Opinion Piece- Why 2017 is a better year for films than 2016
I have been talking for what feels like years about how 2017 is going to be an amazing year for films and while we aren't quite halfway through it yet, I already feel like we have a stronger selection of films to show for.
First of all, I'm going to clarify that I am talking about UK release dates which means I get to talk about the slew of films from this years Oscars. When talking about the Oscars this year, I of course have to mention the Best Picture fiasco. I know many people are incredibly embarrassed by the whole thing but honestly, I think it was hilarious and probably the most interesting thing to happen at the ceremony in my lifetime and that in itself should be something to celebrate. Aside from that, it proved to be one of the strongest line ups of contenders ever. My love for La La Land is well known but now is also a time to celebrate those other superb Oscar films that we've had in 2017. There was *deep breath* Hacksaw Ridge, Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, A Monster Calls, Jackie, 20th Century Women, Toni Erdmann and Silence. All of those were deservedly up for at least one Oscar each and it speaks to the quality and quantity of all of them that some only got the one. Each and every one of them is worth checking out though.
At the other end of this spectrum though is the blockbuster, usually an area of the film business that earns derision but serious profit although this year, we may be getting films that work in both areas. Already we've had Kong: Skull Island delivering some superb guilty pleasure action and The Great Wall delivering some less superb but still very guilty pleasure, showing that... I was going to say that blockbusters can be original but that's a lie, they were just great fun. This year though, the reason blockbusters are exciting again is because we're getting sequels to films we actually care about. Fast and Furious 8 managed to continue the absurd action franchise after the highs of Furious 7 and Lego Batman took the humourous angle of the shockingly good Lego Movie and applied that to the world of DC, making the best Batman film since Dark Knight. Still to come, there's the continuation of the good Planet of the Apes films, a Kingsman sequel with an even more exciting cast and the next installment of the still great Star Wars franchise. Man, blockbusters are great again.
I have neglected a category here and the observant of you will know what; the mid-budget movies that have come from nowhere to surprise and delight. Surprisingly, the two prime examples of this both come from Blumhouse, a horror film production company that was previously only notable for making big profit off small films and somehow creating one of my all time favourite films, Whiplash. Needless to say, I didn't expect anything new from them this year that would change my entire outlook on them. I was wrong, as you probably worked out, wrong thanks to Split and Get Out. Split managed to show that M Night Shamylan is actually still a great director after proving his skill with his early films and then diminshing that career with almost every film after. It was not only an acting tour de force for James McAvoy but an confident thriller that didn't pander to anyone and did exactly what it wanted to. And then we arrive at Get Out, one of my favourite films of the year already. Not only does it smartly tackle racial tension but it grabs you early on and doesn't let go, taking stops to make you laugh before shocking you back into submission. God, it's so good but I still can't say much about it for fear of spoilers.
There are so many years that start and everyone thinks "Man, this year is going to be amazing for films" and while there are often great films there, it can boil down to a collection of largely lacklustre ones. 2017 has already proved itself to be vastly different though, even in its first five months, before the biggest blockbusters have taken off. There is so much more to look forward to this year but before they all come out, please check out some of the films I've mentioned here. Many of the Oscar films we be coming out over the next month or so and if you haven't seen them, give them a chance. Pretentious films may feel like odd watching when the summer is meant for mindless action but when they're this good, it's worthwhile for sure.
First of all, I'm going to clarify that I am talking about UK release dates which means I get to talk about the slew of films from this years Oscars. When talking about the Oscars this year, I of course have to mention the Best Picture fiasco. I know many people are incredibly embarrassed by the whole thing but honestly, I think it was hilarious and probably the most interesting thing to happen at the ceremony in my lifetime and that in itself should be something to celebrate. Aside from that, it proved to be one of the strongest line ups of contenders ever. My love for La La Land is well known but now is also a time to celebrate those other superb Oscar films that we've had in 2017. There was *deep breath* Hacksaw Ridge, Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea, A Monster Calls, Jackie, 20th Century Women, Toni Erdmann and Silence. All of those were deservedly up for at least one Oscar each and it speaks to the quality and quantity of all of them that some only got the one. Each and every one of them is worth checking out though.
At the other end of this spectrum though is the blockbuster, usually an area of the film business that earns derision but serious profit although this year, we may be getting films that work in both areas. Already we've had Kong: Skull Island delivering some superb guilty pleasure action and The Great Wall delivering some less superb but still very guilty pleasure, showing that... I was going to say that blockbusters can be original but that's a lie, they were just great fun. This year though, the reason blockbusters are exciting again is because we're getting sequels to films we actually care about. Fast and Furious 8 managed to continue the absurd action franchise after the highs of Furious 7 and Lego Batman took the humourous angle of the shockingly good Lego Movie and applied that to the world of DC, making the best Batman film since Dark Knight. Still to come, there's the continuation of the good Planet of the Apes films, a Kingsman sequel with an even more exciting cast and the next installment of the still great Star Wars franchise. Man, blockbusters are great again.
I have neglected a category here and the observant of you will know what; the mid-budget movies that have come from nowhere to surprise and delight. Surprisingly, the two prime examples of this both come from Blumhouse, a horror film production company that was previously only notable for making big profit off small films and somehow creating one of my all time favourite films, Whiplash. Needless to say, I didn't expect anything new from them this year that would change my entire outlook on them. I was wrong, as you probably worked out, wrong thanks to Split and Get Out. Split managed to show that M Night Shamylan is actually still a great director after proving his skill with his early films and then diminshing that career with almost every film after. It was not only an acting tour de force for James McAvoy but an confident thriller that didn't pander to anyone and did exactly what it wanted to. And then we arrive at Get Out, one of my favourite films of the year already. Not only does it smartly tackle racial tension but it grabs you early on and doesn't let go, taking stops to make you laugh before shocking you back into submission. God, it's so good but I still can't say much about it for fear of spoilers.
There are so many years that start and everyone thinks "Man, this year is going to be amazing for films" and while there are often great films there, it can boil down to a collection of largely lacklustre ones. 2017 has already proved itself to be vastly different though, even in its first five months, before the biggest blockbusters have taken off. There is so much more to look forward to this year but before they all come out, please check out some of the films I've mentioned here. Many of the Oscar films we be coming out over the next month or so and if you haven't seen them, give them a chance. Pretentious films may feel like odd watching when the summer is meant for mindless action but when they're this good, it's worthwhile for sure.
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