2017 was, to put it mildly and flippantly, an utter oddity of a year in so many ways. When I look at my list, the overall quality of the films themselves was perhaps no poorer than in the monumental selections of the past two years, but there was a certain bewilderment, a malaise that put me at a distance. With the exception of Twin Peaks: The Return, there was practically no film where my love was not complicated in some way, and it seems equally due to the films as it is to the year at large.

The following list is formed from the reds, oranges, greens, and blues (plus a few more) that I have seen at time of writing that were commercially released in New York City in 2017. It is a snapshot rather than a permanent fixture.

1. On the Beach at Night Alone (Hong Sang-soo)

2. The Work (Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous)

3. Faces Places (Agnès Varda & JR)

4. Princess Cyd (Stephen Cone)

5. Good Time (Josh & Benny Safdie)

6. Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (S.S. Rajamouli)

7. Lady Bird (Greta Gerwig)

8. The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) (Noah Baumbach)

9. Phantom Thread (Paul Thomas Anderson)

10. Resident Evil: The Final Chapter (Paul W.S. Anderson)

11. The Son of Joseph (Eugène Green)

12. 120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) (Robin Campillo)

13. Marjorie Prime (Michael Almereyda)

14. Call Me by Your Name (Luca Guadagnino)

15. The Post (Steven Spielberg)

16. Hermia & Helena (Matías Piñeiro)

17. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (Rian Johnson)

18. The Human Surge (Eduardo Williams)

19. Downsizing (Alexander Payne)

My Top 10 Discoveries During 2017 (for first-time viewings of films made before 2000)

1. A Touch of Zen (1971, King Hu)
2. The Terrorizers (1986, Edward Yang)
3. Rear Window (1954, Alfred Hitchcock)
4. Rio Bravo (1959, Howard Hawks)
5. A New Leaf (1971, Elaine May)
6. Ashes of Time (1994, Wong Kar-wai)
7. Surviving Desire (1991, Hal Hartley)
8. Do the Right Thing (1989, Spike Lee)
9. The Unbelievable Truth (1989, Hal Hartley)
10. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974, Tobe Hooper)