Ranking December 2017's Movies From Worst To Best

3. Stronger

Stronger Jake Gyllenhaal
Lionsgate

RottenTomatoes Score: 93% (7.5/10)

Box Office: The $30 million biopic of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff Bauman grossed a pathetic $1.6 million in its opening weekend, and some three months after its initial U.S. release, has only just passed the $6 million mark.

Considering the worthiness and "prestige appeal" of the material, Jake Gyllenhaal's involvement and the wide praise for the movie from the festival circuit, it's a surprising and somewhat depressing result.

Verdict: Jake Gyllenhaal adds another incredible performance to his ever-expanding oeuvre in Stronger, an agreeably down-the-line drama which keeps its style low-key and simplistic, giving Gyllenhaal room to deliver a complex, well-rounded portrayal of a regular man triumphing over an horrific setback.

Gyllenhaal's efforts are further boosted by excellent supporting work from Tatiana Maslany and Miranda Richardson, and while the film follows a fairly conventional structure and style, that's really all it needed to do.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.