Kicking off our end-of-the-year series is our annual Top Ten Films. In a year of huge changes, – within the industry and without – our top ten reflects our changing and expanding world, from a variety of cultures and narratives represented to the actual people standing in front of and behind the cameras. The following list will show just how eclectic the year was, especially with our number one selection, which was such a powerful addition to the film world that it comes from the first quarter of the year rather from the standard award season offerings.
10. THE SHAPE OF WATER
Read our review here.
If you were questioning Guillermo del Toro’s place as one of the greatest active directors, then The Shape of Water will eradicate all doubts. Not since Pan’s Labyrinth has beauty and horror been so exquisitely fused.
– Sean Arenas
The Shape of Water takes the best of Splash, Children of a Lesser God, No Way Out, and The Creature from the Black Lagoon with a sprinkle of classic black-and-white musicals and La La Land and weaves it into a new narrative all its own, yet so familiar that the alien feels comfortable – the audience can relax into the hands of its sure-handed director and excellent actors who show the film world how this is done.
– Karen Earnest
9. COCO
Read our review here.
Coco is not only a gorgeous film to look at, but it shines with a great story, has memorable characters and shows us a world of one of the most interesting holidays. Coco is perfect for all ages and is one of the best animated films in years!
– Rick Rice
After a series of unremarkable original films and decent, if not spectacular, sequels (The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory, among others), Pixar makes a grand return to form with Coco, one of its most refreshingly unique and emotionally affecting movies in years. For the first time in its history, the animation studio creates a film starring a cast of Mexican characters, which beautifully celebrates Mexican culture and the importance of family. Centering on Mexico’s Day of the Dead holiday, the story features Anthony Gonzalez as lead character Miguel, a 12-year-old with a passion for music who finds himself stranded in the Land of the Dead. Gonzalez is joined by Benjamin Bratt, Gael García Bernal, and Renée Victor in strong supporting roles. Boasting some of the most impressive and colorful visuals Pixar has ever produced, as well as a relentlessly catchy soundtrack, Coco is the rare film that perfectly balances themes of following your individual dreams with a “value your family” message.
– Parker Danowski
8. BABY DRIVER
Read our review here.
An absolutely stunning film with brilliant visuals, a cunning and hilarious script, and an awesome soundtrack that plays an integral part in the film, are just some of the many reasons to watch Baby Driver. Ansel Elgort’s performance is wonderful, and he is surrounded by one of the most interesting but entertaining casts I have ever seen together. In my opinion, this is Edgar Wright’s best film to date.
– Daniel Jungenberg
7. WONDER WOMAN
Read our review here.
As for Wonder Woman – there’s no beating her. The movie was exceptional and received the highest box office total for a female-based movie.
– Julie White
Wonder Woman proves a huge distinction in the genre. It was a gorgeously made and empowering movie that showcased a true strength in being empathetic and courageous and doing what is right for others.
– Emily Chapman
Patty Jenkins’ films is a masterclass on the hero’s origin story – the fact that it is a female superhero directed by a woman and one of the highest grossing movies of the year is just icing on the cake. Wonder Woman escapes frills and glitz to tell a simple and focused story reminding audiences of the power and integrity of this character. It transcends everything DC has done before and after it, and even transcends Marvel in its unique execution.
– Rachel Lutack
6. BLADE RUNNER 2049
Read our review here.
In this era of nostalgia dependence, Blade Runner 2049 is a movie that could have failed in numerous ways – from relying too much on past references to dumbing it down for a more mass friendly blockbuster. (Read my earlier tangent here) While not as remarkable as the groundbreaking original, it’s as worthy a successor as one could hope for to Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic. Denis Villeneuve gives us a rare film where effects don’t necessarily mean flash and action, but a way to build a world in the best sci-fi tradition. His deliberate pace lets us absorb the world rather than rush through it to get to the next action set piece.
