Movie Comic Strips Reimagine Some Of The Best Of 2017

You've likely read a dozen or so Best Movies of 2017 lists by now, so how about a creative new way of highlighting the best films of the former year? Artist Ben Matsuya has put together some visually stunning comic strips that show off some of the best of the best that film had to offer in 2017. Check out the 2017 movie comic strips below.

2017 is over, but we're still knee-deep in awards season, and every day it seems a new Best Movies of 2017 list washes ashore. If you're still playing catch-up with last year, and slowly but surely making your way through the best movies 2017 had to offer, you might get a kick out of this creative new way of highlighting the Best movies of 2017. Artist Ben Matsuya has put together a series of comic strips that shine a spotlight on some of 2017's best films: Get Out, The Florida Project, The Shape of Water, Good Time, and Okja. The results are stunning.

Save for one panel in The Shape of Water piece, the comic strips here are dialogue-free, yet still convey the emotions of their respective films. Matsuya was able to capture a lot of the iconic imagery from each film, and accent it with his own vision. While all the art is done in a similar style, I was particularly struck with the Florida Project strip, which makes use of some Disney-style animation here and there, which reflects the film's use of that company's iconography – the film is set in Florida (obviously),and the Magic Kingdom is always lurking there in the background.

What's most remarkable here is that even without the dialogue, these images are still plenty powerful – especially if you've seen the films in question. The final panel of the Florida Project art alone, capturing that film's emotional final moment, was enough to make me blink back a tear or two. Ditto the Okja art, which effectively captures the whimsy laced with horror that's so prevalent in Bong Joon-ho's film.

The Good Time strip might be the most interesting of the bunch. Since that film is more a series of wild experiences than a strict narrative plot, Matsuya focuses on distinct background events, with art representing Robert Pattinson's character sprinting through it all, much like he does in the film.

It should go without saying that if you haven't seen the films on display here, you might want to beware of spoilers. The Shape of Water comic strip in particular is very heavy on the spoilers. Check out the art below (by way of IndieWire), and head on over to Matsuya's website for even more great stuff.