20 Best Films Of 2017 (So Far)
1. Logan
Who would ever have thought that an R-rated, untrue adaptation of classic comic arc Old Man Logan would be both the least pulpy and the best X-Men movie ever released?
It's almost as shocking that Deadpool - full of outrageous adult humour and an unenviable potty mouth - would open the door for this glorious portrait of grief and redundancy to exist.
Logan is essentially the archetypal Old Gungslinger movie - hence its fascination with Shane - dealing with a sun-scorched post-mutant apocalyptic world that is all the more depressing because humanity has simply carried on regardless. The characters we meet are broken shells - almost unrecognisable from the Xavier and Wolverine of the mainline franchise - their lives almost insufferably painful, and their extinction as inevitable as their hope of freedom is tragic.
The R-rating gives James Mangold the chance to make Wolverine as violent as he always should have been, but the most intense moments tend to be those that land emotional blows. And boy do they land heavily: there's actually a very good chance you won't want to watch it again in a hurry, but that doesn't mean it's anything less than exceptional.
Which films from 2017 do you think rank as the best? Share your own picks below in the comments thread.