Compiling lists, especially these end of year ones, is never an easy task, and not something that should be going on without an open mind, space to maneuver, room left for error and wiggle. In relation to our film related lists those last few years we used to indulge in all kinds of movies, from arthouse underground works to genre films to blockbusters. Just like with what has always been happening with popular music, we've been under a strong impression that the quality of commercial flicks has been steadily deteriorating, to a point where worthy popular, star-filled movies are not a common occurrence.
We selected to steer away from the film categories from 2017 on, yet, as enthusiasts of all art and all things related to popular culture, we'll still keep an eye out for those exceptional films, documentaries and film music which will most certainly keep being released, and like most admirable art, they will most likely be coming from the underground.
From 2017 on we round up the film category lists in a single post, and we'll be focusing more on the indie goods, with possible exceptions for the film music section, where we may be more inclusive - as history has shown it's very likely for a shameless blockbuster to be accompanied by a mind-blowing score.
Oddly enough, our top score choice for 2017 comes from a film that didn't work out like it was initially intended. On the other hand, our list-topping documentary is a comedy-themed film similar to our 2015 first, while we selected an unparalleled french-speaking French-Belgian horror drama for our number one Film of the Year pick.
Indicatively, our lists of 10 films, 10 film scores and 5 documentaries for 2017, go as follows.
Films
10. Super Dark Times
9. I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore
8. XX
7. It Comes At Night
6. Prevenge
5. Personal Shopper
4. A Dark Song
3. The Void
2. The Transfiguration
1. Raw
Documentaries
5. 78/52
4. LA 92
3. Here To Be Heard: The Story Of The Slits
2. Turn It Around: The Story Of East Bay Punk
1. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond
Film Scores
10. Clint Mansell: Loving Vincent
9. Nick Cave & Warren Ellis: War Machine
8. Hans Zimmer: Dunkirk
7. Elvis Perkins: The Blackcoat's Daughter
6. Jonny Greenwood: Phantom Thread
5. Bear McCreary: Colossal
4. Toydrum: Prevenge
3. Ben Frost: Super Dark Times
2. Oneohtrix Point Never: Good Time
1. Electric Youth: Breathing
ZR