5. War for the Planet of the Apes
Directed by Matt Reeves.
Starring Andy Serkis, Woody Harrelson, Steve Zahn, Amiah Miller, Judy Greer, Karin Konoval, Terry Notary, Michael Adamthwaite, Gabriel Chavarria, Max Lloyd-Jones, Sara Canning, Aleks Paunovic, and Chad Rook.
Kicking off the top half of our list is Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet the Apes, the concluding chapter of 20th Century Fox’s acclaimed Planet of the Apes reboot trilogy.
“Together apes are strong, but even more important to take away is that we are all stronger when we put aside our differences, put an end to war, and work together to make the world a better place worth residing in. War for the Planet of the Apes is poetic blockbuster storytelling, the kind we don’t see enough of anymore.”
Read our reviews of War for the Planet of the Apes here, here, and here
4. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Written and Directed by Rian Johnson.
Starring Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Carrie Fisher, Andy Serkis, Domhnall Gleeson, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Peter Mayhew, Anthony Daniels, Laura Dern, Kelly Marie Tran, Benicio del Toro, Billie Lourd, Gwendoline Christie, Lupita Nyong’o, Jimmy Vee, Tim Rose, Warwick Davis, Hermione Corfield and Veronica Ngo.
It may have been a little divisive, but Star Wars: The Last Jedi proved to be an enormous hit with critics and at the box office. It also topped three of our writers’ individual top tens, and featured highly on many more.
“Star Wars: The Force Awakens felt like seeing an old friend who had a few new quirks about them. Star Wars: The Last Jedi is that same friend, but they’ve improved everything about themselves and you want to see them more and more. This isn’t just a continuation of a 9-part story, it feels like a whole new beginning. These words do not come likely – and repeat viewings will cement this – but Star Wars: The Last Jedi could be the best Star Wars film ever. Seriously.”
Read our reviews of Star Wars: The Last Jedi here, here, here, and here
3. Get Out
Also topping three of our writers’ lists is Get Out, the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, which could well become the first horror since 1999’s The Sixth Sense to pick up an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Could it go one step further?
“It’s safe to say that Jordan Peele’s directorial debut will most likely stand among the cream of the crop as far as 2017 horror films go. It’s wildly ambitious, poignant, terrifying, full of laughs, a refreshing take on the genre with subversive tendencies, racially charged, and damn entertaining.”
Read our reviews of Get Out here, here, here, here, and here
Another genre film with ambitions of securing a Best Picture nomination is 20th Century Fox’s R-rated superhero offering Logan, a fitting end to Hugh Jackman’s time as the fan-favourite mutant Wolverine.
“Moviegoers and comic book aficionados love to speculate about the moment the comic book film bubble will burst, but well… If we keep getting movies like Logan, that will never happen. It isn’t just a good superhero film or a fantastic blockbuster, it’s an exceptional movie period. End of discussion. It’s a mystery what the landscape of 2017 film will look like this time next year, but as of right now Logan would absolutely deserve a Best Picture Oscar nomination, even more than Christopher Nolan’s hailed yet arguably snubbed Batman masterpiece The Dark Knight.”
Read our reviews of Logan here, here, here, and here
1. Blade Runner 2049
Directed by Denis Villeneuve.
Starring Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks, Robin Wright, Dave Bautista, Mackenzie Davis, Carla Juri, David Dastmalchian, Barkhad Abdi, Lennie James, and Jared Leto.
And so, topping our list as the best movie of 2017 is director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi masterpiece Blade Runner 2049. It may have struggled at the box office, but the sequel to Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic was a firm favourite with the Flickering Myth writing team. It topped six of our writers’ individual top tens, and claimed first place by a landslide.
“Forget the possibility of disgracing Ridley Scott’s original, Blade Runner 2049 surpasses it by expanding the universe and tantalizing themes just as much as it pumps more money into the budget. It’s an arresting blend of artistic and blockbuster sensibilities that will stand the test of time right beside its trailblazing predecessor.”
Read our review of Blade Runner 2049 here
Click the link below to continue on for the films which just missed our on a place in the top ten, and our writers’ individual favourites of the year…
Originally published December 31, 2017. Updated April 19, 2018.
