixed response, but a lot of people have loved it. I think two of the three /film guys had it on their top 10 lists. At the very least, it looks different and intriguing, with some interesting possible interpretations of what’s going on.

   Anyway, I’ll try to get to that this week, so I can weigh in, having actually seen it.

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   • If you like aronovski films like the Fountain and Noah, you may think Mother! is a masterpiece. If you have taste and are not simple you will fins the allegory weak and subtle as a bat to the head.

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     • Geez, that’s a huge insult to a lot of very respectable cinephiles and film critics.

       Perhaps your take of what is obvious is what is in question? One of the things I recall one of the /film guys saying is how he had talked to several people who each said they knew what mother! was about, and their interpretations were all different.

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       • while I understand opinions, I take a hard stand against That director.I watch all his movies hoping for another The Wrestler because it is one of my favs. but I am beginning to think it was lightning in a bottle..

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     • Wow, I guess I’m just a simpleton with no taste 🙁

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   • Amen, Eric!!
     I have been out of my mind with this nonsense! I cannot understand to save my life why Ryan and Karl insist on crapping all over a film they haven’t seen. It’s one thing to not want to see a film or dislike the people involved, but the absolute hatred spewing out over something they have not and will not ever see is insane. They did the same thing with Lady Bird.
     I don’t get it, man! Anger issues maybe? 🙂

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5. Jay,

   Just so you know, I did hear you on your Lion recommendation from a while back. It is a great film and your review of it was spot on. Thanks for that. I am just one of those guys that considered it a 2016 film…

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   • Because it’s a 2016 film. Jay just couldn’t get to it before 2017. Big difference, Jay.

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   • It was on my 2016 list but Jay ignored it then without mentioning. The karma returned to him.

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6. So, this is what I sent Jay. I tried not to include horror movies so as not to have too many overlaps between this and HMP’s list, but I thought I’d include horror movies that were fringe enough (some argue they’re not horror at all) to justify their inclusion on both lists. I’ll try to post actual thoughts on the movies later.

   1 – The Shape of Water
   2 – Blade Runner 2049
   3 – Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
   4 – Coco
   5 – Super Dark Times
   6 – The Bad Batch
   7 – Logan
   8 – Good Time
   9 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi
   10 – Brawl in Cell Block 99

   Honorable Mentions:
   11 – Patti Cake$
   12 – Detroit
   13 – The Killing of a Sacred Deer
   14 – Wind River
   15 – The Big Sick

   3 Biggest Disappointments / Heartbreaks of 2017: (Should have been better!)
   Baby Driver
   A Ghost Story
   Dunkirk

   3 MOST OVERRATED Movies of 2017:
   Baby Driver
   Dunkirk
   Ingrid Goes West

   The Sing WORST Damn Movie of 2017: (Name names!)
   Geostorm

   TOP 5 MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2018 (as of yet):
   1 – Avengers: Infinity War
   2 – The Incredibles 2
   3 – The Predator
   4 – Isle of Dogs
   5 – Super Troopers 2

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   • Nice list Juan. It was nice to see you rate Coco so high. I really liked that movie. I too felt like Baby Driver was a bit overrated. I still liked it, but I wasn’t over the moon about it. Oh man! My BMOTY was one of your biggest disappointments. Was it the way time was handled in Dunkirk, or was it the weak characters? Those are the two complaints I hear the most. Obviously, I didn’t mind. But I can understand those gripes.

     Now A Ghost Story is a movie I expected to be divisive. It really hit me emotionally and visually the first time. I am almost afraid to watch it again for fear I will see past it’s supposed emotion and depth and just find it all to be artsy-fartsy drivel that is trying way too hard.

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     • Thanks, man. And yeah, I’m glad you enjoyed Coco as much as I did. It truly is a special film.

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   • Dunkirk overrated? Dude we keep asking you NOT to get high before commenting. 😉

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7. The list I sent you Jay didn’t include Coco, but I caught up with it recently and loved it. It definitely makes my Top 10. I am going to catch The Post and The Darkest Hour this week. I am hopeful that they crack my Top 10.

