The Most Underrated and Overrated Movies of 2017
A look back at this year’s overhyped and under-appreciated films
As we come to the end of 2017, there’s going to be an abundance of lists for the best and worst movies of the year. But I’d like to pull back and take a broader look at 2017 for the lesser films that won’t make it on either list. There were plenty of movies that were genuine surprises but ended up being overlooked for one reason or another. By that same token, there’s a number of big commercial films that were significant successes but were too lacking to be tremendous and too decent to be considered the worst. Take a gander at this list of the five underrated and five overrated movies of the year.
#5 — Beauty and the Beast
Disney continues to have success with their live-action adaptations of their legacy of animated films, improving on their lesser titles of The Jungle Book and Pete’s Dragon. This is not the case with Beauty and the Beast, a retread of the same material with the same songs and nothing compelling to add to it. Everything about the original 1991 animated film is superior towards this decadent display; the songs were better (no autotune), the animation more exciting and the story more focused. One of the biggest mistakes this live-action version makes is in the inclusion of Beast’s magical atlas that can transport him anywhere in the world, making him appear far less lonely and leaving gaping plot holes in its wake. Families must have dug the picture as it is the most profitable film of the year, but I feel that those who go back and watch the original will be floored how well that movie holds over this version.
#4 — Despicable Me 3
The further adventures of villain-turned-dad Gru continue to dominate the box office, and there are no signs of slowing down. There’s so signs of improvement either. Despicable Me 3 finds even less amusing plots for the characters to pursue, from Gru learning he has an inept twin brother to his new wife Lucy trying to be a real mom for their three girls. The villain is nothing special for being a 1980s themed bad guy whose gimmick quickly becomes more dated than his references. Even the iconic minions feel like an afterthought as they struggle to find their place in the plot. Yes, it’s still brimming with a certain cuteness, but lacking in any original or creative writing, making the film appear cheaper and lazier among the likes of Pixar and Dreamworks.
#3— The Fate of the Furious
The Fast and the Furious films may still be dominating theaters across the globe, but they’re unfortunately plateauing with their lasted picture. It’s not that the franchise has lost its way, but when a horde of zombie-like cars crowd streets and missiles zoom across the ice, it feels strange to admit that’s par for the course. It’s not that Charlize Theron isn’t fun to watch as the new villain and the plot does take a few chances with its drama. But as the action scenes get goofier and the quips more quaint, the rust is starting to show on this series that is usually a blast.
#2— Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
James Gunn’s first Guardians of the Galaxy film was a surprise for being so brash and unique from the usual crop of Marvel Studios films. Volume 2, however, finds the sci-fi ensemble picture settling too much into a spot more comfy than bold. The characters splinter off into a handful of arcs that either mildly unique with Gamora battling her sister, merely blunt with Rocket connecting with Yondu, or lacking in more magnificent chemistry as with Peter Quill discovering his dad is a god. It’s still fun, but no more fun than the previous film, especially for how tired Baby Groot is as a character without much to do besides be smacked around and speak in a baby voice.
#1 — Split
M. Night Shyamalan’s latest film may have been a return to form. Finally, he was delivering on a capable thriller that felt clever, intense and frightening, with James McAvoy playing a killer with multiple personalities. He held it together so well, up until that last shot, right before the credits roll, where his trademark ludicrous twist finishes the film. It is so unintentionally hilarious that it nearly undoes the dramatic tension of Shyamalan’s movie for what he has in store for his next picture.
#5 — City of Ghosts
One of the most important documentaries of the year, City of Ghosts follows a handful of Syrian journalists from the group, Raqqa Is Being Slaughtered Silently. They operated out of ISIS-occupied territories to the spread the word across the world of the atrocities committed by the terrorist group but found themselves fleeing for their safety. The few that remained operated in the strictest of secrecy as ISIS was always watching and ready to make a quick and bloody example of any who oppose them. There are plenty of documentaries about what is going on in Syria, but City of Ghosts feels the most important for being so personal with its tragedy and essential for the silence ISIS ushers on media.
#4 — The Little Hours
Criminally unnoticed upon its release, The Little Hours stages a comedic take on the Middle Ages with a fantastic comedic cast. Alison Brie, Aubrey Plaza, and Kate Micucci play nuns of a convent that act more like high school students, making fun of their superiors behind their backs, drinking behind closed doors, and bullying the convent caretaker. John C. Reilly plays the inept and drunk Father of the convent, taking in the horny Dave Franco that is on the run from a vengeful king (Nick Offerman) for sleeping with his wife. It’s a wild script, made all the more hilarious by the stellar delivery of a highly talented ensemble, including Molly Shannon, Fred Armisen, and Paul Reiser.
#3— Okja
Bong Joon-ho, the director of international genre pictures The Host and Snowpiercer, delivers another surreal and wild bit of speculative fiction. Okja takes place in a future where world hunger is of great concern, leading to the breeding of a new animal that looks like a cross between a hippo and a pig. Mija has taken care of one of these creatures, dubbed Okja, and doesn’t want to part with him for the nasty corporation that wants to harvest him for meat. A host of characters become involved with the hippo-pig harvesting including Tilda Swinton as an over-the-top CEO, Paul Dano as a somber animal rights activist, and Jake Gyllenhaal as a strange zoologist. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes downright weird, Okja continues to prove that Joon-ho is overflowing with story ideas and visuals that are leagues ahead of other filmmakers.
#2 — Wheelman
Wheelman is an action film that never leaves the car. It’s not the first to try this gimmick, but Jeremy Rush directs it with a surprising amount of intensity. Frank Grillo plays an unnamed getaway driver that finds himself taking the wrong job on the wrong night. Deceptive men are out to betray him, and he needs to keep talking on the phone while continually keeping his car moving. The concept is solid, and Grillo does a fantastic job for what is mostly a one-person show of him screaming over the phone, from mobsters to his disobedient daughter. That being said, he still gets to have some solid moments of action when he guns down someone who cuts him off and makes a tough call when handing over the money.
#1 — Wind River
Set on a Wyoming Indian Reservation, Wind River is a modern western that has plenty of grit and wit to spare. The story involves the investigation of a dead Native American girl, found frozen to death in the snow in the middle of the woods. Wildlife expert Cory Lambert (Jeremy Renner) and FBI agent Jane Benner (Elizabeth Olsen) aim to find out who was responsible for this, venturing to remote locations in the snowy hills. It’s an intriguing and intense little film that went criminally unnoticed, especially for the stellar supporting performances of Native American actors Gil Birmingham and Graham Greene.
