In no particular order. Alright it’s alphabetical. Sort of. Some are films I saw at festivals this year so a few may actually be from 2016. Sue me.
It was another great year of genre films. Whatever that means. There are some I missed that may have made this list otherwise. Happy New Year!
A Dark Song – Liam Gavin
Circus Kane – Chris Olen Ray
Dogged – Richard Rowntree
Gerald’s Game – Mike Flanagan
Get My Gun – Brian Darwas
Get Out – Jordan Peele
Hounds of Love – Ben Young
It – Andy Muschietti
It Comes At Night – Trey Edward Shults
Mickey Reece’s Alien
Most Beautiful Island – Ana Asensio
Mother – Darren Aronofsky
Offensive – Jon Ford
Personal Shopper – Olivier Assayas
Prevenge – Alice Lowe
Raw – Julia Ducournau
Theta States – Manny Serrano
The Blackcoat’s Daughter – Osgood Perkins
The Killing of a Sacred Deer – Yorgos Lanthimos
The Shape of Water – Guillermo del Toro
3 – Lou Simon
skipshea 
Peace Skip,
Thank you.
I’m familiar with only two of the titles on your list:
“Get Out”
“The Shape Of Water”
With regard to contemporary filmmaking, independent and otherwise, I’m so far behind that “catching up” looks impossible. (Complicating my challenge, the contemporary scene, in the aggregate, doesn’t ring my chimes. There are few films I want to experience. Two exceptions are: “Darkest Hour” and “Dunkirk.”)
For 2018, considering my colossal investment in film over my lifetime, I will put more of my attention to my film space, as a cineaste AND as an artist and businessman.
The “Essay Film,” conceptually- and practically-speaking now on my back burner and remaining so for at least the first half of 2018, continues to be my “passionation.”
As well, I remain enamored of short films and in search of a business model for short film production.
I have considered thematic collections of short films such as horror, science fiction, etc. but I’m still “ciphering.”
Ché!
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