– Brett Harrison Davinger
Blade Runner 2049 bases its premise on a single concept that proves strong enough to deepen and expand upon practically every philosophical theme introduced in the original 1982 cult classic, while somehow also managing to nearly match the stunning visuals of its predecessor. Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, and Sylvia Hoeks all deliver brilliantly conflicted performances in a detective story that avoids the pacing problems of the original film and leads up to a masterful third act. Roger Deakins’ expansive cinematography and brilliant use of color lend a visual style that can’t really be compared to any other cinematic experience, and Hans Zimmer pays tribute to the synth-heavy soundtrack of the 1982 original with a weighty score that matches the dark dystopia director Denis Villeneuve has carefully created onscreen.
– Parker Danowski
Denis Villeneuve might be the most exciting director working today. With Blade Runner 2049, he delivers his third film in a row destined to become a classic, after Sicario and Arrival. Blade Runner 2049 has as jaw dropping visuals and heady ideas in equal number, becoming the rare sequel to a classic that matches the quality of its predecessor. Despite pulling in over 250 million worldwide, the film was painted as a commercial failure, which is a shame. We need more films that take big swings like this.
– John Wedmeyer
5. THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING, MISSOURI
Three Billboards is like going to a film festival and seeing the one film that is unlike anything you’ll ever see. Francis McDormand is amazing here almost on-par with her performance in Fargo.
– Rick Rice
Martin McDonagh’s Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri does what few imagined was capable of the London-born Irishman–it incredulously improves upon McDonagh’s already near-perfect repertoire. The film is a wonderfully charming, albeit brutal, showcase of apple pie Americana, asserting itself as a bonafide modernist piece that is wondrously unapologetic in its storytelling drive. Coalescing between pitch black comedy and devastating drama (while dipping its toes into western and noir waters), McDonagh’s most recent outing is a overwhelmingly joyous watch that will leave one thoroughly satisfied. The film’s razor sharp writing, career-making performances from Sam Rockwell and Frances McDormand, as well as a focused direction that seldom tapers off ensures that Three Billboards be heralded as McDonagh’s finest work yet, proving that the writer-director still has some more tricks up his cinematic sleeve.
– Riyad Mammadyarov
4. THE DISASTER ARTIST
Read our review here.
The Disaster Artist could have gone so very wrong. The fact that it goes so right is a miraculous testament to James Franco’s growth as an actor and as a director. What could have been a lampoonish romp about making the worst film ever made becomes a harrowing tale of Hollywood disenfranchisement and the power of misplaced confidence. Franco’s performance is something to behold and the film never punches down to its material. It’s one of the best movies about movies to come along in a while.
– John Wedmeyer
The Disaster Artist, like Tim Burton’s Ed Wood, reminded me of the power of cinema, and provided a careering-defining performance for James Franco. It was this year’s least likely to exceed and it has since exceeded all expectations. It’s funny, revealing, and incredibly inspiring.
– Sean Arenas
3. DUNKIRK
Read our review here.
It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Christopher Nolan is one of the 21st century’s best directors, and Dunkirk continues his tenure as an expert filmmaker. The beauty behind Dunkirk lies in its non-stop tension, delivering a war film that keeps audiences in the shoes of its soldiers as they remain captives alongside the beaches of the Mole. Following a traditional Nolan non-linear format, the film overlaps the soldier’s narrative alongside two more storylines in the sea and air across multiple time periods. Thus, the role of heroism is reversed, with the citizens of England risking everything to rescue the evacuating soldiers so that they could fight another day. This narrative of humanity is backed up by incredible cinematography, with the dogfight battles in particular setting a new bar for set pieces in not just war films, but cinema in general. And yes, even One Direction’s Harry Styles is great in Dunkirk.
– Ben Wasserman
Even with its PG-13 rating, Christopher Nolan’s World War II film about the rescue of British and French soldiers on the beaches of Dunkirk is a unique experience in showcasing the horrors and confusion of war. Presenting Operation Dynamo from different points of views each with a different time frame (one week, one day, one hour) leads to a film that warrants repeated viewing to pick up on details and fully appreciate the editing wonder. Plus, with a running time of less than two hours, the film never loses steam. Pair with Gary Oldman’s acting tour-de-force Darkest Hour, which ends where this movie happens.
