10 Things I Loved in 2017

In alphabetical order: BIG LITTLE LIES (TV)

How could you not be mesmerized by a soapy, Denis Villeneuve-directed HBO series about fed-up California housewives? Along with said soapiness—plus a whodunit murder mystery and amusing suburbia politics—there's a surprising undercurrent of anguish. Nowhere more so than as we watch Nicole Kidman's Celeste grapple with her abusive relationship, both physically and emotionally (those therapist scenes wreck me).

CALL ME BY YOUR NAME (film)

The enviable Italian residence where much of the film takes place, the way Timothée Chalamet says "we wasted so many days," Armie Hammer's dorky dancing—just a few of the many reasons I loved this sumptuous story about first love. I savored every moment of Call Me By Your Name, and that final shot in front of the fireplace is straight-up breathtaking.

DUNKIRK (film)

This bleak Christopher Nolan movie about trapped English and French troops on the beaches of Dunkirk during WWII is… odd. There’s sparse dialogue. There’s three stories told on varying time tables. Also, Harry Styles is in it. But, no surprise: All of it works. The lack of dialogue makes room for visceral sounds of fighter jets and a ticking effect that will haunt me forever; Harry is actually p great; and, overall, it’s a masterfully crafted, moving story of survival.

GET OUT (film)

K, yes Daniel Kaluuya was obviously great and writer-director Jordan Peele obviously deserves praise for successfully bringing something so original, funny, horrifying, and socially relevant to the screen. But I just want to talk about Rod, played by LilRel Howery, Kaluuya’s character’s best friend. I have dubbed “I’m TS-motherfuckin’-A. We handle shit” as best line of the year/century.

HASAN MINHAJ: HOMECOMING KING (TV)

Wow, this kind of broke my heart—and it’s standup. Minhaj’s debut Netflix special, filmed in his hometown of Davis, California, follows his tumultuous upbringing as an Indian-American Muslim. He humorously (but thoughtfully) touches on racism and the cultural divide between him and his immigrant parents. The final bit about his horrifying prom night will no doubt have you laughing—but the kicker will, as I mentioned, break your heart. (Plus: There are some really killer/beautiful animations projected behind him the whole time.)

LADY BIRD (film)

This is just a lovely thing to watch. Greta Gerwig's semi-autobiographical tale of growing up in Sacramento is rife with coming-of-age goodness. Saoirse Ronan is a star—we can all agree on that. But it's the supporting characters that bring it home. Let's no longer refer to Beanie Feldstein, pure joy here as Lady Bird's bff Julie, as just Jonah Hill's little sister. And (spoiler) the dialogue-less scene where Laurie Metcalf drives away, then turns around, after dropping off her only daughter at the airport before she leaves for college is both painful and stunning.

MASTER OF NONE SEASON 2 (TV)

Season two of Aziz Ansari's critically acclaimed show was refreshingly unorthodox. Each episode felt like its own sharp and satisfying short story, from Lena Waithe's award-winning episode about her journey to come out through years of Thanksgivings, to an episode that followed random strangers in NYC, to one edited to look like a single night in Dev's ill-fated, Tinder-produced dating world.

MELODRAMA // Lorde (album)

The New Zealand songstress' second album is meant to encapsulate one night at a party. To me it's an ode to being young (this Grammy winner is only 21 after all) and to not taking advantage of—and instead reveling in—the intense feelings that come with it, even if they're soul-crushingly painful. So let's just talk about Lorde all the time from now on, yes? Favorite tracks: "The Louvre," "Melodrama (Sober II)," "Liability," "Perfect Places."

SACRED HEARTS CLUB // Foster The People (album)

I've loved these guys since I was but a wee high school sophomore jamming to "Pumped Up Kicks" during the final days of having to be carpooled around by my mom. (I've also seen them live twice since then, and both are my favorite concert experiences ever nbd.) But I've lost some enthusiasm since their second album, Supermodel, dropped in 2014. That album was... fine I guess. But Sacred Hearts Club brings back the eccentricity and boldness that made Torches so great. Favorite tracks: "I Love My Friends," "Sit Next To Me," "Static Space Lover," "Lotus Eater."

THE FLORIDA PROJECT (film)

This movie was hands-down my fav film of the year. It takes place in the outskirts of Orlando's Disney empire, where everything is still candy-colored and cheery-looking but deceivingly grim. That's not to say this movie's strictly depressing. Six-year-old Brooklynn Prince easily carries the film as Moonee, who giggles, curses, and stomps her way around the motel complex where she lives. Through Moonee, childhood feels wonderfully messy. But it's hard to shake the tragedy that hers represents. (PS: Willem Dafoe is great as the level-headed landlord, even though to me he is forever Norman Osborn.)