Hey, check it out, another “Top Films Of 2017” list! As I’m sure you’re sick of reading these, I decided to change things up a bit. First, “Get Out” is not on this list! I love “Get Out”, everyone does. I’ve been talking about this film since February and I’m sick of talking about it! It’s fantastic, great social commentary, and I can’t wait to see what Jordan Peele does next. Second, I did not get to see every film I wanted to this year. I’m a College Student completing my Teaching Certification, I wish I had more time to catch every film I wanted to. A few movies I wish I had seen before compiling this list are “My Friend Dahmer, “The Shape of Water”, “The Lure”, “The Greatest Showman”, “Raw”, and “Tragedy Girls”. So, with all of that out of the way, please enjoy my “Top 5 Films Of 2017”.
‘John Wick: Chapter 2’
A sequel to the greatest action film of the past decade? I’m in! John Wick 2 takes all of the excitement of the first film and turns it up to 11. This time around the hunter has become the hunted. Wick, unwillingly returns to the seedy assassin underworld only to discover he’s being hunted by the top agents within the local area. I love the fact that we’re exploring the lore of this series. It would’ve been so easy to just do a complete retread of the first film, and just put Wick on another revenge mission. Instead, we dive deeper into the world and discover how it truly works. John Wick: Chapter 2 is definitely my favorite action film of the year!
‘Kong: Skull Island’
This is a film I’m seeing constantly looked over in “Best Of” lists. I just don’t get it, we’ve received two great films in this new “Kaiju Franchise” and both of them have been overlooked. What is really great about this film is that it’s a war film disguised as a “King Kong” movie. You’ve got all the beats of the old Vietnam films right down to the Crazy General in Samuel Jackson. Don’t forget the incredible colors and visuals. As I stated in my full review, this movie was as colorful as “Suicide Squad” should have been. If you want a great “Kong” film without the usual, “woman and ape fall in love” storyline, this is for you.
‘IT’
This and “Get Out” were the two most talked about horror films of the year; rightfully so. While this King adaptation takes many liberties with it’s source material, it still created a world that I wanted to know more about. The town of Derry, and it’s history are fascinating. The kids reminded me of the friends I had when growing up. Skarsgård’s performance of “Pennywise” was both enticing and chilling. I know a lot of people harped on the constant use of CGI, however, it wasn’t enough to distract me from a great film. Definitely looking forward to the follow up.
‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’
Listen, I’m gonna be straight up, unless a Star Wars movie is really bad then there’s a good chance that I’m going to love it. It’s a series that I hold near and dear to my heart. As for this entry, it’s torn the fan base completely apart. I, for one, enjoy the new direction the series is going. Without getting into spoilers, this entry changed things in a way that will make the future of the series that much more interesting. I enjoy seeing the old characters again, and I love the new characters being introduced and elaborated upon. As we’ve discussed here at Icon Vs Icon, try to remember that this is a kid’s movie. All of the Star Wars films were made for kids. Everything in every Star Wars film was put there to sell toys. It just so happens that there is a great story underneath. Try not to take things too seriously, these films were always campy.
‘The Devil’s Candy’
Anyone who follows Icon Vs Icon knows my absolute love with this movie. It’s dark, hard-hitting, and it’s use of music is fantastic. Heavy metal is a driving force for this film, and it’s use should be held right up there with the use of music in “Baby Driver”. Now, if anyone has made a huge comeback it’s Ethan Emery. From “Cheap Thrills” to this, things are looking incredibly bright for this fantastic actor. The movie itself has the ability to make me cringe without the use of over the top gore and there’s plenty of “Woah, they went there” moments. It’s not a film for everyone, but if you’re a horror fan, this is the film I recommend to you.
2017’s Honorable Mentions:
• ‘Baby Driver’
• ’68 Kill’
• ‘Get Out’
• ‘A Dark Song’
• ‘The LEGO Batman Movie’
• ‘Spider-Man Homecoming’
Obsessed with all things horror, video games, comics and vinyl, Dylan has been surrounded by all things geek culture since birth. Along with writing for Icon Versus Icon he’s also the co-host for the year long Christmas podcast, “Christmas 365”.
“No wimps. No False Metal.”
