2017

GOLD STAR: First-Time Filmmaker Victoria Negri Is A Subtle Shine

Gold Star is a refreshingly intimate first-time film from director Victoria Negri, with a beautiful story about losing a loved one.

ENTANGLEMENT: A Wholly Original, Expectation-Subverting Gem
ENTANGLEMENT: A Wholly Original, Expectation-Subverting Gem

With a story full of surprising twists and turns, a canvas of dazzling onscreen visuals, and a career-best performance from Middleditch, Entanglement succeeds on several tiers.

YOUTH: A Lavish Production, Mired in Spielbergian Schmaltz
YOUTH: A Lavish Production, Mired In Spielbergian Schmaltz

While produced with sumptuous care, Youth’s Spielbergian desire to over-sentimentalise every scene makes it more frustrating than affecting.

FERDINAND: A Mechanical, Bull Story
FERDINAND: A Mechanical, Bull Story

There’s a sense of shallowness to Ferdinand, a film so generic and formulaic that it’s hard not to be cynical about its construction.

FUTURE '38: Building A Unique World From Genre Tropes
FUTURE ’38: Building A Unique World From Genre Tropes

Future ’38 is a memorable adventure which perfectly reflects our time, as well as reminisces about the films and sensibilities of the past.

FÉLICITÉ: Alain Gomis’s paean to Ferocious Womanhood is Fascinating but Frustrating
FÉLICITÉ: Alain Gomis’s Paean To Ferocious Womanhood Is Fascinating But Frustrating

Félicité contains some of the most powerful moments of any movie this year, yet never quite amounts to the sum of its impressive parts.

THE DISASTER ARTIST: Almost as Fun as THE ROOM Itself
THE DISASTER ARTIST: Almost as Fun as THE ROOM Itself

The Disaster Artist is a painstakingly recreated and, above all, entertaining film about the making of Tommy Wiseau’s cult classic The Room.

MANIFESTO: Best Left As An Art Installation
MANIFESTO: Best Left As An Art Installation

Manifesto, based on an art exhibit, contains an incredible multi-role performance by Cate Blanchett, but it doesn’t add up to a coherent film.

Changing Fortunes: How Films Were Bolstered Or Sunk By Cultural Sentiment In 2017
Changing Fortunes: How Films Were Bolstered Or Sunk By Cultural Sentiment In 2017

Many films which emerged in 2017 were affected and received based on the cultural sentiment; here are a few examples.

THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER: Sadistic, Deranged, Masterful
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER: Sadistic, Deranged, Masterful

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is an exploration of revenge and retribution, with one of the most brutal endings you will ever lay eyes on.

JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Perfectly Passable Family-Friendly Fun
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: Perfectly Passable Family-Friendly Fun

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is a surprising treat, modernizing the original film while also creating a fun, lively action-adventure.

QUEST: One Family's Instinctive Travels
QUEST: One Family’s Instinctive Travels

Quest is both a mirror and a window, showing both symptoms of our culture and the ways in which individuals subvert and redefine them.

I, TONYA: Being Bad Never Looked So Good
I, TONYA: Being Bad Never Looked So Good

I, Tonya is a refreshingly dark comedy biopic about the famous 1994 Tonya Harding incident, and is laden with incredible performances.

THE PIRATES OF SOMALIA: Deftly Jettisons Stereotypes For An Essential Viewing
THE PIRATES OF SOMALIA: Deftly Jettisons Stereotypes For An Essential Viewing

The Pirates of Somalia is a fantastic adaptation of its non-fiction source material, including a commendable performance from Evan Peters.

ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.: Dan Gilroy Takes a Sharp Shift in Tone
ROMAN J. ISRAEL, ESQ.: Dan Gilroy Takes A Sharp Shift In Tone

Roman J. Israel, Esq. may be disappointing after Gilroy’s Nightcrawler, yet it still has a few positives, such as Washington’s performance.