2017 flick recs before moving on to 2018

When you look for movies of 2017, search engines will surely give you the rundown of the most critically acclaimed foreign movies such as Okja, Call Me By Your Name, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, The Big Sick, and Lady Bird. We are lucky that the foreign movie industry is so alive! The same goes with the Philippine cinema industry. There are numerous indie films released, film festival launched, and even improved mainstream flicks. 

But as of the third week of January, it bums us that we still have to wait for the premiere dates of our most anticipated films this year.

Add in to that fact how difficult it is to survive from the post-holiday blues and the heavy feeling after every full week of work! 😭😭

This inspired us to write this article! We thought about your need to divert your attention and watch some of our favourites from 2017. We've listed down some movies of different genres that you might have missed last year. These movies are worth watching for the next couple of weeks! 

Ready to do some catch up?

Warning: These films will definitely amp up your need to watch more this year!

IMDB overview: Lynn, a genius high school student who makes money by cheating tests, receives a new task that leads her to set foot on Sydney, Australia.

From the first 15 minutes of this film we were already hooked! An action-packed, not-your-usual-romcom, Thai movie with an exceptional plot! The actors and actresses were all able to portray their characters' personalities. You will love and hate them for so many reasons! 

For us, the movie is so beautiful and well-done that you might actually feel privileged to have seen it. 😍

IMDB overview:  Aspiring musician Miguel, confronted with his family's ancestral ban on music, enters the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer.

You'd be lying if you said you've never heard any news about it simply because it's one of the most recommended movies to watch last year!

Coco is a heartwarming movie that each family member will surely enjoy. Parents should not be worried about their kids being scared of the skeleton figures because Pixar and Disney did great jobs in breaking another norm -- 'there's nothing scary or wrong with skeleton figures'! We quickly fell in love with the characters, their journeys, and most especially their music! One less monster beneath our bed. 😜

IMDB overview: When a pilot crashes and tells of conflict in the outside world, Diana, an Amazonian warrior in training, leaves home to fight a war, discovering her full powers and true destiny.  

Whoever said that they don’t like the newest movie adaptation of Wonder Woman is lying! We're confident enough to say this because we have the facts: after 40 years since the first appearance of Wonder Woman in cinemas, the gross box office hit wrapped up with $819M worldwide! That's the impact of girl power. 😉👊

IMDB overview:  A group of bullied kids band together when a shapeshifting monster, taking the appearance of a clown, begins hunting children.

Why should we include this movie in our list? Because of Pennywise (yet another unforgettable character, no matter how scary 'it' is) and this film being a 90's thriller mini-series remake from Stephen King!

Some might say that the original plot is better than the remake (similar with other remade films), but with the improved sound design, visual effects, and interesting casting, 'It' has all the right to be considered as a good film.

But before you add this to your list, we should remind you -- IT IS REALLY BOTHERSOME AND DISTURBING.

Cinemalaya overview:  Hendrix dreams of hip-hop greatness, but  he's spiraling down a rabbit-hole of crime and poverty until he meets Doc, an old poet still haunted by his martial law past. Can they turn each other's lives around before they're swallowed by their circumstance? RESPETO is a celebration of the underground Pinoy hip-hop world and how we find the words to find ourselves.

How did Abra and Loonie's Respeto make it to our list that's majorly comprised of foreign movies? Because we RESPECT the effort of the filmmakers to highlight and incorporate different art forms in one piece -- the hip-hop music, film artistry, and storytelling.  

If you're a fan of indie films, Respeto should definitely be included in your list. It may be uncomfortable for some (because it's dragging for some parts) but it's an eye-opener for many. It will make you see how cruel the world really is and that monsters are very real -- they take form in the people around you.

If you need a break from fantasy, sci-fi, and cliche films, this one's for you.

IMDB overview: An adaptation of the fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.

What’s a better intro to this film than "a tale as old as time"?

Admit it, watching movies about Disney princesses is always fascinating! What more if it's a musical comprised of some of our favourite actors and actresses playing some of the most iconic story book characters!

Bill Condon's Beauty and the Beast is the 29th movie to cross the $1 billion mark at the global box office. One of the best live-action adaptations of an original Disney animated classic (as of today). 

There is something comforting after watching the movie! And every time a song from the movie soundtrack plays, it makes our heart joyful and hopeful. ☺️

IMDB overview: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

After watching the film in the cinema, we heard someone from the crowd say that the movie was so boring. Curious, we looked at who thought that way and found that the guy might have been too young for the movie -- he was aged around 13 to 15 years old. (Disclaimer: we are not saying all teenagers will find this film boring. Appreciation for films is not based on age or gender. However, when we were teenagers, we weren't too keen on movies such as these. But if you are a teenager who's fond of art films and classics, you should definitely check this out!) 

So there. If you're young and not into artful, long, and wide shots and few dialogues, you might want to skip this movie. But if you are fond of war films and looking for new approaches to this genre, Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is a must watch. To put it simply, this film is like a film-long war sequence. 

As the international critics said "Dunkirk is Nolan's best work and one of the greatest war films" (OF ALL TIME). OKAY?! You have to admit that that is huge!  And true to its form, the film was nominated in eight categories at the 23rd Critics' Choice Awards, the 71st British Academy Film Awards, and three nominations at the 75th Golden Globes.

Overview: A blind woman falls in love with a man who uses kindness and humor to make a connection with her.

Kita Kita is the highest grossing indie film in the country for good reason. They say that it altered the typical portrayal of a male and female lead. Who would expect that Empoy and Alessandra De Rossi can pull off having an on-screen chemistry that will make you believe love is for everyone?!

Let alone the "cheesy-ness" of the movie, the screenplay itself is beautiful. The quirkiness of Empoy and Alessandra while delivering heart-warming dialogues plus the 'instagrammable' set up in Japan makes for a really good film. It is definitely a romantic-comedy with lots of drama. This is something to see before watching another one of those "same old love stories" starring your favorite good-looking love team.

IMDB overview: Based on the New York Times bestseller, WONDER tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.

If you love watching inspirational movies or you just want a feel-good film after a tiring day, Stephen Chbosky's Wonder is perfect for you!  

The bittersweet approach of the movie is worth watching. And even though it seems like it will make you a crybaby, the plot is filled with lessons that any member of the family can relate to. This is a movie that can make you hug someone wholeheartedly because of the pleasant feeling and major realization that whatever your situation is, "just be thankful for those who stay with you".

IMDB overview: Callum Lynch explores the memories of his ancestor Aguilar de Nerha and gains the skills of a Master Assassin, before taking on the secret Templar society.

Gamers reunite! Just kidding! 😝

We are still wondering if Fassbender’s Assassin’s Creed really made it to the right spot. But nonetheless, similar to other fantasy and adventure films, this will take you to another world -- great visual effects and heart-pounding sound design plus major points for the awesome game soundtrack! If you're looking for an original (aka not a sequel nor a remake), this movie might be interesting for you. It's a virtual reality game turned into a movie.

Not everyone is familiar with the game and some fans might end up disappointed because of high expectations. One critic even said that the main purpose of the movie is just to get more people into the game series. Still, we guarantee this is worth a try!

We enjoyed watching unfamiliar characters doing awesome stunts and facing unpredictable plot twists. It's a unique film that's refreshing to the eyes.

Being major film-lovers, we're fascinated that 2017 was filled with some many awesome movies. Last year was filled with record-breaking films, diverse genres, and filmmakers taking risks. With that, we're pretty excited for upcoming movies this year. 

Do you think the lineup will be as spectacular as last year? We have our fingers crossed! 🤞

But for now, we hope you enjoy checking out our film suggestions!