   TOP 10 of 2017

   1. Dunkirk (BMOTY!)
   2. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
   3. War for the Planet of the Apes
   4. Murder on the Orient Express
   5. A Ghost Story
   6. Wonder Woman
   7. Thor Ragnarok
   8. Coco
   9. The Big Sick
   10. The Lost City of Z

   Honorable Mentions:
   11. Only the Brave
   12. Baby Driver
   13. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
   14. King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
   15. Logan Lucky

   The Single Best “Guilty Pleasure” Movie of the Year!
   King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

   Biggest Disappointments / Heartbreaks of 2017: (Should have been better!)
   Justice League
   Ghost in the Shell
   Kong: Skull Island

   MOST OVERRATED Movies of 2017:
   Beauty and the Beast
   Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
   Spider-Man: Homecoming

   DIShonorable Mentions:
   The Mountain Between Us
   The Zookeepers Wife

   The Single WORST Damn Movie of 2017:
   The Circle

   TOP 5 MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2018:
   1. Ready Player One
   2. The New Cloverfield sequel (title? God Particle?)
   3. Isle of Dogs
   4. Mission Impossible 6
   5. Solo: A Star Wars Story

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   • I’m surprised you liked Dunkirk that much, but I can understand why. For me, it was a technical marvel, but I just couldn’t connect with it beyond that. Kudos for placing TLJ at your #2 spot. I wanted to place it higher, but there were just too many wonderful movies this year, that it had to settle for #9. Cool list, man!

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     • I love WWII pics, so I may be extra biased when it comes to Dunkirk. As for TLJ, I always tell people I’m not a big Star Wars nut, then I geek out over the latest release. I watched that one three times in theater, and it got better with each viewing. Still hoping Rey turns out to be a Kenobi. Old Ben needs some redemption.

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8. 1.) — Blade Runner 2049
   A sequel so distant from the original in look & scope, but keeps the same scifi noir tone & simple story structure. Denis Vileneuve has cut into the upper echelon of modern day masterpieces, across all genres. Its box office will keep studios running away, putting the final blade into this franchise. It’s running time might make some feel like a muddled mile of Michael Bay movies, however, it’s end result is a marathon minute of movie magic.
   10/10
   2.) — The Big Sick
   Kumail Nanjiani has cured those concerned with cinema, with a film about love on layaway. These people should be looking to loosen & lighten up where they’re landing in life. Where the bearing of backgrounds can break & the foundation of foregrounds can flourish. This picture poisoned me with degrees of passion not seen since Sing Street. It’s one sick script.
   10/10
   3.) — A Ghost Story
   Cloaked in warmth, with trails of tragedy & tears. It reminds us how we can be ghosts to one another while we’re here. It’s ending can be open to interpretation, however the emotions of love & loss solidify the bond between the both leads. Whether its technique is for you or not, you can’t help but be stuck between the scripts sheets of sheer sentiment.
   9/10
   4.) — Gerald’s Game
   This was unfilmable? How about “the” most “able” horror film that Netflix has produced. So much so that this puts Misery to bed as an adaptation. Carla Gugino goes to an Oscar elevated enclave & Mike Flanagan displays his drive for distinguished direction. I can’t fathom the issues people had with the ending. It gives this game its grand ghoulish grit.
   9/10
   5.) — Brawl in Cell Block 99
   A story about death that celebrates life & a film about doing the right thing even you’re committing wrong. Regarding near perfect prison pictures, it’s on the same level with Bronson, Hunger, A Prophet, & Starred-Up. S. Craig Zahler (Bone Tomahawk) has locked up another masterpiece. The 2017 penitentiary picture, Shot Caller, was also well done.
   9/10
   6.) — Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
   Being advertised as a dramedy set against the backdrop of a murder, the mystery of the crime diminishes through character discoveries. Ebbing the former shells of themselves, three individuals begin finding new purposes on life, ultimately accepting new directions. This is a bold billboard for authentic authorship & acting, comparable to Network (76).
   9/10
   7.) — The Killing of a Sacred Deer
   Moving to English language films, Yorgos Lanthimos has sacrificed his cemented reputation. Two years in a row he has killed it with his intelligent idiosyncratic anecdotes. Yorgos is in the hunt for the world’s most original filmmaker working today. Barry Keoghan should be the runaway Best Supporting Actor winner, slaying all the competition.
   9/10
   8.) — Wind River
   Taylor Sheridan has bestowed upon us a breeze of brilliance with his scripts, & that sentiment continues to flow in his directorial debut. With the story of a woman murdered on a Indian reservation, he has drifted into a thrilling territory untouched by many tackling films today. There is a gust of greatness that’s sure to be attached to everything he touches.
   9/10
   9.) — The Disaster Artist
   James Franco’s love letter to Ed Wood, where talent is in the eye of the talentless. Icarus himself would even be able to admit Tommy Wiseau’s limitations, as the filmmaker chuckles & continues his course of cinema compost. I see this as a story about friendship & loyalty. The more I think about it, maybe Greg Sestero is the disaster artist for staying so long.
   9/10
   10.) — Good Time
   Robert Pattinson has shown the film community he has more bite without the fangs. The Rover & The Lost City of Z helped him shine, waning any overcast of doubt. This is a film about family & the fights that those friendships can bring to fruition. This is the top soundtrack of the year. Horror fans will have one hell of a good time here.
   9/10
   Honorable Mentions:
   11.) — Split
   This is the new dawn of filmmaking for M. Night, seizing the day with his talent for tales with tales. The natural unfolding of turns in this script are attributed to his wonderful & wild world of writing. I see the title as a referendum on bridging off from his muddled & mediocre middle career. This shouldn’t divide horror fans, as it’s one beast of a picture.
   9/10
   12.) — T2: Trainspotting
   This trip has been 20 years in the making to the station. The original is about death while not preparing them for life, with the sequel being about life while not preparing them for death. Danny Boyle chooses projects unlike each previous effort. The cast feels like they’ve been in this world for two decades, right back on the tracks of existence. Choose this film.
   9/10
   13.) — The Shape of Water
   Guillermo del Toro gives us a Cold War fantasy, with equal parts of The Creature From the Black Lagoon, E.T., Splash, & The Americans. It’s a film about communication & equality. A mute woman has the loudest voice in the film & it’s no secret that teal is a major part of the lives of Asset, Elisa, & Strickland. Del Toro shaped a picture flooded in allegory & affection.
   8/10
   14.) — The Meyerowitz Stories (New & Selected)
   There is a silly storyline I screen through my senses that Noah Baumbach makes his films therapeutically just for me. He’s ardently affected by Woody Allen, though always placing his personal permits on them. Adam Sandler & Elizabeth Marvel are standouts as the dysfunctional & miserable personalities. A story of welcoming wit, not mired by mediocrity.
   8/10
   15.) — Darkest Hour
   A great many actors have given life to Winston Churchill, including Albert Finney & Brendan Gleeson. However, none of them have come as close to Gary Oldman, in terms of the possibility of death, as it’s darkly draped to his conscience. The stake of the country was in his hands, during its darkest hours. Hopefully history records this as Oldman’s first Oscar.
   8/10

