The best films of 2017

The best films of 2017

Initially, it appeared that 2017 was an average year for films, with a feeling that blockbusters were overwhelming a lot of what was out there.

Not that it's a bad thing, but in seeing a couple of hundred films a year, there's occasionally a yearning to experience something different.

And while Taika Waititi's Thor: Ragnarok will be a home box office success thanks to parts of its originality, there is still a feeling that originality chimes with cinema viewers, and critics alike.

In no particular order, here are the picks for the top films of 2017.

The Florida Project 
"While more a freewheeling tale than a specifically strong narrative story, The Florida Project's exploration of the socio-economic damage done in America is as compelling as it is depressingly vibrant."

Paddington 2
"It's easy to dismiss the likes of Paddington in the cynical CGI world we currently live in, but the fact that it takes the simple things and does them well is very much to the film's credit and definitely not to its detriment."

Human Traces
"Director Nic Gorman's twist-and-turns script pulls and pushes his actors in ways that are challenging, but it's the central premise of the story split into three pieces and scenes played again but from different protagonist points-of-view which give Human Traces its captivating USP."

Blade Runner 2049
"It's an almost insurmountable task that Blade Runner 2049 has ahead of it, given the lasting legacy Scott's first film laid down in cinema lore.

But Canadian director Denis Villeneuve pretty much nails it here, imbuing his film with both the DNA traces of the first and degrees of its own identity."

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie
"You can't help but leave the animated Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie with a smile on your face."

Lady Macbeth
"A star is born in the devilishly sizzling William Oldroyd helmed Lady Macbeth, a reinvention of the Russian novella Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District. Florence Pugh burns up the screen as Katherine, a young bride trapped in the shackles of marriage and in a home of pure hell.

It
"Ultimately though, It is a nightmarish yet somehow episodic meshing of phobias and primal premises wrapped up into one effectively retro package, guaranteed to haunt you."

Elsewhere on the list, and worthy of commendation for 2017

Waru, NZ's 8 director take on child abuse

Gods Own Country, a stunning debut worthy of more than its lazy labelling as the Brokeback Mountain in the UK's peaks.

Bad Genius, a thrilling fun ride of exam cheating that was a heart-stopping joy from beginning to end.

The Big Sick, Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani imbued this flick with a great dose of heart and humour.

War for Planet of the Apes, a great end to one of the great trilogy reinventions of our time.

Raw, a cannibal coming-of-age movie to get your teeth into.

Get Out, a damning yet funny indictment of racial politics, all slyly wrapped up into a a simple tale of meeting the in-laws.

Logan, the R-Rated Wolverine we've all wanted, and the capper that delivered what Jackman promised through the years.

Split, a James McAvoy thriller that showed M Night Shymalan was still capable of delivering a twist that stunned.

Moonlight, the Oscar winner that signalled change.

Wonder Woman, the first sign that DC films could do women justice and never compromise a second of their comic book roots.

Columbus, a low-key relationship drama that had heart - and a brilliant lead from Haley Lu Richardson.

Coco, a Mexican themed animation about the Day of the Dead that teemed with life and gave wondrous voice to a simple story.

Colossal, an Anne Hathaway indie that had Kaiju themes, but also universal ones as well.

A Ghost Story, like Malick's Voyage of Time in many ways, but with a ghost.

The Killing of A Sacred Deer - by turns twisted and dark, yet devilishly delicious.

Baby Driver - Edgar Wright's heist movie that plays like a LP and sticks in your mind like an earworm.