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| Tom Holland stars in Spider-Man: Homecoming |
2017 turned out to be an uneventful year for movies. Beauty and the Beast made the most money ($504 million domestically) but in terms of originality... fuhgeddaboudit. Each of the top 10 grossing films were either remakes or sequels. Every single one. That said, the cupboard of cinematic excellence wasn't entirely bare. Here's a rundown of our favorite movies of the year, including six honorable mentions that are well worth your attention.
10. Life: It may not be very original (cough... Alien) but Daniel Espinosa's Life is jam-packed with chills and thrills, perhaps more than any other film in our top 10.
9. Get Out: Jordan Peele hits a grand slam in his directorial debut, brilliantly addressing racism without coming across the least bit preachy. He also manages to entertain and scare ya at the same time. Don't be surprised to see this film in every critic's top 10: It's that good.
8. Logan: Hugh Jackman & James Mangold reunite to give Wolverine the sound send-off, he so richly deserves. It has lots of action; but unlike most other superhero movies, it doesn't stop there.
7. Norman: Odds are, you probably missed Richard Gere's scintillating turn as a New York fixer with bad luck but great connections. Time to fix that (available now on STARZ.)
6. The Exception: One of the best WWII movies to come around in years. Plus Lily James. Sold!
5. The Lost City of Z: They literally don't make movies like this anymore. Great adventure, and a history lesson to boot.
4. Becoming Bond: On Her Majesty's Secret Service remains one of my favorite Bond films of all-time, and Josh Greenbaum manages to make its' back story/George Lazenby documentary as enjoyable, if not more so. Catch it on Hulu.
3. Thank You for Your Service: It made less than $10 million at the box office, but Jason Hall's directorial debut is a must-see examination of PTSD with sterling performances by Hayley Bennett, Miles Teller and Beulah Koale.
2. Call Me by Your Name: Easily this year's biggest (and brightest) surprise, and the kind of movie that opens minds, while still managing to entertain. Art house cinema at its finest.
1. Spider-Man: Homecoming: Now this is how you make a superhero movie. Avoids the usual trappings of a big budget flick, with tons of believable action, humor and personality. Can't wait for the next one.
Honorable mention goes to Blade Runner 2049, It Comes at Night, John Wick: Chapter 2, The Lego Batman Movie, The Square and Wind River.