   The Single Best “Guilty Pleasure” Movie of the Year!
   — Daddy’s Home II
   A cast willing to bring this mediocre idea home, hitting all the marks. Both Gibson & Lithgow are the standouts, making up for the blueprint of gags that fall short of greatness. Even after the trailer overstayed its welcome, the funny moments still came across fresh.
   6/10

   3 Biggest Disappointments / Heartbreaks of 2017: (Should have been better!)
   — The Beguiled
   Sofia Coppola lures us into this Civil War set story, but brings nothing fresh to the already filmed novel. The whole cast excels, especially Farrell & Kidman. However, those familiar with the Eastwood movie, stick with that. A contemporary setting would’ve improved this.
   6/10
   — Okja
   Bong Joon-ho has made two masterpieces; Memories of Murder & Mother. The Host & Snowpiercer are skilled pieces of film. Here, character eccentricities convolute the screen to a space that would infuriate Franklin right off the Texas Chainsaw set. This is cinema swine.
   5/10
   — The Snowman
   The trailer sent ice through my veins, freezing me with each viewing. Unfortunately, the talent in front of & behind the camera melted into mediocrity. The book is a disturbing icy Hitchcockian tale. Plagued by plentiful production problems, the film is slush on screen.
   6/10

   3 MOST OVERRATED Movies of 2017:
   — Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume II
   Memorable opening credits, but a downward slide from there. Kurt Russell, as mandated by his lifetime cinema contract, makes it better. But the repetitive humor falls flat. Maybe the peculiarity of these anti-heroes increases the struggle to find footing beyond the original.
   6/10
   — Lady Bird
   A great love story between mother & daughter, but 100% on Rotten Tomatoes? Lady Bird demands respect from her family but lies continually to friends, giving too much conflict to the audience. It’s a better Juno than Juno & a great feather in the cap for Greta Gerwig.
   7/10
   — Star Wars: The Last Jedi
   If you have been waiting to see Luke Skywalker starring in Cast Away, Kylo Ren yell, ship battles baked in boredom, Las Vegas in space, flat character outcomes & revelations, & love stories with no chemistry, then this is the Star Wars film for you. Lawrence Kasdan should be the last jedi to make decisions on all Star Wars scripts. Taking the reins is Rian Johnson, who reigned all over the indie film world, then rained all over my Star Wars parade.
   5/10

