Cinema is commonly referred to as "escapism", and while that may be true to superhero blockbusters, pure cinema is more complicated than that. Yes, one does literally escape from their own world into another magical one, one with rules, one with principles. There are certain moments that are just too perfect for real life. However, some thematic elements and subject matters make these works of art pressing, even challenging at points. Arrival puts us in a world visited by aliens, but it does so so meticulously that it resonates as a reflection on America's inherent xenophobia. I don't think anyone who has seen Manchester By The Sea would even fathom that movie as "escapism." Even La La Land gives us reality checks. Interestingly enough, that is a focal point of the movie, how escapism and romanticism clashes with the real world, and how one deals with it.

With such a year of change that was 2016, it's no surprise that people are doing inventory for everything they care about, including movies. In times where people are busier than ever and movie ticket prices are as expensive as ever, people are reacting a certain way to this. Interestingly enough, people want to be certain that the little time they have and the excessive money they spend is going to a reliable, safe product. What does that specifically mean? Well, according to the box office, eight of the top 10 grossing movies of 2016 are either sequels, adaptations, or whatever the hell Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is called. People want a product they've heard about before, without necessarily looking to see it will pay off. Just look at the Presidential candidates. But many of these films are what I said before: superhero blockbusters. Therefore, they are pure escapism, another thing people look for today.

And while, being a college student who works at a movie theater, I get to see more-or-less everything, and for free, so I rarely have to pick and choose what movies I go to. However, if I were in the position in the regular film goer (and this might just be my hindsight talking), I would go for more challenging indie films. Forget playing it safe. If film-going is so important to me at this time, shouldn't I go into every film like it's going to be my favorite ever? And, even so, if my life outside of film is more important, more critical than ever, too, shouldn't I leave the theater learning about my own life instead of simply putting my problems on hold, as if it's procrastinating? Lucky for you, my list not only adheres to the themes of self-reflection, but they're also really really good. Case in point, I saw all the movies, so you don't need to, and I highlighted the best 10 movies of 2016, so you can see the best content whenever you need to pick and choose. Because that's what top 10 lists are at the end of the day anyway, right? A glorified recommendation list?

Even so, although every single list on this movie is considered great by my standards, there are some promising movies that I simply just wasn't able to see, including 20th Century Women, Toni Erdmann, and Silence. Although I haven't seen them, hundreds of other critics have, and their eager for your attention. Also, there were some great movies that just didn't make the cut, including The Nice Guys, Cafe Society, Born To Be Blue, and Sing Street.

10. 10 Cloverfield Lane

What a year it has been for Damien Chazelle. Not only has he written and directed an Oscar front-runner, but he also wrote an amazing script that also salvaged a franchise, from J.J. Abrams, no less. The barebones plot gives the audience room to think (something seen not too often in Blockbusters), and those last ten minutes might just become a Chazelle trademark. This doesn't detract anything from Dan Trachetenberg, the director, either, as his role was just as vital in creating an eerie, ambiguous mood. Just as well, he got some cunning performances out of Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Gallagher, and John Goodman, who will probably be sadly overlooked at the Best Supporting Actor race in The Academy Awards. And speaking of overlooked, this film is one of those rare ones that will be overlooked by both The Academy and fans; don't let this slip you by.

9. Indignation

This isn't your conventional college love story. It's not a movie to see your parents, and it might not even be a movie to see with your significant other (unless you're lucky.) I think that's the point, and this Philip Roth adaptation doesn't whitewash anything. There are just so many impulses to be acted upon when you're young, whether it be you sexual impulses or your impulses to discern right from wrong. These two main characters have lived through what their impulses have led them to, and, while their chemistry does shine through, it feels like what keeps them together is the fact that they felt alone in their struggle. This struggle is complemented with an intense, heart-wrenching screenplay and terrific performances from actors Logan Lerman and Sarah Gadon

8. Arrival

In a year of passable blockbusters, 10 Cloverfield Lane and Arrival really shone through for me, and that's not where the comparisons stop. First, they are smart, even subversive takes on familiar genres. The usual alien invades earth movie is met with the guns-a-blazing attitude that a certain president-elect would go out with. However, Amy Adams' character Louise treats this differently. She actually tries to communicate with these aliens, however difficult it may be, while the rest of the world grows antsy. These two movies also compare in your ability to think. The audience is given room to think about all the implications of visitors instead of setting it off aside in favor of some crappy action sequence. The film ferments and develops in a way I have rarely seen, gracing us with a sort of minimalism to a very maximalist concept. We are able to see the whole scope of the concept, explore each nook and cranny, having us leaving the theater with a truly immersed experienced.

