Movie Ratings & Reviews

Last film added: January 25, 2021. There are currently 1678 films in the database (since 1996).

Recent Releases

Search returned all films from 2011-2014 out of 1678 total rated films.

MASTERPIECES

Artist, The (2011) 10
A jaded modern audience can enjoy this silent movie like it's 1927. Remarkable and charming.
Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012) 10
Her father's ill, ice caps are melting and aurochs are invading six-year-old Hushpuppy's bayou. Love.
Before Midnight (2013) 10
Linklater's second sequel to Before Sunrise, set another nine years later, in Greece. Brilliant, believable.
Boyhood (2014) 10
Richard Linklater's endearing, masterful 12-year epic of the life of a young man. Amazing achievement.
Dance of Reality, The (2014) 10
Jodorowsky bares his soul through a dreamlike, mythical retelling of his childhood in Chile. Provocative.
Enemy (2014) 10
Surreal, spider-infested portrayal of a man's subconscious war over infidelity, control by women. Haunting menace.
Grand Budapest Hotel, The (2014) 10
Wes Anderson crafts a wonderful pre-WWII Europe inspired by the late Austrian writer Stefan Zweig.
Gravity (2013) 10
Breathtaking masterpiece inspires profound reflection on Earth and humanity. Among the greatest films ever made.
Her (2014) 10
Spike Jonze's ingenious, surreal meditation on being human, knowing one's self and falling in love.
Hugo (2011) 10
In the 1930s, a boy lives in the walls of a Paris train station. Extraordinary.
Interstellar (2014) 10
NASA explorers travel through a wormhole seeking habitable planets. Grand, quantum portrait of human endurance.
It's Such a Beautiful Day (2012) 10
Don Hertzfeldt's feature-film version of his animated philosophical trilogy about Bill and his shattered psyche.
Midnight in Paris (2011) 10
A surreal, inspired masterpiece by Woody Allen about the importance of living in the present.
Moonrise Kingdom (2012) 10
Wes Anderson's charming story of two 12-year-old lovers who flee their 1960s New England town.
Perks of Being a Wallflower, The (2012) 10
A coming-of-age story about a shy freshman who meets his first love. Surprisingly deep, moving.
Searching for Sugar Man (2012) 10
The incredible true story of Rodriguez, the greatest 1970s rock icon who never was. Heartwarming.
Tree of Life, The (2011) 10
Terrence Malick's insightful, gorgeous and bold vision. Sincerely explores the meaning of life and love.

