1. La La Land
This original musical is our absolute favorite movie of the year. In fact, it's one of our favorite movies ever. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling will sweep you off your feet in this romantic tale about an aspiring actress (Stone) who falls in love with a quirky jazz musician (Gosling).
2. Manchester By the Sea
A tragic event haunts a man (Casey Affleck) who is forced to return to his hometown to care for his nephew (Lucas Hedges) after his brother (Kyle Chandler) dies. So sad, so moving but also funny at just the right times.
3. Moonlight
Be prepared to be moved by this beautiful, yet heartbreaking story of an impoverished boy's journey to adulthood while struggling with his sexuality and a mom who is addicted to crack.
4. Suicide Squad
Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn and Jared Leto as The Joker—fantastically freaky.
5. Sing
We dare you not to sing along to this flick about an American Idol-like singing competition for animals with Oscar winners like Reese Witherspoon singing Taylor Swift and Katy Perry.
6. Zootopia
Adorable overload! More cute animated animals in a movie that kids and adults can love.
7. Doctor Strange
Benedict Cumberbatch does surgeon-turned-superhero very well. Welcome to the Marvel universe, Mr. Cumberbatch.
8. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
You don't have to be a Star Wars fanboy to love this movie. Felicity Jones and Diego Luna gave us out-of-this-world performances in the first of the stand-alone Star Wars Anthology series.
9. Jackie
Natalie Portman not only played Jacqueline Kennedy, but she became Jacqueline Kennedy. The movie follows the the former first lady in the hours and days after JFK's assassination.
10. Hidden Figures
Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer and Janelle Monae delivered a triple threat as a real-life trio of black female scientists who were instrumental in NASA's first space missions.
11. Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie
OK, it's not winning any awards, but Edie and Patsy on the big screen? Yaaas, sweetie darling!
12. Miss Sloane
Jessica Chastain is brilliantly wicked as a ruthless Republican lobbyist who switches sides to fight for stricter gun control laws.
13. Deadpool
Ryan Reynolds' NSFW superhero movie is hilariously inappropriate. The sequel can't come soon enough.
14. Nocturnal Animals
It's only his second time directing, but Tom Ford delivered a thriller as dark and suspenseful as he is chic.
15. Weiner
You'd think disgraced politico Anthony Weiner was a character on Scandal. Nope, he's real—and there's no looking away from this trainwreck as he self-destructs during his last and very unsuccessful bid to become mayor of New York City.
16. Lion
The true story of a young man who travels to India looking for the family he lost before being adopted by an Australian will leave you in tears.
17. Fences
Denzel Washington and Viola Davis starred in Fences on Broadway. Fortunately, they reunited for the movie adaptation. Pure acting genius.
18. Sing Street
This sweet and romantic Irish indie about an aspiring rock star and his wannabe-model girlfriend should have gotten a lot more attention than it did. It's a feel-good flick in so many ways.
19. 13th
An in-depth look at racism and the U.S. penal system from Salma director Ava DuVernay is a documentary that should be required viewing for every American.
20. Loving
The true story of the interracial couple who went all the U.S. Supreme Court to fight for their right to be married is quiet but powerful.
21. Silence
Don't let the runtime of two hours and 45 minutes scare you. Martin Scorsese directs Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver as two 17th-century priests who travel to Japan looking for their mentor. Not only beautiful to look at, but you'll be left contemplating some very big questions about faith and God.