The verdict is in...

1. Fruitvale Station- possibly one of the most important films ever made, not an over-dramatized version of a real family's life and loss, investigates racial stereotypes, power politics, and gender expectations
2. Moonrise Kingdom- genius, hilarious, organized and stylized cinematography with winks at Art History
3. Wendy and Lucy- beautiful performance by Michelle Williams (and of course Lucy), investigates wealth disparities which is especially relevant now
4. My Own Private Idaho- interesting cinematography, loved the frozen sex scenes, the relatable qualities of the characters, and the juxtaposition of "high" and "low" cultures
5. Killer of Sheep- realism at its best, important statement about gender and race
6. Frances Ha- chronicle of the millennial struggle, the role was made for Greta Gerwig, both uplifting and heartbreaking, I'm pretty sure I remember this movie in full color, even though it is definitely in black and white
7. Spoorloos- absolutely terrifying, probably still having nightmares, the close-ups were so powerful
8. Blancanieves- interesting take on an old story and the choice to make it a silent film
9. O Brother, Where Art Thou?- Great music, interesting mixture of "high" and "low" cultures
10. Sherlock Jr.- Classical comedy, amazing stunts
11. End of Watch- Good film about gender/masculinity and the politics of power, over dramatized for me, too many "action" scenes
12. Awara- Great music and melodramatic acting, but dude smacked her...
13. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly- kudos for unnecessary violence and great dialogue
14. Freaks- mostly indifferent towards this film, it didn't impress me or disappoint me
15. Detour- the femme fatale doesn't appeal to me, good example of film noir, which is an interested concept in the history of cinema