Decider’s 10 Favorite Films Of 2017 (So Far!)

It’s been a tumultuous past few years for Robert De Niro’s career, but HBO’s Bernie Madoff biopic The Wizard of Lies is a breathtaking reminder of what made him a legend in the first place. The film hones in on the period of time in which Madoff confessed to his $65 billion Ponzi scheme and the impact this revelation had on his oblivious family, and frankly, it’s painful to watch at times. The Wizard of Lies evades the plight of the majority of biopics by smartly focusing on a very specific set of events, and the disciplined direction of Barry Levinson delivers awe-inspiring (and perhaps career-best) performances from De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Alessandro Nivola, and the rest of the incredible cast.  – Jade Budowski

Stream The Wizard of Lies on HBO Go

A gambling comedy that’s a sure thing, Joe Swanberg delivers his most complete film to date with the sensational Win It All.

Worthy of being mentioned in the same conversation as Rounders and The Color of Money, Win It All follows Jake Johnson’s Eddie, a man who gambles away a large fortune he was supposed to be protecting. Swanberg’s trademark authenticity is on full display as the film handles Eddie’s predicament with realism and nuance. The film zigs where so many films that deal with addiction tend to zag as it deftly balances the gambling plot with Eddie’s personal journey from extended adolescence to adulthood. – Josh Sorokach

Stream Win It All on Netflix

Now six months into 2017, you won’t see a better movie than Get Out. Director Jordan Peele’s blisteringly smart, phenomenally tense film blends everything from body horror to social commentary, sneaky comedy to A+ performances. It’s honestly the total package of a movie, in a genre where we don’t always expect this kind of excellence. The genius of Get Out lies in not simply its racial politics but in the way that Peele is able to manifest those racial politics as elements of paranoid horror. Daniel Kaluuya gives a breakthrough performance, and it’s delicious watching Allison Williams and Catherine Keener do their thing in a movie that stays entertaining has hell while disturbing as sin. – Joe Reid

Where to Stream Get Out

A coming-of-age body-horror indie cannibal movie is just what the doctor ordered in the first half of the year, when Oscar prestige gives way to some truly daring filmmaking. Director Julia Ducournau’s film Raw draws its power not only from the fact that it is a harrowing and inventive story about a young girl’s descent into cannibalism but that it does so in the midst of a smart and sharply-drawn story about coming of age in an unfamiliar setting. A veterinary college, with its chilly concrete dormitories becomes the setting for a bloody cannibal tale that is still told in the most empathetic and human of terms. It’s pretty much destined to be a cult classic, one you’ll want to recommend to friends, especially those who pride themselves on their outrageous tastes. – Joe Reid

Where to Stream Raw

I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore won the Grand Jury prize at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival back on January 28. Less than a month later, it was available to watch on Netflix. Lament the decline of the multiplex all you wish, but this rapid turn from film fest darling to widespread accessibility is definitely a dream scenario for film enthusiasts everywhere.

Distribution mechanics aside, this film from director Macon Blair packs a real wallop. Starring Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood, this revenge thriller will make you LOL one minute and leave you completely breathless the next. Critics loved it —currently 90% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes— and we think you will, too.—Mark Graham

Stream I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore on Netflix

Logan is not a superhero movie. It’s based on Marvel comics and features mutants and cyborg villains, but there’s not a cape or leather bodysuit in sight. Seventeen years after first slashing his way to superstar status as Wolverine, Hugh Jackman achieved what few franchise actors have been able to pull off: a true ending. Directed with heart and grit by James Mangold, Logan is the low-key last ride of the super-movie era’s first breakout star. There are few special effects and no city-demolishing third act brawls; instead, Mangold and Jackman (along with Patrick Stewart and the year’s best new talent Dafne Keen) made this chapter in the X-Men mythos an emotionally raw meditation on family. – Brett White

Where to Stream Logan

If you’re only going to watch one documentary this year, it should be this masterpiece directed by Erin Lee Carr. When Dee Dee Blanchard, a loving mother of a daughter with disabilities, was found stabbed to death in 2015, it was shocking. However, the layers of secrets, lies, abuse, and fraud that unravelled after her death will leave viewers audibly gasping. Mommy Dead and Dearest is a horrifying story of deception that’s presented in a deeply compassionate and thoughtful way. – Kayla Cobb

Stream Mommy Dead and Dearest on HBO Go

Hidden Figures was easily the most uplifting film nominated for an Oscar this year – everything else was Bummertown, USA, but with a cast like Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monae, it’s impossible not to finish this film with a big old smile on your face. Based on the true story of the African-American female mathematicians that helped get the US into space, there are so many themes floating about that are all too relevant to today’s current events: women in the workplace, women in science, competing with Russia, Mahershala Ali making you swoon — it’s all very important. The costumes are great, Pharrell’s soundtrack helps the movie bop along, and the inspirational message shines through as a beacon of hope when things are feeling less than optimistic. Reach for the stars, because they’re all shining in Hidden Figures. — Lea Palmieri

Where to Stream Hidden Figures

War Machine hasn’t made much of a cultural dent since its release in late May, but don’t pin the blame on the quality of the film. Admittedly, most of the critics (including our own Joe Reid) were mezzo mezzo on this film, but this is quite possibly why I found myself enjoying it so much. (Ah, the gift of middling expectations!) Director David Michod’s film wanders a bit, tonally speaking, but I don’t think this is a flaw, necessarily. Rather, look at it as having a little something for everyone: a splash of satirical comedy, a few breathtaking action sequences, a dose of international intrigue, a bravura cameo from Tilda Swinton, and Brad Pitt jogging.—Mark Graham

Stream War Machine on Netflix

Okja is a magical adventure full of both triumph and sorrow. Mija has grown up in the South Korean mountains with her best friend, Okja, a so-called “super pig” lent out to Mija’s family as a part of a global competition. When the Mirando Corporation comes for Okja, Mija embarks on an international journey to save Okja from being slaughtered for food. Okja comes from Snowpiercer mastermind Bong Joon-ho and like that film, Okja features gorgeously campy turns from its Hollywood-based stars and a frank view of humanity. Namely, outside of the pure innocence of a child, there is no such thing as pure good or pure evil. Heroes can sin and villains can believe in the misplaced righteousness of their plan. Still, there’s hope and that hope springs from love. – Meghan O’Keefe

Stream Okja on Netflix