The beginning of
2014 is here, which means it’s time to pick the Best Films of 2013. Normally,
I’ll watch between 50 and 100 new films in a year and this year I barely kept
up (moving across country and being unemployed for a few months really hampers
your movie going funds) watching only 55 new films. Sure, there are a few I
missed that would probably end up in my top 20 (including "Her" and
"Inside Llewyn Davis"), but that happens every year. Also, a quick
note on how I choose the films, they have to be entertaining, so you might not
find a lot of hard hitting Oscar picks because those are not my style. I like
things funny, scary, gory and wild, so there is bound to be some surprising
picks. Here are my top 20 films of the year (with a few comments), followed by
a ranking of the other 35 films that kept my attention.
“This Is The End”
was not only the funniest film of the year it also offered plenty of scares,
action and some heartfelt bromances. Plus, Danny McBride has two awesome intros
and owns the film!
2. The Wolf of Wall
Street
By far my favorite
Marty/Leo collaboration, “The Wolf” is the epitome of excess as DiCaprio and an
award worthy performance from Jonah Hill take viewers on a wild and
intoxicating ride through the lifestyles of the rich and famous filled with
Lamborghinis, cocaine, yachts and Quaaludes.
3. Gravity
There was no better
movie going experience for me in 2013 than “Gravity.” The film absorbs you into
space and leaves you struggling to breath. The film is good, but seeing it on the big
screen with big speakers engulfed me. If you can still see it in a theater,
make sure to, because it’s not going to play as good at home. If any film in 2013
deserved your hard earned money, it was “Gravity.”
4. Spring Breakers
All the hype about "Spring Breakers" dealt with the Disney princesses turned bad girls. But the real star of the show is James Franco, who truly earns an
Oscar nomination as Alien, a thug/pimp/drug dealer who seduces four small town
girls into the Florida lifestyle. He is a spectacle who is totally worth
the price of admission, especially when he twinkles away on a white piano
overlooking the water and busts out a Britney Spears ballad, with the girls
singing along. The scene intertwines the group singing the soft ballad with
cuts of the same group forcefully robbing people. Never did I make the perfect
connection of armed robbery and Britney Spears until now. “Spring Breakers” is a chaotic
fever dream that invokes your senses — you see the tits and neon, hear the bass
pounding and can smell the blunt burning — and keeps you enthralled in the
grimy slice of life.
5. Pain & Gain
Mark Wahlberg and Dwayne ‘The Rock” Johnson shine as steroid
injecting fitness freaks who decide to add robbery to their resume in the
action packed “Pain & Gain.” The film, which is based on a true story,
really supports my claim that a lot of crazy shit happens in Florida. If you
want a film with naked chicks, cocaine, speedboats, bodybuilders, fast cars,
severed limbs, tasers and plenty of laughs, look no further than “Pain &
Gain.”
6. The Way, Way Back
Written and directed by Nat Faxson (pictured left) and Jim Rash
(“Community), who won an Oscar for writing “The Descendants,” “The Way, Way
Back” is a coming of age tale set against a run down waterpark. Offering an
“Adventureland” vibe, “The Way, Way Back” follows 14-year-old Duncan, who goes
on summer vacation with his mom and her asshole boyfriend (Steve Carell).
Although he initially hates his temporary home, he meets Owen (an award worthy
Sam Rockwell), the manager and king slacker of the park. Carell does a surprisingly
good job at playing an asshole, but it’s Rockwell who carries the film to
glory.
7. Dallas Buyer’s Club
8. Out of the Furnace
Although I liked Christian Bale’s flashier performance in “American Hustle" better, “Out of the Furnace” is the superior film. A story about two brothers (Bale and Casey Affleck), “Out of the Furnace” shows how one man takes matters into his own hands when the law won’t help him. Woody Harrelson is a standout as a badass redneck that promotes bare-knuckle boxing.
9. Don Jon
I never thought I would like a romantic comedy about a guy
who is addicted to Internet porn, but here’s “Don Jon” sneaking into my top 10.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt both wrote and directed this gem about a player (Levitt)
who thinks he finds the perfect girl (Scarlett Johansson at her sexiest). Tony
Danza steals the film as Levitt’s tough talking Italian father.
10. The Spectacular Now
Not really knowing anything about “The Spectacular Now,” I
took a chance based on the “from the writer of (500) Days Of Summer” tagline on
the poster. Boy, was I glad I took that chance because this film is an
amazingly truthful portrayal of young love following the life of the party (Miles Teller), who
falls for the shy girl (Shailene Woodley) after a random introduction. Such a
sweet an innocent film, “The Spectacular” does struggle a bit towards the end,
but the two lead performances are so good it makes up for any of the film's flaws.
11. Elysium
Matt Damon becomes bionic and kicks a lot of ass!
12. American Hustle
Amy Adams puts on an acting clinic and Christian Bale’s
toupee is the best thing ever in this overrated caper that really drags in the
middle.
13. Zero Charisma
The nerdiest movie I’ve seen this year, maybe ever. Tabletop
gaming and Death Metal is a dangerous combination.
14. You’re Next
My favorite horror movie of the year was smart, gory, funny
and caused “Looking for the Magic” by Dwight Twilley Band to play on permanent
repeat on my stereo.
15. The Battery
“The Battery” is about baseball. “The Battery” is about
friendship. “The Battery” is about survival. But most importantly, “The
Battery” is about zombies.
16. The Iceman
Michael Shannon is a force in this biopic about the
cold-blooded mob killer. Great supporting cast including Winona Ryder and Chris
Evans added to Shannon’s command.
17. Escape Plan
Arnold and Sly team up for an intense and thrilling prison
escape. Much better than people gave it credit.
18. Stoker
Chan-wook Park has made a number of good films (“Oldboy,”
“Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance”) and you can add the odd, but enticing “Stoker” to
that list. Mia Wasikowska shines as a troubled girl who finds a new “friend”
after the death of her father.
19. Sound City
The best documentary I watched this year (admittingly I didn’t see many) would have ranked higher if it was all about the history of
the studio, but instead it turned into Dave Grohl showing off all of his famous
friends towards the end.
20. Giant robots fighting giant monsters. What more needs to
be said?
21. Bullet to the Head
22. V/H/S 2
23. The Purge
24. Only God Forgives
25. The World’s End
26. Clear History
27. Kick Ass 2
28. Maniac
29. Behind the Candelabra
30. Aftershock
31. Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer
32. Jack the Giant Slayer
33. Warm Bodies
34. Iron Man 3
35. World War Z
36. Gasland II
37. Now You See Me
38. Thor: The Dark World
39. A Band Called Death
40. Hangover 3
41. Broken City
42. Sharknado
43. The Last Stand
44. Man of Steel
45. Lords of Salem
46. Gangster Squad
47. G.I. Joe Retaliation
48. Homefront
49. Identity Theft
50. Evil Dead
51. Beautiful Creatures
52. Mama
53. The Place Beyond The Pines
54. Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3D
55. The Canyons
