In a year where ALL of the top ten box office films (and if you go further down the list, 18 of the top 20) were sequels, remakes, or reimaginings of existing familiar intellectual property, it’s easy to see why Hollywood continues the discouraging and disheartening practice of continuing to chew on old cud because audiences (and CEOs) like what’s familiar.

But, gosh, isn’t it invigorating when there is something new, fresh, and exciting presented to our eyeballs? Sure, a couple of the films in my top ten are really well-done prequels, but the rest are thrillingly original. It must be said that it was also an especially good year for interesting and unique roles for women, and I could have easily filled out my top ten with women-centric films that made an impression. So here we go!

MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF THE YEAR

The Substance – THIS, I kept thinking… THIS. After seeing The Substance, my skin literally tingled and I felt both barfy and exhilarated. Demi Moore nails it as an aging pop culture star desperately using a drug to live half-time as a youthful version of herself (Margaret Qualley), and things physically and psychologically go wrong very quickly. It’s an absolutely over-the-top squelchy, bloody, visceral body-horror fest—a brutal commentary on women and aging in modern society—where somehow the most repulsive visual and auditory moment ends up being Dennis Quaid eating cocktail shrimp. (Streaming)

The Brutalist – This is some sort of massive, old-fashioned filmmaking! Its 3-hour 45-minute runtime includes a 15-minute intermission, but don’t let that scare you. A stellar Adrian Brody plays László Tóth, a Hungarian Holocaust survivor who emigrates to the U.S. after the war and ends up using his master architect skills to work for a rich, volatile patron played by Guy Pearce. “He speaks like a novel!” my partner said of Pearce’s character, and that is part of what makes this story so rich and absorbing. It’s like a great, long, epic story of the American Dream vs the American Reality. (In theaters)

Hard Truths – Marianne Jean-Baptiste’s portrayal of Pansy, a very bitter, very angry 50-something woman who lashes out at anyone who looks at her, is a cinematic tour-de-force. She’s full of rage and venom; it’s her against the world (or the world against her?), with a verbose vitriol that makes you simultaneously giggle and wince. But when her lovely, kind sister (Michelle Austin) patiently supports and tries to lift her up, you see the hints of why Pansy is so broken. It’s so wonderful to see director Mike Leigh, at 81 years old, returning to form with his best, heartbreaking film in years. (In theaters)

Flow – Unlikely animal friends go on an adventurous, perilous, and wordless incredible journey when a flood rips through a valley. The animation is jaw-droppingly gorgeous and the black cat main character is the most wonderfully lifelike animated feline since Toothless the Dragon (cat lovers will know what I’m talking about!). (In theaters)

Love Lies Bleeding – You can practically smell the sweat, body oil, and sex oozing off the screen in this funny, weird, and sometimes wincingly gruesome 80s-set lesbionic crime movie. Kristen Stewart plays a bored gym manager who falls into bed with a new-to-town hot bodybuilder (played by Katy O’Brian). But they both become entangled in some bad family business (Kristen’s dad is played by super-shady Ed Harris). It’s worth mentioning the astonishing, mullety plumage by all the characters, especially Harris’ flowing locks cascading from his bald crown. (Streaming)

The First Omen – This film slapped the ironic smirk off my face within the first few minutes. I love me some religious horror, but I was impressed that this prequel to the 1976 horror classic The Omen took its origin story assignment seriously. Centered by a terrific Nell Tiger Free as a young American novitiate who travels to Rome to take her vows as a nun, this film deftly mixes a juicy dose of church conspiracy with downright, core-shaking moments of horror. I had to shake off the heebie-jeebies for hours after. (Streaming)

The Devil’s Bath (Des Teufels Bad) – It’s the mid-18th century in cold, muddy, rural peasant-ville Central Europe, and newlywed Agnes is rebuffed repeatedly by her otherwise kind husband. Desperate to fulfill her expected role to bear children, earnest Agnes prays fervently and begins to take desperate measures. Based on real events, Austria’s official submission for the Oscars feels completely immersive in a time and space entirely unfamiliar to me, especially when shocking and disturbing things unfold. (Streaming)

Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga – I seriously don’t know why this movie fizzled at the box office. This prequel to Fury Road, shows how a child was stolen from a seemingly Eden-like world, kidnapped and thrust into a desert dystopia, and emerged on the other end, well, kind of furious. Fanboys may disagree, but I actually thought this was a better, more thrilling, and more fun film than Fury Road… in no small part because of Chris Hemsworth’s hilarious, movie-stealing villain Dementus. (Streaming)

Critical Zone (Mantagheye bohrani) – This wild night in the life of a Tehran drug dealer named Amir has a documentary-like feel (the director filmed secretly without permits), following Amir as he delivers throughout the city with the female voice of his GPS as his only companion. Though some moments are crazy (a scene of shaggy Amir and a gorgeous flight attendant getting high in his car between her flights ranks among the most memorable scenes of any movie this year), the film surprised me with its empathy for folks of all types that depend on drugs for help and relief. (Film festivals)

Conclave – I love that “papal pulp” is the hilarious descriptor assigned to this thriller by many critics… but it’s true! Who knew that a claustrophobic tale of a bunch of men in robes, maneuvering within the confines of a rigidly-controlled, centuries-old voting process (the pope has unexpectedly died and these cardinals need to select a successor from their ranks), would be the juiciest, most entertaining thriller of the year? With an ensemble featuring the likes of Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, Isabella Rossellini, John Lithgow, and more, it shouldn’t have been a surprise. (Streaming)

Honorable mentions

Shout-out to some more great movies that could have easily made my final list: Thelma, Anora, The Bikeriders, Girl with the Needle, Sing Sing, A Complete Unknown, No Other Land.

Most fun had at the movies

A Quiet Place: Day One was as enjoyable a horror movie as I hoped, but what was completely and delightfully unexpected was that the lead character (sorry, Lupita) was a cat who looked just like one of my own felines (Dolly, pictured on the left)! Dolly says that the cat-star IS actually her (with a little makeup)… she says she filmed it on the sly the previous year by sneaking out. The truth is, she can’t drive and doesn’t even have a house key, so I think it’s wishful thinking. Needless to say, I was in a fit of giggles and delight throughout the film!