I’m much more of a movie person than a TV show person. Always have been. I’d choose a night in watching a movie over going out any night.

I’m always looking for movie recommendations, so I wanted to take some time to share some of my favorite movies I’ve seen this summer (some may have been watched in the spring).

Here we go, in no particular order:

Get Out

I got talked into seeing this one in theaters, and it was not what I expected. I don’t want to say much about it, other to recommend you give it a go. The premise of it is that there is a black man and a white woman dating, and they go to visit her family.

Gifted

I also saw this one in theaters, and it was one of those feel-good happy movies. Chris Evans is raising his niece, who is a child prodigy, as normal as possible before his mother intervenes.

Given

This one is on Netflix and everyone must watch it. I discovered it scrolling through one afternoon and convinced Michael and our friend Laura we had to watch it. Essentially it is about a little family of four that travels through 15 countries surfing and living an alternative life. And the best part yet is that it is narrated by the four/five-year old boy. Leaves you wanting to pop out some cute kids and travel the world with them.

Lion

I started this one on a flight home, getting about a third of the way in before we landed. I waited a few months to finish it, but I’m happy I did. It’s based on a true story of how a five-year-old boy from India was lost, couldn’t find his family, and ended up being adopted by an Australian couple, only to go on an online search for his family and home as an adult.

The Birth of Sake

Another Netflix find. A documentary which takes you through the amazing process of brewing sake in Japan. They basically spend their winter together, living at the brewery and doing nothing but eating, sleeping and making the sake. The cinematography in this is spot on.

The Barkley Marathons

Even if you’re not big into running, this one is a must see. It is an ultra marathon trail race held in Tennessee. The registration process is just as unique as the race. What these runners are able to do is incredible and a little bit insane.

The Glass Castle

I just saw this in an old theater her in Des Moines last night. I read Jeanette Walls book a few years ago, and was excited to see it was being made into a movie. There’s the pros and cons to living a vagabond lifestyle, and how it’s not as glamorous as it is mostly made out to be, how it effected her and her siblings. But in the end the tight knit relationship of the family won.

Sour Grapes

The last four on this list are all on Netflix. I love documentaries about wine. There’s Somm, Somm: Into the Bottle, A Year in Burgundy, but this one is about how one man conned the greatest wine palates there are. Fascinating to watch the story unfold.

The Drop Box

This is the second time I had watched this documentary. The story of an incredible South Korean pastor who created a safe spot for mothers to leave their unwanted babies that gave them a chance at life that they wouldn’t find in the dumpsters they were being left at before.

Welcome to Leith

A documentary of how when a white supremacist leader moved to this small town in order to essentially take it over for other racists to move in, and how the town rallied together and stood up to the hate, saying “not in our town!”. I think this one is a useful, necessary watch with the ongoing current climate of racism. Even if it doesn’t directly impact you, if you don’t agree with it, stand up and say you don’t.

The White Helmets

An amazing documentary about the volunteer first responders in Syria. Whenever there is an attack these are the people who rush towards the scene and pull others from the rubble. It’s an amazing story, period.

Now, I’m sure I’ve missed a movie or two that I enjoyed, but this is a pretty solid list if you’re looking for some recommendations. What are some movies you’ve watched this year that have left their mark?