If anything here provokes disagreement, it only strengthens the vitality of these great works.

My list showcases a lot of movies that struggled to get out there, that don’t work for everyone, that provoke strong debates - and yet I’m entirely comfortable deeming them the year’s best. READ MORE: New York Film Critics Circle Names ‘La La Land’ Best Film Of 2016, ‘Moonlight’ and ‘Manchester By the Sea’ Earn Three Awards Oscars 2023: Best Adapted Screenplay Predictions 'Pariah' at 10: Dee Rees' Groundbreaking Debut Paved the Way for 'Moonlight' and 'Pose'īarry Jenkins: Oscars Gaffe Fueled Belief 'Moonlight' Only Won Because It's a Black Film Movies that challenge conventions, throw people off and leave them uncertain about what they just experienced are often the ones most deserving of celebration. None of them were safe commercial bets in fact, their cumulative box office figures might paint a dreary picture of this art form’s commercial viability, but that picture’s only one small piece of a much bigger puzzle. This year, every single finalist for my list of the year’s best surfaced at a major festival and, in most cases, found its way to theaters later on.

The film festival circuit provides an ideal alternative to conventional channels for discovering movies worth talking about all year long - and, if they’re lucky enough to land distribution, they quality for year-end celebration on lists like this one. Sure, it was a weak year for movies that stand out mainly due to star power and sizable marketing budgets, but those options represent only a small fraction of the marketplace.

To really assess the state of modern movies, one look beyond the obvious. In an age of binge-viewing, a preponderance of must-see premium cable shows and, hell, even smartphone apps that command far more attention most feature-length achievements, the true range of quality cinema is often obscured by the noise of an ever-cluttered media landscape. Every December it bears repeating: Anyone who thinks this was a bad year for movies simply hasn’t seen enough.

Best movies 2017