2017 is finally here! We have quite a few movies to look forward to such as "Logan," "Beauty and the Beast," "Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2," "Wonder Woman," and much more. Before we get to the good stuff, we have to get through January, also known as the dumping ground for movies that aren't good enough for any other month.

Normally, January's a month most moviegoers should skip. However, I would argue that you shouldn't.

Given, most of these movies I'm about to list are "technically" 2016 releases. Though, they'll receive a wide release in January in order to build up some Oscar buzz.

"Hidden Figures" - January 6th

Three African-American women are gifted mathematicians who happen to work for NASA. (Mary Jackson) Janelle Monáe, Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughn (Octavia Spencer) were heavily involved in the missions of Project Mercury and Apollo 11. So why don't most people know about the Hidden Figures? Check out the film to see why.

"A Monster Calls" - January 6th

Conor O'Malley (Lewis MacDougall) is having a rough time growing up. His mother (Felicity Jones) is suffering from terminal cancer. His grandmother (Sigourney Weaver) is a pain and he gets bullied at school. One night, Conor encounters a giant talking tree (Liam Neeson). From there on out, the film goes on an emotional journey that will require lots of tissues.

"Patriots Day" - January 13th

Another Peter Berg/Mark Wahlberg collaboration comes with another film based on a true story. I guess you could say this film will conclude their "True Story Trilogy." All jokes aside, this film takes on the attack of the 2013 Boston Marathon. Reviews have been stellar which is great to hear. Given that Peter Berg knows how to take true stories and turn them into good movies, this shouldn't be a surprise.

"Silence" - January 13th

If you're a fan of Martin Scorsese, this should be a no-brainer. SILENCE is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2016 starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver, and Liam Neeson. This motion picture revolves around two Jesuit priests, Father Sebastião Rodrigues (Andrew Garfield) and Father Francisco Garupe (Adam Driver), travel to Japan to find Father Cristóvao Ferreria (Liam Neeson) because they believe it's impossible to commit apostasy.

"The Founder" - January 20th

Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) is an entrepreneur who took what the McDonald brothers created and turned it into a franchise. Aren't you curious about the creation of McDonald's? I'm sure you all would be lovin' it (pun intended).

"20th Century Women" - January 20th

I wonder if A24 is releasing this film on the 20th because of the title. It's either intentional or a funny coincidence. On a serious note, this film takes place during the Summer of 1979 in Santa Barbara, California. A single mom (Annette Bening) chooses a unique way of raising her son (Lucas Jade Zumann). She asks for some help, but not for parenting. Instead, she asks for role models. She hired a photographer (Greta Gerwig), handyman (Billy Crudup), and her son's best friend (Elle Fanning).

"Split" - January 20th

SPLIT is the only the film on this list that is technically a 2017 release. As you may have heard, this film was directed by M. Night Shyamalan. This may come as a surprise, but this film has been receiving fairly positive by critics while some are saying it's M. Night's "comeback" film. SPLIT revolves around three teenage girls who get kidnapped, in daylight, by Kevin (James McAvoy) and become trapped in a windowless room. At first, they see Kevin wearing glasses like a normal guy, then they see him as a female with a dress, and after that, he acts like a 9-year-old boy. The three girls learn that Kevin has 23 personalities. Their best bet to escaping is to hope one of those personalities will set them free.

That concludes why January doesn't have to suffer as a month-long drought for moviegoers. If you hear anybody say all these upcoming January movies will suck, show them this list. Which one(s) are you excited for?