20. “War for the Planet of the Apes”
A gorilla presents a pink blossom to a young girl. A rag doll is passed through the bars of a jail cell. An ape warlord finds it in his angry heart to spare the life of a monstrous, helpless man lying before him. Blockbusters may demand the three B’s—big, bigger and biggest—but “War for the Planet of the Apes” [our review] is defined by moments of tenderness. It’s a trilogy capper directed by Matt Reeves, who brings somber, often wordless grandeur to the tale of the ape paterfamilias Caesar (Andy Serkis, reverberating with fury and dignity via ever-astonishing motion capture) and his hunt for the human dictator (Woody Harrelson) who slaughtered his wife and his son. It’s a traumatic journey, but it’s also the story of how Caesar comes close to forsaking his code of honor, yet still finds the strength to believe that it is worth not only living in this world, but living in it compassionately. Jane Goodall wrote that she wishes more human leaders behaved like Caesar, but he’s actually a model for all of us to follow. Similarly, “War for the Planet of the Apes” is not only a great moral epic for 2017, but for the ages. — Bennett Campbell Ferguson
19. “Okja”
If not for its mid-year Netflix distribution, among other reasons, we might all be having a serious conversation about “Okja”’s awards potential right about now. It’s a glorious, sweeping epic by one of the great filmmakers of our time, and it’s a damn shame that so few got to experience it on the big screen; Bong Joon Ho’s animal-cruelty morality tale [our review] is no less cinematic than something like “The Shape of Water,” but feels like it was always destined to be underseen. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a 2017 ensemble that holds a candle to (batshit) Jake Gyllenhaal, Tilda Swinton, Paul Dano, Seo-Hyun Ahn et al. here. These are exuberant performances from actors who realize they’re a part of something special: an action-packed yet hard-hitting, fun yet thought-provoking piece of work that deserves far more of our collective attention than it’s getting. — Eli Fine
18. “Phantom Thread”
In the abstract, there’s nothing too audacious about “Phantom Thread” [our review] yet Paul Thomas Anderson directing Daniel Day-Lewis in a period drama about a tailor of high self-esteem and low emotional maturity, seen through the eyes of the woman who loves him in spite of herself, is genuinely ballsy. A tribute to the art of the tailor, a quietly smirking attempt at mocking high society’s covetous insistence on being soignée, a story of how boys never really grow up into men, and a bitter satire reflecting, for better or worse, gender dynamics at a cultural moment where gender dynamics have been cast under necessarily harsh light. Most of all “Phantom Thread” is a highwire act coming from one of modern cinema’s greatest minds and one of its greatest screen presences. Its commitment to documenting the vast effort of dressmaking feels bold. Its intermittent application of genre elements feels risky. Its use of the threadbare “great man” cliché feels damn near hazardous when audiences have daily ringside seats in real life for the public castigation of so-called great men. But both Anderson and Day-Lewis know what they’re doing, and they happily cede ground to the women, Vicky Krieps and Lesley Manville, both essential to the film’s success. The balancing act works: The great man is humbled, and we leave the theater floating on a cloud. Sometimes, love means saying you’re sick to death of your man’s bullshit: “Phantom Thread” walks right up to the edge of that truism with some of the most intoxicating filmmaking and performances you’ll see all year. — Andy Crump
17. “The Big Sick”
When you think of romantic comedies, for the most part, you probably think of those cheesy, unrealistic films featuring the flavor-of-the-month actress opposite the newest male heartthrob. By and large, they’re horrible. But with “The Big Sick,” [our review] audiences saw a romantic comedy, in the truest definition of the term. It’s a romcom, with an incredible amount of heart, that tugs at the heartstrings but also has real comedic chops. What writers Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani were able to do in a timely story inspired by their own lives is truly remarkable. Also, you can’t go wrong when you have Ray Romano and Holly Hunter bringing their A-game to their supporting roles. “The Big Sick” is a film that will make you laugh (it’s arguably the funniest movie of the year), will also make you cry (don’t even deny it, we all cried), and ultimately, will remind you that romcom doesn’t have to be a bad word. — Charles Dean
16. “Columbus”
Jin (John Cho), a Korean-born man arrives in Columbus, Indiana, one of the off-radar great architectural cities in the world, where his legendary architect father is in a coma. He meets Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) a young enthusiast of his father’s, who wishes to pursue her dreams outside of the small city but is burdened to take care of her recovering addict mother. The bond these two lost souls create in this magical architectural heaven is not just touching but has a surreal aspect to it that makes the viewer feel as if they just got lost in a dream. Columbus, Indiana’s modernist architecture is featured prominently throughout as Casey guides Jin to her favorite spots. Their corresponding conversations, filled with cigarette smoke, gradually become more detailed and more revealing. Director Kogonada conveys emotion through site and sound — in his debut feature, he turns out to be a master of not just visual setting, but of conversational filmmaking, and his “Columbus” [our review] might just be a masterpiece. — Jordan Ruimy
