RHR’s Top Picks of 2017

2017 has proven to be one of the most controversial and revelatory years in the history of the entertainment industry.  While the Harvey Weinsteins of the film world have been revealed, pulling away the curtain to expose the ugly truths about how men, for decades, have assaulted and harassed women in Hollywood, a healing process has begun for women in every environment.  Men are beginning to see how their actions, perhaps previously thought innocent, are actually hurtful.  There also seems to be the beginnings of comprehension by men of  the mental, emotional, and physical attacks women undergo on a daily basis.   Women are also standing together to speak up in the hopes of making a change for the future—our daughters’ futures and our own.  It’s just the beginning, but a very hopeful one.

2017 just might be the year that women, a minority in the film industry, are recognized for their talents in filmmaking.  As the number of women directors and writers really haven’t changed in the last 5 years, perhaps the voting bodies will begin to open their eyes to finally see the overlooked works of art that we have this year in movies.  2017 has given us a generous number of entertaining blockbusters and heartwarming gems, several of which were spearheaded by women.

It was difficult to choose just 10 top films as I could have easily chosen 30.  Some of these films are chilling dramas and others are light-hearted and whimsical films, but hopefully you’ll find a few that aren’t on the typical film critic’s list.  None of these films were chosen based on who wrote or directed them.  They were based on the tough criteria of, was it a good story told well…the words of Robert Redford still ring loudly and meaningfully to me.  If a woman wrote or directed one of my top films, then that’s just a great bonus for women!

BEST FEATURE FILMS OF 2017

1. “The Shape of Water” (written and directed by Guillermo del Toro)
2. “Maudie”  (written by Sherry White, directed by Aisling Walsh)
3. “I, Tonya” (written by Steven Rogers, directed by Craig Gillespie)
4. “All the Money in the World” (written by David Scarpa, novel by John Pearson, directed by Ridley Scott)
5. “Lady Macbeth” (written by Alice Birch, based on the novel by Nikolai Leskov, directed by William Oldroyd)
6. “Mudbound”  (written by Virgil Williams, Dee Rees, and Hillary Jordan (novel), directed by Dee Rees)
7. “Lady Bird”  (written and directed by Greta Gerwig)
8.  “The Post” (written by Liz Hannah and Josh Singer, directed by Steven Spielberg)
9.  “Brad’s Status” (written and directed by Mike White)
10. “The Hero” (written by Brett Haley and Marc Basch, directed by Brett Haley)

Honorable Mentions include: “Get Out,” “Wind River,” “Norman,” “Colossal,” “Molly’s Game,” “Call Me By Your Name,” “Wakefield,” “Beatriz at Dinner,” “Battle of the Sexes,” and  “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Detroit,” “The Zookeeper’s Wife,” and “Their Finest”

BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARIES OF 2017

1.  “Faces Places” (written and directed by JR and Agnes Varda)
2.   “Tickling Giants”  (written and directed by Sara Taksler)
3.   “Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story”  (written and directed by Alexandra Dean)
4.   “Happening: A Clean Energy Revolution” (written and directed by James Redford)
5.   “An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power” (written by Al Gore, directed by Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk)
6.   “Step”  (directed by Amanda Lipitz)
7.   “Take My Nose Please”  (directed by Joan Kron)
8.   “Whose Streets”  (directed by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Davis)
9.   “Miracle on 42nd Street”  (written by Joal Ryan and Steve Ryfle, directed by Alice Elliott)
10.  “42 Grams” (directed by Jack C. Newell)

Honorable Mention:  “It’s Not Yet Dark” and “LA ’92”

INDEPENDENT GEMS

1.  “The Lovers” (written and directed by Azazel Jacobs)
2. “The Light of the Moon” (written and directed by Jessica M. Thompson)
3.  “Walking Out” (Written by Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith, short story by David Quammen, directed Alex Smith and Andrew J. Smith)
4.   “D-Love” (written by Dave Rogers, directed Elena Beuca)
5.   “Band Aid” (written and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones)
6.   “The Big Sick” (written by Emily V. Gordon and Kumail Nanjiani, directed by Michael Showalter)

Check out the reviews of these films and the many interviews with the talent right here on Reel Honest Reviews!