Top Ten Films of 2013

Congrats to Gravity on being the only top ten worldwide box office movie to not be a Disney, franchise, or superhero film.

Edward Snowden discloses secret information and seeks asylum in Russia.

Our country just started being less than imperfect for the first time. Luckily we figured it all out since then.

As these years go so do my tastes change and amount of movies I see get higher. That is until this year for obvious reasons. I think the year 2013 was defined by a few movies but also didn’t have that deep of a roster. I was searching through and couldn’t find much that I truly loved besides my top 10-15. This isn’t in my favorite years as a whole. But it does have some of my all time favorites at the top.

25. We Are What We Are (Directed by Jim Mickle) - Shudder

24. The Counselor (Directed by Ridley Scott)

23. Pain & Gain (Directed by Michael Bay)

22. Snowpiercer (Directed by Bong Joon-ho) - Netflix

21. Gravity (Directed by Alfonso Cuaron) -

20. 12 Years A Slave (Directed by Steve McQueen)

19. Ida (Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski)

18. The Congress (Directed by Ari Folman) - Amazon Prime

17. Stoker (Directed by Park Chan-wook)

16. The Spectacular Now (Directed by James Ponsoldt)

15. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (Directed by Adam McKay)

14. Nymphomaniac Vol. 1 (Directed by Lars von Trier)

13. Only God Forgives (Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn)

12. The Great Beauty (Directed by Paolo Sorrentino) - The Criterion Channel

11. The Conjuring (Directed by James Wan)

top ten

10. August: Osage County (Directed by John Wells)

My love of Tracy Letts wasn’t at the height is is now back when I first saw this. My wife loving it and my appreciation of his plays and work got this here. I saw it with new more interested eyes. The acting was always good and now I just enjoy it. Family getting together because of a happy union or a tragic death is one of my favorite genre of movie. This nails it all so well. Give Julianne Nicholson a movie to get her an Oscar already.

9. Prisoners (Directed by Denis Villeneuve) HBO & Hulu

I love dark brooding crime movies. This is maybe one of the least funny movies to ever be made. Villeneuve may not make jokes but he makes things look great and directs the hell out of his movies. He doesn’t show off as much as others while adding so much style. I consider him to be 2nd place to David Fincher in stoic dark filmmaking. Jake Gyllenhaal is so good in this.

8. This is the End (Directed by Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen)

One of my favorite comedies and movies about friendship. Turning your real life personalities into a joke and turning it up to 10 is sensitive and I’m so glad they let Rogen talk them all into it. But there’s probably a reason why they don’t all do things together anymore. Danny McBride MVP.

7. Before Midnight (Directed by Richard Linklater)

Potentially finishing one of the greatest film experiences in history. A mostly improvised turned into long takes and beautiful locations. Hawke and Delpy are fascinating performers with so much going on and I could listen to them argue, ponder, and long for hours. I hope they get to make another next year so it can come out in 2022.

6. Enemy (Directed by Denis Villeneuve)

His second entry on this list and maybe his least known film since he came to America. Jake Gyllenhaal doing double duty as a strange doppleganger movie about identity and the dark side of having a copy of yourself in the world. I think his sepia tinged eerie dream logic is great and I could watch this as a scary movie or a drama. One of the best endings of all time.

5. Her (Directed by Spike Jonze) - Netflix

A pretty divisive movie now because of the type of bro dudes who don’t see this as the cautionary tale that it is. A pretty sad movie colored with so much good acting, music, and production design you can forget that this world would be terrible. The cast is great, and there are huge humor swings throughout that make it better for me. Kristen Wiig’s voice cameo specifically.

4. Short Term 12 (Directed by Destin Daniel Cretton) - Amazon Prime

The first time I saw the future oscar winner lead a movie and knew I was seeing someone special. Brie Larson has become a marvel actor youtuber and I don’t know if she is interested in making complicated art anymore, but I am so thankful we got what we got this decade.

3. Under the Skin (Directed by Jonathan Glazer)

Perhaps my most hard to recommend favorite movie. Despite it starring Scarlett Johansson and being about aliens it is odd and offputting in many ways for those who aren’t up for a challenging art film. I think it’s one of the most fascinating movies ever made and can’t wait for his next film in a year or two.

2. The Wolf of Wall Street (Directed by Martin Scorsese)

A 70+ year old man made this energetic crazy film about the worst of the worst. These are the people our country is being held hostage by at almost every turn still to this day. It’s criticized as glorifying their behavior but I think that says more about who is watching. I don’t want my art to tell me how to feel. This just shows the feeling of drugs, sex, power, and money and lets you decide if it is okay. I know what I think. I think this is hilarious and terrible. Both can be true.

1. Inside Llewyn Davis (Directed by Coen Brothers) - Amazon Prime

It might be a perfect masterpiece? The Coen’s are the only guys who do this as I talked about in the 07 list. This is a perfect script with a looping structure that a lesser filmmaker would’ve made the idea. Instead this is a melancholy grainy looking music film about an asshole trying to not be such an asshole. An all star cast showing up for minutes at a time and led by Oscar Isaac in a star making performance. Glad he is a huge star now. Go watch this movie.