   4 DIShonorable Mentions: (2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th worst of the year)
   — Jeepers Creepers III
   The first half of the original movie is about as good as early aughts horror cinema can get. It borrowed from Leatherface (90) but still sustained enough of its originality. The only storyline that makes sense for part IV would be the Creeper chasing Victor Salva in prison.
   2/10
   — Jigsaw
   I had palpable optimism that the franchise was back on track. Instead Lionsgate gave us a muddled mess. The best thing about the film were the end credits, knowing it was over. The steady downward fall after part IV has finally hit rock bottom. A saw so dull it can’t cut.
   3/10
   — Justice League
   DC is making me despise their properties. Richard Donner & Christopher Nolan are in a league all their own, eloquently giving justice to stories. Warner Bros. should’ve continued all storylines separately. Wonder Woman aside, the studio started too big for their capes.
   4/10
   — Life
   This should’ve dropped the “F” from the title & added a “A” & “N” between the letters left. In 2017, the Alien franchise gave us a great prequel sequel & this piece of film fraud. For the life of me I can’t remember a trailer that played more often. A film full of flatlines.
   3/10

   The Single WORST Damn Movie of 2017: (Name names!)
   — The Mountain Between Us
   Apprehension consumes me when I have to tie worst with two great working actors. Beau Bridges lucked out missing this survival vacation tale. Supplies were so readily available to them, I was waiting for Bear Grylls to show up. I had no idea what I crash landing into.
   2/10

   TOP 5 MOST ANTICIPATED MOVIES OF 2018 (as of yet):
   1). Sicario II: Soldado
   The most unlikely sequel of the year. If there was someone out there contract killing it with spotless screenwriting, Taylor Sheridan would be it. Sicario is a masterpiece but director Denis Villeneuve is absent here. However, I still believe this will be bulletproof of criticism.
   2. The Girl in the Spider’s Web
   I love the Millenium book trilogy. This entry, not written by Stieg Larsson, was a publisher cash grab. There has been an eclectic collection of films including one great Swedish with subpar sequels & a US remake. With Fede Alvarez directing, this should have quite the bite.
   3. Mission: Impossible VI
   As a Tom Cruise apologist, it’s impossible to forgive the second entry in the series, which could’ve derailed the franchise. Since then, each film’s mission is to outdo its predecessor. Rebecca Ferguson has breathed new life into a series that was in no need of any oxygen.
   4. The 15:17 to Paris
   Clint Eastwood is the greatest living American filmmaker. Since the beginning of the aughts, his resume in nearly impeccable, with only a few missteps. He is tackling yet another harrowing true story. It’s odd that this isn’t released in the heart of awards season.
   5. Solo: A Star Wars Story
   How fitting is it that a film carrying that title has had three directors contributing to it? Alden Ehrenriech was the standout of Hail, Caesar. Hopefully that talent hyperspeeds over to this Disney dollar dipping solo effort, & surpasses Rogue One as the better standalone.

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   • Great list! I enjoyed reading/hearing your thoughts on your picks. It is nice to see The Darkest Hour on your Honorable Mentions list. I am going to check it out this weekend.

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9. lion was my BMOTY for 2016! To Jay’s credit I sat it in Febuary of 2017. It does get convoluted.

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10. So I watched mother! last night (and this morning). You guys really owe it to yourselves to at least watch it before making any judgments. That Ryan would dismiss it like that, as being the worst film of the year, without even seeing it, is really weak. Come on, man… Boo! 🙁

    Whatever anyone thinks of the content, it’s an incredibly unique and ambitious, even audacious film, with some outstanding performances (Jennifer Lawrence is amazing, and Javier Bardem, too) and some stunning visual imagery. And Jason, you really should appreciate this on some levels… it has some very intense horror/terror elements, and is a pretty strong religious allegory.

    And sure, that Biblical allegory seems pretty obvious, as well as the Mother Nature/environmental thing, but so what? Many films have obvious themes and metaphors. This never really presents itself as being realistic, so you know from the start that you’re in the realm of symbolism and narrative metaphor. Regardless, this one portrays its themes in a way that I found very gripping, with a nicely building intensity. Within that basic allegory is a very well drawn progression of humanity’s arrogance and interference and indifference to each other and to the planet. And there is more to it than that, anyway… The idea of artists both suffering for their work and causing others to suffer for their work is pretty interesting, and it also has ideas about fame, manhood/womanhood, artist vs. audience, possessiveness, in the world/of the world, etc.

