20 Best Movies Of 2017
13. The Big Sick
A refreshing take on the romantic comedy genre, The Big Sick breathes fresh life into it by not just nailing its romance and humour, but doing so in a way that feels incredibly real.
A lot of that comes from the fact it's based on the real-life relationship of its writer and star, Silicon Valley's Kumail Nanjiani, and his wife Emily V. Gordon (who co-wrote the film with him, but is played by Zoe Kazan in the movie).
It starts off as a perfectly pleasant romcom as the pair start dating and begin to fall for each other, but takes a serious turn when Emily contracts a major but mysterious illness, forcing Kumail to face up to both her family - brilliantly played by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter - and his own. It's a razor sharp, laugh-out-loud, and sweet examination of cultural differences, relationships, love, and potential death.
There's a lot of pathos to the story, but it's intelligent and hilarious two, and carried on the back of its irrepressible charm and immensely likeable characters.