Welcome back! We are now deep into the second half of the decade. Today, we cover 2017, a year that saw the superhero genre loosen up and get weird, while the war genre got stripped down to its barest essentials. It was the year of the "social thriller," the year Pixar made us cry about skeletons, and the year we learned exactly what you can do with a grapefruit.
From the beaches of Dunkirk to the sunken place, 2017 was a year of bold, distinctive voices taking center stage.
Here are the 15 films from 2017 that made my top 150 list.
Spider-Man: Homecoming
Rank: #4 Director: Jon Watts
After five movies, two actors, and one reboot that didn't quite stick the landing, audience fatigue for Spider-Man was real. Then Homecoming swung in and fixed everything by doing something novel: it actually let Peter Parker be a kid. Tom Holland captures the restless, awkward energy of a 15-year-old better than anyone before him. He isn't trying to save the world; he's just trying to impress Tony Stark and get a date for the dance.
The film wisely skips the Uncle Ben origin story we've seen a thousand times and drops us right into the MCU. The John Hughes-inspired tone makes the high school stakes feel just as important as the superhero battles. And in Michael Keaton’s Vulture, we got one of the best MCU villains ever—a blue-collar working man who feels genuinely dangerous because he is so grounded. The car ride scene alone is a masterclass in tension.
Did You Know? Tom Holland attended The Bronx High School of Science in New York for a few days undercover to prepare for the role. He used a fake name and accent, but when he eventually told one student he was Spider-Man, she didn't believe him.
Get Out
Rank: #9 Director: Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele’s directorial debut didn't just scare audiences; it changed the cultural conversation. Get Out is a "social thriller" that takes the subtle (and not-so-subtle) racism of liberal, well-meaning suburbia and turns it into a literal house of horrors. Daniel Kaluuya is phenomenal as Chris, whose weekend trip to meet his white girlfriend's parents slowly descends into a nightmare.
The brilliance of the film is how it layers its scares. The horror doesn't come from jump scares, but from awkward conversations, microaggressions, and the feeling of being an outsider in a space that claims to welcome you. "The Sunken Place" became an instant metaphor for marginalized silence. It is a perfect, tight script that rewards every single rewatch.
Did You Know? The premise was partly inspired by an Eddie Murphy stand-up bit from Delirious, where Murphy jokes about how white people in horror movies always stay in the haunted house, whereas a Black person would just leave immediately. Peele wanted to make a movie where the character tries to leave, but can't.
Wonder Woman
Rank: #37 Director: Patty Jenkins
After a string of dark, cynical entries in the DC Universe, Wonder Woman arrived like a beam of light. It is an earnest, hopeful, and unapologetically heroic film. Gal Gadot silenced every critic the moment she stepped onto the screen; she embodies Diana not just as a warrior, but as a compassionate peacekeeper who genuinely believes in the good of humanity.
The "No Man's Land" sequence is the defining moment of the film (and arguably the DC franchise). Seeing Diana step out of the trenches to draw fire, crossing a battlefield that men said couldn't be crossed, is a powerful piece of iconography. It proved once and for all that female-led superhero movies could be massive, crowd-pleasing blockbusters.
Did You Know? Gal Gadot was five months pregnant during the reshoots for the film. The costume department had to cut a section out of the front of her armor and replace it with bright green cloth so her baby bump could be digitally removed in post-production.
Thor: Ragnarok
Rank: #54 Director: Taika Waititi
By 2017, the Thor franchise was the driest part of the MCU. Enter Taika Waititi, who looked at the Shakespearean drama of Asgard and decided what it really needed was a synth-pop soundtrack and a lot more jokes. Ragnarok is a psychedelic space road trip that completely reinvented the character of Thor, allowing Chris Hemsworth to finally flex his immense comedic chops.
The film is colorful, weird, and irreverent, tearing down the stuffy mythology of the previous films (literally destroying Asgard) to build something new. The chemistry between Thor and Hulk is pure joy, and Tessa Thompson’s Valkyrie was an instant fan favorite. It proved that sometimes the best way to save a franchise is to stop taking it so seriously.
Did You Know? The line "He's a friend from work!" was famously suggested by a child from the Make-A-Wish Foundation who was visiting the set that day.
