1. "A Beautiful Mind"

A movie based on the life of John Forbes Nash Jr., "A Beautiful Mind" follows a student at Princeton University looking to make his legacy in the history of mathematics, searching for a truly original idea. After making his big breakthrough, the story follows him as he falls in love, is recruited for classified government work, and wins the Nobel Prize. Much of the movie is centered around Nash's mental illness, and upon finishing the movie it is clear that a lot of thought was put into its plot.

2. "Good Will Hunting"

One of my favorite movies of all time, "Good Will Hunting" was one of the first Matt Damon and Ben Affleck films (with a Robin Williams appearance as well!). The movie is centered around a mathematically gifted janitor at M.I.T. who, despite his extremely superior intellect, requires an enormous amount of guidance from a psychologist to become the man he should be. The film is extremely touching and received exceptional ratings.

3. "Wind River"

The film "Wind River" stands out compared to other movies in theatres today because of how calm it is. While we're surrounded by Marvel films and heist movies and everything along those lines, this movie takes place in an isolated mid-western town and follows one of the more mysterious and spiritual murder cases. The characters in the film are very powerful, and it is clear to the viewer that their development was important to the screenwriters.

4. "Black Panther"

Yes, I know this is a basic one and I may have just ripped on Marvel a bit, but the movement behind this film and the quality of the film itself gives it a position on this list. "Black Panther" is an epic story of an African king and superhero who must fight to save his people and regain his status as king. The film was largely supported by the "Black Lives Matter" and "Black is Beautiful" movements and is generally considered one of the most empowering large-budget movies of our time.

5. "Lion"

If you ever need to get your cry on, watch "Lion." This film follows the story of a boy who is separated from his family at a young age, ultimately growing up into an adult in a completely different world. Once he reaches his twenties, he finds himself lost in his search for his birth parents and travels through much of South Asia looking to be reunited with his home. The movie has an amazing composition as you don't only get to know the main character for who he is now but also who he was as a child.