The best movies of 2017

2017 has been a scary year, which is all the more reason to hide in a dark room watching films. And there have been very decent movies released this year. Yes, there was Star Wars, and the debate about The Last Jedi will continue long into 2018. But there were also some films that weren’t about space wizards and laser swords. There were superheroes, horror movies that tackled racism in modern America, getaway drivers with excellent music taste, and even a very good film about the worst film ever made.

Christmas is the perfect chance to grab a load of DVD/ fire up Netflix and catch up on what you missed, so here’s the JOE office’s pick of the year’s movies (based on UK release dates, before any of you get pedantic).

Get Out

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzfpyUB60YY&t=6s An inventive, edge-of-your-seat thriller that uses horror tropes to deliver a scathing satire of a liberal culture that sees itself allied with victims of racism who, in practicality, are more do-badders than do-gooders. Director Jordan Peele and lead Daniel Kaluuya deserve to win all the awards, and there’s a good chance of that happening. - Rich Cooper

Atomic Blonde

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aieQrj9Yy8s If any one film from 2017 is a guaranteed future cult classic, it’s Atomic Blonde. Essentially Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy reimagined as a Duran Duran album cover, it has self-destructive superspy Charlize Theron skulking around Cold War Berlin, playing every side against each other and trying to escape alive, all to a soundtrack of 1980s pop hits. Come for the mindblowingly brutal single-take stairwell fight; stay for the interesting subversion of genre gender tropes. - Wil Jones

The Disaster Artist

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPSJYXi7BWA If you love The Room - the Citizen Kane of bad movies - then you’ll adore James Franco’s touching and hilarious tale of how two lonely outsides came together to make movie history for all the wrong reasons. If you’ve never seen The Room, it doesn’t matter; you’ll still be enthralled by the mad world of Tommy Wiseau. - Rich Cooper

Baby Driver

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9YZw_X5UzQ

There is a short list of things you want from an action film: car chases, a love story, violence and good cinematography. Edgar Wright’s latest thriller ticks every one of those boxes. A superb cast (bar one actor, in hindsight) brings Baby’s story to life. Jon Hamm and Jamie Foxx give the film some pedigree and portray their roles of deeply troubled members of the heist crew at the high standards we’ve come to expect from such seasoned pros. Baby’s relationship with music gives his character substance, for someone who doesn’t talk much. And very importantly, the soundtrack doesn’t disappoint. The film follows a classic narrative of a good person caught in a bad situation to elicit sympathy from the viewer, like a PG version of Jesse Pinkman. But it’s executed so well you forgive the film’s clichés. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcD0Daqc3Yw Kumail Nanjiani’s is a peculiar film. From the outside its plot - an upcoming comedian/part-time Uber driver meets a woman and the two embark on a relationship before events and mistakes conspire against them - sounds fairly run-of-the-mill. But it is the incredible performances of Nanjiani (who you may know from Silicon Valley) and Zoe Kazan that really make this one of my films of the year. Delivered with a mixture of humour, subtlety and vulnerability not often seen, makes you genuinely care about the relationship between the characters, as well as provoking you to piss your pants laughing throughout. Above all, it has a certain charm that, though difficult to describe - and not ideal for review purposes - means it is one of the sweetest, funniest and most accurate representations of what it means to be in a relationship that I’ve ever seen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0CbN8sfihY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pdqf4P9MB8 Like Marmite, you either love  or you hate it. There’s no in-between. And those that hate it usually hate it for the wrong reasons. Either it’s because it’s a musical, because it’s too soppy, and sometimes it’s because of the music itself. What’s wrong with the music? In fact, what’s wrong with a musical? Nobody would dare say anything negative about ,  or the , would they? For an original musical to be released in 2017 that isn’t a remake, or even close to a remake, is remarkable. Shot beautifully, Damien Chazelle’s masterpiece exceeds all expectations telling the colourful story of two relatable dream chasers with aspirations in the world of arts. The cinematography is stunning. The music is perfect. And with the casting spot on, both Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone prove on-screen chemistry can be effortless. -  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCcx85zbxz4 For anyone worried that a return into the world of Blade Runner would sully the original, it’s good news: is staggeringly good. Wrestling with the core philosophical themes of the 1982 film, but moving them on in a logically sound and emotionally textured way. It looks phenomenal and it’ll leave your head swimming.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-eMt3SrfFU Christopher Nolan’s best film to date is a tightly-wound ticking clock, a war film that isn’t really about war, more a thriller about the lengths people are willing to go to survive. deliberately doesn’t bog itself down with the morality of war, instead presenting the audience with a simple but vital question: will they make it home?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxLHP2IpBXw A strange and tender portrayal of the unseen moments of grief that follow the death of a loved one and how that grief haunts us and the spaces we occupy. On the surface, this is Casey Affleck wearing a sheet and watching Rooney Mara eat a pie, and that’s entirely accurate, but there is more to this film than can ever be explained.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYsdzNIcJNc Korean master director Park Chan-Wook (the mad genius behind ) outdid himself with . Even by his standards, it’s quite a hard sell: a two-and-a-half hour sexually-explicit period lesbian romantic thriller shot in both Korean and Japanese. Yet it’s labyrinth plot, constant stream of jaw dropping moments and sheer cinematic swagger grab you from the first second. Just don’t watch it with you parents. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpICoc65uh0 What to say about  if you haven’t seen it yet? Absolutely nothing. is one of those movies where it’s absolutely best to go in absolutely cold, and let the madness play out without any preconceptions. Essentially, Javier Bardem is a writer, Jennifer Lawrence is his younger wife, and they’ve recently moved to the country. Then a mysterious visitor arrives. And we’ve already said too much. No film this year has divided opinion like , but you owe it to yourself to give it a shot.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Div0iP65aZo&t=10s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChpLV9AMqm4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMvDfO5yXYk Directed by Malcolm D. Lee () with writers credits including Kenya Barris of  fame,  is one of the funniest movies of 2017. One of those laugh-a-minute type of comedies, if it’s not Lisa’s (played by Jada Pinkett-Smith) diving back into the saddle of intimacy and all the hilarious moments that come with it that make you laugh out loud, it’ll be the introduction of Tiffany Haddish, who plays Dina. Acting like her coming out party,  is one big showreel for the soon-to-be globally recognised comedian. A warm and authentic comedy that taps into the sometimes harsh realities of life - especially for women - makes it a definite one to watch. If not, then perhaps its historic box office numbers, that makes it the only movie to gross $100 million that was written, produced, directed and starred black people, will encourage you to see it. -