2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out)
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2017 wasn’t a stellar year for cinema, with rare hits lying adrift among high-profile disappointments. There were some underappreciated movies that, either through poor marketing or simple bad luck, didn’t seem to get the reception they deserved. Here’s our pick of the hidden gems from the previous calendar year…
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Blade Runner: 2049 – We know what you’re thinking: the long-awaited sci-fi sequel wasn’t exactly under-promoted, but it was under-attended, becoming a surprise box office flop. While critics adored the film, audiences seemed to be put off by the nearly 3-hour running time. They shouldn’t have been, because Arrival director Denis Villeneuve crafted a genuine masterpiece, the kind of film you just don’t see anymore. Meticulously recreating the world Ridley Scott imagined in 1982, the filmmaker created something both familiar and original. Ryan Gosling made the perfect anti-hero in a mystery that was part blockbuster cinema, part cinematic poetry. Perhaps the film’s destiny is to follow the path of the original film, which was similarly ignored before becoming a cult classic.
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2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Human Flow – Artist Ai Weiwei’s documentary about the global refugee crisis is a must-see for anyone with even an ounce of compassion. Going in front of the camera, but never taking the spotlight, Weiwei is on the ground at camps across 23 countries during the course of a year, simply talking to the people involved. People who are tired, hungry, confused, afraid. People who are thrown into a situation not of their doing, and unsure where they’ll be tomorrow, let alone next week. Key to its efficacy is the fact that this isn’t a rant, it doesn’t point fingers, but it does ask for action. It’s harrowing viewing, but important in an age when the real suffering goes unreported.
2/15
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2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Ingrid Goes West – On a lighter note, the self-obsession of the social age is lampooned in a darkly impressive indie comedy. Aubrey Plaza (Parks and Recreation) plays a lonely, obsession-prone woman who travels to Hollywood and lies her way into the life of Instagram celebrity Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen). Two great actresses underpin a hilarious satire of social media vanity, hipster culture and why being able to contact anyone anywhere can make you more lonely than ever. The micro-budgeted film did modest business upon its release, but the talent in front of and behind the camera deserve a lot more followers.
3/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Maudie – From a web icon to a little-known treasure. Canadian artist Maud Lewis lived a modest life in a small house, struggling with arthritis and living most of her life in poverty. Yet she became a famous artist thanks to the small paintings she sold, and the film of her life is a touching drama that does her justice. Sally Hawkins is mesmerising as Lewis, telling the story of how she met husband Everett (Ethan Hawke) and chronicling their life together with a quiet passion. As much about love as it is about art, the tenderness of Maudie reaches straight for your heartstrings and offers the ideal spotlight for Hawkins. The British actress is herself something of an overlooked talent, and this offers a great introduction to her work before she likely becomes an award favourite with Guillermo Del Toro’s The Shape of Water.
4/15
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2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Colossal – Oscar-winner Anne Hathaway does away with the glamour for one of the wackiest films you’ll ever see. She plays a party girl who returns to her hometown, only to discover she can control a Godzilla-like monster that appears in Tokyo every time she walks into her childhood playground. Sounds strange? It is, but it’s also terrifically well-written, with Hathaway’s performance exploring the pain of regret and the struggle to make up for past mistakes. Despite great reviews, the comedy flew under the radar, mostly due to running in very few cinemas and going up against The Fate Of The Furious. However, if you love the strangeness of films such as Being John Malkovich, this remains a must-see.
5/15
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2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Personal Shopper – Kristen Stewart is no stranger to the supernatural, but the 27-year-old showed a new side to herself in this French-made drama, reuniting her with director Olivier Assayas, with whom she worked on Clouds of Sils Maria. She plays a personal shopper for a celebrity, becoming connected to “the other side” through texts she believes are from her recently deceased brother. Gorgeously made, the film defies categorisation, yet draws out very real reactions. The unnerving tone is underpinned by Stewart at her very best, bringing mystery and humanity to this supernatural tale. A big hit at Cannes, Personal Shopper combines the best of two cultures to create something special.
6/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Good Time – Stewart’s Twilight co-star Robert Pattinson has been making all the right moves since leaving the vampire franchise in 2012, working on impressive independent fare such as Cosmopolis, Life and The Childhood of A Leader. This festival favourite is arguably his best work to date, following a bleach blonde Pattinson as a quick-thinking criminal tearing through the streets trying to find money to get his brother out of prison. Fast-paced and with an incredible soundtrack, Pattinson puts his all into a character who is wonderfully sleazy, using his charm to manipulate various strangers during one wild night. Making many ‘Best of 2017’ lists, Good Time may be the moment Pattinson went from teen idol to dramatic leading man.
