My favorite films of 2013 (so far)

While I still have several huge movies I want to see before this year is over, I thought it might be best to go ahead and discuss some of my favorites now, before 2013 draws to a close. I've gone back month by month and tried to think about some great films I enjoyed earlier this year. I'm sure I forgot a few, but if that's the case, I guess they weren't all that memorable after all.

My Two Favorite Movies

Overall, 2013 wasn't my favorite year for film, but there were enough highlights for me to say I had a pretty nice time at the theater. I was blown away exactly twice: by Gravity and 12 Years a Slave. I've tried to pick a favorite of the two, and I just can't. I can't really compare them. They're wildly different films, and I loved them for entirely different reasons. Gravity was a tour de force in visual film making, and 12 Years a Slave was a master class in acting. It also shook me to my very core emotionally. If you missed either of these films, be sure to see them when they're released on DVD.

FYI: If Gravity is still playing anywhere near you, please, run to the theater now. This is the only film this year (and one of the precious few in the past decade) that I can tell you is worth every single penny to see in theaters - preferably in IMAX 3D.

Mud

Mud was the best accidental movie viewing of the year for me. I was on a roll, hitting the theater all year to see anything and everything I could, but one weekend, I came down with a nasty summer cold. That's when I decided to console myself with Mud, director Jeff Nichols' brilliant drama. Matthew McConaughey gives a phenomenal performance in this film, which I connected with very deeply. I hope that some of you will consider renting Mud, because to me, it's one of the more underrated films of 2013.

The Conjuring

Not only did I brave the theater once to see The Conjuring, I actually went back a second time. To this day, I can't believe I did it. I'm easily frightened and I normally don't like horror films all that much. But I do love classic horror, and to me, The Conjuring came closer to a genuine terrifying haunted house film than anything else has in decades. It is masterfully done.

Will I see The Conjuring again? No. But would I tell you to at least give it a shot? Absolutely. Just watch with all the lights on. It's great horror fun - if being scared out of your wits is fun for you.

The Heat

2013 was actually a pretty solid year for comedy, particularly raunchy comedy. The Heat was my favorite of the bunch. It's a hilarious female-driven buddy comedy that works mainly because of the great chemistry between the leads, Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. It's not a perfect film, but I found it quite funny (and yes, it's raunchy at times).

Here's my chance, also, to give a quick shout out to a few of the other hilarious raunchy comedy films I enjoyed this year: This Is The End, The To Do List and, to a lesser degree, We're the Millers. Well done, Hollywood. We all needed a few good laughs this past year.

Star Trek Into Darkness

I have to say I was really incredibly surprised that I loved Star Trek Into Darkness as much as I did. I should've known J.J. Abrams wouldn't let me down. This is one of the big blockbusters of the year that, to me, lived up to the hype. It was entertaining, well acted and I loved that this film continued to reveal the complicated relationship between Captain Kirk and Spock. The action scenes in Star Trek Into Darkness were stellar and completely engaging, the dialogue is snappy and Benedict Cumberbatch is fantastic.

I think at this point, it's pretty clear that I tend to favor sweeping dramas over any other film genre. I was thrilled, though, to catch lots of decent movies in other genres this year. And I want to mention some other films that I'd rank very, very highly on my list of favorites from 2013: The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Side Effects, Stories We Tell, Before Midnight, Jurassic Park 3D (does this count? Sure it does!), Man of Steel and Olympus Has Fallen.

I hope to add to this list soon.

What about you guys? Which movies stood out as favorites in 2013?

Photos courtesy of Mnn.com and Rolling Stone Magazine