1. Soul
The latest from writer/director Pete Docter (Up; Inside Out) is as creative and entertaining as any Pixar movie as it ponders art, life, death and whether cats are possessed.
2. Promising Young Woman
A brilliant, twisty original screenplay by actor-turned-director Emerald Fennell blends dry wit and harsh thrills in a revenge saga full of great performances — most notably from star Carey Mulligan, as the mentally fragile heroine.
3. The Trial of the Chicago 7
Aaron Sorkin directs his own richly researched screenplay and brings to life a tumultuous era in American politics. The dialogue is snappy, of course, and the A-list ensemble works as a unified team.
4. Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado
The most endearing and (mostly) uplifting documentary of the year traces the career of an unlikely gender-bending superstar astrologer.
5. Out Stealing Horses
This sadly overlooked Norwegian film — set in two time periods and two countries — was the year’s most inspired drama of family dysfunction. It also proves that writer/director Hans Petter Moland (Cold Pursuit) is a world-class talent.
Honorable mention: Uncle Frank, I’m Thinking of Ending Things, The Father, Kajillionaire, Emma.
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