Happy new year, Insiders! Like its predecessor, 2011 will likely go down in the cinema history books as a good—but not great—year for movies. Nonetheless, there were some outstanding films released this year, and it was pretty easy to choose a top ten. Read through our choices, and then hit the comments to agree, disagree and leave your own top picks.

Here are my favorite 2011 films, in no particular order.

Drive
It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach the occasional bursts of brutal violence, there’s a lot to like about Drive. Ryan Gosling is mesmerizing as the nameless protagonist who becomes embroiled in a dark series of events and is forced to make even darker choices. Certainly the most stylish film of the year with its measured pacing and slick soundtrack, Drive is a great mix of classic and modern filmmaking, and should be seen by every cinephile.

Warrior
Tom Hardy is getting to be more impressive with each film he’s in, and Warrior keeps the pace up nicely. Fighting movies can quickly and easily slip into the Rocky-esque tropes of the genre, and this film manages to stay entertaining and rousing without becoming cliche.

Moneyball
A crackling script? Check. Outstanding performances? Check.  A fascinating film based on not-so-fascinating subject matter? Check, check, check.

Mission: Impossible: Ghost Protocol
I had really low expectations for this one, and only Brad Bird’s name as the director got me to see it. Turns out Tom Cruise still has a few death-defying stunts left in him, and this wheezy old franchise can still thrill and amaze. How many fourth films are the best in their series?

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
I remain unconvinced that James Franco is a great actor, but besides that, I found a lot to like about this franchise reboot. Andy Serkis, whose Gollum and King Kong pedigree made him a natural fit for the motion-captured lead ape, should receive an Academy Award nomination for his emotive performance.

50/50
Joseph Gordon-Levitt is another fast-rising star, and he managed to walk the fine line between humor and melancholy that this role required. Just funny enough and just poignant enough, 50/50 is 100% great.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
If you’d told me a few years ago that I’d be putting a Harry Potter film in one of my annual top ten lists, I’d have laughed at you. Yet here we are, and I can easily say that the eighth and final Harry Potter film is easily the best of the bunch, and one of the finest films of the year. The movie brings the epic saga to a close with a huge battle and even huger emotional payoff. Alan Rickman proves once again that he’s one of the finest actors of his generation with his spot-on portrayal of the heroic villain/villainous hero Severus Snape.

The Descendants
George Clooney stopped playing George Clooney-type characters for once, and the result was spectacular. Sweet but never sappy, The Descendants may well earn George another trip to the Oscars stage.

Super 8
J.J. Abrams channels early Spielberg (the latter is an executive producer) and comes up with a fun and feisty throwback to the pre-blockbuster era. Abrams’ skillfully played hand is making sure you care about the young protagonists in the midst of the chaos.

X-Men: First Class
Certainly influenced by the Mad Men era of television, First Class is by far the best and most stylish of the films in the mutant franchise. Using a fresh take on the tired subject matter, with just enough of the classic X-men touch,  this was the superior superhero film in a year full of them. Having the superb James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender as your two leads certainly didn’t hurt things, either.

Best movies I didn’t see: The Artist, Tinker Tailor  Soldier Spy, The Tree of Life