    I looked at some comments online and on Letterboxed this morning after finishing it, and a recurring complaint is about the last half hour going too far. But to me, that was so important! In a similar way to how the conclusion of Three Billboards gave us a kind of meta empathy for its main character and premise, the reaction we have to those later scenes in mother! takes us a step beyond merely feeling bad for Jennifer Lawrence having her house taken over by strangers, and helps us feel absolute outrage and horror and shock and disgust, and a real sense of her loss. And we should. This is humanity, and this is what humans do in the name of some religious/political ideologies and regimes and movements. They kill and destroy and crap all over the most precious of things. Obvious metaphor/allegory or not, it’s portrayed well here. Without it going as far as it does, it would be a weaker film, a weaker statement. And if anyone feels outrage at a certain moment being depicted like it is (you’ll know the one when you see it), but then goes to a Christian church on Sunday, I’ll call hypocrisy, as it’s the same essential message.

    I don’t think mother! always succeeds in what it is attempting to do, but it is pretty fascinating and at least pushes on the boundaries of filmmaking (and film watching) in some ways. 8.5

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    • Nice, Eric!

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11. Top 10 of 2017
    1. Baby Driver
    2. The Big Sick
    3. Get Out
    4. Blade Runner: 2049
    5. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
    6. I Don’t Feel at Home in this World Anymore
    7. Beauty and the Beast
    8. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
    9. A Ghost Story
    10. It Comes at Night

    Honorable Mentions
    11. Molly’s Game
    12. Wind River
    13. War for the Planet of the Apes
    14. Coco
    15. mother!

    (Could make my final adjusted list when I eventually see them: Professor Marston and the Wonder Women; I, Tonya; Battle of the Sexes; The Post; The Death of Stalin; Loving Vincent; Columbus; The Shape of Water)

    Guilty Pleasure
    Kong: Skull Island

    Disappointments
    Guardians 2 (okay)
    Free Fire (blah)
    The Mummy (I liked it better than many, but still it wasn’t great)

    Most Overrated
    (I liked all of these, even quite a bit, but they’re all just good, not as super incredibly amazing as a lot of their hype and accolades would indicate)
    Lady Bird
    Logan
    Thor: Ragnarok

    Dishonorable Mentions
    (much worse movies certainly came out, but among those I saw…)
    Dave Made a Maze
    Free Fire
    The Mummy

    Worst Movie
    Downsizing

    Most Anticipated
    Ready Player One
    Incredibles 2
    Solo
    Hold the Dark
    Annihilation

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    • Boy, I have heard nothing but bad about Downsizing. I for one appreciate the Dishonorable Mentions and Worst Movie categories. I need to know what to avoid. Though I still plan to check out The Mummy someday. I just can’t help myself.

      Great list. You guys remind me that I need to see more movies. I like seeing The Big Sick so high on your list. I really enjoyed that one.

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12. If you go into The Mummy with low expectations, I think you might enjoy it. I liked it fine, and felt it had enough visual/action intensity to be entertaining enough. Is it ultimately weak and forgettable? Yeah. But so are a lot of movies. I think I gave it a 6, and still stand by that. So, not terrible.

    Yeah, Downsizing is an odd one. I loved the premise, and some of the early world-building around that is cool. But it’s just so stale and humorless, and about halfway through it sort of becomes something different, and is just incredibly tedious and boring from that point.

    I just read jenifer’s review of that on Letterboxd, and she liked it more than I did, overall, but also agreed that it steadily went downhill and would have been better served to deliver its message by being more lighthearted. I think I gave it a 4, originally, but that was probably reactionary. I’ll up that to a 5, which still makes it the worst of what I saw this past year. And it’s an 8 or 9 for intent and premise, but just a big fail in terms of execution and entertainment value, and for squandering such a cool idea.

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    • It definitely doesn’t sound like my cup of tea. A ‘low priority rental’ for sure.

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13. Great lists everybody!!! Loved reading all the comments.

    This is my slightly modified list, since I originally submitted it, due to finally seeing a couple of films, etc.
    (non-horror)

    1) Blade Runner 2049
    2) Lady Bird
    3) I, Tonya
    4) The Shape of Water
    5) Brawl in Cell Block 99
    6) Baby Driver
    7) I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
    8) Molly’s Game
    9) Wind River
    10) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

    11) The Big Sick
    12) Spider Man: Homecoming
    13) A Ghost Story
    14) Logan
    15) Coco

    As I said, for me 2017 was an amazing year for movies. Here’s hoping 2018 is just as good if not better!!

