Brother’s Keeper
Brother’s Keeper is a strong, if at times familiar, documentary that showcases the triumph of community and family over corruption and prejudice through the story of a single family’s struggle, which earns it a spot among the greats.
The Sweet Hereafter
Atom Egoyan’s The Sweet Hereafter tells audiences a cohesive and compelling story of grief and the ways that humans seek to deal with it, showcased in every aspect of the film, which work together to make something worth a spot among the greats.
The Constant Gardener
Carried by its two leading performers, The Constant Gardener supplies us with a compelling look at government and pharmaceutical corruption and exploitation that maintains its watchability primarily through Weisz and Fiennes, who earn it a spot among the greats.
The Usual Suspects
With a plot twist that stands the test of time, a phenomenal script, and a memorable performance from its primary witness, The Usual Suspects earns its place in cinematic history, standing among the other great crime thrillers as one of the best.
Reversal of Fortune
The leading performances of Reversal of Fortune are what have earned it a place among the all-time greats, but none stand taller than Jeremy Irons’s Oscar-winning portrayal of Claus von Bülow, which keeps the audience guessing and almost rooting against the narrative at every turn while staying fully hooked into how it’ll all play out.
Monster
By framing its story around the nature of relationships and perceptions, Monster invites its audience to better appreciate and accept the “others” in our lives and to seek to consider others’ circumstances before slapping them with labels or accusations, a sentiment more than deserving of a place of greatness.
Solaris
Andrei Tarkovsky gives his audience plenty to ponder in Solaris, using everything from production design to dialogue to the performances of his actors to portray a truth about humanity and our need to see ourselves in the world and people around us, giving us an All Time Great in the process.
Promising Young Woman
Carey Mulligan’s leading performance pairs perfectly with Emerald Fennell’s script and story in Promising Young Woman to give audiences a film that captures the outrage of victims of sexual assault across the world who have been silenced because of the inconveniences of their plights, making this one of the most necessary and greatest films ever made.
The 39 Steps
Hitchcock manages to pull off a winning formula for early greatness in The 39 Steps, utilizing a relatively innovative (for the period) style that blends lightness with suspense and a charismatic leading man tying it all together to cement the film’s place in history.
Winter’s Bone
Winter’s Bone succeeds on the merits of its top performers and a dedication to tell an authentic story in a setting that feels real and lived-in from writer/director Granik, earning it a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Memories of Murder
The greatness of Memories of Murder lies in its excellent execution of so many facets, with well-acted leading performances and a story that is one of the most compelling and engaging of its genre, deserving a place of recognition.
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit
Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit offers the rare example of a simple family film that still manages to achieve greatness thanks to its dedicated filmmakers’ efforts in animation and a winning blend of comedy that elevates the film beyond some of the more typical family fare.
Incendies
Adapting Mouawad’s play of the same name, Incendies benefits from a strong nonlinear story that gives each of its three main characters plenty of space to play in the haunting and war-torn world of the film that Villeneuve and Turpin worked hard to create on the screen, warranting it a spot solidly among the greats.