EXCELLENT

12 Years a Slave (2013) 9
Gut-wrenching adaptation of the 1853 autobiography of free-born Solomon Northup who was abducted into slavery.
127 Hours (2011) 9
Mountain climber Aron Ralston's harrowing week trapped in a canyon. Survival instincts and prophetic visions.
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012) 9
Documentary about the life of celebrated Chinese artist and outspoken dissident Ai Weiwei. Compelling humanity.
American Hustle (2013) 9
Fictionalization of the Abscam FBI sting operation of the early 1980s. Stylishly brilliant criminal behavior.
Another Earth (2011) 9
A second Earth from a parallel universe appears in the sky. A meditation on destiny.
Argo (2012) 9
Amazing CIA-Canadian secret operation, via Hollywood, to return six Americans during the Iran hostage crisis.
Beginners (2011) 9
Mike Mills's story of a graphic artist whose terminally ill father announces that he's gay.
Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey (2011) 9
The story of puppeteer Kevin Clash, the heart and soul of Elmo. Touching and inspiring.
Birdman (2014) 9
Washed-up movie star Keaton attempts a comeback via Broadway play while battling his ego. Surreal.
Blackfish (2013) 9
The horrors of SeaWorld. Shows the devastating consequences of keeping intelligent, sentient creatures in captivity.
Black Mirror - Seasons 1-2 (2014) 9
Provocative sci-fi satire. Explores technology's darker ramifications on society. Gamification, limitless storage, AI. Brilliant.
Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2011) 9
Inside France's Chauvet Cave, Werner Herzog idiosyncratically explores the history of art and human culture.
Citizenfour (2014) 9
Whistleblower Edward Snowden releases classified info about mass global surveillance by the NSA. Gripping, chilling.
Cutie and the Boxer (2013) 9
The art and 40-year marriage of Ushio and Noriko Shinohara, Japanese artists in New York.
Dallas Buyers Club (2013) 9
In 1985, Ron Woodroof defies the FDA and helps HIV/AIDS patients get medication. Empathic, remarkable.
Descendants, The (2011) 9
George Clooney reconnects with his two daughters after his wife is seriously injured. Poignant imperfections.
Django Unchained (2012) 9
Tarantino's story of a freed slave, German bounty hunter and brutal Mississippi plantation owner. Nuts.
Double, The (2014) 9
Cinematic adaptation of the Dostoevsky tale, full of loneliness and paranoia. Charmingly absurd, bureaucratic dystopia.
Drive (2011) 9
Getaway driver Ryan Gosling falls in love with his married neighbor. Badass, stylish character study.
Edge of Tomorrow (2014) 9
Cruise is caught in a time loop as Earth battles an alien invasion. Inspired blockbuster.
Frances Ha (2013) 9
Delightful, compassionate portrait of floundering NYC hipsters by Noah Baumbach and the quirky Greta Gerwig.
Holy Motors (2012) 9
Limousine-traveling man assumes nine diverse identities. Dreamlike metaphor for acting/life, the masks of each genre.
How to Die in Oregon (2011) 9
Peter Richardson's respectful, heartbreaking documentary about physician-assisted suicide and the beauty of life.
Incendies (2011) 9
Twins journey to the Middle East to discover their mysterious family history. Earth-shattering Greek tragedy.
Inexplicable Universe: Unsolved Mysteries, The (2013) 9
Six Neil deGrasse Tyson lectures exploring what we don't know about how the universe works.
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2012) 9
Documentary on 85-year-old Tokyo sushi master Jiro Ono. Inspiring example of dedication to a craft.
Jodorowsky's Dune (2014) 9
Behind Jodorowsky's ambitious, influential mid-1970s sci-fi film failure. With Dalí, Giger, Welles, Jagger, Pink Floyd.
Kid with a Bike, The (2012) 9
The Dardenne Brothers' affecting story of a young boy abandoned to a state-run youth farm.
Lego Movie, The (2014) 9
Irreverent, smartly funny and even subversive. Remarkable for a 100-minute toy advertisement. Well played, Lego.
Life of Pi (2012) 9
A shipwrecked Indian boy survives on a lifeboat, with zoo animals for company. Magical fable.
Locke (2014) 9
The Tom Hardy show. An intense series of phone calls while driving to London. Gripping.
Looper (2012) 9
In 2042, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is a hired assassin who kills people sent from the future.
Melancholia (2011) 9
Kirsten Dunst suffers from melancholia and a mysterious planet threatens Earth. Epic Lars von Trier.
Place Beyond the Pines, The (2013) 9
Motorcycle stunt rider Gosling wants to provide for his newborn son. Haunting modern Greek tragedy.
Rango (2011) 9
A chameleon arrives in a lawless Wild West outpost in need of a new sheriff.
Room 237 (2013) 9
Explores the meaning of Kubrick's 'The Shining': Native American genocide, the Holocaust, Apollo moon landings?
Ruby Sparks (2012) 9
Ingenious dissection of a man falling in love with his own idea of a woman.
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) 9
A man places a classified ad seeking a companion for time travel. Genuinely touching, sweet.
Senna (2011) 9
Poignant documentary of the rise and tragic death of Brazilian F1 racing driver Ayrton Senna.
Separation, A (2011) 9
The unexpected consequence of an Iranian couple arguing about living abroad and choosing to divorce.
Silver Linings Playbook (2012) 9
Warm, quirky film about dealing with mental illness (through football, dance). Jennifer Lawrence is wonderful.
Song of the Sea (2014) 9
Magical journey of Irish siblings to free fairy creatures trapped in the modern world. Beautiful.
Source Code (2011) 9
An ingenious and exciting thriller with some gaps in logic. Profound filmmaking by Duncan Jones.
Submarine (2011) 9
A 15-year-old resolves to lose his virginity and save his parents' marriage. Witty and heartfelt.
Take Shelter (2011) 9
Tense, haunting film about a father being driven mad by apocalyptic visions. Paranoid or prophetic?
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2011) 9
On his deathbed, Uncle Boonmee experiences the magical intersection of spirit, animal and human worlds.
Under the Skin (2014) 9
Existential, visually mesmerizing film about loneliness by Jonathan Glazer, starring the otherworldly Scarlett Johansson.
Upstream Color (2013) 9
Shane Carruth's fragmented, hypnotic story of lost identity. Puzzling allegory via Thoreau and psychotropic grubs.
Whiplash (2014) 9
Driven by his cutthroat instructor, a conservatory drummer is hellbent on becoming a jazz great.
Wind Rises, The (2013) 9
Miyazaki shows Jiro Horikoshi's dream of flight in Japan, passing through both world wars. Fascinating.
Zero Dark Thirty (2012) 9
Riveting story of the decade-long manhunt for Osama bin Laden. Finale balances catharsis with despair.

