Remembering 2017s Surprising Fan Favorite Films

Just when you thought big blockbuster superhero films were about to crush the indie studios forever, 2017 happened and spewed out a number of gems that revive mainstream cinema. Let’s take a look at some of the best the year had to offer. 

Image source: mentalfloss.com

 
The Shape of Water

“The Shape of Water” won big at the Oscar’s bagging the awards for Best Director and Best Picture, giving Guillermo del Toro much-deserved validation for his work. While many film buffs feel that a sci-fi romance may have been too “child-like” for a Best Picture, there were simply too many perfections that came together for this hodge-podge of a masterpiece.

Get Out
While many don’t necessarily agree that “Get Out” was a comedy, it was heavily infused with dark humor. It also seamlessly poked fun at several social injustices, which made the film resonate beyond its intended audience. Another big winner in numerous award shows, what makes this film more impressive is the fact that it was Jordan Peele’s feature directorial debut.

Gook
Not as well-known as the previous two films on this list, “Gook” was a screwdriver that hit a sledgehammer. First-time director Justin Chon shot the movie in black and white and revisited the catastrophic LA riots while dissecting colored communities in the area. This is undoubtedly a must-see for film lovers everywhere.

Image source: chicagoreader.com

 
Hi there, I’m Joe Cianciotto, an architect based in San Francisco, but a true New Yorker at heart. I love movies. Visit my LinkedIn page to know more about me.

Must-Watch: The Best Indie Films You Might Have Missed

Hollywood-produced films don’t always mean good quality movies. Sometimes, because there are too many people wanting to get a say in how a film is made, it comes out crappy (I’m looking at you ‘Fantastic 4.'). But then there are indie films that work with a limited budget and are produced independently, hence the name. These films almost always come out good, sometimes better than their Hollywood counterparts.

Image source: nofilmschool.com

Here are my favorite indie films that you might want to check out.

1. American Beauty

“American Beauty” was one of the many fantastic movies of the ‘90s. Director Sam Mendes captures the struggles of Lester Burnham, a father caught in a serious midlife crisis, his daughter Jane, who finds love for the first time, and her beautiful yet lonely best friend Angela, played by the stunning Mena Suvari.

2. The Blair Witch Project

This horror movie terrifies its watchers because of the amateur filming that makes it seem like a real story. Three young movie-makers set out into the woods to produce a documentation of the myth of the Blair Witch. Little do they know that the legend is still alive and waiting for its next victims.

3. Pulp Fiction

This movie is a cult film. In Quentin Tarantino’s masterpiece, John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, and Uma Thurman create a funny and exciting gangster comedy. The movie has many long dialogues, but Tarantino makes it work and ties all the different plot lines together for a spectacular finale. Seriously, if you have never watched this movie, do it now.

Image source: Miramax.com

4. The Witch

Written and directed by Robert Eggers in his directorial debut, the film follows a Puritan family encountering forces of evil in the woods beyond their New England farm. “The Witch” is an atmospherically driven, religion-coated film that is, at times, both beautiful and terrifying.

Joe Cianciotto here. I’m an architect by profession and draw heavily from modernist, postmodernist, and neo-futurist influences and mostly focus on the construction of commercial and multifamily residential developments. I am also an indie film enthusiast. Follow me on Twitter for more indie movie updates.