7. Green Room

This movie made me believe in action again. From the current onslaught of Marvel movies, I have been exposed to action as a sort of Rock 'Em Sock 'Em experience: keep beating each other up from close proximity, and then one person's head will unexpectedly pop up. However, Green Room treats action like chess. Someone will have an upper hand, and the other has to think about what they are going to do about it. It's all done deliberately, with enough time for the audience to think about it, making each stab that much more meaningful. Take with that the clever screenplay and the confederate flags that seem to encapsulate the background of many frames, we have a movie that is smart in more ways than one, and still succeeds in its action with such a small budget.

6. Moonlight

Just like Tommy Wiseau said about The Room, I hope you watch this film at least twice. The first time I saw it, I was overwhelmed by the first half and underwhelmed by the second. I found the first half was way to directionlessly ambitious and broad for any specific focus to shine through, and the second half was way too specific and, for lack of a better term, close-minded for me to enjoy it more than moderately. However, that second time, you could feel the pieces fitting together in that first part. Everything is actually in the background, but it slowly permeates. Then the second half is simply a treat, a culmination of all that's come before, and I can't think of that third act without thinking of the end of Before Sunset. Don't be confused, though; Moonlight, in terms of quality, is much closer to Before Sunset than it is to The Room.

5. The Lobster

With such a high-concept idea, this movie deals with a single, simple question that has plagued mankind forever: are people meant to romantically be together? This movie is as irreverant comedically as it is thematically; it does not even try to answer the question. In fact, the brutal ending leaves the question up to the audience. What the movie does do is skewer both sides. This pitch-black comedy might just suggest that people are screwed either way, but there is a heart in The Lobster that can neither be diagnosed neither described. Then, of course, there is the humor, which is as sadly true as it hilarious. I think I can compare this mostly to a Charlie Kaufman movie in which these people are vulnerable, almost child-like creatures that simply want to be loved; damn the simple question.

4. Manchester By The Sea

This movie has been described as many as depressing. The media, critics, heck, even Casey Affleck said that in his SNL monologue. However, it is weird for me to say this movie is depressing because it did include some of the funniest moment of cinema this year. And I think that speaks volumes to how this movie tries--and succeeds--to be as real life as possible. Grieving is complicated. A teenager will cope with his father through trying to get some with his girlfriend(s), and he won't break until he's looking at the frozen chicken in the freezer. The most tragic thing in your life might not happen from a car crash or a disastrous night out but instead from something simple like forgetting to put the grate on the fireplace. And this movie is how you live on, knowing those inevitable things, and this is done powerfully from commanding performances by Michelle Williams, Lucas Hedges, and Affleck. As they say, life happens.

3. Nocturnal Animals

Most "story within a story" narratives are usually flashbacks. There's some superfluous exposition, and then some old lady tells a story about her youth, and you never cut back to that old lady unless there's a exposition-filled plot point or a steamy sex scene. Case in point, that narrative doesn't really do much. Nocturnal Animals does things a different way. The story within a story is not a flashback; it happens in real time. The story is Susan Morrow (Amy Adams) living her current life (story 1) while reading a manuscript from her ex-boyfriend Tony Hastings (Jake Gyllenhaal) (story 2), a screenplay in which he "inspired" her to write based on their relationship. And this movie is no Family Man. The manuscript written is eerie in its discourse, and I would have waited for those cutbacks if I wasn't so enthralled by this manuscript. The stories work together by clashing each other, and what results it a multilayered marvel.

2. Everybody Wants Some!!

What is there to say about this movie that I haven't already said, either on The Odyssey or to my friends? It's just so good. It's engaging as it is funny, and it's honest as it is mischevious. The performances are great, and the writing is on par with some of Linklater's best. Just trust me with this number two placement: go see Everybody Wants Some.

1. La La Land

When the Oscar's arrive in February, there will be three front-runners for Best Picture: Moonlight, Manchester By The Sea, and La La Land. Moonlight is an intimate yet ambitious study of sexuality and blackness in America, and Manchester By The Sea is a sobering drama that swoops in comedy with such finesse, but there is a scene in La La Land where Mia and Sebastian literally dance on top of clouds. Case in point, this film is a towering achievement on the scale of the Chrysler Building--or the Eiffel Tower. It explodes with iridescent cinematography and a mellifluous score that is complemented by brilliantly executed choreography. Then there are the themes. A problem--actually the only problem--I had with La La Land Director Damien Chazelle's previous film, Whiplash, was how thematically narrow it was. This is not a problem in La La Land. Several themes provoke, such as going for one's dreams, the morality of selling out, and even, very subtly, the decline of cinema itself; with the rise of tentpole films and auteurs moving to television, this may certainly be the case in the future. However, in that future, I hope to remember that time where I felt so close to magic, where I was swept up into the clouds. I hope to remember La La Land.