2017 has a lot to offer in the way of films. I have already jotted down more than 50 films that I will watch regardless of critical reception, and another 20 that I will keep an eye on. I have made this thread as a place in which whoever wishes to do so can create a list of their most anticipated films of the year that we have ahead of us, and perhaps also discuss those films and each other's lists, whatever is relevant to the topic.
When it comes to determining what can be considered as a 2017 film and not, it's not very important, as long as you make a rule and stick to it. If you're unsure or don't care that much, I have a suggestion: go by when the majority of the world will get to see the film in question. If the majority of the world will get to see it in 2017, it's a 2017 film. If going by this rule, films like Assassin's Creed, La La Land, and Hacksaw Ridge will be considered as 2016 films, and films like The Great Wall as 2017 films. Or you can go by earliest widespread release. Whatever floats your boat.
When creating a list it can often be difficult to decide the order in which to put the films you want to include. In a situation like this, it can be helpful to compare the films two at a time, and ask yourself the following question: ‘if these films were being screened simultaneously at my local cinema, which would I go and see (first)?’ I highly encourage you to write a reasoning (however brief you desire) to accompany each and every entry in your list, as the entries themselves aren't what's interesting, but why you have decided to include them. If you're wondering how large your list should be, I say as large as you see fit. How many films one finds interesting or is looking forward to will vary from person to person, and as a result so will the appropriate list size, whether it be 5, 10, 17, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Here is my list:
Honourable mentions, in somewhat loose, ascending order: Suburbicon, The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, Kong: Skull Island, Murder on the Orient Express, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, Wind River, The Shape of Water, Beauty and the Beast, Loveless, Alien: Covenant, War for the Planet of the Apes, Star Wars: Episode VIII.
Some of the entries are so close together that one could change them around without affecting the accuracy all that much. The entries in question are 8 through 6 and 4 through 2.
10. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
- I enjoyed Guardians of the Galaxy and am looking forward to getting more of it.
9. Thor: Ragnarök
- Taika Waititi directed the brilliant Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and I am very curious about the outcome of a fusion between a superhero movie like Thor and Waititi's style of direction.
8. Mute
- Duncan Jones himself has said that Mute is the spiritual sequel to Moon, a film I thought was great. Sam Rockwell is rumored to make an appearance, but other than that I'm not too excited about the cast.
7. Dunkirk
- Christopher Nolan has a knack of making rather enjoyable films, and it will be interesting to see how he will tackle a war film. One of my favourite actors has a role in it, which adds to the anticipation, and the cast is overall good.
6. Annihilation
- This will be the second feature Alex Garland does as a director. The genre is the same as his previous work Ex Machina, which was pretty great, so I'm already predisposed to liking this, but the premise makes it look even more interesting. The fact that one of my absolute favourite actors returns to work with Garland in this only adds to that.
5. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
- The quirky nature of Yorgos Lanthimos' films appears to suit me rather perfectly, so naturally I'm looking forward to his next feature. Colin Farrell's performance in The Lobster was nothing short of great, so his return adds quite a bit to the anticipation.
4. Baby Driver
- It has been too long since Edgar Wright's last film. As one of my favourite directors, it's no surprise to find his upcoming film this high on the list. The overall cast is pretty good, too.
3. Blade Runner 2049
- Boy, oh, boy, Team Villeneuve-Deakins is back, and in one of my favourite genres at that. I haven't even seen the original Blade Runner, but I don't need to in order to know that this will be great. It does make me very unsure what to expect apart from that, however, so I'm not too certain about the placement.
2. Okja
- One of my favourite directors, Joon-ho Bong. I don't really need to know more, but the fact that the cast is pretty great only adds to the excitement.
1. Mary and the Witch's Flower
- The director has been working for Studio Ghibli for a very long time and directed two films for them: The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There. If those films are any indication, however, I won't be seeing this film until next year, at the earliest.