VERY GOOD

50/50 (2011) 8
Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a 27-year-old who was just diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
5 Broken Cameras (2012) 8
Intimate study of a small West Bank village's protests against Israeli soldiers. Injustice, violence, resolve.
Adjustment Bureau, The (2011) 8
Politician Matt Damon and a ballerina are affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.
Adventure Time - Seasons 1 and 2 (2011) 8
A boy and a magical dog are hero-adventurers in the Land of Ooo. Hilariously bizarre.
Attack the Block (2011) 8
A rowdy teen gang in South London exuberantly defends their block from an alien invasion.
Avengers, The (2012) 8
Nick Fury brings together Marvel superheroes to save the Earth from Loki. Very balanced effort.
Babadook, The (2014) 8
A single mother and her troubled boy find a creepy children's book. Slowly enveloping dread.
Bag It (2011) 8
Funny/disturbing environmental documentary about plastic bags, the ACC, BPA, phthalates and child development.
Big Hero 6 (2014) 8
A robotics prodigy and inflatable robot Baymax become covert heroes of San Fransokyo. High-tech Pixar.
Chicken with Plums (2012) 8
Melancholic, humorous fable about a violinist's last days, and passionate love lost in 1950s Iran.
Chronicle (2012) 8
Don't abuse your children or they might grow up to destroy Seattle with powerful telekinesis.
City Dark, The (2012) 8
Documentary about the human and global consequences of modern light pollution and the disappearing stars.
Cloud Atlas (2012) 8
An ambitious, sprawling epic from the Wachowskis and Tom Tykwer. Complex, spectacular, gimmicky and disjointed.
Cold Weather (2011) 8
Charming mumblecore mystery set in Portland, Oregon. I want to be friends with the leads.
Comet (2014) 8
Bittersweet, jumbled retelling of moments from a couple's six-year relationship. Dreamlike references to parallel universes.
Computer Chess (2013) 8
Bizarre story about artificial intelligence via 1980s chess programmers. It's like 'Pi' meets 'Napoleon Dynamite'.
Congress, The (2014) 8
Ambitious, futuristic amalgam of Hollywood actor digitization and animated illusory utopia. Trippy. Robin Wright stars.
Conjuring, The (2013) 8
Creepy-as-hell 1971 paranormal investigation of a haunted Rhode Island farmhouse by Ed and Lorraine Warren.
Cosmos: A Space-Time Odyssey - Episodes 1-7 (2014) 8
Neil deGrasse Tyson picks up where Carl Sagan left off. The story of our universe.
Dangerous Method, A (2011) 8
How the relationships between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein gave birth to psychoanalysis.
Dark Knight Rises, The (2012) 8
Very emotionally dark film that rises to an impressive, satisfying finale for Nolan's Batman trilogy.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) 8
Ten years after the simian flu pandemic, human survivors and apes are drawn into battle.
East, The (2013) 8
Private intelligence agent Brit Marling infiltrates an anarchist group that attacks her firm's corporate clients.
Everything is a Remix (2012) 8
Four-part video series by Kirby Ferguson about the culture of copying, transforming and combining media.
Finding Vivian Maier (2013) 8
Fascinating investigation into the mysteries of an eccentric, secretive nanny with a prolific photographic legacy.
Forks Over Knives (2011) 8
Vast evidence that a whole foods, plant-based diet can reverse diseases caused by animal-based foods.
From Up on Poppy Hill (2013) 8
Lovely but mundane parable about preserving history from the Miyazakis/Studio Ghibli. Set in post-WWII Japan.
Future, The (2011) 8
Miranda July weaves a magical, heartrending film on loneliness and mortality. And a stray cat.
Gone Girl (2014) 8
Embrace media hysteria and lose faith in marriage and justice with Fincher's dark psychological thriller.
Grandmaster, The (2013) 8
Kar-Wai Wong's dazzling tale of Ip Man, the legendary kung-fu master who trained Bruce Lee.
How the Fire Fell (2011) 8
Edward P. Davee's haunting, dreamlike portrayal of Edmund Creffield's early-1900s cult in Corvallis, Oregon.
Imitation Game, The (2014) 8
How Alan Turing helped crack Germany's Enigma code during WWII and saved millions of lives.
Indie Game: The Movie (2012) 8
Follows the emotional journeys of independent game development, featuring Super Meat Boy, Fez and Braid.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) 8
Coen Brothers adaptation about a young singer navigating the Greenwich Village folk scene in 1961.
