My 2017 In Film: A Look Back At My Year In Movies
Each year, I keep track of every movie I've watched for the first time. There is something thrilling about sitting down to take in something brand new. Even with films that I'd never heard of or wasn't anticipating, watching a story unfold--good or bad--is an inherently compelling experience for me.
Breakdown:
- I watched a total of 100 new movies
- 22 on Netflix
- 16 in theaters
- 12 on Amazon Prime
- 12 on HBO Now
- 10 on Hulu
- 4 on Showtime
- 24 through other mediums/venues
Below is the list, in the order I viewed them, noted with the medium I used. Anything labeled "other" is something I watched on BluRay/DVD, on an airplane, or any other kind of obscure or unfrequented medium.
1. Sing (Netflix)
2. The Lobster (Amazon Prime)
3. Pawn Sacrifice (Amazon Prime)
4. Amanda Knox (Netflix)
5. A Perfect Murder (HBO Now)
6. The Graduate (Netflix)
7. Hunt For The Wilderpeople (Hulu)
8. Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark (Amazon Prime)
9. Indiana Jones: The Temple of Doom (Amazon Prime)
10. Indiana Jones: The Last Crusade (Amazon Prime)
As an avid movie-watcher and huge Spielberg fan, I admit it took me way too long to see this trilogy. I watched KINGDOM OF THE CRYSTAL SKULL in theaters back in 2008 and really enjoyed it. Nearly ten years later and I finally caught up with the rest of them.
What I love about the Indiana Jones franchise is that they're pure adventure movies. It is typically a fine line between action films and adventure films. They most often share a lot of the same tropes and styling. When it comes to Indiana Jones, however, they confidently thrive in their sense of rough-and-tumble thrills unfolding over the backdrop of archeology. Pure adventure, pure cinema.
11. Air Force One (Hulu)
12. Split (in theaters)
13. Where To Invade Next (Hulu)
14. Trumpland (Showtime)
15. Sully (other)
16. 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi (Hulu)
17. Witness (Amazon Prime)
18. The Program (Amazon Prime)
19. Nowitski: The Perfect Shot (Netflix)
20. Pete's Dragon [2016] (other)
21. American Honey (other)
22. The Fundamentals of Caring (Netflix)
Every time Netflix releases a new original film that people are talking about, I hear the phrase, "but when are they going to make a truly great movie." BEASTS OF NO NATION, OKJA, THE MEYERWITZ STORIES, and so on aside, THE FUNDAMENTALS OF CARING is a truly great film.
This type of movie is one that commonly devolves into a feel-good, campy mess that casts aside satisfying character arcs for emotionally manipulative moments. FUNDAMENTALS takes the baton and carries it with full enthusiasm all the way to the end. Its humor and honesty is relentless. It plays each beat with confidence and never sidesteps.
23. We Need To Talk About Kevin (Netflix)
24. Arrival (other)
25. Edge of Tomorrow (other)
26. Magicians: Life In The Impossible (Netflix)
27. Moonlight (other)
28. Manchester By The Sea (other)
29. Tickled (HBO Now)
30. Logan (in theaters)
31. Nocturnal Animals (other)
32. Don't Breathe (other)
33. La La Land (other)
34. Assassin's Creed (other)
35. Who Took Johnny (Netflix)
36. Get Me Roger Stone (Netflix)
37. Alien Covenant (in theaters)
38. Doctor Strange (Netflix)
If DOCTOR STRANGE was the first Marvel movie I'd seen it would have blown my mind. Unfortunately, I've seen this narrative formula play out in a dozen films before it and it just didn't land with me in any significant way.
Whether box office or audiences show it--or even care--Marvel has a "sameness" problem. I'm sure their popularity will continue to rise over the next few years, but looking back, a good amount of these stories are very similar. It won't matter once the money is made, but I don't feel like the MCU will have the legacy people expect. It will always be an incredible business and industry achievement, but will anyone care to rewatch these movies in 20 years?
39. Wonder Woman (in theaters)
40. Beauty and the Beast [2017] (other)
41. Moana (Netflix)
42. Always (Netflix)
43. Okja (Netflix)
44. Prisoners (other)
45. A Bronx Tale (Showtime)
46. Field of Dreams (other)
47. Saving Mr. Banks (other)
48. Manhattan (Hulu)
49. Extraordinary: The Stan Romanek Story (Netflix)
Years ago I watched this viral video of an alien peering in through a window. I always thought it was part of a viral marketing campaign for some movie. Then I heard that there actually was a movie being made around the clip.
What I didn't realize was that it would be a documentary created under the premise that it was legitimate alien footage. This movie is such an obvious hoax and Stan Romanek is just a talented video artist.
I think I actually would have loved this film it a) didn't try to pass itself off as real and b) focused more on the story of a man emotionally tortured by the presence of aliens that constantly visit him. The starting point of this movie is great, but it goes on too many weird tangents with "evidence" that doesn't even come close to looking real.
50. Gifted (other)
51. The Founder (other)
52. To The Bone (Netflix)
53. Dunkirk (in theaters)
54. Hacksaw Ridge (HBO Now)
55. The Accountant (HBO Now)
56. Broadcast News (HBO Now)
57. The World According To Garp (HBO Now)
58. Lost In America (Hulu)
59. Boss Baby (other)
60. Loving (HBO Now)
61. What Happened to Monday (Netflix)
62. Hell or High Water (Showtime)
63. The Host (Netflix)
64. The New World (other)
65. Florence Foster Jenkins (Hulu)
66. The Edge of Seventeen (Showtime)
67. Lion (Netflix)
68. Princess Mononoke (other)
69. A Monster Calls (HBO Now)
70. Hidden Figures (HBO Now)
71. Korengal (Netflix)
72. Baby Driver (other)
73. The Wrecking Crew (Netflix)
74. Spielberg (HBO Now)
75. The Paperboy (other)
76. Lights Out (HBO Now)
77. 20 Feet From Stardom (other)
78. The Meyerwitz Stories (Netflix)
79. Colossal (Hulu)
80. It [2017] (in theaters)
81. The Florida Project (in theaters)
82. It [1990] (other)
83. Lady Bird (in theaters)
84. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (in theaters)
85. Coco (in theaters)
86. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (other)
87. Mudbound (Netflix)
88. Get Out (HBO Now)
89. The Big Sick (Amazon Prime)
90. Shot Caller (Amazon Prime)
91. Miss Sloane (Amazon Prime)
92. The Disaster Artist (in theaters)
93. Silence (Amazon Prime)
94. Man Down (Amazon Prime)
95. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (in theaters)
This movie floored me in so many ways: 1) It was far better than what I expected, 2) classic, comedic Jack Black is still one of the funniest things that can be put to film, and 3) I actually think the story deserves a sequel.
On paper, a sequel to the original JUMANJI looks like a really bad idea. While nostalgic for most millennials (including myself), the original movie wasn't actually very good. On top of that, the board game premise is hard to do without repeating itself. Somehow this movie managed to expand the mythos while giving it a completely fresh feel.
96. The Shape of Water (in theaters)
97. Call Me By Your Name (in theaters)
98. Stronger (other)
99. Molly's Game (in theaters)
100. Bright (Netflix)