IT’S BEEN A great year for films, meaning that next year’s Oscars are going to be a pretty exciting watch.

In a year where there’s been a lot of talk about diversity and equality, some of the most lauded films of the year brought these topics to the screen. Beach Rats and Call Me By Your Name were about two very different men’s experiences of exploring their sexuality; Loving told the story of interracial love; The Florida Project explored poverty in the rich USA; Get Out combined satire and horror to make us really think about race.

It was a year that had its duds, too. Justice League was roundly panned, Daddy’s Home 2 got terrible reviews, Baywatch was almost so bad it’s good, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul was seen by some as being just a bit too emotionally manipulative.

As for Irish films, the year built on the success of 2016 with strong showings such as Handsome Devil, The Drummer and the Keeper, Song of Granite, and The Maze. Plus, Irish production company Element had a major hand in bringing the great The Killing of a Sacred Deer to the big screen. With fantastic homegrown films such as the incredibly moving Michael Inside due out next year, we have even more treats to come.

Here’s what our journalists loved on the big screen this year – but we want to know what you enjoyed too. Tell us in the comments below to be included in our readers’ roundup.

(L-R, top to bottom) Get Out, Battle of the Sexes, Detroit, The Florida Project, Call Me By Your Name. Source: YouTube

Christine Bohan

The Florida Project, Blade Runner 2049, Get Out

Aoife Barry

Get Out, Call Me By Your Name, A Ghost Story

Paul Hosford

Thor: Ragnarok, The Big Sick, Moonlight, Dunkirk and La La Land

Andrew Jones

Blade Runner 2049, Battle of the Sexes, The Big Sick

Steve O’Rourke

The Nut Job 2

Hannah Popham

Detroit

Sinead Casey

Paddington 2

Eoghan Hynes

Call Me By Your Name, Good Time and Okja

Fionnuala Jones

Baby Driver

Susan Daly

Battle of the Sexes and Hidden Figures

What were your favourites? We’ll be doing a readers’ roundup so let us know in the comments.

Read: Catch up on the year’s new releases with Trailer Watch>