As we leap into 2018 it’s time to look back the best movies the year had to offer. Here’s my list of the cream of the cinematic crop.
10) THE FLORIDA PROJECT (R)
The poor who live on the fringes of society are the focus of “The Florida Project,” a realistic slice of life drama set in the seedy shadow of Disney World.
9) WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (PG-13)
I’m not monkeying around. The third installment in the “Planet of the Apes” franchise reboot, “War for the Planet of the Apes,” is a visually spectacular and riveting drama.
8) WIND RIVER (R)
Jeremy Renner stars in Taylor Sheridan’s smart contemporary Western, a very dark and disturbing thriller about a murder of a Native American woman on a frigid, remote reservation.
7) BABY DRIVER (R)
Decadent, violent, profane…and wildly entertaining, “Baby Driver” is a zippy heist film fueled by a kinetic soundtrack that should appeal to both Baby Boomers and Millennials.
6) LADY BIRD (R)
“Lady Bird” is a funny, realistic and insightful comic drama about teenage angst. It’s beautifully acted and a welcome entry in the coming-of-age genre.
5) THREE BILLBOARDS OUTSIDE EBBING MISSOURI (R)
“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri” has a very dark “show me” attitude. Expect multiple Oscar nominations for this bitterly funny and profane comic drama that’s smart, disturbing and vividly told.
4) GET OUT (R)
Jordan Peele’s horror entry “Get Out” is an effective social commentary as well as a potent creepfest. “Get Out” is this generation’s answer to “The Stepford Wives.”
3) DUNKIRK (PG-13)
“Dunkirk” is an engrossing WWII epic from filmmaker Christopher Nolan about the evacuation of Allied troops from the beaches of France. Instead of a tidy plot, Nolan immerses the audience into the action to provide a visceral, impressive ‘you are there’ experience.
2) THE POST (PG-13)
It’s hard to imagine a timelier movie about freedom of the press. Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep star in Steven Spielberg’s riveting drama about the Washington Post’s publication of the Pentagon Papers in 1971.
1) THE BIG SICK (R)
My favorite movie of the year may not make it to the top on other lists, but “The Big Sick” is a smart, hilarious and touching comic drama with a terrific cast. If it doesn’t move you, maybe YOU need to check into the hospital.