Best Movies of November 2017

November is usually the first very serious month for Oscar contenders, meaning that it’s full of great movies to see.  November 2017 was no different, sporting some great films that will contend for spots on this site’s best of the year list as well as for numerous Oscars.  Take a look at the best movies of November 2017:

#3: Coco

Coco has more of that patented Pixar emotion that we all know and love.

There’s a distinct difference between a Pixar animated movie and an animated movie made by some other studio.  Pixar creates unbelievabe depth within their films, both from a technical and thematic perspective.  Each Pixar film looks better than the last, and Coco continues that trend.  Seeing frays within character’s hair and the creases on their face is an extra mile that most studios don’t care about.  While watching Coco, you get the sense that people that genuinely loved the project were doing everything in their power to perfect it.

However, Coco’s biggest accomplishment is the discussion of heady themes in a way that’s accessible to children.  From a broad perspective, the skeletons within the Land of the Dead could have been frightening on their own, let alone combining them with discussions of death and murder.  Coco is unbelievably mature while remaining entertaining, a feat that most movies cannot accomplish.

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*To read my full review of Coco, please click here.

image via Business Insider

#2: My Friend Dahmer

My Friend Dahmer didn’t receive as much press as other films on list of the best movies of November 2017, but, regardless, it deserves a spot on the list.

Some may be a tad disappointed since My Friend Dahmer ultimately might not be the story about Jeffrey Dahmer that they want to see.  But, the film is a character-driven, introspective look into the mind of a killer.  It takes its time, allowing audiences to grow and understand a young Jeffrey Dahmer.  Everything about My Friend Dahmer is very subtle, relying on the intelligence of the viewer to feel what Dahmer is feeling leading up to his first murder.

Ross Lynch is unbelievable as a young Jeffrey Dahmer.  He’s undoubtedly creepy, but he also exudes a somewhat disarming curiosity as a young man who is still trying to find his way.  Lynch isn’t afraid to make gutsy choices as an actor that may have been viewed as silly.  If you ask me, it’s one of the best performances of the year.

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*To read my full review of My Friend Dahmer, please click here.

image via ew.com

#1: Lady Bird

Every so often, there’s a film in which I can’t seem to find any flaws.  Lady Bird is that movie for 2017.

The sure-bet for a Best Picture nominee is a very simple story.  But, it uses its simple premise to create unbelievably strong characters and thematic beats for a cinematic experience that can only be described as beautiful.

Both Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf should and will get nominated for their roles in the film.  Together, they have a very strained, complicated relationship as daughter and mother.  There’s always an inkling of love between the two, but neither of them can truly express it.

Lady Bird is the rare coming-of-age story that feels wholly relatable without becoming trite.  Every 20-something person will find something that they can latch onto, making the film’s emotion that much stronger.  At the end of a mere 90-minute run time, it feels like you’ve spent years with these characters.  With beautiful symbolism as well, Lady Bird is a near-perfect film.  It’s easily the most deserving film of the top spot in the best movies of November 2017 list.

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*To read my full review of Lady Bird, please click here.

image via LA Times

In Case You (Or I) Missed It

The best movies of November 2017 list sticks to only three films, but that doesn’t mean that there weren’t other solid movies to watch:

Mudbound

If Netflix puts enough money behind Mudbound, it may just get a Best Picture nominee.  Set in the Jim Crow era south, the film is a beautiful, understated look at racism that is both touching and insightful.  Actors Jason Mitchell and Garrett Hedlund are amazing as two of the leads in the film, creating by far the most fascinating relationship in the film.

Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond

This Netflix documentary is a truly fascinating look into Jim Carrey’s method acting techniques in the role of comedian Andy Kaufman in the biopic Man on the Moon.  Carrey never broke character, becoming the quirky comic.  However, the film also delves into the fact that this performance may have broke Carrey mentally and turned him into what we see today.  People may hate Jim Carrey for his actions after seeing the documentary, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a must-watch piece of cinema.

image via The Hollywood Reporter

Wonder

Wonder may be the feel-good movie of the year.  The promotional material undersold how deeply affecting this movie is.  Jacob Tremblay is dynamite once again as the Auggie, a child with many facial reconstructive surgeries that cause him to look much different than you and I.

Wonder will cause tears to flow, but it is ultimately a stand up and cheer experience that’ll leave you with a big smile.

Thor: Ragnarok

Thor needed a facelift after two somewhat forgettable films.  Thankfully, Taika Waititi and his signature brand of comedy helped create a movie that is very, very, very, very, very, very fun.  Have you heard the word “fun” enough times in relation to this film yet?

Now, everyone loves Chris Hemsworth even more, jealous that he’s that hilarious and that good-looking.  Sometimes, life just isn’t fair.

image via Disney Video

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