Logan (2017)

Quick take

The superhero movie that dares to just be a film. A western, specifically.

The good

• Jackman and Stewart give career-best performances
• The violence means something — every fight has weight and consequence
• Mangold trusts the audience to sit with grief
• Dafne Keen is extraordinary as Laura

The bad

• The villains are the weakest part of a near-perfect film
• Pacing drags slightly in the second act

Verdict

Logan is the rare superhero film that works completely outside the genre. Strip away the claws and it's a road movie about a dying man finding purpose. One of the best films of 2017, full stop.