“There is nothing more wonderful than a list, instrument of wondrous hypotyposis.” ― Umberto Eco
The editors and contributors of Rise Up Daily have come together to compile our inaugural Top 10 Films of the year list. 2017 was full of poignant, hilarious, adventure-filled, scary, moving cinema. From the affecting documentary The Work, to indie-film darling Greta Gerwig’s directorial debut Lady Bird, to Hollywood icon Steven Spielberg’s The Post, to Netflix’s powerful original film Mudbound, to the cultural flash-in-the-pan I, Tonya, to Daniel Day-Lewis’ possible last film Phantom Thread, to the Norwegian arthouse cinematic masterpiece thriller Thelma, the year was full of gems. Here is our list of noteworthies, starting with a handful of honorable mentions:Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is both a masterpiece and a challenge. It is a masterpiece for its acerbic, real, humorous writing and tour de force acting from a great ensemble led by Frances McDormand, who has already begun her cleanup of acting’s major awards this season. But it is also a challenge for it’s dark, macabre humor and the way it challenges its audience’s tolerance of redemption. Three Billboards, a film about a grieving mother searching for justice for her murdered daughter, exists in a space of moral challenge, where no character seems wholly good or bad for the entire runtime of the film, and the viewer is left often uncomfortable at various points when feeling sympathy for a previously despicable character, or left reeling by the actions of the film’s purported protagonist. If you want a good laugh, a good cry, outrage, hurt, sympathy that will make your chest ache, or if you just want to watch a damn good movie, you’ll see why Three Billboards is on this list. ― Adam Hobart
The Breadwinner
A poignant, passionate, relevant story about a young Afghan girl struggling to make sense of the world she finds herself in and reunite her family, this animated film shatters cultural barriers to demonstrate the power of storytelling and compassion in the face of overwhelming odds. From the studio that produced The Secret of Kells and Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner expertly balances sorrow, struggle, and whimsy to craft its story. ― Darryl A. Armstrong
The Big Sick
The Big Sick has the rare benefit of being a film “based on a true story” ―actually written by and starring the person who lived it. In this bittersweet dramedy, Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley, Franklin & Bash) plays himself as a young comic trying to make it in standup, navigate the difficult assimilation shock of his Pakistani family adjusting to American ways, and also the fact that his girlfriend is in the hospital with a mysterious illness. Oh, and he must also deal with her parents, whom he has never met before, as they deal with both their rocky marriage and their ailing daughter. The film wins on its genuine humor, the authenticity of its realism, and on me being a sucker for a good, though dark, romantic comedy. ― Adam Hobart
The Trip to Spain
Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon take a third Trip, bringing along their trademark combination of middle-aged angst and Roger Moore impersonations. There is beautiful scenery and beautiful food, of course, but the real core of this series is the tetchy, competitive friendship between Steve and Rob. The Trip to Spain is a melancholy and ultimately satisfactory entry in a consistently wonderful series. ― Nathanael T. Booth
The Shape of Water
If there is something that Guillermo del Toro does well, it’s monsters. In his latest film, The Shape of Water, del Toro paints a strange tale of a love story–not a typical love story–but a monster love story. Normally in the cinematic world a monster film is usually either an action movie or a B-movie at best, but in typical del Toro fashion, nothing about this movie fit those boundaries. I went into it thinking it was a love story for Abe, the character in Hellboy, that del Toro directed two movies about, but I was pleasantly surprised it was more than that. The movie was full of surprises, well written, stunning performances, sad, and even funny at times. Only del Toro can make a monster scary, endearing, and yet so beautiful. ― Rubi Trio
And the top 10:
10. Thor: Ragnarok
Superhero films have a tendency to follow a similar pattern and a similar line when it comes to tone and character development. I would make the case that Thor: Ragnorak is the first example of a Marvel franchise film that was able to largely retain the uniqueness and vision of its director. It is no secret that Waititi and Coogler—who directed the upcoming Black Panther—are the first non-white directors to be given the reins of a big-budget film in a widely loved cinematic universe. Waititi’s New Zealand-inflected dry wit infuses its way into Thor in such a way that the humor becomes its own narrative progression. Its humor is sharper and more incisive than the Guardians of the Galaxy films and its imagery is more in line with del Toro than any of the paint-by- numbers visuals of Marvel to date. Outside of the gritty noire feel of Winter Soldier, this is the only Marvel feature that feels like a unique film apart from its cinematic context. ― Blake Collier
9. Spider-Man: Homecoming
Even though Spider-Man: Homecoming isn’t the highest grossing Spider-Man film, nor did it have the highest grossing opening weekend of any Spider-Man film (believe it or not, both those honors belong to Sam Raimi’s 2007 film, Spider-Man 3), and it doesn’t even have the highest Rotten Tomatoes score (that honor goes to Sam Raimi’s best Spider-Man film, Spider-Man 2), it does have an actual teenage Spider-Man, who sounds like he’s from Queens, and, best of all, he gets to play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe sandbox. As a lifelong Spider-Man fan who’s pushing 40, I was already in the bag for this movie; I just prayed it didn’t disappoint as much as Spider-Man 3 and the two Amazing Spider-Man films did. This movie surpassed all of my expectations. In a year filled with superhero movies, this one, much like Logan, was able to stand apart from the rest. Spider-Man: Homecoming felt like one of the many John Hughes teenage comedies that I enjoyed while growing up—it just also happened to be a superhero movie. Michael Keaton gives a very relatable and realistic performance as The Vulture, and Tom Holland gives a solid performance as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man that feels much truer to the comics than those of previous portrayals. In what could have easily been a “why bother, been there, seen that” type of movie, Spider-Man: Homecoming gave moviegoers something fresh and fun that left your friendly neighborhood Dork Knight wanting more. Excelsior! ― Danny Ballard (aka The Dork Knight)
