Though many would probably opt for the sensational - and eventually nerve-shattering - opening scene of Alfonso Cuaron's Gravity as the standout sequence from his visual masterpiece, Gravity, we'll argue that the last scene in the movie - which depicts a beaten, emotionally-scarred Sandra Bullock returning to Earth's atmosphere after a repair mission on the Hubble telescope goes horribly wrong - as the best scene. As Bullock's re-entry pod crash lands in the water, she's subjected to one last trial: escape before she drowns (and for a minute, you suspect she won't). And then she's free, and we're finally able to breath a sigh of relief. As Dr. Ryan Stone clambers to shore, Gravity's awesome musical score - courtesy of Steven Price - swells in the background. It's the moment that she attempts to stand up, though, that cements this as one of 2013's best scenes: it's almost Darwinian in conceit... a lifeform clambering out of the ocean, learning to walk. Reunited with the precious gravity of the movie's title, Stone stares out across a beautiful, tropical landscape as we cut to the credits. After what we've just witnessed, it's insanely satisfying to watch this survivor back on Earth, with - thank God - her feet planted firmly on the ground.
