The 10 Best Movies of 2017

Another year of great movies draws to a close. Making this list took a lot of redoing and re-configuring, cause there were so many awesome and wonderful movies that were released. Most kick ass of all was just how great a year for horror movies this was! I believe this is the year when the most amount of horror movies have made this list. And, while there were some good superhero movies only one made the top 10, while the latest Star Wars did not. In fact, that movie is not even getting an honorable mention (good movie but not great by stretch of the word). Anyway, without any more time being wasted here we go:

Honorable Mentions:
Return to Return of Nuke 'Em High AKA Vol. 2
Happy Death Day
Wonder Woman
War for the Planet of the Apes
The Void
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
John Wick Chapter 2


10. The Devil's Candy- Perhaps the most chilling horror movie of the year, this masterpiece of metal and terror further cements Sean Bryne as one of the new masters of the genre. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-devils-candy-review.html







9. Get Out- A smart and timely horror movie that is rightfully being hailed as a future classic. It racked a killing at the box office and earned much deserved critical acclaim. By adding the voice of writer/ director Jordan Peele, the genre earned itself the type of social commentary that hearkens back to the days of George Romero. The smart, contemporary, socially aware, and, at times funny, script is one of the best in the genre this year. The excellent acting from the whole cast manages to bring it all to excellent, cinematic life.





8. Raw- This smart and excellently acted horror flick is one of the year's finest foreign movies. It may not be as graphic as some other French horror movies, but it still manages to shock and, at times, repulse. The intelligent script produces a movie that is dramatically pleasing, eye raising, and, even a little sexy. In all, the finest European horror flick, in the last few years.




7. Better Watch Out- This horror flick turns the home invasion movie on its ears and the results are one of the best Christmas horror movies ever made. It also happens to have one of the best final girls of the year in the form of the lovely Olivia DeJonge playing Ashley. This is one I will be adding to my yearly holiday viewings, for sure!







6. Baby Driver- Fun, exciting, stylish, and, even romantic, this action flick is one of the coolest movies in many a moon. The plot moves along wonderfully and it is filled to the brim with great characters and the priceless interactions between them. Our hero is especially likable and the added babedom of Lily James and Eiza Gonzalez makes this one even nicer to look at. Edgar Wright's finest movie since Shaun of the Dead.






5. Logan- Calling something one of the best superhero movies of the year, at this point sounds like hyperboyle. But, in the case of Logan it is not. Smart, moving, and compelling, this violent and bloody take on the now old in age  Wolverine excites and gets the blood going. It is also prone to make you cry. With wonderful performances by Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart, this is the perfect ending to this version of the character.






4. Blade Runner 2049- Making a sequel to one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made is one hell of a task to take on. Thankfully, this movie very satisfyingly delivers on that front, giving us the one of the finest science fiction movies in the last few years. It is also the most beautiful movie released this year. It did not do well at the box office, but then, this movie never really was going to. Regardless, it is the film we Blade Runner fans have wanted for decades. In all, a true modern masterpiece.

3. The Shape of Water- Guillermo del Toro's beautiful, moving, and romantic monster/ love movie is the Creature from the Black Lagoon movie that we have always wanted to be made. Created with love and reverence and featuring flawless fx and acting, this is one his finest movies. A film that will surely get better with age, and that teaches us that the worst and scariest monster is man.

2. Gerald's Game- A masterfully acted and directed adaptation of one of my favorite Stephen King books that might be the greatest Netflix movie, ever. It is certainly one of the greatest King movies. My full review: http://themastergio.blogspot.com/2017/10/gerald-game-review.html








1. It- It is one of the absolute best adaptations of a Stephen King book, ever, and as such, caused a killing at the box office. With plot and characters that hold your attention and grabs your fucking throat throughout, it is easy to see why. It is a near perfect film, one that will surely hold its place in horror classic cinema in the years to come. With some of the finest acting from a cast of kids ever, and an excellent villain in Bill Skarsgard's Pennywise, it has already given itself a piece in modern pop culture. I was blown away after seeing it and that feeling has not changed one fucking bit. With two Stephen King flicks holding the top and second spot, this is the year that King came back, baby!

