Best & Worst Movies of 2017 • Most Anticipated Films of 2018

I saw 90 movies last year (up from 73 in 2016). Of those, 65 were released in 2017, and 25 were older films. On  my 1-10 scale, I awarded five first-run films a perfect "10" in 2017, which is one more than in 2016.

As with previous years, I know I missed some outstanding movies in 2017, and I’ll need to catch up on some of them (see “Sorry I Missed You,” below).

The best movie I saw in 2017 was Baby Driver. I saw it twice in the theater, including once with Cindy.

The rest of my “perfect 10” movies were Wind River, Wonder, Last Flag Flying and The Big Sick. Rounding out my Top Ten movies of 2017: Lady Bird, Brad’s Status, Gifted, Ingrid Goes West and Hero. Honorable mentions go to The Beguiled, Kingsman: The Golden Circle, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Get Out, Wonder Woman, Maudie, The Little Hours and Hero.

WORST MOVIE OF 2017: Mother! Close behind: A Ghost Story, Personal Shopper, The Discovery, The Lovers, The Meyerowitz Stories and Suburbicon.

VASTLY OVERRATED MOVIES OF 2017: The Lovers, Personal Shopper, Dunkirk, The Shape of Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, MO.

BEST OLDER MOVIES I SAW IN 2016: Cass Timberlane (1947), Cimarron (1960), The Hanging Tree (1959), Bad Day at Black Rock (1955), and the following movies from 2016: Fences, Moka, Swallows and Amazons, Passengers, La La Land and Moana.

SORRY I MISSED YOU:

Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Mudbound
Menashe
Stronger
Good Time
John Wick: Chapter 2
The Lost City of Z
A Quiet Passion
Your Name
Raw  
Super Dark Times
The Blackcoat’s Daughter
I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore
Marjorie Prime
Lady Macbeth
I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives In The House



MOST ANTICIPATED FILMS OF 2018

For the last several years, I have posted a blog about the movies I’m most anxious to see in the forthcoming 12 months. And each year, as I look back on my previous list, I realize what a folly it was to compile such a list, because many of the movies I look forward to end up being turkeys and I don’t even end up seeing some of them.

For example, a year ago, I wrote that I was eager to see Kong: Skull Island, Ghost in the Shell, Life, Beauty and the Beast, Alien Covenant, Okja and Suburbicon, none of which were particularly good. I also listed Trainspotting 2, The Dark Tower, The Snowman and Wonder Wheel—none of which I ended up seeing, based on mediocre or bad reviews.

Yet I always make the list, and so I have done so yet again. When will I learn? Apparently never. A year from now, I will wonder why I listed some of these movies.

The irony is that the best movies I saw in 2017 are ones I knew nothing about at the beginning of the year: Baby Driver, Last Flag Flying, Wonder, The Big Sick, Lady Bird, Brad’s Status, Gifted, Ingrid Goes West, Maudie and so on. And so, as I do every year, I wonder what the truly great movies will be in 2018. They are definitely not on the list below. But they are being filmed and edited as I type this. If only I knew which movies to see and which to avoid!

Here’s what at least looks interesting to me in 2018:

HUMOR ME—Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) moves in with his eccentric father (Elliott Gould) and gets a job at an old folks home, where he helps the elders put on a new play. I really like both of these performers, so I’m hoping this comedy delivers the goods. (Jan. 12) UPDATE: Lost interest.

EARLY MAN—I’m a huge fan of Nick Park’s stop-motion animation films Chicken Run and his Wallace & Gromit series, so I’m naturally curious to check out his new movie. The great voice cast includes Tom Hiddleston, Eddie Redmayne and Timothy Spall. (Jan. 26) UPDATE: Doesn’t reach the heights of Chicken Run or Wallace & Gromit, but pretty darn good overall!

THE CLOVERFIELD PARADOX—Wow. Paramount’s much-anticipated sci-fi film had been pushed back from its original release date, then unexpectedly sold to Netflix for immediate streaming after the Super Bowl; the title was unknown right up until the day of its release. (Feb. 4) UPDATE: And boy, did it suck. (The movie, not the Super Bowl.)