Invisible War, The (2012) 8
Investigation of the rape epidemic in the U.S. military and its profound consequences. Tragic, appalling.
Light Bulb Conspiracy: The Untold Story of Planned Obsole... (2011) 8
History of planned obsolescence, the hidden mechanism at the heart of our wasteful consumer society.
Lincoln (2012) 8
Spielberg's portrait of a deeply conflicted Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. Incredibly well-written dialogue.
Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011) 8
Elizabeth Olsen struggles with her fragmented identity and family situation after fleeing an abusive cult.
Master, The (2012) 8
Directionless WWII Navy veteran meets the charismatic leader of The Cause. Draws from Scientology's origins.
Moneyball (2011) 8
Billy Beane's management of the Oakland A's baseball team through new computer-based analysis. Intelligent.
Moon Man (2012) 8
Moon Man hitches a ride to Earth on a comet and discovers children need him.
Nightcrawler (2014) 8
Chilling satire of tabloid TV news culture. Chasing ratings mutually supports chasing ambulances. Genius Gyllenhaal.
Nymphomaniac: Volume I (2014) 8
Lars von Trier overlays explicit sexual encounters (via porn doubles) with philosophy, religion, biology, math.
One I Love, The (2014) 8
Weekend getaway of a married couple on the brink of separation becomes clever plot twist.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2014) 8
Jim Jarmusch's stylish vampires are an ancient source of creativity for human culture. Clever, cool.
Painting, The (2013) 8
Characters in an incomplete painting seek their creator. Charming parable about God and social status.
ParaNorman (2012) 8
Norman survives stop-motion ghosts, zombies and grownups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Prisoners (2013) 8
Two little girls are abducted. Can the detective or father-turned-vigilante solve the puzzle in time?
Prometheus (2012) 8
Waxes philosophical and connects the Aliens franchise with Chariots of the Gods and Jesus Christ.
Purge (2013) 8
A young woman running from Russian sex-traffickers meets an older version of herself. Gut-wrenching.
Room on the Broom (2012) 8
A gentle witch offers rides to a variety of animals on her increasingly crowded broom.
Skin I Live In, The (2011) 8
Almodóvar's dark-as-hell portrait of a plastic surgeon working to perfect synthetic human skin. Gorgeous, perverse.
Snowpiercer (2014) 8
Earth's remaining inhabitants are confined to a class-divided train circling the frozen globe. Stylish allegory.
Spectacular Now, The (2013) 8
The unlikely high-school romance between a hard-partying boy and an introverted, hardworking girl. Bittersweet, wistful.
Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013) 8
Well-crafted Abrams sequel explores the bromance between Kirk and Spock, introduces their most famous nemesis.
Super 8 (2011) 8
In 1979, a mysterious train crash provides a monster-movie backdrop to a sweet love story.
Tale of the Princess Kaguya, The (2014) 8
Watch a magical moon nymph be bored by 10th-century Japanese nobility. Pastel-toned Studio Ghibli folktale.
Terms and Conditions May Apply (2013) 8
Documentary examines the erosion of privacy in the digital age. How corporations and governments spy.
These Amazing Shadows: The Movies That Make America (2011) 8
The National Film Registry's history and the cultural, historical and aesthetic significance of motion pictures.
Theory of Everything, The (2014) 8
Touching biography of physicist Stephen Hawking. Explores his personal life as ALS ravages his body.
Tim's Vermeer (2013) 8
Ingenious. Inventor Tim Jenison works to replicate the painting techniques of Dutch master Johannes Vermeer.
Trance (2013) 8
An art heist gone wrong, or was the whole thing meticulously planned? Hypnotizing psychological thriller.
Truth About Romance, The (2013) 8
Losing what you thought you wanted can reveal a new adventure. Danielle Jackson is magnetic.
Vanishing of the Bees (2011) 8
Investigation into implications of the worldwide collapse of the honeybee. Slow death by systemic pesticides.
Waste Land (2011) 8
Uplifting documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit.
What We Do in the Shadows (2014) 8
The real lives of vampire roommates in a New Zealand flat. Funny interactions with werewolves.
Wreck-It Ralph (2012) 8
Charming pixel-art story of an arcade video game villain who wants to be a hero.

