Cuties is movie of the year, due to it telling a story from a perspective I've not seen before, and due to the significance of the message, that of the strong need to take care of the emotional wellbeing of girls. This is not a new message, but I don't remember it being captured in this fresh a manner.
My favorite performance is that of Amy Madigan in The Hunt, a movie that also has the most surprising plot. The most desirable character is that of Cristin Milioti in Palm Springs.