I love movies. I love the feeling of forgetting everything else for the time being and having a solid excuse to not have to respond to people whom text or call me. I love that going to movies is the perfect activity to do with both someone you’ve known forever and someone you’ve just met.

I keep a list every year of all the books and movies I’ve seen that year. This year I’ve seen about 30 movies in theatre. I’d like to share a new list with you now: my top ten favorite movies I watched this year.

10. Straight Outta Compton

Am I a fan of movies with rap music, protests, and concerts? Unashamedly, yes. They make me feel alive, the same liveliness I feel when I exercise while upbeat music pumps through my headphones. The casting was so spot-on in this movie, which I feel helped bring history to life in a larger than life manner, and that’s what the movie should’ve been trying to do because this wasn’t your average “based on a true story” movie. It was about the legacy of a group of men who dared to say what was on everybody’s mind, so it’s only fitting that the movie should try to leave the audience with the same impact NWA did all those years ago.

9. The Martian

I was intrigued by this movie because one of my good friends was such a big fan of the book, and there was so much buzz around it. I watched it back home over fall break and got sucked into what I hope the future will look like. The prospect of going to Mars is incredibly exciting, and I still hope humanity gets there sometime soon, even though this movie is all about someone getting accidentally left there by themselves. I think this says a lot about the movie and its lead Matt Damon. This movie kept me on the edge of my seat, because it’s one thing to see a man keep his humor and wit while trying to survive a life or death situation; it’s another to see him do it on another planet.

8. The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

I would say 75 percent of the reason this movie is on this list is because of the cinematography and the costumes, and that’s okay. The color palette is gorgeous and feels almost dreamlike as the director takes us with him on a ride through the Cold War. In this movie, two spies, one from Russia and one from America, team up to track down a German scientist. The movie is, simply put, beautiful, all the way from the actors and actresses in it to the scenery they walk around in, to the clothing they wear.

7. Kingsman: The Secret Service

For a movie based on a comic book, it still managed to feel special and unique. It was biting and humorous, while still discussing classism in the modern world. At times, it seemed to be almost making fun of itself. To me, movies that are self-aware are never a bad thing. It puts a twist on the typical hero’s journey by having the main character, Eggsy, seem like he lost at incredibly critical moments.

6. Inside Out

I’ve always been one for animated movies, believing that you can never truly outgrow them. This movie was unique, intelligent, and provocative; everything I think animated movies can and should be. It took us on a wild trip into the mind of a young girl. It brought to life conflicting emotions on an existential level. Somehow Pixar once again manages to hit the mark on what so many adults also feel, even though it makes movies supposedly designed for kids.

5. Trainwreck

This movie is the only comedy that made the list and for good reasons. I was laughing almost the entire time I was watching, and I left it in a better mood than I started in; shouldn’t that be the whole point of movies anyways? Amy Schumer wrote it and stars in it, bringing the same satirical humor she brings to her show on Comedy Central, “Inside Amy Schumer.” LeBron James was a great addition to the cast, rather than what could’ve been a tired attempt to bring in more audiences. When it comes down to it, I love this movie because it’s snort milk out of your nose and slap your knee hilarious.

4. Ex Machina

Honestly, my initial reaction was to deem this a weird movie, but it made me think in a way that I often avoid doing. I am one of those that try to forget that we are this close to artificial intelligence, and with each new invention, we race closer toward the singularity--a point in time in which the very technology we make will be more advanced than us; however, this movie delved into that when a man tries to test whether or not a robot is AI (artificial intelligence), meaning it can think and feel for itself. It’s a harrowing look at what we may begin to consider alive and how we will then have to change how we treat those things. It also has a very frightening feel to it since it all takes place in a very secluded, high tech mansion.

3. Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Perhaps you think this movie should’ve been higher, but it’s already incredibly high on this list for someone who watched the original trilogy a mere week ago, and is a self proclaimed “Trekkie.” Regardless, it is this high because I fell in love with the franchise and this movie has a lot to do with that. From someone who had only seen the prequels when she was younger, this movie absolutely blew my expectations out of the park. It was funny and incredibly refreshing, fast paced and nostalgic. And can we talk about Rey? I won’t spoil anything, since it just came out, but she is about as empowering as they come and exactly the female cross between Han Solo and Luke Skywalker that we all deserve. It’ll be a long time before I forget her line of “I know how to run without you holding my hand.”

2. McFarland, USA

I’ll tell you right now, I am automatically a sucker for movies that star Latinos because there are so few of them. As a Latina myself, I feel it is my duty to financially support those movies, but this movie is one I also thoroughly enjoyed. It’s about an ex-football coach who starts a cross-country team in a primarily Hispanic town and high school. It becomes an amazing outlet for the kids and they go on to win states multiple times in the following decade (sort of a spoiler, but it’s also based on a true story from years ago). The young actors do an amazing job, and the screenplay does an excellent job oh showing the lives of the kids and how they intertwined with the life of their coach as well, even outside of practice.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road

So many of us liked Mad Max this year; I also think many of us didn’t expect it to be much of anything at first, or perhaps you’re like me who decided to see it on a whim without even having watched the trailer. What’s striking about Mad Max is how little dialogue and plot it actually has. Some of the best parts of it are the “chase” scenes, something I never thought I would say about a movie, but the cinematography and score are so breathtaking I could watch them forever. The movie also felt like a huge win for feminists, while addressing issues of totalitarian governments too, but most of all this movie is genius. The director removed frames in some of the scenes to induce feelings of fear and paranoia in the audience as well, doing what I love so much about movies: making the audience feel like a part of the action.