Arrival (2016)

Amy Adams missed the 2017 Actress in a Leading Role nominations; Emma Stone won for La La Land. The argument for Adams rests on how much she lets you read without announcing it. Louise's concentration while listening to an alien language, and the private feeling she carries into those sessions, give an elaborate science-fiction structure a human scale. You can admire Stone's musical openness and still want this quieter form of command in the final five.