IT’S BEEN A great year for films, meaning that next year’s Oscars are going to be a pretty exciting watch.
In a year where there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and equality, some of the most lauded films of the year brought these topics to the screen. Beach Rats and Call Me By Your Name were about two very different men’s experiences of exploring their sexuality; Loving told the story of interracial love; The Florida Project explored poverty in the rich USA; Get Out combined satire and horror to make us really think about race.
It was a year that had its duds, too. Justice League was roundly panned, Daddy’s Home 2 got terrible reviews, Baywatch was almost so bad it’s good, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul was seen by some as being just a bit too emotionally manipulative.
As for Irish films, the year built on the success of 2016 with strong showings such as Handsome Devil, The Drummer and the Keeper, Song of Granite, and The Maze. Plus, Irish production company Element had a major hand in bringing the great The Killing of a Sacred Deer to the big screen. With fantastic homegrown films such as the incredibly moving Michael Inside due out next year, we have even more treats to come.
Here’s what our journalists loved on the big screen this year – but we want to know what you enjoyed too. Tell us in the comments below to be included in our readers’ roundup.
Christine Bohan
The Florida Project, Blade Runner 2049, Get Out
Aoife Barry
Get Out, Call Me By Your Name, A Ghost Story
Paul Hosford
Thor: Ragnarok, The Big Sick, Moonlight, Dunkirk and La La Land
Andrew Jones
Blade Runner 2049, Battle of the Sexes, The Big Sick
Steve O’Rourke
The Nut Job 2
Hannah Popham
Detroit
Sinead Casey
Paddington 2
Eoghan Hynes
Call Me By Your Name, Good Time and Okja
Fionnuala Jones
Baby Driver
Susan Daly
Battle of the Sexes and Hidden Figures
What were your favourites? We’ll be doing a readers’ roundup so let us know in the comments.
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