THE FEMALE BRAIN—Written and directed by comedian Whitney Cummings, this movie (featuring Cummings, Sofia Vergara and Cecily Strong) is said to explore the real-life science behind our often regrettable romantic impulses. (Feb. 9)

BLACK PANTHER—New Marvel superhero flick features Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, aka the Black Panther. Co-starring Lupita Nyong’o, which is all the reason I need to see it. (Feb. 16) UPDATE: So-so.

THE PARTY—Dark comedy featuring Kristin Scott Thomas, Timothy Spall and Patricia Clarkson. It’s gotten great reviews. (Feb. 16)

ANNIHILATION—Natalie Portman stars in the new thriller by visionary Alex Garland (Ex Machina). The trailer looked great! I believe this is Paramount’s next hit. (Feb. 23) UPDATE: Not bad.

EVERY DAY—Angourie Rice plays a 16-year old girl who falls in love with a mysterious spirit named "A" who inhabits a different body every day in this romantic drama. (Feb. 23)

RED SPARROW—Jennifer Lawrence’s new mystery-suspense film co-stars Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling and Joel Edgerton. (March 2)

A WRINKLE IN TIME—Big-budget Disney film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle’s popular young-adult fantasy novel (which I read last year) stars Reese Witherspoon, Oprah Winfrey, Mindy Kaling, Chris Pine, Storm Reid and Zach Galifianakis. (March 9) UPDATE: Reviews were lukewarm at best.

ISLE OF DOGS—Animated feature follows a young boy on an epic search for his lost canine companion in Japan. Voices by Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Greta Gerwig and Bryan Cranston. Directed by Wes Anderson. (March 23) UPDATE: Absolutely fantastic!!

MIDNIGHT SUN—Pushed back from 2017, this remake of the Japanese romantic drama centers on Katie, a 17-year-old sheltered since childhood and confined to her house during the day by a rare disease that makes even the smallest amount of sunlight deadly. (March 23) UPDATE: Reviews were pretty dismal.

READY PLAYER ONE—Director Steven Spielberg is back in action-adventure mode in this adaptation of Ernest Cline’s sci-fi novel. (March 30) UPDATE: So-so.

THE MIRACLE SEASON—William Hurt headlines this inspiring true story of West High School girl's volleyball team. After the tragic death of the school's star player, the remaining team players must band together under the guidance of their tough-love coach in hope of winning the state championship. (April 13)

AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR—I love the Marvel superhero movies, but haven’t really enjoyed any of the Avengers movies. The Guardians of the Galaxy will be in this one, so hopefully it’ll be an improvement. Also, I will see anything that has Iron Man and Thor in it. (May 4)

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY—Director Ron Howard helms this upcoming Star Wars movie, which explores the early years of Han Solo and Lando Calrissian. (May 25) UPDATE: Lost interest.

DEADPOOL 2—Sequel to 2016’s fourth-wall-breaking superhero movie (Marvel’s first R-rated movie, which I rated a 9) continues the Ryan Reynolds saga. (June 1) UPDATE: Lost interest.

THE INCREDIBLES 2—Fourteen years after Pixar’s The Incredibles, the super family is back on the job, with Elastigirl (Holly Hunter) taking more of a front and center role this time around. (June 15) UPDATE: It was great!

JURASSIC WORLD: FALLEN KINGDOM—Latest in the dino franchise brings Chris Pratt back to the world of reptilian monsters, and this time original Jurassic Park cast member Jeff Goldblum is back. (June 22) UPDATE: Entertaining!

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP—Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) and Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly) return in this second Ant-Man film. (I gave 2015’s Ant-Man a 9.) Scott must once again put on the suit and learn to fight alongside The Wasp as the team works together to uncover secrets from their past. (July 6) UPDATE: It was great!

