Darkest Hour
Darkest Hour serves as a vehicle for one of the great performances of the current century in Gary Oldman’s Churchill, earning it a spot among the greats.
Searching for Bobby Fischer
Searching for Bobby Fischer offers viewers a direct critique of the pressures parents place on their gifted children, showcasing in a poignant way the positive and negative impact that parental interactions can have on their children, setting itself apart from similar sports films and earning a spot of greatness.
Young Frankenstein
Mel Brooks’s blend of homage and comedy make Young Frankenstein a masterful parody that captures the wonder and technical achievements of the classic films while also introducing a basic level of comedy that elevates the whole thing to a place of greatness alongside the films it seeks to mimic.
Eighth Grade
A welcome blend of authentic humor and drama suffuse Burnham’s script that then receives an even bigger boost from the performance of Elsie Fisher, taking the whole film to a place of all-time greatness.
Another Round
Vinterberg’s Another Round is the perfect dark buddy comedy for a modern audience, using alcohol, authentic teacher experiences, and great acting to convey a universal reminder about the beauty and fragility of life and its need to be lived.
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.
Short Term 12
The ensemble cast of Short Term 12 help make Destin Daniel Cretton’s beautifully real film into something truly great, full of emotion, originality, and humanity, as it earns a spot on this blog’s list.
David Copperfield
Oliver and Fields deliver the memorable performances that David Copperfield needs to elevate its simple retelling of Dickens’s novel and earn it a spot among the greats.
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.
War for the Planet of the Apes
War for the Planet of the Apes is not just an excellent closing of a trilogy, it is a fantastic representation of the action genre in three of its subgenres, delivering some of the best of all three – war, revenge, and breakout – by the time it’s all said and done, earning a spot alongside the greats.
Lagaan: once Upon a Time in India
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India excels in so many genres of filmmaking and manages to blend them all together into a cohesive film and story about the people of India triumphing over their colonizing invaders that deserve a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.
Broadway Danny Rose
Broadway Danny Rose is a testament to Woody Allen’s comedic capabilities – overflowing with jokes from front to back that still hit nearly forty years later – earning the film a spot alongside the Greatest Films of All Time.
Prizzi’s Honor
The great acting in Prizzi’s Honor helps elevate the film above the typical genre fare to something worthy of a mention among the all-time greats.
God’s Own Country
With strong showings from its leading men to bolster its story about loneliness and human connection, God’s Own Country tells a very British romantic story in a fashion worthy of a place among the Greatest Films of All Time.