10. The Jungle Book (Disney)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Starring Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson & Idris Elba
The live action version of the 1967 animated film follows Mowgli, a human boy raised by a pack of wolves in an Indian jungle. With the help of Baloo and Bagheera, Mowgli goes through a journey of self discovery as he fights against Shere Khan, the tiger looking to rid Mowgli from the jungle.
Runtime: 1 hr, 46 mins
9. Zootopia (Disney)
Directed by Byron Howard & Rich Moore
Starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman & Idris Elba
The city of Zootopia is a mammal metropolis where various animals live among each other, including rabbits, foxes, sheep, lion, sloths and elephants. Judy Hopps becomes the city's first rabbit to join the police force and looks to solve a mysterious ongoing investigation to prove herself.
Runtime: 1 hr, 48 mins
8. Elle (SBS Distribution)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Starring Isabelle Huppert
A french film based on the novel Oh... written by Phillippe Dijan, Elle tells the story of Michele Leblanc; the head of a successful video game company, who after being raped in her home by an unknown attacker, takes measures into her own hands to track him down.
Runtime: 2 hrs, 10 mins
7. Fences (Paramount)
Directed by Denzel Washington
Starring Denzel Washington & Viola Davis
The film adaptation of August Wilson's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which follows the life of Troy; an African-American man who had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player, but couldn't because of the race barriers at the time. Old and bitter, he now works as a garbage-man to make-ends-meet for his family.
Runtime: 2 hrs, 19 mins
6. Hacksaw Ridge (Summit Entertainment)
Directed by Mel Gibson
Starring Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington & Hugo Weaving
The true story of WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who didn't believe in killing due to past experiences as well as his religious upbringing. As a result, Doss received a great deal of flack from his comrades and commanding officers, but in doing so won the Medal of Honor for his work in the Battle of Okinawa.
Runtime: 2 hrs, 19 mins
5. Arrival (Paramount)
Directed by Denis Villeneuve
Starring Amy Adams & Jeremy Renner
Amy Adams shines as Louise, a linguistics professor who leads a team of scientists in investigating 12 mysterious, extraterrestrial spacecrafts that appear across the planet. Adams' character, Louise, is faced with the task to interpret the alien creatures language and figure out what it is they want and prevent them for starting war on Earth.
Runtime: 1 hr, 56 mins
4. Jackie (Fox Searchlight)
Directed by Pablo Larrain
Starring Natalie Portman
This biopic centers around the widow of President John F. Kennedy, Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis following the assassination of JFK. The first lady must come to terms with one the most tragic moments in American history in order to maintain her husband's legacy.
Runtime: 1 hr, 40 mins
3. Manchester by the Sea (Amazon)
Directed by Kenneth Lonergan
Starring Casey Affleck & Michelle Williams
Lee Chandler returns to his hometown to take care of his wise-cracking nephew Patrick after the death of his brother. Not knowing that he is Patrick's legal guardian, Lee is forced to face the skeletons from his past that made him leave in the first place.
Runtime: 2 hrs, 17 mins
2. Moonlight (A24)
Directed by Barry Jenkins
Starring Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris & Janelle Monae
Over the course of three time periods, Moonlight follows Chiron through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. As a child, Chiron lives with his single, drug addicted mother in the a low-income Miami neighborhood. As he grows older, struggling to find his place in the world, he slowly but surely becomes the man he desperately tried to avoid.
Runtime: 1 hr, 51 mins
1. La La Land (Summit Entertainment)
Directed by Damien Chazelle
Starring Ryan Gosling & Emma Stone
The film's title references both Los Angeles and the state of being out of touch with reality and tells the story of a struggling jazz pianist who falls for an aspiring actress working as a barista in Hollywood. Both have dreams of making it big, but in doing so the pair is faced with many challenges that test their relationship.
Runtime: 2 hrs, 8 mins
Top 10 Acting Performances
1. Casey Affleck - Manchester by the Sea
2. Mahershala Ali - Moonlight
3. Viola Davis - Fences
4. Isabelle Huppert - Elle
5. Natalie Portman - Jackie
6. Michelle Williams - Manchester by the Sea
7. Emma Stone - La La Land
8. Jeff Bridges - Hell or High Water
9. Amy Adams - Arrival
10. Denzel Washington - Fences