– Brett Harrison Davinger
Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk is pretty much what you would expect: a smackdown war epic on steroids mutated through Nolan’s penchant for non-linear filmmaking. This cinematic telling of the troops trapped at the beach at Dunkirk is a truly brutal telling. Not because of gratuitous violence, but because of how much it places you in the fear, agony and sheer chaos of what real war looks like.
– Raymond Flotat
2. LADY BIRD
Read our review here.
Lady Bird is a beautiful coming-of-age story that is funny, sad, and gives us moments that we all can relate to – smart dialogue and wonderful pacing.
– Rick Rice
Lady Bird is the best coming of age movie since Boyhood and even last year’s Moonlight, detailing the journey of a high school senior and her mother in regards to the world and each other. An outstanding directorial debut by Greta Gerwig, this film manages to convey a year’s worth of narrative in a shocking ninety-three minute runtime. Saoirse Ronan plays the titular Lady Bird wonderfully, portraying her as both socially naïve and strong-willed in a manner that is both endearing and relatable. It’s easy to identify with her character’s quirks, as well as that of her mother (Laurie Metcalf) and the supporting cast, all of which feel “real” in some way or another. As far as indie films go, Lady Bird is a film where I struggle to find any artistic flaws.
– Ben Wasserman
Lady Bird fully captures the coming-of-age story, carrying the audience through deeply well-known emotional territory in a graceful evenly-balanced style without toppling into over-sentimentality or nostalgia.
– Karen Earnest
What is left to be said about the impact of Lady Bird and its extremely high ratings on Rotten Tomatoes? The film is down-to-earth, perfectly awkward, and one of the best coming-of-age stories to be released in the past century. The film leaves a big impression on any who watch it, but the film truly hits home for people who come from Northern California (near Sacramento) or from a small town.
– Daniel Jungenberg
1. GET OUT
The ways in which Peele twists and pulls at the subtle hints of racism present in this suburban community until the film flips into all-out horror does more than get under your skin – it brings into sharp focus the concepts of suburban racism, micro-aggressions, cultural erasure, and the white glorification of African American stereotypes. Even with all of this subtext packed in, the movie still manages to function flawlessly as a good old-fashioned thriller, featuring a heartbreakingly convincing performance by Daniel Kaluuya. Here, Peele proves that his gift for wrapping vitally relevant social critique in an undeniably entertaining package extends far beyond the realm of comedy.
– Parker Danowski
As, simultaneously, a horror film, a satirical thriller and a critique of modern society, Get Out succeeds on all fronts. As a directorial debut for Jordan Peele, the Key and Peele comedian succeeds in shining a sharp light on a truly terrifying aspect of American society: benevolent racism. In the place of clichéd racism, Peele instead points out the existence of racism in those who previously considered themselves above such behavior, either out of ignorance or a dark desire to control/objectify black Americans. The film borrows heavily from social thrillers like The Stepford Wives and Rosemary’s Baby, transitioning satire into a horrific situation between protagonist Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) and those who wish to invade his sense of self. It’s the horror version of Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner, encapsulating not only the feel of racism in America but also a tearing down of our misguided thoughts of a post-racial America at a time when such a fact couldn’t be any clearer.
– Ben Wasserman
Get Out is absolutely the best movie I’ve seen all year and it will no doubt go down in the horror canon, especially for its crucial commentary on real life. There was not a moment in the movie where I could relax-the pacing and acting were incredible, with a perfect mix of horror, action, and commentary. It also made great uses of humor to help audiences get through the nail-biting moments without distracting from the tone of the piece, which is something that many modern films struggle with. It’s definitely a movie that stays with you long after you’ve seen it.
– Emily Chapman
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