GOOD

2 Days in New York (2012) 7
Artist Julie Delpy's neurotic French family visits New York for the weekend. A likable farce.
About Time (2013) 7
Sweet tale of a man from a family of time-travelers. Sentimental tearjerker, but inspires reflection.
Adventures of Tintin, The (2011) 7
Spielberg and Peter Jackson adapt Georges Remi's classic comic strip about journalist Tintin and Snowy.
Before I Disappear (2014) 7
Circumstances cause a suicidal man to drag his young, precocious niece across Manhattan one night.
Big Sur (2013) 7
Depressed alcoholic Beat writer Jack Duluoz/Kerouac retreats to a small cabin in California's Big Sur.
Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, The (2011) 7
Found footage shot by Swedish journalists documenting the Black Power Movement. Great Angela Davis interviews.
Blank City (2011) 7
Snapshot of late 1970s underground/punk filmmaking in New York during the No Wave movement.
Boxtrolls, The (2014) 7
An orphan raised by underground cave-dwelling trash collectors tries to save his friends from extermination.
Brief History of Graphics, A (2014) 7
Five-part series by Stuart Brown of XboxAhoy covering the history/milestones of video game graphics/techniques.
Cabin in the Woods, The (2012) 7
Turns the horror genre on its head, but crammed with excessive wink-wink cleverness and CGI.
Calles Hablan, Las (2013) 7
Documentary about graffiti art in Barcelona, Spain, pitting an artistic community versus a restrictive government.
Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) 7
Steve Rogers volunteers for a top-secret research project that turns him into Captain America. Charming.
Carnage (2011) 7
Two pairs of parents, including Kate Winslet, bicker for 80 minutes in a Brooklyn apartment.
Cat in Paris, A (2012) 7
Charming, attractive animated feature centered on cat burgling. Made with traditional ink and paint cartooning.
Conan O'Brien Can't Stop (2011) 7
Behind the scenes of Conan O'Brien's frenetic 2010 comedy tour. Revealing but not especially funny.
Contagion (2011) 7
Soderberg's disaster-thriller about a deadly outbreak of infectious disease and the dire global consequences.
Dark Star: H.R. Giger's World (2014) 7
The dark surrealism of Swiss artist H.R. Giger interspersed with documentation of his final years.
Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Them, The (2014) 7
The tragic dissolution of a romantic relationship, told from two perspectives in two independent chapters.
Dogtooth (2011) 7
Bizarre, perverse black comedy about homeschooled siblings in Greece. Mesmerizing like an incestuous car crash.
Dolphin Tale (2011) 7
Charming family film based on a true story. The actual dolphin involved stars as herself.
Elysium (2013) 7
In 2154, only the wealthy are citizens of a space station orbiting the ruined Earth.
Europa Report (2013) 7
Six astronauts travel to Jupiter's moon in search of life. NASA-style realism through found footage.
Everything Must Go (2011) 7
Alcoholic Will Ferrell relapses and ruins his life, then begins living on his front lawn.
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011) 7
A nine-year-old copes with the loss of his father on 9/11. Poignant, manipulative, almost exploitative.
FL: Unpremeditated Movie (2013) 7
No-budget documentary by MTO that chronicles his controversial graffiti art and intervention in Sarasota, Florida.
For No Good Reason (2014) 7
Depp visits Ralph Steadman to discuss the motivation/process behind his deranged/Gonzo art. A bit congratulatory.
Frankenweenie (2012) 7
Tim Burton's stop-motion love story between a boy and his (undead) dog. Classic horror homage.
Frequencies (2014) 7
Ambitiously explores philosophical notions of fate and free will in an alternate reality of frequencies.
From One Second to the Next (2013) 7
Short documentary chronicling the devastating consequences of texting and driving, directed by Werner Herzog.
Gnomeo & Juliet (2011) 7
It's Toy Story/Shrek with feuding Shakespearean garden gnomes. Charming, bizarre and loaded with pop-culture gags.
God Forgive Us (2014) 7
Parallel stories of four struggling strangers build to an unexpected collision. Engaging indie. Acting is passable.
Great Gatsby, The (2013) 7
Luhrmann's anachronistic telling of the Fitzgerald novel. It works, despite hyperactive production design and Jay-Z.
Gruffalo's Child, The (2011) 7
The child of the Gruffalo ignores her father's warnings and seeks the Big Bad Mouse.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 7
Goofy, formulaic Marvel Universe blockbuster. Can an oddball group of intergalactic criminals save the galaxy?
Happythankyoumoreplease (2011) 7
Six 20-something, self-absorbed New Yorkers deal with love and the undeniable prospect of actual adulthood.
House of Pleasures (2011) 7
Hardship and camaraderie at an upscale Parisian brothel at the turn of the 20th century.
How I Live Now (2013) 7
An American teenager's visit to the English countryside changes dramatically when World War III begins.
Hunger Games, The (2012) 7
Jennifer Lawrence's soulfulness carries this televised survival competition in which teenagers fight to the death.
Hunger Games: Catching Fire, The (2013) 7
Jena Malone helps Jennifer Lawrence carry the sequel about rebellion following the 74th Hunger Games.
In Your Eyes (2014) 7
Two seemingly unconnected people have an unexplainable telepathic bond that allows them to share experiences.
Jesus Henry Christ (2012) 7
Measured quirkiness that evokes Wes Anderson's style about a 10-year-old prodigy. Toni Collette is great.
