Gautam Anand
Every year, we come across films that completely surprise us — either because they were worse than expected or (rarely) because they were better than expected. Obviously, based on the director or the actors attached, our mind sub-consciously attaches a certain level of expectations with the film. So, for instance, ‘Dunkirk’ is a film that met our very high expectations. The same is true for ‘The Shape of Water’. While, a film like ‘The Book of Henry’ turned out to be much worse than expected. This article is about the films that was way better than expected. Here’s the list of 10 surprisingly good movies of 2017.
10. Baby Driver
We all know how car movies turn out to be. Just look at Fast and Furious series. So, I didn’t have much hopes with ‘Baby Driver’. Little did I know it will turn out to be the coolest movie of the year. It functions like a smoothly run machine, whirring to go the distance. Baby is a good-hearted criminal. A walking oxymoron, his life turns for good when he meets and falls in love with Deborah. Willing to change himself and leave his life behind for her, Baby is confronted one last time to do what he does best: run. The now besieged Kevin Spacey gives a solid performance with a strong cast behind him. Foxx provides the most sumptuous of comic moments, charming his way through with yet another typical Foxxy performance.
9. Logan Lucky
We have seen heist comedies work before. In fact, Steven Soderbergh’s himself made a great heist comedy: Ocean’s 11. So, the first time I heard of ‘Logan Lucky’, my immediate reaction was “why”. Why do we need another Ocean Eleven type of film. Hasn’t Soderbergh already made three of them. All that changed once I watched the film. Tatum and Driver team up as the power brother-duo who plan to pull one-off at the local speedway in town. With the help of their gruesomely attractive sister and an expert at breaking things, the two desperately try to be as smooth as possible. But they aren’t. ‘Logan Lucky’ is Soderbergh’s fitting finale (who knows?), something that we might not remember him for, but will surely cherish for the rest of our lives.
8. Good Time
Had you ever imagined that you will see Robert Patterson as a rough and tough guy fighting on streets. It seems like he has long left the Twilight days. All of ‘Good Time’ is thrilling and fun, a visual splendor more than a groundbreaking narrative, but it’s worth seeing for the revelatory performance by Pattinson. His wide-eye intensity sets its sights on the audience and he never breaks concentration, even when his Connie isn’t always doing the smartest thing. His character gets himself deeper and deeper into scenarios he doesn’t have to be but Pattinson’s commitment always comes off as assured.
7. Beauty and the Beast
Remakes typically suck. Remakes of great films suck even more. But ‘The Beauty and the Beast’ is an aberration to that rule. The retelling of the original 1991 animated version, this Disney classic brings to life the characters have come to adore on and off the stage. Belle (Emma Watson), a simple but ambitious girl, finds herself trapped in an enchanted castle when a savage beast (Dan Stevens) abducts her father. Trading her own life for her father’s Belle lives the rest of her days in fear of the monster that lurks in the shadows of the castle. She fears him for he is hideous and despises him for he is the reason for her solitude. However, love knows no boundaries. As the sweet girl realizes that the Beast is nothing but another beautiful soul cursed to live inside the body of an animal, she falls for him. Watch as the eternal loves story dances its way to your heart and reminds you how love keeps history alive.
6. Get Out
We have seen movies made on the complicated race dynamics fall flat on their faces. But ‘Get Out’ turns the horror genre on its head and dexterously makes social commentary on racism and gender discrimination in America. What starts off as a mysterious apprehension, quickly turns into a happy and charismatic couple story, which soon turns into something macabre. If you are waiting for it to turn again, keep waiting; it’s not coming back. Kaaluya delivers a horrifyingly satiating turn as the victim of an insipid cult, but it Jordan Peele who steals the show with an intelligent and thought-provoking piece of work that is sure to be remembered for years to come.