Dunkirk
Rank: #58 Director: Christopher Nolan
Dunkirk is less a war movie and more a survival horror film. Christopher Nolan stripped away the backstory, the romance subplots, and almost all the dialogue to focus entirely on the ticking clock. The film is split into three timelines—The Mole (one week), The Sea (one day), and The Air (one hour)—that slowly converge in a masterpiece of editing.
The practical effects are staggering. Real destroyers, real spitfires, and thousands of extras create a sense of scale that CGI simply can't replicate. The sound design, powered by a perpetually rising Shepard tone in Hans Zimmer's score, keeps your heart rate at a sprint for the entire runtime. It’s an experiential film that drops you on the beach and doesn't let you leave until the boats arrive.
Did You Know? Nolan famously crashed a vintage Spitfire plane for the film, but (contrary to rumors) he didn't crash a real one. They built a highly detailed, full-scale replica specifically to be destroyed, saving the actual historic aircraft for the flying scenes.
American Made
Rank: #67 Director: Doug Liman
Tom Cruise steps away from the action-hero mold to play Barry Seal, a real-life TWA pilot who became a drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel and eventually an informant for the CIA. It is a chaotic, stranger-than-fiction story that highlights the absurdity of American foreign policy in the 80s.
Cruise is fantastic here, channeling a sweaty, desperate charm as a man who is in way over his head but loving every minute of it. The film has a manic energy, bouncing between comedy and danger as Seal tries to juggle the cartel, the CIA, and his family. It’s a cynical, fun ride through the dark side of the American Dream.
Did You Know? Tom Cruise, being a licensed pilot, actually flew the planes in the movie himself. For one scene where Barry abandons the controls to throw cocaine out the back, Cruise essentially left the cockpit empty mid-flight, which reportedly terrified the crew.
Coco
Rank: #73 Director: Lee Unkrich & Adrian Molina
Pixar has always been good at tugging on heartstrings, but Coco is on another level. It is a vibrant, stunningly animated love letter to Mexican culture and the Día de los Muertos traditions. The Land of the Dead is one of the most imaginative worlds Pixar has ever built, a neon-soaked metropolis built on memories.
But beneath the colors and the music is a profound story about dementia, legacy, and the fear of being forgotten. The central song, "Remember Me," is heartbreakingly beautiful. It handles the concept of death in a way that is accessible for children but deeply moving for adults.
Did You Know? The production team spent years traveling to Mexico to research the holiday. However, Disney caused a massive controversy early on by trying to trademark the phrase "Día de los Muertos" for merchandising. They withdrew the application after a severe (and justified) backlash from the Latino community and hired cultural consultants to ensure the film was respectful.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Rank: #74 Director: James Gunn
While the first Guardians was about coming together, Vol. 2 is about staying together. It doubles down on the "found family" theme, exploring the trauma that makes these characters so broken. The decision to make the plot revolve around Peter Quill’s daddy issues—with a living planet played by Kurt Russell—was bold and weird in the best way.
The emotional heavy lifting, surprisingly, comes from Michael Rooker’s Yondu. His redemption arc transforms him from a side villain into the tragic heart of the story. Plus, Baby Groot is undeniably adorable, providing perfect comedic relief without overstaying his welcome.
Did You Know? Kurt Russell was digitally de-aged for the opening 1980s flashback scene. However, the visual effects team said they had to do very little work because Russell has aged so well; most of the work was just removing minor skin imperfections.
Logan Lucky
Rank: #84 Director: Steven Soderbergh
Steven Soderbergh came out of "retirement" to direct this hillbilly heist movie, and we are all better for it. It feels like a blue-collar cousin to Ocean's Eleven, trading Las Vegas casinos for a NASCAR speedway in North Carolina.
The heist itself is clever, involving gummy bears and a prosthetic arm, but the cast is the real draw. Channing Tatum and Adam Driver are great as the cursed Logan brothers, but Daniel Craig steals the entire movie as Joe Bang, an explosives expert with a bleach-blonde buzzcut and a high-pitched Southern drawl. It’s light, funny, and effortlessly cool.
Did You Know? Daniel Craig was filming Spectre (James Bond) when he accepted the role. He famously showed up to set with his own bleach-blonde hair dye job, having decided on the look himself without consulting the director.
Darkest Hour
Rank: #101 Director: Joe Wright
Gary Oldman disappears completely into the role of Winston Churchill, delivering a blustering, transformative performance that rightfully won him the Best Actor Oscar. The film focuses on the tense early days of WWII, where Britain stood on the brink of negotiating with Hitler.
