(20) xXx: Return of Xander Cage (D.J. Caruso)
The movie Fate of the Furious should have been. Just…ridiculous, over-the-top entertainment from beat one. Vin Diesel is probably a psychopath, but as long as he channels that into making movies this preposterous, I’m okay with that.
(19) Baby Driver (Edgar Wright)
After the first fifteen minutes, I was positive this was going to end up in my top five of the year. I don’t think the rest of the movie quite lives up to the enthusiasm of that opening scene, but it’s still one of the purest entertainments of the year.
(18) War for the Planet of the Apes (Matt Reeves)
It’s clear quickly into the final(?) installment of the franchise how fitting the name is. This is a war film, full stop. I would contend that the Apes trilogy is possibly the best blockbuster trilogy Hollywood has produced since the original Star Wars trilogy. It’s sort of insane that these movies were able to be made inside of the studio system.
(17) Logan Lucky (Steven Soderbergh)
I was supremely bummed when Soderbergh announced his retirement a few years ago, so it was great to see him so quickly return to features.
(16) Song to Song (Terrence Malick)
I (and apparently no one else) have been a fan of what Malick’s been doing since The Tree of Life. I do maintain that the trilogy of To the Wonder, Knight of Cups, and this will come to be seen in a much better light as the years progress. They’re certainly not everybody’s cup of tea, but if you like the idea of a visual poem on-screen, this movie is for you.
(15) Thor: Ragnarok (Taika Waititi)
Despite being probably the first movie to waste Cate Blanchett, Thor: Ragnarok was still one of the most entertaining theatrical experiences of 2017. As someone who’s kind of “eh” about the whole Marvel “cycle” situation, this is exactly what I want out of the Marvel movie. Not everything has to connect to everything else. We can just have fun with Jeff Goldblum on a trash planet.
(14) Logan (James Mangold)
***spoiler below***
Two superhero movies in a row, wow! In addition to the two movies on my list, I also enjoyed Guardians 2, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and Wonder Woman as well. This was really a banner year for (most) superhero movies. But Logan was the best. I’m not sure it really needed the R-rating; the journey of Logan to his final resting place is exactly the send-off the character deserved.
(13) Okja (Bong Joon-ho)
Seems like this was another one that sadly came and went thanks to the awful Netflix model, but I think this might be my favorite Bong Joon-ho film yet. I really loved it’s fearlessness in attacking everyone. Some might call that muddling your message, but I just found it brilliant.
(12) Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson)
I don’t have the energy to defend this anymore. It’s not the best Star Wars film, but it’s damn close. The Boyega stuff still doesn’t entirely work for me (though it does more on a second viewing), but everything else is fantastic. Certainly the best shot Star Wars film. Can’t wait to see what Johnson does with his own trilogy.
(11) Lady Macbeth (William Oldroyd)
It was astonishing to find out this was a debut film. Both the filmmaker (Will Oldroyd) and the star (Florence Pugh) are on their way to fame. An unflinching, shocking period piece that will never let me look at Jane Austen adaptations the same way.
My Journey Through the History of Cinema 