Written by: Dan Moran…
It has been a decade since we have had an overwhelmingly great year of movies. There have been some ‘great movies’ for sure, that have been released since 2007, but a collective year of dominance like 2007 hasn’t been experienced in 10 years. We have to start with the films that people still talk about today from 2007. No Country for Old Men, There Will Be Blood, & Zodiac. I mean what a Top 3 for one calendar year! The closest we got to this was in 2015 when the Top 3 was, Mad Max: Fury Road, Mad Max: Fury Road, & Mad Max: Fury Road.
But, No Country for Old Men is (in my opinion) the Cohen Brother’s best film and best ensemble of deep characters they’ve ever pulled off. There isn’t a wasted line or characterization in the entire runtime. It’s flawless. There Will Be Blood is of course Daniel Day Lewis’ greatest performance in one of the best looking movies in decades. While Zodiac, over time, has aged into being *maybe* David Fincher’s best work yet, and a thriller that would never be made today. It has incredible performances from Robert Downey, Jr., Jake Gyllenhal, and Mark Ruffalo that just elevate the movie to classic status for me.
My Top 5 of 2007:
1. No Country for Old Men
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Zodiac
4. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
5. Michael Clayton
That is an unmatched 5 films as far as quality goes. 2008-2017 haven’t got close to that level of greatness, but there are others worth mentioning too.
The Comedies
In 2007, Knocked Up, Superbad, & Walk Hard all came out. All three of those movies hold up a decade later, better than some really solid comedies that came out 2 months ago. This was the height of Judd Apatow comedies and their “timelessness”. I feel like it took almost a decade for Superbad to get the recognition it deserves as not only one of the best comedies of all time but one of the best coming of age stories ever. It is relentlessly crude and always hilarious but it finds a way to be more relatable and touching than so many other movies that try and check those boxes. Walk Hard was missed by almost everyone and if you haven’t seen it, you need to. The cast alone is worth every second you’ll spend with the movie.
The Thrillers
Adult thrillers really had a great year too! Fracture, Zodiac, Michael Clayton, and Gone Baby Gone all came out in 2007. I wouldn’t have one negative thing to say if someone suggested we watch any of those four movies. These types of movies are hard to find today. You get an occasional Hell or High Water or Sicario, but to have four in one year is just a blessing.
The Action
Action movies had a really solid outing too. From the over-the-top Tarantino rip off Smokin’ Aces to The Bourne Ultimatum, audiences really didn’t have to look far to find an action movie to love. 300 came out this year along with the first and only good Transformers.
Harry Potter put out (my personal favorite) entry in its series this summer while Spider-Man 3 taught an entire generation of fans what a complete letdown a movie could be.
Along the way there were unique gems like Juno, Hot Fuzz, Grindhouse, and Sunshine. All worthy of 1000 words each on what make them so everlasting to film fans. Westerns came back with vengeance as 3:10 to Yuma put them back on the radar in a big way before the winter brought The Assassination of Jesse James which is one of the best films that I’ve ever seen.
2007 was a year that we don’t get very often. Nearly every single week there was a movie that at a minimum was worth seeing. In the span of a year there were at least 6 movies that I would consider important or classics. No other year since then has even got close to the absolute dominance of 2007. Don’t believe me? Take a look below at the list of just some of the movies that came out that year:
January 26, 2007: Smokin’ Aces
A Tarantino rip off with a star studded cast that has become a cable rewatch favorite over the years.
March 2, 2007: Zodiac
In my opinion this is David Fincher’s most important film he’s ever made. I don’t know if it is the release date or what but I have met very few people who don’t hold this up as one of the best movies since 2000.
March 9, 2007: 300
Zack Snyder is still living off of this CGI blood bath that was *just* different enough from The Matrix to make you feel like you were seeing something new. I loved the visuals in this movie.
March 23, 2007: Reign over Me
Still arguably Sandler’s best work and a really solid look at dealing with grief.
April 6, 2007: Grindhouse
I don’t care if you knock the gimmick or the films themselves. A 3 hour double feature of Tarantino and Rodriguez was/is fun and reintroduced this decade to Kurt Russel as the absolute best.
April 13, 2007: Disturbia
The best teen thriller of the last ten years. Come at me. It is perfect.
April 20, 2007: Hot Fuzz
Edgar Wright’s most underrated movie in the Cornetto Trilogy.
April 20, 2007: Fracture
An absolutely solid legal thriller with young Gosling and Hopkins squaring off was a delightful springtime matinee.
May 4, 2007: Spider-Man 3
Didn’t holdup its end of the bargain but was an event movie at all local theaters.
May 11, 2007: 28 Weeks Later
The Aliens to 28 Days Later’s ‘Alien’.
June 1, 2007: Knocked Up
Apatow comedies really hold up well even years later. You can’t say that about many comedies but this one will still have me laughing.
June 29, 2007: Ratatouille
Maybe Pixar’s most underappreciated film. It is gorgeous, heartfelt, and infinitely sweet all the way through.
July 3, 2007: Transformers
Did we know what a colossal piece of crap this series would become? No. The first one was an extremely fun and mindless Michael Bay movie.
July 11, 2007: Harry Potter & The Order of the Phoenix
My least favorite book is by far my favorite movie. Phoenix and Azkaban are the two best Potter films.
July 20, 2007: Sunshine
Danny Boyle’s best movie. One of the best sci-fi films over the last 20 years. Chris Evans’ first star turn. Yes, the 3rd act goes off the rails but that only bumps it from an A+ to an A-.
August 3, 2007: The Bourne Ultimatum
A satisfying finale to the greatest action trilogy ever.
August 10, 2007: Hot Rod
An absolutely absurd comedy that is rewatchable.
August 17, 2017: Superbad
The classic comedy about growing up for my generation. You can watch it today and it doesn’t feel dated at all.
September 7, 2007: 3:10 to Yuma
One of the best western remakes ever with a great Ben Foster character and really intense ending.
September 14, 2007: Eastern Promises
Viggo Mortensen knife fight!
September 21, 2007: Into the Wild
A nearly flawless adaptation of the book.
September 21, 2007: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
A top 5 western ever. There is no debate how unbelievably gorgeous every single frame of this movie is and I won’t hear any dissent.
October 5, 2007: Michael Clayton
Clooney’s best performance ever and a thriller that should be studied for its plotting.
October 12, 2007: Gone Baby Gone
Remember where you were when you said, “Holy crap Affleck is a great director??!!??”
November 9, 2007: No Country for Old Men
A top 10 movie of the last 25 years. It is perfect.
December 5, 2007: Juno
Probably way ahead of its time because if it came out today it would’ve been a blip on the radar but 10 years ago the topic and writing were starting a revolution.
December 21, 2007: National Treasure 2
I put this on here because WHY ISN’T THERE A NATIONAL TREASURE EVERY 2 YEARS?
December 21, 2007: Walk Hard
Hilarious.
December 26, 2007: There Will Be Blood
Another top 10 movie of the last 25 years with a performance for the ages.