7/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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A Ghost Story – Some films quietly wait to be discovered, rewarding those who take the time to seek them out. While it may not be a conventional drama, A Ghost Story is exactly the type of film that’s worth searching for. Casey Affleck plays a ghost, literally wearing a sheet for the majority of the film, and haunting the house that he shared with his wife (Rooney Mara), while both struggle to accept what has happened. Bizarre, surreal, and yet so moving that it’s impossible to forget, the film’s lyrical tone gives it a kind of eerie beauty that tears at you long after it has finished. At its best, this exploration of love and grief is utterly haunting (sorry).
8/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Brigsby Bear – Jedi Master Mark Hamill might be wowing crowds as part of the latest Star Wars movie, but this affectionate and kooky comedy sees him play, among other things, a giant talking bear. The film follows a young man (Kyle Mooney) who has been unwittingly held captive in an underground bunker by his “parents” (Hamill and Jane Adams), and is obsessed with the TV show Brigsby Bear, which his parents/captors created for him. Viewing pop-culture obsession through a more endearing lens than Ingrid Goes West, it has the whimsy of films like Be Kind Rewind and offers a skewed look at relatable subjects.
9/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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The Red Turtle – The name Studio Ghibli carries with it an intimidating history, meaning this enigmatic film perished under the spotlight of expectation. The first international collaboration for the studio, this French-made animation follows a man who is shipwrecked and meets a red turtle, leading to an unusual journey. The dreamlike feel of the film, which has no dialogue, plays out like an ambiguous fairy tale, allowing the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to what it means. This is all told through simple, beautiful animation that emphasises the feelings of isolation while keeping the focus on the story. An underrated gem for the more thoughtful cinema fan.
10/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Free Fire – A movie that plays like one long shoot-out, boasting an all-star cast and made by one of the UK’s most beloved directors – how could Free Fire lose? Incredibly, despite featuring Brie Larson, Armie Hammer and Cillian Murphy, Ben Wheatley’s ‘70s crime film about an arms deal gone wrong could not catch fire with audiences. Average reviews meant the film made less than half its modest $7million budget, something of a shock for a director whose work on films such as Kill List and High-Rise has made him a cult hero. Nevertheless, while the movie may have its flaws, the action and interaction on screen make it a hell of a fun ride.
11/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Detroit – Riding high on the successes of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty, Kathryn Bigelow’s dramatisation of an incident of police brutality in 1960s Detroit was a typically provocative film that was perhaps too close to home for an American society still struggling with racial tensions. It’s a great pity, as Bigelow’s film is a startlingly urgent piece that uses the past to discuss issues that are relevant in the present. Star Wars actor John Boyega proves he’s no one-trick pony as a security guard who becomes part of a brutal police incident, led by a terrifying Will Poulter as an intimidating and racist policeman. An interesting history lesson from one of cinema’s most fearless voices.
12/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Only The Brave – Josh Brolin, Jennifer Connelly, Miles Teller, John Goodman, Taylor Kitsch… everywhere you turn in this drama, you see a great actor doing what they do best. Telling the true story of the heroic Granite Mountain Hotshot firefighters, we experience what it takes to face off against the wild forest fires of Arizona, and the brotherhood this dangerous life fosters. Many stories about this kind of subject tend to get lost in corny clichés, but this film portrays these heroes as ordinary men, with problems to overcome and families that wait for them to return. A quick google will tell you this is something of a weepie, but it’s a rousing story of bravery from a top-class cast.
13/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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First They Killed My Father – Angelina Jolie has not enjoyed the same success as a director that she did as an actor, having wowed very few people with dramas Unbroken and By The Sea. Happily, this Netflix original film, viewing the brutal 1970s Khmer Rouge siege of Cambodia through the eyes of a child, is Jolie’s best work behind the camera to date. Using a child’s perspective to convey the horrors of war, the all-Cambodian cast make every new twist in their journey felt across cultures. Whether you’re aware of this moment in history or coming to it for the first time, it’s a chance to be truly moved by some incredible filmmaking.
14/15
Culture
2017 Films You May Have Missed (But Should Still Check Out).
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Tom Of Finland – LGBTQIA stories often struggle for mainstream attention, and Tom of Finland certainly deserved a wider audience due to the cultural impact of its subject. This biopic of Touko Laaksonen, a gay artist whose erotic artwork would go on to define a generation of gay culture, charts the personal challenges his work and sexuality elicited from the outside world. It’s a beguiling look at how art can be influenced by life, and how truly great art can make the most modest personalities immortal. Likely to be a hit on streaming services, consider this a valuable chapter in a largely unexplored cultural history.
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