Baby Driver

Coerced into working on a dangerous heist for a crime boss (Kevin Spacey), Baby (Ansel Egort) must face the music as it threatens his life, love and freedom. Edgar Wright (Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy) returns with Baby Driver. The entire cast is amazing, with special mention to Jon Hamm as Buddy. The film’s car chases are edited perfectly, being some of the best action scenes I’ve seen all year. But the best part is how the film uses music, which is another example of the films masterful editing. Each part of the film feels connected to music, whether it is someone walking down the street or a car chase.

The Beguiled

During the Civil War, an all-female boarding school reaches high tension after taking in a wounded Union soldier. The film feels longer than its 94-minute runtime, but that’s not a bad thing. Writer and director Sofia Coppola’s (Lost In Translation) film has amazing production design, feeling straight out of the Civil War, and the sound design is perfect, only using music when it feels necessary. Of course, the cast shines, from the quiet and commanding performance of Nicole Kidman, to the very good child actors, most notably Oona Laurence as Amy. Coppola won the Best Director Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and this film shows that she deserved it.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

The third Spider-Man reboot within 15 years should feel stale and generic. Yet director Jon Watts (Cop Car) manages to make it feel fresh and exciting, with a good blend of comedy and drama. Tom Holland is amazing as both Peter Parker and Spider-Man, and Michael Keaton as Adrian Toomes (AKA The Vulture) is one of Marvel’s best villains. The entire supporting cast are also likable, especially Jacob Batalon as Peter’s friend Ned.

War For The Planet Of The Apes

The only negative about War is that seeing it in 3D is not worth the additional cash. Everything else however, is a fine example on how to end a trilogy on a high note. The motion-capture performances from the ape actors (Andy Serkis, Steve Zahn, Karin Konoval) continue to impress, while the human performances (mostly Woody Harrelson and Amiah Miller) still manage to be just as interesting. What’s so impressive however is how, for a big budget film, it’s less interested in spectacle and more interested in small intimate moments. These moments are what makes War stand out among many other blockbusters this year.