| Title |
Year |
Rating |
Rank |
Review |
| Boyhood | 2014 | 100 | 1 | (full review) - In bringing this epic story to the big screen and taking a moving picture of life itself, Richard Linklater truly seizes this moment in cinematic history by letting the moment seize us. It's a spectacular motion picture that simultaneously turns life into art and art into life. |
| A Separation | 2011 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Amour | 2012 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Carol | 2015 | 97 | 2 | (full review) - Written based on strong source material from Highsmith, directed nimbly by Todd Haynes, and acted beautifully by the superb cast on hand, this adaptation is not a high-flying drama full of bravado performances or heavy-handed direction. It's a much more understated affair that subtly tackles the persecution of the era that our lead characters endure to share a kind of romance that was uncommon at the time, at least in the public sphere. |
| Ex Machina | 2015 | 97 | 2 | (full review) - Ex Machina is undoubtedly an homage to those sci-fi films of the past that showcase this clash of man and self-aware machines. Unlike other films that bake this theme into expansive worlds with lots of colorful characters, Ex Machina boasts a far more intimate film. |
| Fruitvale Station | 2013 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Kings Speech, The | 2010 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Manchester by the Sea | 2016 | 97 | 2 | (full review) - A gut punch that really taps into the human element of cinema in a way that most recent films have failed to do, Kenneth Lonergan's Manchester by the Sea is an emotional rollercoaster that feels pretty familiar to anyone who has simply lived. The human element here cannot be overstated. |
| Oldboy (Oldeuboi - Korea) | 2003 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Room | 2015 | 97 | 2 | (full review) - Dominated by two incredible performances from Brie Larson and her younger pint-sized co-star Jacob Tremblay, this potent drama delivers on so many levels. It's simultaneously heartbreaking and uplifting to watch this situation unfold as a young mother tries to shield her son from the horrors of the confined, ultra-insular world in which they live. |
| We Need to Talk About Kevin | 2011 | 97 | 2 | (full review) |
| Drive | 2011 | 93 | 12 | (full review) |
| Beasts of the Southern Wild | 2012 | 88 | 13 | (full review) |
| Great Beauty, The | 2013 | 88 | 13 | (full review) |
| The Imitation Game | 2014 | 88 | 13 | (full review) - The Imitation Game is a history lesson all should see. |
| Blue Is the Warmest Color | 2013 | 84 | 16 | (full review) |
| Blue Jasmine | 2013 | 84 | 16 | (full review) |
| Frances Ha | 2013 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| Macbeth | 2015 | 80 | 18 | (full review) - Though largely staying true to the source material in a relatively traditional way, Kurzel gets points for style. |
| Moonlight | 2016 | 80 | 18 | |
| Philomena | 2013 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| Rust and Bone | 2012 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| Skin I Live In, The (La piel que habito) | 2011 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| The Lobster | 2015 | 80 | 18 | (full review) - I have to give director Yorgos Lanthimos credit for crafting something immensely imaginative in The Lobster and somehow packaging that in a dystopian sci-fi thriller. Color me impressed because this is one strong piece of cinema with a sick, twisted sense of humor. |
| Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | 2011 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| Wadjda | 2013 | 80 | 18 | (full review) |
| Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The | 2011 | 75 | 27 | (full review) |
| Calvary | 2014 | 75 | 27 | (full review) - There haven't been too many films that I would consider to be genuinely macabre this year, but Irish drama Calvary fits the bill. It’s a dark, dark whodunit that explores the inner savage within us all. |
| Pride | 2014 | 75 | 27 | (full review) - Pride is a cute, charming little film. Harkening back to the 1980s, enlightening moviegoers with a piece of British history, and bringing with it plenty of humor from across the pond, Pride is a surprisingly soulful film bursting with energy and a zest for life. |
| Shame | 2011 | 75 | 27 | (full review) |
| Mr. Turner | 2014 | 56.6 | 31 | (full review) - Gorgeous shots and grunts don't make a movie of this length, and parts of Turner's tale are torturously boring. |
