Bigelow, Chastain Shine in Bin Laden Manhunt

Maya (Jessica Chastain) takes charge of a decade-long manhunt to bring Osama Bin Laden down.

Imagine if Zero Dark Thirty was released two, perhaps three years ago, sticking to its original premise immersed in the crossfire of the 2001 Battle of Tora Bora. While focused on one decisive event in the capture of Osama Bin Laden, award-winning producers Kathryn Bigelow and Mark Boal would have found themselves boxed in by one of the most nail-biting "to be continued" cliffhangers for the most significant manhunt in American history.

Fortunately, the hunt Bin Laden ended in May 2011 as he was permanently compromised in his Pakistani compound. But that's just the end of the decade-long story. Zero Dark Thirty covers a much larger scope, commencing with audio clips from the September 11th attacks. Heartbreaking to listen to, the 9/11 audio ultimately serves its purpose in establishing the gritty tone for the next 150 minutes as the CIA interrogates every level of Bin Laden's hierarchy.

Top 10: The Best Films of 2012

For any film critic, myself included, compiling together a "best-of" list spanning an entire year is unquestionably one of the most difficult tasks out there. How can you craft a definitive list if you haven't seen every single release out there (or at the very minimum, every wide release)? And how do you weigh a popcorn superhero juggernaut like The Avengers against a slew of thought-provoking art-house films?

I admit, I've missed out on some key awards contenders - Lincoln, Django Unchained and Zero Dark Thirty for starters. So don't expect them to make the list. I do however, plan on seeing several more films from 2012, including the ones mentioned, so there is a possibility this list could be adjusted.

However, for the hundred or so movies I have been privileged to see in 2012, it's fair to say that the fifteen films selected for my "best-of" list left an impression on me that won't leave me anytime soon. These are the films that defined 2012 for me as a critic, a moviegoer and a cinemaphile.