2017 was a fantastic year for films more so for the superhero genre (
Wonder Woman, Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Logan, Spiderman: Homecoming and
Thor: Ragnarok) where it proved to be 'quality movies that became hits at the box office'. Obviously the year can't go without some disappointments with some being outright terrible (
Geostorm, Transformers: The Last Knight) and some that we had high hopes for but didn't deliver and fell short. Here is 5 from the list (by CheatSheet) of 15 most disappointing movies of 2017.
Dunkirk![]()
Synopsis: Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Empire and France are surrounded by the German Army, and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Why it was one of the most disappointing of 2017?: Before
Dunkirk, Christopher Nolan last 4 films were near three hours so he scaled back on
Dunkirk. That in lies the problem for this film, 'we learn virtually nothing about even a single character and therefore have little to latch on'.
Dunkirk is a film that is amazing on a technical level but a letdown on character development.
It Comes at Night![]()
Synopsis: Secure within a desolate home as an unnatural threat terrorizes the world, a man has established a tenuous domestic order with his wife and son. Then a desperate young family arrives seeking refuge.
Why it was one of the most disappointing of 2017?: A24 has some of the best low budget films this decade (
Moonlight,
Ex Machina&
The Witch) so when it was announced that
It Comes at Night will be distributed by A24 horror films fans were ecstatic. Even with an interesting trailer,
It Comes at Night'ended up being a fairly routine zombie film dressed up as something more substantial'. With an intriguing setup and exceptional performances the movie goes nowhere that hasn't been explored in horror films and by the end, the film leaves you wondering what the point was.
mother!![]()
Synopsis: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence.
Why it was one of the most disappointing of 2017?: Over the last 20 years Darren Aronofsky has had some magnificent films with
Requiem for a Dream,
The Wrestler and
Black Swan but with
mother! it would be his least successful. From the outset of the film, you'll know it won't be literal or realistic but a movie that works on a metaphorical or allegorical level. None of the characters are logical 'except to the degree that they represent a broader idea' and if you didn't understand the allegory in the first half of the movie well Aronofsky 'relentlessly beats it into your head in the second half in a way that is as far from subtle as humanly possible'. If the second half of the film had built on the (absorbing) first half in a more natural way, the film possibly would've been one of the best this year.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets![]()
Synopsis: A dark force threatens Alpha, a vast metropolis and home to species from a thousand planets. Special operatives Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the marauding menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
Why it was one of the most disappointing of 2017?: Before it came out, many have thought the
Valerian could be an 'legitimately groundbreaking science-fiction movie that fans were still talking about for years to come' instead it disappointed fans. With unique ideas the films is bogged down with terrible dialogue and flat performances from the lead actors (Dane DeHaan & Cara Delevingne). Speaking of bizarre casting choices, the main character is supposed to be a 'seasoned man who’s seen it all' but comes across as a college student since DeHaan is playing him. In spite of its flaws, at least viewers enjoyed
Valerian for its impressive visuals. But even for the fans it has, they have to wonder what could have been with a better screenplay and different lead actors.
Alien: Covenant![]()
Synopsis: The crew of a colony ship, bound for a remote planet, discover an uncharted paradise with a threat beyond their imagination, and must attempt a harrowing escape.
Why it was one of the most disappointing of 2017?: After an tepid response to
Prometheus, Ridley Scott had issues on deciding on whether to make a more traditional sequel to
Alien or make a sequel to the 2011 film. Well he ended up 'doing both with
Alien: Covenant and neither turned out that well'. The film begins as a traditional Alien film, then the next part is the
Prometheus sequel section and the third acts shifts back to a proper
Alien film. The
Alien elements aren't that interesting as original movies and anything in Prometheus and 'an unnecessary explanation about the origins of the Xenomorphs and weird scenes consisting of nothing but Michael Fassbender playing the flute to himself' bogs down the
Prometheus section. Covenant isn't terrible but as the next chapter in the Alien series its a disappointment.
more in depth explanations of these 5 along with the other 10 films on the list is at the CheatSheet sourceONTD, what movies were disappointments to you?SourceCheatSheetIMDb -
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