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The Devil's Candy (Review)

Title: The Devil's Candy
Writer/ Director: Sean Byrne
Cast: Ethan Embry, Shiri Appleby, Pruitt Taylor Vince, Kiara Glasco, Tony Amendola, Craig Nigh
Year: 2015 (Released 2017)

Jesse Hellman (Ethan Embry) is a struggling artist, with an affinity for heavy metal music, which his young daughter Zooey (Kiara Glasco) also shares. The two of them, along with his wife Astrid (Shiri Appleby), move to a countryside house. They reluctantly choose it after the realtor tells them both that two deaths occurred in it. After the family settles in, Jesse begins to hear voices which inspire him to paint images that are nightmarish and hellish in nature. The worst part is that he shares these voices with Ray Smilie (Pruitt Taylor Vince).

Ray is a creepy overweight man who deals with the voices by playing loud music on his guitar and, also, by killing kids. One night he pays the family a visit and tells them that his parents died in the house. It doesn't take long for this creeper to take an interest in Zooey. In fact, the next day he gives her his flying V-guitar. Understandably, Jesse isn't very happy about any of this, and becomes vehemently angry. Although, Zooey does eventually manage to convince her dad to keep the admit ably awesome guitar. Jesse continues to get more consumed by the voices and paints continuously more horrific images. But, in the meantime, Ray is determined to kidnap and kill Zooey.

After Sean Byrne's feature film debut, the superlative The Loved Ones, how does his follow up film, The Devil's Candy fare? The answer is simple: it is one of this year's finest films, horror or otherwise. Creepy and wonderfully acted this movie is not just a great genre flick, but a loving letter to heavy metal music.

Bryne  achieves the honor of being the scariest film of the year, by keeping much of what happens grounded in reality. While, there are supernatural elements, most of it is founded on very real fears that any parent would have. This is driven home by the character of Ray, as he is excellently portrayed by Pruitt Taylor Vince. He is so creepy that anytime he is onscreen there is an uneasy and unnerving feeling that immediately creeps under your skin. You truly fear for the safety of Zooey anytime she is in his presence. You see, unlike boogeymen like Freddy or Jason, he, for the most part, feels very much real.

Zooey is wonderfully bought to life by Kiara Glasco. She is a realistic and likable girl, that we immediately connect and care for. And, her relationship with her dad Jesse is at the heart of the movie. Ethan Embry is equally excellent in that role. Their love for heavy metal music, brings them closer and makes us metalheads connect with them. And, even if you are not a fan of the music, you will undoubtedly want to cheer for them.The cast is rounded out by the beautiful Shiri Appleby as the mom. I have long been a big fan of Ms. Appleby and as such always wanted to see her in a quality horror flick. I am glad to see that finally happen. Her acting is filled with pathos and heart adding to the loving and likable family quality at the core of the movie.

Bryne's love for heavy metal is a driving force in the film. The music plays a big part in the story and in the characters, as they talk about and show their love for the music (watch out for Metallica and Slayer T-shirts, as well as a Metallica bobble-head!). The soundtrack also rocks hard with blistering music from the aforementioned Metallica and Slayer, as well as Pantera and others.

The onscreen violence is realistic and graphic. Bloody squibs and bludgeoning are among some of the unnerving acts of violence that hit you the viewer. Sure the overall body count is kind of low, but when the movie hits, it fucking smashes. Byrne builds to a tense and violent climax, which will have you clenching your seat as your nails dig into it's handles. It all leads to an ending with a coda full of pathos.

The Devil's Candy is a another masterpiece from Byrne. Two movies into his career and he is already leaps and bounds ahead many of his contemporaries. This gets thrown around a lot, even by me, but he is truly part of the future of the genre. He has delivered what is without question the most frightening film of the year. Filled with excellent performances and strong character relationships, it stands head and shoulders above so much of the interchangeable and forgettable genre flicks that lumped on us. Its villain is one of the most unnerving and creepy bad guys seen in a horror film in years. The motion picture is topped off by a profound love of heavy metal music, including it's use in the killer soundtrack. In all, The Devil's Candy is a must see movie, and with it currently streaming on Netflix, there is little excuse for you not to.

 

4 out of 4

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