After watching 88 films in theaters in 2016, I was able to slightly increase that number to 93 films in 2017. Although I was disappointed I was not able to hit 100 films or come close to my 2015 personal record of 117 films in theaters, being able to see as many films as I did while being a full time student, working and traveling made me feel blessed that I still had time for the cinema as often as I did. Before I get into my 12th year in a row of looking at what is coming out and what will really get me excited to get to the theater this year, let’s take a brief look back at last year’s list to see if my prediction skills stayed consistent or if my expectations lead me to be let down…
10. The Killing of a Sacred Deer – Although I was slightly disappointed by the film’s quality in comparison to the previous year’s “The Lobster”, this film still fascinated me, gave me a lot to chew on and digest and at least is something dire that cinema needs right now…original. Worth watching if you like Yorgos Lanthimos and his other films.
9. The Post – My review is coming very soon on this one but for how excited I was by the potential of this film and with Spielberg behind it, I do have to say that I am rather disappointed by how this ended up turning out. Definitely lesser Spielberg and not worthy of the Best Picture nomination it received.
8. Alien: Covenant – The first of the two Ridley Scott films that came out in 2017 and the better of the two. This was an extremely underrated film in my opinion and Michael Fassbender’s David character has become one of cinema’s best villains throughout the course of the two films he has been in. Not perfect by any stretch of the imagination but an underrated film with gorgeous visuals and an underrated score/cinematography.
7. Baby Driver – Another film that I was super excited about since Edgar Wright hasn’t directed a film in four long years that ended up being good, but not great. There are a lot of aspects to like about this film like the premise, the car stunts, the music and the editing but quite a few problems left me underwhelmed and that is the second Edgar Wright film in a row that has done that to me. Here’s hoping his next film is great, not just good.
6. Dick Cheney AKA Backseat – Delayed until 2018…
5. Dunkirk – I have mixed feelings about how Dunkirk turned out. On one hand, it is really good. I gave it an 8/10 which I would strongly recommend to anyone. On the other hand, I expect Nolan films to at least be a 9 due to how talented the man is. So this film had some minor problems and I think it’s slightly overrated and not even in his top five best films but it is still a technical marvel with an amazing score, breath taking cinematography and worth checking out.
4. mother! – Besides “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” this was easily the most divisive film of 2017 that people either loved and admired for how ballsy and original it was or hated it for how misleading it was marketed and how graphic and unpleasant the film becomes. I am in the former camp and got a lot out of this movie. I loved the originality, the messages regarding the Bible and the environment and how unforgettable an experience it was. Definitely not for everyone but a good call on my part to put it on last year’s list.
3. Star Wars: The Last Jedi – I wrote my longest review of 2017 about this mediocre movie that ended up being the biggest disappointment of 2017 for me. I could go on about how Disney is ruining the magic of Star Wars by just looking at this franchise as a cash cow or how they stifle the visions of several directors when they butt heads with the studio yet let Rian Johnson do absolutely whatever he wanted to with this misfire. Disney has yet to make a great Star Wars film, let’s hope that changes.
2. Annihilation – Delayed until 2018…
1. Blade Runner 2049 – I used to have what I would call my “Magnificent Seven” which were my favorite seven directors so when people asked me which movies were my favorite, I could point to their bodies of work for an answer. Well thanks to Dennis Villeneuve I have had to up that number to eight. One of the best films of the year, one of the best sci-fi films in recent memory, better than the original and highly underrated, this is an incredibly made film that every movie fan should see. I’m patting myself on the back for putting it this high up on the list.
Looking back at my overall list from last year I definitely got some things right (Blade Runner 2049, mother! and Molly’s Game was my 12th most anticipated, Wind River 17th most anticipated), some things wrong (Star Wars disappointed and The Post and Baby Driver underwhelmed) and of course a couple movies got delayed, which happens every year. Now let’s look at my Honorable Mentions of my Most Anticipated Films of 2018 and get into the Top 10…
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
10. Hold the Dark (*Acquired by Netflix*)
9. The House that Jack Built
8. Under the Silver Lake
7. Sicario: Day of the Solado
6. Avengers: Infinity War
Top 5 Most Anticipated Returning TV Shows
FINAL NOTE: One fun fact is that although in the past I have had an actor or actress star in two of my Top 10 Most Anticipated Films of any given year, this year I not only have an actress who coincidentally happens to be in three of the Top 10, but three in a row in the #10, #9 and #8 most anticipated films. That actress is Riley Keough and I think after this year she will be a lot more recognizable. In closing, feel free to take a guess as to which films will be in my Top 5 Most Anticipated Films of 2018 and tune in on Thursday to see the 2nd half of the list and find out if your predictions were right or not…
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