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT—In his iconic role as the ultimate secret agent, Tom Cruise is back in the next installment of global blockbuster film franchise. I gave 2015’s installment (Mission: Impossible—Rogue Nation) a 10! This will be Paramount’s third hit of the year. (July 27)

THE PREDATOR—I have never seen any of the Predator movies; this fourth installment in the series is supposed to take place between Predator 2 (1990) and Predators (2010). So it looks like I may finally have to take the Predator plunge. (Aug. 3)

THE MEG—Two friends try to stop the ancestors of big sharks (the giant megalodons) in this adaptation of Steve Alten’s 1997 sci-fi novel. Jason Statham, Ruby Rose and Rainn Wilson star. (Aug. 10)

WHERE’D YOU GO, BERNADETTE—Maria Semple’s acclaimed novel becomes a Richard Linklater film, a comedy-drama about a brilliant but slightly unhinged woman who abruptly disappears, leaving her Microsoft-guru husband and devoted eighth-grade daughter determined to find her. With Cate Blanchett, Kristen Wiig and Laurence Fishburne. (October 19, pushed back from May)

CREED 2—Stallone is back as Rocky and Michael B. Jordan reprises his role as Apollo Creed’s son in this sequel to the 2015 movie, which I graded an 8. (Nov. 21)

RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET—Sequel to one of my favorite Disney films (2012’s Wreck-It Ralph) reunites John C. Reilly with Sarah Silverman. Been waiting a long time for this one. (Nov. 21)

AN EVENING WITH BEVERLY LUFF LINN—Jemaine Clement and Aubrey Plaza star in this comedy. The story follows Lulu Danger, whose unsatisfying marriage takes a fortunate turn for the worse when a mysterious man from her past comes to town to perform a mysterious event called An Evening With Beverly Luff Linn. (TBA)

A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK—The new Woody Allen movie is supposedly a romantic comedy; it stars Timothée Chalamet, Selena Gomez, Elle Fanning, Jude Law, Rebecca Hall and Liev Schreiber. (TBA...not sure if this will ever be released, based on how the #MeToo movement has swayed anti-Woody sentiments.)

TEEN SPIRIT—Violet (Elle Fanning) is a shy teenager living in the Isle of Wight who dreams of pop stardom as an escape from her small town and shattered family life. With the help of an unlikely mentor, Violet enters an international singing competition that will test her integrity, talent and ambition. (TBA)

CHARMING—This animated musical romantic fantasy comedy film explores the untold stories of Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, who discover that they are all engaged to the same Prince Charming. Featuring the voices of Demi Lovato, Avril Lavigne, Sia, Ashley Tisdale and John Cleese. (TBA)

SUBSEQUENTLY ON MY RADAR....

As I see new and interesting trailers, I will add some titles to the list below.

RIDGE RUNNERS—When a 12 year old girl goes missing, detective Rachel Willow discovers that human trafficking can happen anywhere, even in her small town. (Jan. 26)

THE BOY DOWNSTAIRS—A young woman (Zosia Mamet) is forced to reflect on her first relationship when she inadvertently moves into her ex boyfriend's apartment building. (Feb. 16)

FOREVER MY GIRL—After being gone for a decade a country star returns home to the love he left behind. This has gotten really mediocre reviews, but it seems like the kind of country romance story I would enjoy. (Already in theaters)

CURVATURE—Time travel sci-fi drama about an engineer who travels back in time to stop herself from committing a murder. (Feb. 23)

FLOWER—A sexually curious teen forms an unorthodox kinship with her mentally unstable stepbrother. (March 16)

THE COMMUTER—A businessman is caught up in a criminal conspiracy during his daily commute home. (Already in theaters) UPDATE: Laughably ill-conceived.

BREAKING IN—A woman fights to protect her family during a home invasion. (May 11)

IN THE FADE—Katja's life collapses after the death of her husband and son in a bomb attack. After a time of mourning and injustice, Katja seeks revenge in this German thriller. (Already left theaters)

ISMAEL’S GHOSTS—Starring Marion Cotillard. Yes, please! (March 23)

ON CHESIL BEACH—This is Saoirse Ronan’s next big movie, so naturally I am interested. (May 18) UPDATE: Saw it, liked it!

WON’T YOU BE MY NEIGHBOR?—Documentary about Mr. Rogers. (June 8) UPDATE: Saw it, liked it!

THE FEELS—Beautiful Asian actress Constance Wu in a lesbian-centric comedy? Count me in! (June 9)

KEEP THE CHANGE—An unlikely love story about two people who meet in a NYC support group. (Already come and gone)

THE DARKEST MINDS—Teens mysteriously develop powerful new abilities. (Aug. 3)