Unlike Dunkirk, which shows the action on the beach, Darkest Hour shows the war of words in the smoky backrooms of Parliament. It’s a movie about the power of rhetoric and how speeches can mobilize a nation. The makeup work is seamless, and Oldman captures both the strength and the crippling doubt of the legendary leader.
Did You Know? Gary Oldman spent a total of 200 hours in the makeup chair throughout the production. He also smoked roughly $20,000 worth of premium cigars during filming to get Churchill’s voice right, eventually giving himself nicotine poisoning.
War for the Planet of the Apes
Rank: #103 Director: Matt Reeves
This is one of the bleakest, most beautiful blockbusters ever made. It concludes Caesar's trilogy with a biblical journey of revenge and redemption. Andy Serkis’s motion-capture performance is nothing short of miraculous; you forget you are watching a CGI ape within seconds.
The film draws heavily from classic war movies like Apocalypse Now and The Great Escape, treating its simian characters with deadly seriousness. It’s a somber, emotional farewell to one of the best sci-fi trilogies of all time, proving that big-budget movies can still have a soul.
Did You Know? The character of "Bad Ape," the comic relief played by Steve Zahn, was added because director Matt Reeves felt the script was becoming too relentlessly dark and needed a glimmer of innocence to balance the tone.
Girls Trip
Rank: #111 Director: Malcolm D. Lee
Girls Trip is the raunchy, laugh-out-loud comedy that 2017 needed. It follows four college friends reuniting for a wild weekend at the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. The chemistry between the leads—Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish—is electric and feels genuinely lived-in.
Tiffany Haddish is the breakout star here. Her fearless, unhinged performance is comedic gold, turning every scene she’s in (especially the infamous grapefruit demonstration) into an instant classic. It’s a celebration of female friendship that isn't afraid to be dirty, loud, and incredibly fun.
Did You Know? The film was shot on location during the actual Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. The crowds you see in the background are real festival-goers, and the cast often had to improvise interactions with real people who shouted out to them.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Rank: #114 Director: Jake Kasdan
Rebooting a beloved Robin Williams classic seemed like a sacrilege, but Welcome to the Jungle won everyone over by smartly updating the concept. Instead of a board game coming to life, the kids are sucked into a video game and inhabit avatars.
This body-swap premise is the genius of the film. Watching Dwayne Johnson play a neurotic nerd, Jack Black play a self-absorbed teenage girl, and Kevin Hart play a tough jock trapped in a short body is endlessly funny. It respects the original while carving out its own fun, action-adventure identity.
Did You Know? Jack Black jokingly said that playing a teenage girl was the role he was born to play. He prepared by listening to pop music and asking the teenage cast members about their slang and mannerisms.
Murder on the Orient Express
Rank: #120 Director: Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh directs and stars as Hercule Poirot in this lavish adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic. He leans into the old-school glamour of the setting, filling the train with A-list stars (Judi Dench, Willem Dafoe, Michelle Pfeiffer) and shooting on stunning 65mm film.
Branagh’s Poirot is theatrical and eccentric, sporting arguably the most magnificent mustache in cinema history. While the story is familiar to mystery buffs, the execution is polished and entertaining, serving as a great comfort watch for fans of the genre.
Did You Know? Kenneth Branagh was obsessed with getting the mustache right. He combed through Agatha Christie’s descriptions and eventually decided it needed to be "immense." It took months to design and required special wax to hold its shape during the action scenes.
The Hitman's Bodyguard
Rank: #150 Director: Patrick Hughes
This is a movie that skates by entirely on the charisma of its two leads, and that is perfectly fine. Ryan Reynolds plays a high-strung protection agent tasked with guarding his mortal enemy, a notorious hitman played by Samuel L. Jackson.
The plot is generic action fluff, but watching Reynolds and Jackson trade insults for two hours is undeniably entertaining. They lean into their respective personas—Reynolds the sarcastic straight man, Jackson the profanity-spewing agent of chaos—and their banter elevates the material into a fun, explosive buddy comedy.
Did You Know? The script for this movie sat on the Hollywood "Black List" of best unproduced screenplays for years. It was originally written as a serious, gritty drama, but just two weeks before filming, it was hastily rewritten into a comedy to better fit the actors' strengths.