I've had a really great run of movies in the past few months.
Mud - character study of a couple of young boys navigating early adolescence, and their interactions with a mysterious fugitive (Matthew McConaughey) living on an island in the Mississippi River. I also really liked "Take Shelter" and "Midnight Special" (both very different films, but by the same director, Jeff Nichols) and I am going to see his film "Loving" next.
Phantom Thread - Absolutely sumptuous, kind of similar to Hitchcock's "Rebecca". Phenomenal acting, esp the unknown female lead. I thought I knew where it was going, but the final sequence really surprised me.
A Most Violent Year - another director (JC Chandor) whose other two films were also terrific ("Margin Call" and "All is Lost"). This one is totally different from the other two...it's sort of a 70s style, low key, gritty, urban drama of the type Pacino would have starred in back in the day. About a first gen immigrant businessman who is attempting to grow his heating oil business without losing his moral compass, while bankers and prosecutors are breathing down his neck, competitors are hijacking his trucks and stealing his product, and his mob-connected wife is pressuring him to play dirty. Acting is all terrific; I wish Oscar Isaac got more roles like this, in better quality movies like this.
Warrior - Despite all the popular love for this film, I'd skipped it back in the day b/c 1) I'm not into boxing or endless fight scenes; and 2) I'm not into sports films in general. But, much like "The Boxer", this turns out to be an exception to my rules. The story is utterly predictable but the combination of low-key texture, outstanding performances (OMG why do I always forget about how fricking awesome Joel Edgerton is?!?), and fight scenes that actually vividly illustrate the differences in the characters kept me fully invested.
The Favourite - I love me some black comedy. This certainly won't be for everyone, but it sure was right up my alley. I have no idea how the promoters decided to slot Olivia Colman to best actress and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone to supporting (3 performances of equivalent screen time, weight, and arc), but any one of the three could easily have won best actress. Rachel Weisz's outfits were absolutely amazing. Design of the movie was astounding, esp considering they appeared to use only natural light (highly unusual). Also, Nicholas Hoult was terrific in the bitchy "Hugh Grant" type role.