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14. I enjoyed most of the first hour of Downsizing. Once it got to the next act, it fell into a downward spiral.

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15. Somebody give JasonDragon a job!

    Hey man. Really. I Loooooved your list and your pithy, alliterative and concise reviews.

    And Vance; You and me. Same BMOTY. Nice.

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16. Oh man, I’m super late to the party on this, but here is what I submitted to Jason back in December.

    Also, if anyone’s interested, here is a link to my full/updated 2017 rankings (currently at 172 films): https://boxd.it/XGR6

    MPW Top 10 of 2017
    *Note: I excluded horror films from all categories apart from my top 10 and honorable mentions

    1) Lady Macbeth • Directed by William Oldroyd
    Brutal and unforgiving, Oldroyd uses quiet moments – both literally and figuratively – to create unease, and build tension and suspense. 9.5/10

    2) The Blackcoat’s Daughter • Directed by Oz Perkins
    Atmospheric, unsettling and scary as shit, Perkins blends his patient, artful direction with an incredible soundtrack to build up to a completely bonkers ending. 9.5/10

    3) Get Out • Directed by Jordan Peele
    Smartly written and conceived, and masterfully executed, Peele manages to create a chilling and fun film that’s as entertaining as its message is important. 9.5/10

    4) Clash (Eshtebak) • Directed by Mohamed Diab
    Incredibly powerful single-location film about humanity, prejudice and injustice, with a gut-punch ending. 9.5/10

    5) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri • Directed by Martin McDonagh
    A bit of a mess tonally and not completely tight plot-wise, but McDonagh still puts together an incredibly affecting film with complex characters. 9/10

    6) Raw • Directed by Julia Ducournau
    Not your typical cannibal film, Ducournau’s feature debut is a strikingly stylish and layered coming of age story with a killer soundtrack and more than a few memorable moments. 9/10

    7) Thelma • Directed by Joachim Trier
    Totally bizarre coming of age story replete with unusual imagery and quiet, unnerving moments, Trier (unwittingly) put together the best “superhero” film of the year. 9/10

    8) A Ghost Story • Directed by David Lowery
    The absolute definition of patient filmmaking, Lowery allows the camera to linger on the sadness and mundanity of grief and longing. 9/10

    9) Apprentice • Directed by Boo Junfeng
    Introspective and psychologically challenging, Junfeng pieces together a complex story of revenge, inner turmoil and complicated relationships. 9/10

    10) War for the Planet of the Apes • Directed by Matt Reeves
    Yes, the special effects are impossibly realistic, but it’s the poignant story and powerful score that make this a truly special film. 9/10

    Honorable Mentions:
    11) Call Me by Your Name • Directed by Luca Guadagnino
    12) Star Wars: The Last Jedi • Directed by Rian Johnson
    13) Brawl in Cell Block 99 • Directed by S. Craig Zahler
    14) Bad Genius • Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya
    15) Columbus • Directed by Kogonada

    The Single Best “Guilty Pleasure” Movie of the Year!
    — Baahubali 2: The Conclusion • Directed by S S Rajamouli

    3 Biggest Disappointments of 2017:
    — Blade Runner 2049 • Directed by Denis Villeneuve
    — The Shape of Water • Directed by Guillermo del Toro
    — Colossal • Directed by Nacho Vigalondo

    3 MOST OVERRATED Movies of 2017:
    — The LEGO Batman Movie • Directed by Chris McKay
    — Blade Runner 2049 • Directed by Denis Villeneuve
    — Dunkirk • Directed by Christopher Nolan

    4 DIShonorable Mentions:
    2nd worst — Brimstone • Directed by Martin Koolhoven
    3rd worst — Cave • Directed by Henrik Martin Dahlsbakken
    4th worst — The Discovery • Directed by Charlie McDowell
    5th worst — American Fable • Directed by Anne Hamilton

    The WORST Damn Movie of 2017:
    — King Arthur: Legend of the Sword • Directed by Guy Ritchie

    5 Biggest Regrets of 2017 (films I didn’t get to see before the end of the year):
    — The Florida Project • Directed by Sean Baker
    — Kedi • Directed by Ceyda Torun
    — Novitiate • Directed by Margaret Betts
    — Phantom Thread • Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
    — Blade of the Immortal • Directed by Takashi Miike

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