Journey of the Universe (2011) 7
Explores of the epic history of the cosmos, Earth and humanity. Sometimes goofy but also profound.
Just Like Being There (2012) 7
Celebrates gig posters by contemporary artists nearly 50 years after the first iconic concert posters.
Keyhole (2012) 7
Guy Maddin's surreal take on Homer's Odyssey. A mysterious, dreamlike journey of Ulysses and ghosts.
Kill Your Darlings (2013) 7
A 1944 murder draws together Beat Generation greats Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs.
Lawless (2012) 7
The bootlegging Bondurant gang were outlaw heroes during Prohibition. Brutal violence. Tom Hardy is indestructible.
Last Days of the Arctic (2011) 7
Follows photojournalist Ragnar Axelsson on an evocative photographic journey among the people of the Arctic.
Limitless (2011) 7
An experimental drug enables a struggling writer's success. Fun fantasy. Requires major suspension of disbelief.
Loneliest Planet, The (2012) 7
A pivotal, instinctive reaction divides a couple's hiking trek in Georgia's Caucasus Mountains. Slow, stunning.
Love & Teleportation (2013) 7
A disgraced quantum mechanics professor invents a teleportation machine in his garage. Clever, charming ending.
Lucy (2014) 7
Stylish, fast-paced existential thriller. But you must concede the utter nonsense about 10% brain capacity.
Monster in Paris, A (2012) 7
In 1910 Paris, a monster from an eccentric scientist's greenhouse meets a beautiful cabaret singer.
Mood Indigo (2014) 7
Gondry outwhimsied himself with this bipolar stop-motion diorama. Like Pee-wee's Playhouse plus Amélie, n'est-ce pas?
My Week with Marilyn (2011) 7
Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe in 1956, through the eyes of a London film student.
No No: A Dockumentary (2014) 7
The story of baseball star Dock Ellis, most famous for his 1970 no-hitter on LSD.
Nymphomaniac: Volume II (2014) 7
Lars von Trier further explores one woman's tragic life story and sexuality. Quite bleak, intellectual.
Oblivion (2013) 7
A dazzling, futuristic Tom Cruise space vehicle. Sadly overexplains the post-apocalyptic mystery. Fuck you, Sally.
Oculus (2014) 7
Explores if inanimate objects can manifest supernatural violence. Trippy psychological horror via a reality-bending mirror.
Perfect Sense (2012) 7
Follows Ewan McGregor and Eva Green as an epidemic robs people of their sensory perceptions.
Phantom (2013) 7
A Tokyo couple's all-night philosophical conversation about their precarious lives and place in the world.
Rewind This! (2013) 7
The cultural and historical impact of the VHS tape. How home video changed the world.
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011) 7
Interesting franchise origin story with dull characters. Heavy on special effects and light on significance.
Road to Nowhere (2011) 7
Shannyn Sossamon's emotive performance carries Hellman's thin neo-noir mystery that blurs film with real crime.
Robot & Frank (2012) 7
An aging ex-jewel thief bonds with a robot butler programmed to look after him. Predictable.
Rosewater (2014) 7
Iranian-Canadian journalist Maziar Bahari is jailed in Iran under suspicion of espionage. Jon Stewart directs.
Rum Diary, The (2011) 7
Hard-drinking American journalist Johnny Depp takes a newspaper job in Puerto Rico during the 1950s.
Secret Life of Walter Mitty, The (2013) 7
In this remake, daydreaming photo manager Ben Stiller finds himself in an extraordinary real-life adventure.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) 7
As a deadly asteroid approaches, neighbors Steve Carell and Keira Knightley end up traveling together.
Septien (2011) 7
Weird little movie about three eccentric brothers. The underlying bearded angst is charming and absurd.
Sidewalls (2011) 7
Two neurotic individuals live in neighboring apartments in Buenos Aires. Will they meet? Charming loneliness.
Sin City: A Dame to Kill For (2014) 7
The Eva Green show. Visually stunning and gritty like the Miller/Rodriguez original, but less compelling.
Spring Breakers (2013) 7
Harmony Korine's latest artsy trainwreck/portrait of American cultural dysfunction, loaded with topless party girls.
Starlet (2012) 7
The unlikely friendship between a 21-year-old actress and a lonely elderly woman in Los Angeles.
Stoker (2013) 7
A mysterious uncle appears in the life of a grieving, impressionable teenager. Dark and stylish.
Third Contact (2012) 7
Psychological thriller explores madness, depression, quantum suicide and immortality. It's a dark, puzzling poem.
Vegucated (2011) 7
Three New Yorkers adopt a vegan diet for six weeks, get educated about animal agriculture.
Wall, The (2013) 7
A woman becomes trapped in her mountain cabin by an invisible wall. Human survival metaphor.
When Time Becomes a Woman (2013) 7
Dialogue-driven sci-fi filmed at Jordan's Dead Sea. Mysterious narrative about how the world could end.
Who is Dayani Cristal? (2014) 7
Moving portrait of border-crossing migrant workers. Begins with an unidentified body in the Arizona desert.
World War Z (2013) 7
U.N. employee Brad Pitt races around the world trying to stop the deadly zombie pandemic.
Wrong (2013) 7
Absurdist Dupieux film about a man changing others' lives while looking for his lost dog.
Young & Beautiful (2014) 7
Both male fantasy and moving coming-of-age story. A sexually curious French girl takes up prostitution.
Zero Theorem, The (2014) 7
A computer hacker trying to discover the meaning of life keeps being interrupted by Management.

