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Fangirl's Best of 2017

There were a lot of really, really great movies and television this year, wasn't there? Don't get me wrong, I watched more than my fair share of horrible movies, but that's because I trawl the horror section of Netflix. I'm going to leave far too many wonderful things off my list, but these were the really memorable things worthy of recognition.

Best Superhero Movie - Logan
We had a very, very good year of superhero movies. I enjoyed every single one of them, even Justice League. But Logan is something special. It's almost more of a western than a proper superhero movie, and that just worked in its favor. Wolverine finally got the R-rated movie that he deserved. It was intense, touching, and absolutely heartbreaking. I can't think of a more perfect send off for either Logan or Professor Xavier, and I'm excited to see what they'll do with Laura in the future. (Please give her her own movie. She deserves it.)

Scariest Movie - Last Shift
This is a gem that I found on Netflix during the first part of the year. The premise is simple: a rookie cop must spend the graveyard shift alone in the soon to be abandoned police precinct. Things predictably take a turn for the awful. I considered myself a very hardened horror movie watcher. It takes a lot to get under my skin. This movie scared me so much that I almost nope'd out and slammed my laptop close on multiple occasions. It's a truly terrifying experience that I really recommend if you love horror.

Or, you could also see IT. This was the only movie that I saw multiple times in theatre this year. (I'm writing this before I go see Star Wars again.) It was equal parts terrifying and touching, and it's the only movie in recent memory that actually made me yelp out loud.

Movie That Made Me Cry - Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Oh, this movie made me bawl like a baby. It felt like I cried every 25 minutes or so, and I was still weepy long after I left the theater. This movie was in many ways a closing on a chapter of my life that's existed ever since I decided that I wanted to be Luke's girlfriend 16 years ago when my dad first showed me Episode IV. I know that it wasn't perfect. There are a lot of things on a very basic plot and story structure level that I would have changed. But it's also the first movie that has ever affected me on such a deep, emotional level. Bring on Episode IX.

Best New to Me Movie - The Awakening
This is another movie that I found on Netflix. An author who also debunks ghosts for a living goes to an all boys boarding school to investigate the cause of a student's death. There, events occur that cause her to question every belief about herself and the world that she's ever had. The Awakening is a stunning British period piece set in the 1920s. And I do mean stunning. It's absolutely gorgeous to look at. It's listed under the horror section on Netflix, but it's more psychological than scary. It's also incredibly romantic and moving with an ambiguous ending that stayed with me for weeks. If Last Shift sounded far too scary for you, at least check this one out.


Most Empowering Movie - Wonder Woman
Diana has gone three for three in being the best part of a DCEU movie. She's fantastic on so many levels, and this really solidified in Wonder Woman. Finally, ten years into the current superhero boom, we got a female-lead movie. Diana was the hero too. Steve Trevor was the sidekick/love interest, but there was no tension within the movie about that dynamic. It was simply naturally that those were the roles that they fell into. It wasn't perfect - and there were a surprising amount of parallels to the first Captain America movie - but it was just a joy to watch.

Best Mind Trip/Most Anticipated 2018 Return - Legion
I have never seen a show quite like Legion before. Every episode has something incredibly unique to it, whether it was a gloriously sexy dance sequence or silent film section, complete with old timey dialogue cards. It's also one of those rare, complicated shows that actually knows where it is going and has an answer for every question that pops up. Because of this, Legion is also the show that I can't wait to come back on air. Only a couple more months!


Best New to Me Show - And Then There Were None 
And Then There Were None is my favorite book of all time, so I was a little cautious when I started this miniseries adaptation. I shouldn't have been at all. The series is absolutely gorgeously shot and acted, and it captures the spirit of the book perfectly. There was only one change that I didn't really agree with, but I liked all of the others, especially the expansion of Vera and Phillip's relationship. Also, this show is full of genre actors: Aiden Turner (Being Human), Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Burn Gorman (Torchwood), and Charles Dance (Game of Thrones).

Best Marvel - The Defenders
Marvel is a brand all its own, and so deserves a category all its own. While The Punisher was very, very good, I think that The Defenders was just a little bit better. It was such a joy to see everyone from all of the shows finally interact together. We got Matt as Jessica's lawyer, Jessica and Luke making up, and Danny being the child who needs to be rescued by the real superheroes. And don't even get me started on the use of color. (We talked a lot about color in our reviews.)


