As 2017 comes to a close, it's time to review the 10 best movies of the year. Keep in mind that this is in no particular order and that this assessment is only a matter of popular opinion, reviews, and my personal opinion. Here are some of the best movies that were released over the past 12 months.

1. Lady Bird

Lady Bird is a coming of age movie that follows an artistically inclined teenager (Saorise Ronan) trying to navigate her way into adulthood as she is trying to make the move from her Catholic high school in Sacramento, CA to New York for college. Directed by Greta Gerwig in her directorial debut, Lady Bird takes a look at what defines us, the relationships that shape us, and the relatable burning desire to get out of your hometown after high-school.

2. Get Out

Get Out has garnered much praise, not to mention numerous accolades and awards which includes being nominated for two golden globes. This horror film that follows a young African American man ( Daniel Kaluuya) spending the weekend with his white girlfriend (Allison Williams) and her family, explores the nature of interracial relationships and provides commentary on subtle racism through its imagery, symbols, and recurring themes. This film will surely provoke thought when it comes to social relations in America.

3. Call Me By Your Name

Call Me By Your Name is a romantic drama and coming of age film. Set in the 1980s, 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamat) lives with his family in Italy spending his days playing classical music, hanging out with his girlfriend, and going swimming. His father’s American assistant, Oliver (Armie Hammer), who is a scholar working on getting a doctorate, arrives as a summer intern tasked with helping Elio's father. Despite the age difference between them, Elio and Oliver discover the beauty of a sexual awakening over the course of a summer that will change their lives forever.

4. The Disaster Artist

Based on a true story, the film is about Tommy Wiseau (James Franco) who is an aspiring filmmaker with a mysterious background and Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) who is just starting his acting career. It follows Tommy and Greg's friendship as they move to Hollywood to make their dreams come true. It also documents the making of the 2003 film The Room which has gained notoriety over the years for widely being known as one of the worst movies of all time. The Disaster Artist is a hilarious but equally inspiring film for the dreamers and is an example of what an outsider could achieve with only passion and dedication.

5. Coco

The film follows a young boy Miguel (voice of Anthony Gonzalez) feeling constricted by his family's generations-old ban on music. Despite this, he still dreams of becoming an accomplished musician. Miguel finds himself in the Land of the Dead following an odd chain of events and has to prove his talent while finding out the secrets behind his family's history along the way. Coco's captivating storytelling and vibrant visuals surely prove its case as one of the best Pixar movies to date.

6. The Florida Project

Directed by Sean Baker, who is known for his work on Tangerine (a personal favorite of mine), The Florida Project is about six-year-old Moonee (Brooklynn Prince) and her rebellious mother Halley (Bria Vinaite) over the course of a summer. The two live at a low budget motel called “The Magic Castle,” which is managed by Bobby (Willem Dafoe) who acts as a father figure to them both and looks out for them. The Florida Project makes strong use of contrast in the film with the beautiful aesthetics of the motel complex juxtaposed against the ugly reality the two are forced to cope with, which includes the mother doing anything necessary in order to provide for her daughter.

7. The Shape of Water

Perhaps one of the most bizarre movies of the year, The Shape of Water, which was just released a few weeks ago has generated a lot of buzz in the short amount of time it has been released. Elisa (Sally Hawkins) is a mute janitor who works in a hidden high-security government laboratory. She and co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer) discover a secret experiment which is a quasi-fish almost-human type of creature that can communicate with Elisa in a way nobody ever could. Guillermo del Toro's film is a beautifully odd fairy tale that proves its worth with its elegance and stunning performances.

8. Baby Driver

Baby Driver is an action-packed movie about a young getaway driver being coerced into working for a crime boss that plans heists. Baby (Ansel Elgort) relies on the music from his iPod to do his job and pretty much anything else. He sees a chance to ditch his criminal life for good but is forced to keep working for his crime boss (Kevin Spacey). Baby continues to run into roadblocks while his life becomes increasingly threatened by his dangerous lifestyle. The movie is an action-packed, laugh-out-loud funny, thrilling ride to remember with its style and originality distinguishing it from other action movies.

9. It

It is 27 years later from the release of the 1990 original It and Pennywise (Bill Skarsgård), a clown who awakens every 27 years to feed on children before returning to hibernation is back once again. Seven children who are friends must overcome their own personal demons and fears in the process of trying defeat the clown. The film stars Finn Wolfhard, who is widely known for his role in Stranger Things, and several other child actors with strong performances that make this film worth seeing. The movie ranks well among the Stephen King adaptions and is the type of horror film that is genuinely emotional to the core with it being more than just wacky effects and jump scares.

10. Logan

In the final film of the Wolverine trilogy where Hugh Jackman reprises his role as Wolverine for the last time, a broken down and aged Wolverine spends his time working as a chauffeur, taking care of Professor X, and being an alcoholic while living somewhere on the Mexican border. However, his attempts to hide from the world become hindered by unexpected obligations that he must take on despite his powers dwindling. This movie is an emotional roller-coaster that definitely ends the Wolverine trilogy on a high note.