Top 10 Movies of 2017

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As you’ve likely have seen from other film websites it’s the time of year where Top 10 lists appearing and I’m no different with 2017 coming to an end it’s time for The Shaun Wren Blog to revealed which movies have made it into my Top 10 Films of 2017.

Notable Mentions

These are the films I highly enjoyed and even though I rated plenty of films higher than this film chosen but I had to include it.

The Lego Batman Movie

Director Chris McKay did so many things right with this film. Lego Batman is a great kid’s film, a great film for adults, a great comedy and more importantly a great movie and Batman movie.

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You can tell McKay has nothing but love for this character if its deep cuts and Batman lore to Lorne Balfe’s score and soundtrack, Richard Cheese & Lounge Against The Machine’s cover of Man in the Mirror still makes me smile and laugh.

All of this shows he’s the right man to bring Nightwing to live action on the big screen.



War for The Planet of the Apes

This was a fantastic film to end a truly fantastic trilogy of Apes films that started so brilliantly with Rise then Matt Reeves come on board from Dawn and with War, these movies are one of the best modern-day trilogies alongside The Dark Knight, Toy Story and for some people Captain America.

Reeves and Andy Serkis has brought emotions to Caesar and the rest of the apes where we route for them and think all humans suck. Plus we can’t move past how beautiful this film looks and the CG on show.

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Just give me Reeves’ Batman now!

Kong: Skull Island

This is a seriously underrated film that is a seriously an enjoyable, entertaining popcorn summer film.

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Thor: Ragnarok

It takes a lot for me to like a Marvel film, mainly because I don’t like their formula, it's successful but they’re all very similar. This goes for Thor: Ragnarok but there was too much for me to have an enjoyable time to care.

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Taika Waititi was able to direct his style of film and it looks beautiful and seems to be the only director to bring the best out of Chris Hemsworth. This film is funny, fun and one of the better MCU films.

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

This is a film that's likely been in plenty of critic’s worst films lists, but I can’t help but find Guy Ritchie's King Arthur an incredibly entertaining film. It brought a new angle to the history it was Snatch meets King Arthur and couldn’t stop smiling.

Not even the worst cameo ever in a movie couldn’t ruin this film for me.

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With the notable mentions done, let’s move on to the proper Top 10:

10. Logan

This is one of the greatest superhero movies ever made and it’ll be remembered long in the memory. It was the perfect way to finish Hugh Jackman’s legacy as this character.

The reason why this is a brilliant film is that Fox let director James Mangold make the film he wanted with this being the first Western in the genre which suits the story. Plus, X23 was just amazing!



9. Wonder Woman

I still believe Logan will be remembered, I just think Wonder Woman was a better film in 2017.

Patty Jenkins was able to bring Wonder Woman to the big screen in the perfect film for the iconic superhero. Gal Gadot and Chris Pine were the added heart to join Jenkins and this could be the beginning of an epic trilogy.

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8. A Monster Calls

This came out on New Year’s Day 2017 and it is still one of the best films this year.

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J.A Bayona directed a truly beautiful story about dealing and accepting with lost, it has so much heart that it’s hard not to cry and if you haven’t seen it, go watch it on Amazon Prime UK.

This is the movie that proves to me Bayona would be the perfect director to helm an emotional Superman film in the DCEU.

7. Free Fire

Another film that’s now on Amazon Prime in the UK, Free Fire is a superb entertaining action film making me laugh multiple times.



The whole cast was great and I loved the filming in one location.

6. La La Land

For a long time since I saw it at the London Film Festival last year and repeat showings at the beginning of the year, La La Land was at the top. However, with more films coming out it misses the top 5.



It doesn’t stop that this is a wonderful love story and shows how musical could be done for modern audiences with a deserved Oscar-winning performance from Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling.

5. Patriots Day/Stronger

As we’re getting into the top five I’m cheating putting both Patriots Day and Stronger at fifth but they deserve to be there and both films could be seen as back-to-back, it’ll emotional as hell but worth it.

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Patriots Day is seen from the police/investigation point of view with an incredible performance from Mark Wahlberg and then with Stronger it’s seen from the casualty/victim point of view and it’s equally superb with Jake Gyllenhaal deserving to be in every best actor awards race winning them and it’s a fucking crime he isn’t.

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4. Baby Driver

I love Baby Driver for many reasons. I love the story. I love Edgar Wright. I love Lily James, Jon Hamm and Eiza Gonzalez (please make her Catwoman Warner Bros!). I love the action. Most importantly I love the music, I can't get B-A-B-Y baby out of my head.

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Just watch Baby Driver it’s a great time.

3. Dunkirk

Getting the bronze medal is the Christopher Nolan masterpiece war film Dunkirk.

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Nolan treats film audiences with having a brain by making this film in three different time periods in three different places, One Week Out on Land, One Day Out on Sea and One Hour Out in Air. It fucking works, even with no script. Well, it’s Nolan so of course it works.

No other film gave me both jaw ache and arse ache because of all the tension. Hans Zimmer’s music adds to the tension and I felt myself ducking as the sound of bullets fly past me. This film also made me even more proud of the boys who protect us and to be British.

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The Blu-ray is fantastic with wonderful bonus features.

2. Professor Marston & The Wonder Women

The second Wonder Woman film in my top 10 and finishing as runner-up is Angela Robinson’s beautiful love story about the three people who shows why Wonder Woman is an incredible superhero.

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Rebecca Hall is the standout performances and it’s hard to understand why she isn’t in the mix for Best Actress or Supporting Actress during award season.

This film also makes Patty Jenkins’ film even more special.

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1. Paddington 2

I love Paddington 2 more than most/ nearly all of my family!



It has the magic of the first film but somehow makes it even better and after recently watching Mary Poppins, you can tell both the original film and this sequel has the heart of what is possibly the best family film ever made.

This film also comes into the world at the perfect time with some much anger, this little bear reminds us to love and be kind to each other and we make the world better.

The film is wonderfully directed and the animation was superbly done with Paddington looking even better and I’m hoping they’ve got a third film already planned.

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2018 has a lot to live up but with plenty of amazing films from all genres, it could be a great year at the cinema.