We'd like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! We hope that 2018 turns out to be a great year... for movies, for Criticker and for all of you as well!
10. Five Came Back - 7.1515 Average Tier
"Mostly relied on the five contemporary directors talking about lives and careers of those five who came back. This structure makes it more compelling than just your average history doc, but transforms it in a collection of stories about cinema, its filmmakers and their experiences before, during and after WWII and how these memories forged their post-war personal lives and films. Del Toro represents the only point of true criticism toward the US propaganda films, though." - felipelahm
"Mostly relied on the five contemporary directors talking about lives and careers of those five who came back. This structure makes it more compelling than just your average history doc, but transforms it in a collection of stories about cinema, its filmmakers and their experiences before, during and after WWII and how these memories forged their post-war personal lives and films. Del Toro represents the only point of true criticism toward the US propaganda films, though." - felipelahm
9. The Disaster Artist - 7.1525 Average Tier
"Beyond nailing the accent and mannerisms, I was pretty floored at how well Franco captured the controlling nature of Wiseau. The film is mainly light and comedic, but its the disturbing flares of Tommy's severe insecurity that gives "The Disaster Artist" its purpose. Read the book to dive a little deeper." - deaddilly
"Beyond nailing the accent and mannerisms, I was pretty floored at how well Franco captured the controlling nature of Wiseau. The film is mainly light and comedic, but its the disturbing flares of Tommy's severe insecurity that gives "The Disaster Artist" its purpose. Read the book to dive a little deeper." - deaddilly
8. A Silent Voice - 7.3896 Average Tier
"I think the manga is better than the film in terms of character development, yet the film's shortness allows this plot to breathe more and benefits the story by lessening the melodrama. It's a give-and-take here, but the overall product is still gorgeously animated and has strong direction. The cinematography of this film is something to behold, with nuanced human movements being emphasized in ways I haven't seen since late Miyazaki. I'm still skeptical about how these issues are handled, though" - bakcheia
"I think the manga is better than the film in terms of character development, yet the film's shortness allows this plot to breathe more and benefits the story by lessening the melodrama. It's a give-and-take here, but the overall product is still gorgeously animated and has strong direction. The cinematography of this film is something to behold, with nuanced human movements being emphasized in ways I haven't seen since late Miyazaki. I'm still skeptical about how these issues are handled, though" - bakcheia
7. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - 7.5210 Average Tier
"Immediately engaging thanks to the terrific cast lead by McDormand and Harrelson. Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri is one of the most complete film packages of 2017. Shocking, darkly comedic and filled with twists this film has to be a contender for best picture. McDormand commands the screen in a way that makes moments of the film hard to accept and Harrelson offsets her to help solidify a tour de force performance. As it progresses it becomes unpredictable and tells a brilliant story." - kgbelliveau
"Immediately engaging thanks to the terrific cast lead by McDormand and Harrelson. Three Billboards outside Ebbing Missouri is one of the most complete film packages of 2017. Shocking, darkly comedic and filled with twists this film has to be a contender for best picture. McDormand commands the screen in a way that makes moments of the film hard to accept and Harrelson offsets her to help solidify a tour de force performance. As it progresses it becomes unpredictable and tells a brilliant story." - kgbelliveau
6. Coco - 7.8624 Average Tier
"Folks, I say this without a hint of insincerity. I'm in love with the Coco. It seems like once a year, audiences are treated to an animated feature that's every bit as enjoyable -- if not more so -- for the adults as it is for the kids. Last year we were lucky enough to get two in Zootopia and Kubo. This year, we have Coco, which is every bit as good as both. It has the aesthetic, message, beautiful animation and captivating story, to grab its audience and take them on an evocative journey." - TheRealJ-Ro
"Folks, I say this without a hint of insincerity. I'm in love with the Coco. It seems like once a year, audiences are treated to an animated feature that's every bit as enjoyable -- if not more so -- for the adults as it is for the kids. Last year we were lucky enough to get two in Zootopia and Kubo. This year, we have Coco, which is every bit as good as both. It has the aesthetic, message, beautiful animation and captivating story, to grab its audience and take them on an evocative journey." - TheRealJ-Ro
5. Blade Runner 2049 - 7.8817 Average Tier
"An obvious labor of love from Villeneuve. Really one of the most faithful sequels in spirit since Aliens or maybe Transformers: Dark of the Moon which used meticulous effort to maintain the thoroughly exasperating nature as the previous entries. Between this and Sicario I desperately want Denis to shelve his Dune project long enough to put out a film adaptation of the SNES game Shadowrun." - Paxton
"An obvious labor of love from Villeneuve. Really one of the most faithful sequels in spirit since Aliens or maybe Transformers: Dark of the Moon which used meticulous effort to maintain the thoroughly exasperating nature as the previous entries. Between this and Sicario I desperately want Denis to shelve his Dune project long enough to put out a film adaptation of the SNES game Shadowrun." - Paxton
4. Call Me by Your Name - 7.9600 Average Tier
"The most perfect film I have seen that's come out in the last at least 15 years and in my opinion the best gay-themed film of all time. I have never experienced a purer expression of adolescent love, lust, longing, boredom and rapture in cinema. Needs to be seen on the big screen and needs to be seen more than once for true cumulative power. A devastating masterpiece." - laika
"The most perfect film I have seen that's come out in the last at least 15 years and in my opinion the best gay-themed film of all time. I have never experienced a purer expression of adolescent love, lust, longing, boredom and rapture in cinema. Needs to be seen on the big screen and needs to be seen more than once for true cumulative power. A devastating masterpiece." - laika
3. Molly's Game - 8.0526 Average Tier
"Great script and pacing from Sorkin, all performances were nailed, and stayed on track the whole time. Was worried that Sorkin would let the dialogue overpower the story, but that never happened. Always felt focused." - CarsonWid
"Great script and pacing from Sorkin, all performances were nailed, and stayed on track the whole time. Was worried that Sorkin would let the dialogue overpower the story, but that never happened. Always felt focused." - CarsonWid
2. Lady Bird - 8.0633 Average Tier
"Other things can be sad, it's not all war." Lady Bird does a beautiful job of exploring how complicated a teenager's exploration of their personality can be, when selfishness can be both virtuous and ugly. What's more, it's such a well-realized understanding of the minutiae of teenage life that almost every scene echoed with some nostalgic understanding of my own adolescence. And Saiorse Ronan is fabulous." - Alex Watkins
"Other things can be sad, it's not all war." Lady Bird does a beautiful job of exploring how complicated a teenager's exploration of their personality can be, when selfishness can be both virtuous and ugly. What's more, it's such a well-realized understanding of the minutiae of teenage life that almost every scene echoed with some nostalgic understanding of my own adolescence. And Saiorse Ronan is fabulous." - Alex Watkins
1. The Florida Project - 8.1948 Average Tier
"It's one thing to show the whimsy and wonder of being a kid and sticking the landing, but something else entirely to place it in a gritty, yet magical setting. As long as Sean Baker is making movies, there'll always be a reason to see them. Keep letting him tell these stories that we never knew we needed." - natebarrios
"It's one thing to show the whimsy and wonder of being a kid and sticking the landing, but something else entirely to place it in a gritty, yet magical setting. As long as Sean Baker is making movies, there'll always be a reason to see them. Keep letting him tell these stories that we never knew we needed." - natebarrios