FAIR

Awakening, The (2012) 6
In 1921 England, a boarding school reports sightings of a child ghost. Unresolved, muddled plot.
Beat Hotel, The (2012) 6
Collects fragments of 1950s-era Ginsberg, Corso, Burroughs and Gysin living in a rundown Paris hotel.
Byzantium (2013) 6
Two mysterious women take refuge in a seaside town. An outlandish but effective vampire story.
Casa de mi Padre (2012) 6
Anti-comedy Mexican Western, starring Spanish-speaking cowboy Will Ferrell and drug lord Gael García Bernal.
Crystal Fairy & the Magical Cactus (2013) 6
Two rather insufferable young Americans seek the legendary hallucinogenic cactus in Chile. Anticlimactic drug trip.
Giant Mechanical Man, The (2012) 6
Jenna Fischer is charming in this offbeat celebration of confused, aimless adults. Annoying supporting characters.
Godzilla (2014) 6
Godzilla rises again in this nuclear-powered remake that spans the Pacific. Awesome monsters, dull humans.
Haunter (2013) 6
A 1985 teenager's stuck in a time loop. Predictable yet illogical 'Groundhog Day' with ghosts.
How Beer Saved the World (2011) 6
Simplifies human history to exaggerate the importance of beer to civilization. BEER! Extreme hyperbole!
Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, The (2014) 6
Jennifer Lawrence's charisma is the only thing holding this trilogy together. Sadly underdeveloped, yet overdone.
Hyde Park on Hudson (2012) 6
On the eve of WWII, Bill Murray is FDR and Laura Linney is his mistress.
Immortals (2011) 6
Tarsem's Greek epic succeeds at being a gorgeous, self-important spectacle. It's less enjoyable than 300.
In Time (2011) 6
Promising concept plays like a contrived mishmash of Logan's Run, Robin Hood, Bonnie and Clyde.
Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2014) 6
Strange, vivid fantasy about a boy with a mechanical heart. Disjointed script, uncanny valley characters.
John Carter (2012) 6
Hectic, violent CGI epic about Mars. Sort of fun, but I was never emotionally invested.
Last Night (2011) 6
Tense study of whether tempted spouses will actually commit adultery. Knightley glows, Worthington is dull.
Lifeguard, The (2013) 6
Lovable Kristen Bell's sensitive, sympathetic performance saves this uninspired movie. But she's actually too likable.
Dr. Seuss' The Lorax (2012) 6
Hyperactive disservice to Seuss. Teaches how to blindly consume and toss marshmallows to adorable bears.
Love (2012) 6
Lonely astronaut stranded aboard the ISS develops cabin fever, becomes one with the universe. Posthumanism.
Lovelace (2013) 6
Superficially explores the story of one-time porn star Linda Lovelace and her sleazy, abusive husband.
Man with the Iron Fists, The (2012) 6
RZA's martial arts thriller combines kung-fu action and hip-hop style. Saga of a Chinese blacksmith.
Mirror Mirror (2012) 6
Visually stunning like all Tarsem movies, and Julia Roberts was cast appropriately, but jarringly jokey/dopey.
On the Road (2012) 6
I struggled to get into this disappointing yet interesting-enough adaptation of the 1957 Kerouac novel.
Pacific Rim (2013) 6
Predictable monster-robot movie that's smarter than Transformers, but silly. I expected more from del Toro.
Puss in Boots (2011) 6
Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are swashbuckling cats in this Shrek spinoff. Generally cute, fun.
Rid of Me (2011) 6
A socially awkward newlywed's emotional breakdown and rebirth in Laurelwood, Oregon. A hard-to-watch indie.
Rubber (2011) 6
Dupieux's surreal grindhouse spoof and commentary on the absurdity of cinema, starring a homicidal tire.
Salinger (2013) 6
Invades the privacy of J. D. Salinger. Engaging speculation, but trumpeted through a flawed, self-important lens.
Silent House (2012) 6
Thrilling performance from Elizabeth Olsen. Shot to mimic one continuous real-time take. Letdown by ending.
Sleeping Beauty (2011) 6
Detached, calculating portrait of a directionless, unaware student drawn into a mysterious world of desires.
Student Services (2011) 6
A 19-year-old freshman in France, desperate for cash, is enticed into a life of prostitution.
Super (2011) 6
A depressed everyday guy transforms himself into the superhero Crimson Bolt. Ellen Page is great.
Thor (2011) 6
The powerful but arrogant warrior Thor is cast out of Asgard and sent to Earth.
Upside Down (2013) 6
If you can somehow accept the ludicrous science/impossible physics, it's charming. An ambitious love story.
Way, The (2011) 6
A grieving father embarks on the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage. Sincere, but too explanatory, awkward.