8. It
Stephen King adaptations have been an almost ubiquitous part of the film landscape for over four decades and It joins the ranks among the best of them. The story is a powerful metaphor of the hidden evils lying below the surface in a small New England town, preying upon the weakest members of the community. Not seen by adults who either actively participate in violence or just have turned a blind eye toward the evil in their own hearts and in their peers, the children of the town confront the horror in a literal manifestation in the form of a creepy clown. Great performances from the child actors call back classics like The Goonies and Stand by Me, another King adaptation, as well as popular modern series like Stranger Things. ― Darryl A. Armstrong
7. Baby Driver
In a Hollywood landscape filled with adaptations, sequels, prequels, and shared universes, director Edgar Wright creates a wholly unique story about Baby (rising star Ansel Elgort), a prodigy at driving. Caught in the world of crime through circumstance, Baby longs to escape even as he provides escape for bank thieves as a getaway driver. Wright’s aesthetic sensibilities infuse the film with music, humor, and playfulness, all of which makes it a joy to watch and leave it with all the qualities to become a future cult classic. ― Darryl A. Armstrong
6. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
The Star War franchise has never been something in which I’ve sought cinematic comfort. The vagueness of the “force” and the melodrama of the narrative has always run against the grain of effective film in my estimation. However, Rian Johnson gave us a film that both captured the original trilogy’s expanse and magic and yet wasn’t willing to give in to the well-trod ground of past Star Wars films. From the willingness to lighten up the seriousness of the franchise and the attempts to give visual fervor to the landscapes that Lucas originally formulated, Johnson gave us a treat that delights on many levels and beckons us back for further viewing. And for a non- fan, that is something to be celebrated. ― Blake Collier
5. Logan
Due to the movie’s release in early 2017, I feel like James Mangold’s Logan is missing out on some very much deserved recognition this awards season. How Patrick Stewart hasn’t been nominated for Best Supporting Actor at any of the movie awards so far is a terrible injustice. He and Hugh Jackman both give their best performances as these characters in what is easily their biggest departure from the comic book movie status quo. Logan brings closure to the characters of Professor X and Wolverine in the Bryan Singer/Fox X-Men Universe in a very moving way. Great writing and storytelling coupled with outstanding performances from Stewart, Jackman, and newcomer Dafne Keen make you nearly forget you’re watching a fantastical movie about mutants with superpowers who hailed from the pages of comic books. ― Danny Ballard
4. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
The optical illusion that we call cinema allows its artists the freedom to make the impossible possible. As its technology has evolved, so has the breadth and invention of cinema’s dreamscapes. Freewheeling whimsy is the raison d’être of Luc Besson’s Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, a film in which alien space princesses clean their faces with translucent pearls and space bazaars exist in two different dimensions of spacetime. The dazzling pulp dynamism of Besson’s sci-fi spectacular roots itself in an unfashionably earnest optimism that sees youthful idealism as the force that will right a legacy of human wrongdoing. ― Ryan Holt
3. Blade Runner 2049
In 1982, Blade Runner arrived with very little fanfare, only gaining prominence and a second life at midnight showings and the advent of home video. 30+ years and 5 or 6 cuts later, it has become one of the most analyzed and influential films in cinematic history. It’s sequel, Blade Runner 2049, is every bit it’s equal (arguably superior), immersing us in the cold, broken, future of dystopian landscapes, brutal climate, monolithic corporations, and doomed Replicants, while building on it, exploring its own characters and themes. I hope that in another 30+ years, this sequel of again little fanfare takes its place beside the original as a masterpiece. ― Alexander Ford
2. Wonder Woman
For generations Wonder Woman has inspired young and old internationally, and finally got her debut on the big screen. With high expectations, fans and skeptics visited theaters for a chance to see the most familiar female superhero on the big screen, and she did not disappoint. Gal Gadot did an amazing job as Wonder Woman, and fans everywhere have come to embrace her for the icon she took on. To see Themyscira and the amazons on the big screen was everything this little fan girl could ask for and more. I still tear up a bit every time I see the movie. Sure, the movie was not without its flaws *cough , cough-Ares*. But despite those flaws, it still lived up to very high expectations. The best result of this movie for me, is seeing and hearing the excitement of a younger generation after watching the movie. Wonder Woman is making a whole new generation of fans and that warms my little geek heart. ― Rubi Trio
1. Get Out
As a horror film aficionado and critic, one hope is that a genre-shifting film will come along in one’s own lifetime; a film that will influence the form and content of horror cinema that follows in its wake. Get Out, the debut film by Jordan Peele, is subversive in how it upends horror conventions and tropes and allows its dark, satirical humor to be the vehicle of its most unsettling and disturbing commentary. It’s a film that elicits diverse responses from the audience that is viewing it. Few films have given way to the same excitement and participatory nature of cinema. It’s a thrill ride from beginning to end. ― Blake Collier
