Tis’ the season of Academy Awards! Last year, Moonlight (2016) and La La Land (2016) dominated the Oscars. This year, however, the frontrunners are a little harder to call. All of these films are so incredibly different and freshly brilliant. I have seen all of the films nominated for Best Picture. Below, I have ranked the movies from one to nine (one being the best, nine being the worst). While all of these films are exquisite in their own ways, there is only one Best Picture winner. Here are my rankings and reviews:

1. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)

After months without a suspect in her daughter’s murder case, Mildred Hayes, (Frances McDormand) fervently demands justice by displaying three billboards outside of her town, Ebbing, Missouri. The billboards publicly discredit police chief William Willoughby’s (Woody Harrelson) investigation, catching the attention of the entire town and a local, racist officer Jason Dixon (Sam Rockwell). Three Billboards is funny, sharp and utterly heartbreaking. This film is seeped in vengeance, grief and anger yet simultaneously allows each and every character to develop within themselves. There is no true way to document pain, yet McDonagh managed to chronicle the remorseless rath of grief and unhealed trauma. This film is masterfully crafted and beautifully told.  My words do not do this incredible piece of cinema justice; Three Billboard Outside of Ebbing, Missouri is undoubtedly 2017’s best film.

2. The Shape of Water (2017)

Guillermo Del Toro brings yet another masterpiece to the box office with The Shape of Water. Formidable and undoubtedly passionate, The Shape of Water follows a mute woman, Eliza, (Sally Hawkins), who works as a janitor at a high security government research center in the 1960s. When Eliza uncovers the laboratory’s top secret asset—an amphibian man—she develops a fervid connection with him. With exquisite cinematography and a stunning soundtrack, The Shape of Water produced an unfamiliar, but exceedingly beautiful story about the intricacies of love. The film portrays the complexity of each character through the struggles of “underdog” characters—a mute woman, a black woman (Octavia Spencer), and a closeted gay artist (Richard Jenkins)—while simultaneously highlighting the real life of the main antagonist (Michael Shannon). Ultimately, The Shape of Water comments on not only the beauty and fantasy of love, but also the deafening force of silence. I have no doubt that this piece of cinema will be a top contender for Best Picture.

3. Lady Bird (2017)  

Witty, smart and eternally relatable, Lady Bird perfectly displays the distress and delight that comes with leaving a childhood. As one of the best reviewed films this year, Lady Bird, directed by Greta Gerwig, follows a young, semi-rebellious heroine, Christine “Lady Bird” (Saoirse Ronan), during her senior year of high school trying to navigate a strained relationship with her mother, leaving home, and love. Christine/Lady Bird is the farthest thing from the melodramatic stereotype with spiralling self-esteem issues. She realizes that she has the capability to fully and comfortably express herself even though she doesn’t know exactly who she is yet. She challenges insecurity with her own undying self-assurance and confidence. Gerwig pulls the audience to feel sympathy for Lady Bird, while simultaneously pointing out how naive and simple her struggles seem in contrast to her unemployed father (Tracy Letts). Ultimately, this refreshing film tackles all of the uncertainness and contradictions of adolescence in a way that is both relatable and complex.

4. Call Me By Your Name (2017)

Set in Italy in the early 1980s, Call Me By Your Name, follows 17-year-old Elio (Timothee Chalamet) and his growing relationship with his father’s (Michael Stuhlbarg) doctoral student, Oliver (Armie Hammer). This incredible piece of cinema deeply explores the fundamental block of desire and how it intertwines with love. Characterized by naivete and undying self-assurance, Elio is almost an extension of Chalamet’s character in Lady Bird—a teenager whose ideas about his own depth and intelligence are soaked in ignorance and youth. Director Luca Guadagnino seems to manifest an incomparable talent of fusing vibrant colors and archetypal texture with an endlessly beautiful plot. Unquestionably, this film will be a top contender for Best Picture.

5. Dunkirk (2017)

In the midst of World War II—after the German forces barricaded Dunkirk beaches, trapping over 300,000 allied soldiers—the government enlisted all naval personnel and civilian help to safety and methodically evacuate all the stranded soldiers. Dunkirk, directed by Christopher Nolan, exploded at the box office during the summer of 2017, making it an extremely popular choice for Best Picture. Based on an incredible historical event, Dunkirk successfully tells the story of the soldiers trapped and those who risked so much to rescue them. Nolan managed to capture the intensity and violence of war while simultaneously highlighting the goodness of human nature. With incredible performances from Fionn Whitehead (Tommy), Kenneth Branagh (Commander Bolton), and Aneurin Barnard (Gibson), Dunkirk is a stunning film that is highly captivating and deeply thought provoking. There is no doubt that this film should be in the running for Best Picture.

6. Get Out (2017)

Comedian and director Jordan Peele jumps out of his comic comfort zone with Get Out—a racially potent, satirical thriller. When a white woman, Rose (Allison Williams) decides her relationship with her black boyfriend Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) is ready for the “parent phase,” they travel to her parents’ home for the weekend. With initial warm welcomes, Rose’s parents, Missy (Catherine Keener) and Dean (Bradley Whitford), actually conceal a dangerous secret. Get Out wholly represents an incredible political commentary and battle against systemic racism—a system in which African-Americans can never truly be free. Instead of exploring the racist tendencies of the stereotypical conservative racist, Peele shifts his focus to the ultimate, unassuming racist: the “rich, white liberal.” Chilling and uncanny, Get Out is undoubtedly fearless.

7. The Post (2017)

Katherine Graham (Meryl Streep)—the first female publisher of a major American newspaper, The Washington Post—is forced to make an intricate, possibly detrimental decision when her reporter Ben (Bob Odenkirk) acquires confidential documents—the “Pentagon Papers”—that expose the scorching truth behind the United States’s involvement in the Vietnam War. In spite of the 1970s setting, the film proves extremely relevant to present day, given that “alternative facts” and “fake news” soak journalism. Directed by the established Steven Spielberg, The Post accentuates the importance of a free and unobstructed press. The Post is compelling and exceptionally told. With an all-star cast, an unparalleled director and a captivating plot, The Post is a relevant and enthralling film. While I do not believe The Post will be a competitive choice for Best Picture, as it was an appreciable film with extraordinary performances.

8. Phantom Thread (2017)

Set in post-war London in the 1950s, Phantom Thread, follows distinguished dressmaker, Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis) and his sister, Cyril (Lesley Manville), while they successfully are at the center of London fashion. Dressing everyone from royalty to debutantes, women seamlessly flow in and out of Reynolds’s life. However, when he meets Alma (Vicky Krieps), she soon becomes his inspiration—his muse. Paul Thomas Anderson, director, managed to construct an enlightening profile of the process of art and the way artists draw their own inspiration. Phantom Thread is challenging and beautifully constructed. Anderson manages to capture an exquisite love story without compromising the quality of the work. The attention to detail and harmonious score are just beautiful additions.

9. Darkest Hour (2017)

In the midst of World War II, Winston Churchill (Gary Oldman) must decide to either negotiate a peace treaty with Nazi Germany or resist evil and fight for the freedom and liberty of a nation. As Nazi forces plow through Western Europe and Britain faces invasion, Winston Churchill must endure his darkest hour for the sake of liberty and justice in the free world. Oldman delivers an incredible performance that remains truly transcending. While historical stories can drift quickly into boredom, Joe Wright, director of Darkest Hour, captured an extremely thrilling and captivating story. In addition, the film gives highly fascinating insights into one of the most deadly wars in modern history. Darkest Hour was masterfully told and allowed Gary Oldman to truly shine. While this film does rank last on my list, definitely do not overlook it for Best Picture.