2017 is going to be a cracking year for films. In fact, I can probably write out a top ten best of the year list right now. What we thought we would do, as we wind down for the Christmas break, is bring you a bunch of films, some we’ve seen, some we haven’t, that you really don’t want to miss – all of which will be released in the months of January and February. These are films that we think we’ll still be talking about this time next year when it comes to writing those dreaded ‘best of’ lists (see our best films of 2016 here), and are all based on UK release dates. The first two months are very, very strong for new films – it’s so exciting!
Check this out.
10. Patriots Day
Released in the UK in February, this true story of the Boston marathon bombing is told from the perspective of the Boston police first responders in a gripping new drama from Peter Berg, the director of 2016’s Deepwater Horizon.
“In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings, police Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and other investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the suspects.”
Watch the Patriots Day trailer.
Release Date: 24th February 2017.
9. Silence
I have a review waiting on the site’s server (which I did not write) which will hit in the next week or so, and it looks very promising for the latest Martin Scorsese film which is also being tipped for Oscar success.
“Two 17th-century Portuguese missionaries, Father Sebastian Rodrigues and Father Francisco Garupe, make a perilous journey to Japan to search for their missing teacher and mentor, Father Christavao Ferreira, and minister to the Christian villagers they encounter, who are forced to worship in secret.”
Release Date: 1st January 2017.
8. A Monster Calls
I’ve made no secret of how much that I love A Monster Calls ever since we caught it at the Toronto International Film Festival back in September. It kicks off the year in style making a debut on New Year’s Day.
“Conor (Lewis MacDougall) is dealing with far more than other boys his age. His beloved and devoted mother (Felicity Jones) is ill. He has little in common with his imperious grandmother. His father has resettled thousands of miles away. But Conor finds a most unlikely ally when the Monster (Liam Neeson) appears at his bedroom window one night. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth that powerfully fuses imagination and reality.”
Watch the A Monster Calls trailer.
Release Date: 1st January 2017.
7. The Founder
Telling the story of Ray Kroc, the man who made the McDonald’s fast food chain in what it is today is a masterclass in superb storytelling and flawless acting from its lead, Michael Keaton.
“The true story of how Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) maneuvered himself into a position to buy the 1950s burger operation of Mac and Dick McDonald and create a billion-dollar fast food empire.”
Release Date: 17th February 2017.
6. T2 Trainspotting
Just over twenty years since the debut of Danny Boyle’s groundbreaking film, the boys are back in town for this adaptation of Irvine Welsh’s novel ‘Porno’, and we cannot wait.
“Mark Renton (Ewan McGregor) reunites with Spud (Ewen Bremner), Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), Begbie (Robert Carlyle) and other old friends after returning to the only place that he can ever call home.”
Watch the T2 Trainspotting trailer.
Release Date: 27th January 2017.
5. Loving
We caught this back in May at the Cannes Film Festival, and have waited so long to chat about it once fellow audiences have had the opportunity to see it. The film features two stunning performances from Joel Egerton and Ruth Negga in this true story from celebrated filmmaker Jeff Nichols.
“Interracial couple Richard and Mildred Loving fell in love and were married in 1958. They grew up in Central Point, a small town in Virginia that was more integrated than surrounding areas in the American South. Yet it was the state of Virginia, where they were making their home and starting a family, that first jailed and then banished them. Richard and Mildred relocated with their children to the inner city of Washington, D.C., but the family ultimately tries to find a way back to Virginia.”
Release Date: 3rd February 2017.
4. Hacksaw Ridge
Andrew Garfield leads the cast in this true story of one man’s fight during the days of World War II. Expect this to win major awards in the first couple of months – a film which marks a definite comeback for director Mel Gibson.
“The extraordinary true story of conscientious objector Desmond T. Doss who saved 75 men in Okinawa, during the bloodiest battle of WWII, without firing a single shot. Believing that the war was just but killing was nevertheless wrong, he was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon. As an army medic Doss single-handedly evacuated the wounded near enemy lines – braving enemy fire and putting his own life on the line. He was the first conscientious objector to ever win the Congressional Medal of Honor.”
Watch the Hacksaw Ridge trailer.
Release Date: 27th January 2017.
3. Moonlight
We expect our top three films of 2017 to remain the same come this time next year – mark our words – and here’s the first of them, Barry Jenkins’ stunning Moonlight, one of the best films to emerge from the festival circuit in late 2016.
“A young man deals with his dysfunctional home life and comes of age in Miami during the “War on Drugs” era. The story of his struggle to find himself is told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love while grappling with his own sexuality.”
Release Date: 17th February 2017.
2. Manchester By The Sea
The first film we caught at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival and the one which remained with us until the plane ride home and beyond. This stunning piece of work about love and loss features a career-best piece of acting from lead Casey Affleck.
“Lee Chandler is a brooding, irritable loner who works as a handyman for a Boston apartment block. One damp winter day he gets a call summoning him to his hometown, north of the city. His brother’s heart has given out suddenly, and he’s been named guardian to his 16-year-old nephew. As if losing his only sibling and doubts about raising a teenager weren’t enough, his return to the past re-opens an unspeakable tragedy.”
Watch the Manchester By The Sea trailer.
Release Date: 13th January 2017.
1. La La Land
As I write this, just a few days before Christmas 2016, there is just 21 days until UK audiences get to experience the magic of La La Land, and just under two months until the film sweeps the board at the 2017 Oscars. This film is that good. It will remain here as our top film of 2017, we’re that it in love with it. It will take something truly special to topple this from this position. See it as soon as possible.
“Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.”
Release Date: 12th January 2017.