Best Video Game - Persona 5
I dedicated more than 110 hours of my life into this game. For those who don't know, Persona 5 is equal parts visual novel and JRPG. You're the leader of the Phantom Thieves, a group of high school students who steals the hearts of morally corrupt adults in order to turn them into better people. Along the way, you battle monstrous aspects of the human psyche, build friendships, and maybe fall in love. The game is incredibly stylish, the combat is well-balanced, the characters are complex and well-written, and it's just so wholesome. (Even as you deal with murder, sexual assault, and corruption.) You really create a family with all of the characters involved. Oh, and one of the main characters is a talking cat that occasionally turns into a car.

Scariest Video Game - Doki Doki Literature Club
That's very different in Doki Doki Literature Club. This is a free visual novel that was released only a little while ago. Essentially, you join your high school's literature club, which is full of cute anime girls, and write poems that you try and romance them. But Fangirl, this doesn't sound scary! Yeah, I know. You really need to go into this game blind, so I won't say just what makes it so scary. But I will say that the friend that I played this with had multiple nightmares that night. It's wonderful, genre-breaking, and very, very messed up. And it's free!


Most Insane Video Game - Danganronpa series 
Finally, I must mention Danganronpa. I'm cheating a little and using the entire series for this entry. This is another game that's part visual novel, but it's also part romance simulator, murder mystery, and logic puzzle. Essentially, you and fifteen other high school students are trapped in some location by a psychotic teddy bear named Monokuma. The only way to escape is to murder a classmate and get away with it. There are three games, and the insanity only increases with each one. These games are masters in emotional manipulation. You grow attached to all of these quirky characters only to find them brutally murdered in a pool of their own hot pink blood. (Yes, hot pink blood.) Play it.

I had a lot of other categories, but I'll stop here. You know, I pinch myself every time I write a review for this site. I started officially writing reviews on January 22nd of this year, and Doux Reviews was essentially my guide. I've been reading reviews here since it was at BillieDoux, and wanted to try to reach the same level of quality. And now I'm here. I would have never thought that was possible. So thank you, Billie, Josie, and everyone else, for letting me an Agent of D.O.U.X with you.

~An Honest Fangirl 

7 comments:

  1. What an interesting list, Fangirl. We did get a lot of really terrific genre movies this year, and I'm putting some of the others you mentioned on my list. (Maybe not the super scary one, though. :)

    And I'm so glad you joined the site!

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  2. I didn't expect to see Persona 5 on a Billie Doux article!

    I guess you can say I never saw it coming ;)

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  3. Fun fact! I played Persona 5 with a group of friends in a communal space over the course of the last semester. My friends have since banned me from making any and all jokes relating to "I never saw it coming," "Ooh, looking cool, Joker!" "Alright, Queen!" and Mona telling you that you should go to bed.

    For those who haven't played it, those phrases come up A LOT.

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  4. Even though I have read the book, IT, many times, I'm scared to watch the movie version. I will watch it when it comes on cable or streaming so I can watch it with my son for protection. I'll also need a blanket to hide behind when necessary. I'll watch The Awakening because I love psychological thrillers and also loved Legion. That was a feast for the eyes and was absolutely fascinating. Josie did such a great job reviewing Legion, I don t know what we'll do now. I'm glad you're writing here, so many great shows these days, it's hard to keep up with so many of them.

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  5. "Bona fied mona-fied" is still my favorite :p

    They really should have gotten themselves more soundbytes for those critical hits, though, given that they're such a big part of the gameplay...

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  6. What a fun "best of" post, Fangirl. I'm usually not into games, but you wrote so well about the games you listed that I'm thinking of trying Doki Doki. It's free. :)

    Also, And Then There Were None. Adding it to my "books that I have to read" list.

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  7. Mwahaha! I shall slowly drag all of you one by one into the depths of my video game hell! Mwahaha!

    ...Ahem. I just really love video games, maybe even more so than movies and television, so I get excited when people want to play them. Especially when I already know that they're great. :)

    But yes, totally try Doki Doki! Especially since it's free! And a relatively short game. (Less than 6 hours depending on reading speed.)

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