ADEQUATE

FDR: American Badass! (2012) 5
As expected, the two-minute trailer was funnier than the movie. Crude/dumb humor, with Nazi werewolves.
Glitch in the Grid (2011) 5
Three artists find spiritual renewal in this imaginative but self-indulgent film by the Leiser Brothers.
Host, The (2013) 5
From the writer of Twilight comes a poorly structured alien-human romance, presumably for adolescent girls.
Interview, The (2014) 5
Sophomoric Seth Rogen comedy about North Korea/dick jokes. Gained notoriety due to Sony Pictures hack.
Last Days of the World, The (2011) 5
A bored Japanese teenager learns that Earth will be destroyed. Surreal, kinky and borderline exploitative.
Red State (2011) 5
Ugly, preachy Kevin Smith film. The teen horror genre plus fundamentalist religious fervor and violence.
Saving Private Perez (2011) 5
A Mexican crime lord plans to invade Iraq to rescue his brother. Ridiculous, wacky violence.
Sucker Punch (2011) 5
Surreal, masturbatory fantasy. Cabaret dancers with guns battle samurai, steampunk Nazis, orcs, dragons and robots.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) 5
Unrelenting sound and fury. I appreciated the alternate Apollo and Chernobyl histories. But it's vapid.

FROM BAD TO WORSE

Bad Teacher (2011) CRAP
Gold digger Cameron Diaz is a terrible junior high teacher who wants breast-implant surgery. Misanthropic.
C.O.G. (2013) CRAP
A self-absorbed graduate tries living the simple life in Oregon, finds self-hatred through religion? Pointless garbage.
Sharknado (2013) CRAP
Was idiotically curious about the magnitude of this TV-movie's absurdity. It's a bloody, bad-CGI trainwreck.
Wild Girl Waltz (2013) CRAP
I want to support indie films, but this was almost unwatchable. Painful acting, unlikable characters.
Wrong Cops (2013) CRAP
Aggressively self-conscious inanity via wild, musical antics of a moronic, corrupt police force. WTF, Dupieux.

Statistical ratings distribution of these 267 films

bell curve

6.5

CRAP

7.5

10:

6.4%

19.1%

25.1%

31.1%

13.1%

3.4%

CRAP:

1.9%

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