2. THE BIG SICK Kumail Nanjiani and Emily Gordon’s take on their unique romance is quite possibly the funniest, most honest, and most poignant on-screen portrayal ever on what it’s like to be Asian-American and a child of immigrants: to be caught between two worlds, and the challenges of being true to both yourself and your family. Nanjiani’s struggle with identity, values, and devotion are hysterical but heartfelt, charming but challenging. And it’s Nanjiani’s relationship with Gordon’s parents (Ray Romano and Holly Hunter, exactly why you love them and far more) and all of their own issues that truly elevate one of the greatest romantic comedies of all-time. Trailer
3. LOGAN Not since The Dark Knight have we witnessed such a powerful paragon of the potential of superhero films. Director James Mangold and writers Scott Frank and Michael Green make the pivotal realization that superheroism can be purely thematic, and not handcuffed by genre obligations. Logan narrows customary superhero stakes while simultaneously expanding the possibilities of such well-worn subject matter. By making a road-trip Western about a father-daughter relationship, the filmmakers dive far deeper into the existential crises of super-powered humans than their predecessors have; no longer must we be beholden to saving the world; in Hugh Jackman’s heart-wrenching swan song as Wolverine, we are saving souls. Trailer
4. THE FLORIDA PROJECT Set among the economically abandoned residents of an Orlando motel, Sean Baker’s follow-up to his iPhone extravaganza, Tangerine, follows a gregarious six-year-old and her gang of chaos as they wile away the summer looking for adventure (and trouble) wherever they can find it, blissfully unaware of the insurmountable adversity that engulfs them. Perfectly captured by the popsicle-colored film’s slice-of-life nature, the vibrant cast of characters, dangling on the fringes of both utopia and homelessness, enraptures and frustrates, yet Baker’s canvas oozes with non-judgmental compassion. The Florida Project is arguably the greatest film ever to show the world through the eyes of a child: full of curiosity, imagination, and wonder. Trailer
5. A GHOST STORY David Lowery’s Mobius of a poem, drenched in melancholy, is both an intimate portrait of grief and a grand opus of the infinite reaches of time and space. The film examines such cosmic and spiritual matters not from the perspective of the grieving but from one, simply covered in a white sheet, who has passed. A lyrical meditation on love, legacy, and memory alternately ruminates on single moments and hurtles through millennia. Disinterested in the limits of finding concrete answers, A Ghost Story instead traverses the enigmas of existence, in all its confounding glory. Trailer
6. COLUMBUS Video essayist Kogonada’s meticulously framed debut feature demands the viewer to pause and reflect on the often hidden beauty that surrounds us. Set in the architectural mecca of Columbus, Indiana, this masterful blend of the intellectual and the quietly emotional finds two lost souls who explore together their sorrows and regrets and the artistic expressions that provide some semblance of comfort. Unassuming but revelatory performances from John Cho and Haley Lu Richardson find wisdom in conversation and spiritual connection; spaces where we have been, where we are, and those we leave behind. Trailer
7. INGRID GOES WEST Not a horror-comedy, per se, but a harrowing comedy of horrors. An outrageous psychological cringe-a-palooza that violently scrunches your insides and makes you afraid to laugh. This twisted tale of social media obsession is modern-to-the-minute yet painfully universal. The film claws deviously at our deepest desires to connect and to be liked, digital or otherwise. When our projected identities and unquenchable longing for “cool” (whatever that is) filters out all else, the shadows of our true selves eventually fades. But at least we’ll look great doing so. Trailer
8. WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES The moral complexity of survival, the limits of humanity and the soul, and the corrupting nature of pride and vengeance are explored with Biblical aplomb in the finale to arguably the greatest franchise reboot in history. This astounding visual effects achievement derives much of its magic in emotional and philosophical nuance; its technical wizardry is found as much in a look, a grimace, and a touch as one of its many rousing action set pieces. As we often get buried by suffocating blockbuster avalanches, director Matt Reeves instead concocts a refreshing epic of delicate beauty and timeless clarity. Trailer
9. GET OUT It truly is astonishing to take a step back and admire how many seemingly disparate elements Jordan Peele’s directorial debut juggles and blends with such balletic fearlessness: inventive social commentary with genre thrills, comedy with forboding horror, arthouse prestige with mainstream pleasures, universal critical acclaim with overwhelming box office success. The former MadTV and Key & Peele star somehow steps directly into auteur filmmaking and creates a work of zeitgeisty brilliance that will undoubtedly be taught and discussed in universities for years to come. Trailer
Honorable Mention: The Post, Blade Runner 2049, Thelma, mother!, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Last Flag Flying, The LEGO Batman Movie, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Wind River
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