The BEST movies of 2013. Click to see them.
by Miles_Jones | created - 24 May 2013 | updated - 07 Apr 2014 | PublicIn a very bad year, these are the best movies I've seen.
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1. Pain & Gain (2013)
R | 129 min | Action, Biography, Comedy
A trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub
Votes: 229,376 | Gross: $49.88M
It's hard to believe that this $26 million movie is directed by Michael "Huge Blockbuster" Bay. Have to say though the man did a remarkable job with the material and he was able to craft a truly memorable and in a lot of ways disturbing movie. It all starts like a buddy comedy, but 40 minutes in everything changes and the story gets REALLY serious.
Amazing cast and great performances from all actors. This is easily The Rock's best performance. It takes guts to play that kind of character and he did a damn good job with it.
2. Oblivion (I) (2013)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A veteran assigned to extract Earth's remaining resources begins to question what he knows about his mission and himself.
Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Andrea Riseborough, Olga Kurylenko
Votes: 553,292 | Gross: $89.02M
Yes, I don't like the director. But at least I'm honest and I can't deny the fact that I really liked that movie. It's not original and its ideas are coming from many other movies from the same genre, but since when do movies have to be 100% original in order to be "good"?
Movies are a vusial art and as a visual art Oblivion is a great, great piece of film. It looks absolutely amazing on the big IMAX screen and you're really transported into the world of the lead character. Couldn't ask for more.
Tom Cruise gave a good, grounded performance and the movie keeps your attention. I really, really enjoyed it.
3. Frances Ha (2012)
R | 86 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A New York woman apprentices for a dance company and throws herself headlong into her dreams, even as the possibility of realizing them dwindles.
Director: Noah Baumbach | Stars: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen
Votes: 94,330 | Gross: $4.06M
Noah Baumbach is a weird, weird dude and that's exactly why I like his work. I knew that I'll end up loving Frances Ha and that's exactly what happened. Great little movie that makes me a even bigger Baumbach fan. Go see it. ASAP!
4. Trance (I) (2013)
R | 101 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An art auctioneer becomes mixed up with a group of criminals partners with a hypnotherapist in order to recover a lost painting.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: James McAvoy, Rosario Dawson, Vincent Cassel, Danny Sapani
Votes: 117,743 | Gross: $2.32M
5. 42 (2013)
PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.
Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman, T.R. Knight, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie
Votes: 102,748 | Gross: $95.00M
Real, memorable, pure American movie. A rare sight these days. Bravo to the filmmakers behind it.
6. Mud (2012)
PG-13 | 130 min | Adventure, Drama
Two young boys encounter a fugitive and form a pact to help him evade the vigilantes that are on his trail and to reunite him with his true love.
Director: Jeff Nichols | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Sam Shepard
Votes: 188,890 | Gross: $21.59M
7. The Iceman (2012)
R | 106 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Richard Kuklinski, the notorious contract killer and family man. When he was finally arrested in 1986, neither his wife nor his daughters had any clue about his real profession.
Director: Ariel Vromen | Stars: Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, James Franco, Winona Ryder
Votes: 79,433 | Gross: $1.94M
8. Before Midnight (2013)
R | 109 min | Drama, Romance
We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed
Votes: 172,204 | Gross: $8.11M
9. The Purge (I) (2013)
R | 85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A wealthy family is held hostage for harboring the target of a murderous syndicate during the Purge, a 12-hour period in which any and all crime is legal.
Director: James DeMonaco | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Lena Headey, Max Burkholder, Adelaide Kane
Votes: 240,097 | Gross: $64.47M
Finally something original and actually interesting. Yes, it's not the greatest movie in the world but the makers deserve credit for coming up with something fresh. I'm glad that the movie did so good at the box office.
10. The East (2013)
PG-13 | 116 min | Adventure, Crime, Drama
An operative for an elite private intelligence firm finds her priorities changing dramatically after she is tasked with infiltrating an anarchist group known for executing covert attacks upon major corporations.
Director: Zal Batmanglij | Stars: Brit Marling, Alexander Skarsgård, Elliot Page, Toby Kebbell
Votes: 52,396 | Gross: $2.27M
11. Stoker (2013)
R | 99 min | Drama, Thriller
After India's father dies, her Uncle Charlie, who she never knew existed, comes to live with her and her unstable mother. She comes to suspect this mysterious, charming man has ulterior motives and becomes increasingly infatuated with him.
Director: Park Chan-wook | Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Nicole Kidman, Matthew Goode, Dermot Mulroney
Votes: 114,547 | Gross: $1.70M
Very atmospheric, very effective psy-thriller/drama. It starts slowly but after 20 minutes you'll be completely immersed in the story. Loved the locations, loved the house, loved the cast, loved the visuals.
Great movie.
12. This Is the End (2013)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Fantasy
Six Los Angeles celebrities are stuck in James Franco's house after a series of devastating events just destroyed the city. Inside, the group not only have to face the apocalypse, but themselves.
Directors: Evan Goldberg, Seth Rogen | Stars: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel
Votes: 435,029 | Gross: $101.47M
This one was a nice surprise. Didn't expect anything from it and I'm not a fan of all of the people involved. But it was a fun, twisted movie. I liked it. I really liked it.
13. The Lone Ranger (2013)
PG-13 | 150 min | Action, Adventure, Western
Native American warrior Tonto recounts the untold tales that transformed John Reid, a man of the law, into a legend of justice.
Director: Gore Verbinski | Stars: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 244,521 | Gross: $89.30M
What's that? Critics hated it you say.
Don't worry, I'll let you know when I start to care about the film critics. Don't hold your breath though.
14. Monsters University (2013)
G | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A look at the relationship between Mike Wazowski and James P. "Sully" Sullivan during their days at Monsters University, when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Director: Dan Scanlon | Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren
Votes: 390,193 | Gross: $268.49M
My wish: a third one please. Love these characters and I wouldn't mind seeing them again.
15. The Heat (I) (2013)
R | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
An uptight FBI Special Agent is paired with a foul-mouthed Boston cop to take down a ruthless drug lord.
Director: Paul Feig | Stars: Sandra Bullock, Michael McDonald, Melissa McCarthy, Demián Bichir
Votes: 181,332 | Gross: $159.58M
Sandy B. made that movie for me. Love that woman. And the script was pretty funny too.
16. World War Z (2013)
PG-13 | 116 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
Former United Nations employee Gerry Lane traverses the world in a race against time to stop a zombie pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatens to destroy humanity itself.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Brad Pitt, Mireille Enos, Daniella Kertesz, James Badge Dale
Votes: 719,666 | Gross: $202.36M
Just like The Purge. Nothing new under the sun, but it was a well-made movie that keeps your attention. It's a rare breed - an intimate blockbuster. No alien ships, no Superman. Just a grounded Brad Pitt who delivers a very good performance. And it's always good to see a movie with a strong female character.
Those who have see WWZ know what I'm talking about.
17. Blue Is the Warmest Colour (2013)
NC-17 | 180 min | Drama, Romance
Adèle's life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire and to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adèle grows, seeks herself, loses herself, and ultimately finds herself through love and loss.
Director: Abdellatif Kechiche | Stars: Léa Seydoux, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Salim Kechiouche, Aurélien Recoing
Votes: 163,103 | Gross: $2.20M
Go see it.
The End.
18. Unfinished Song (2012)
PG-13 | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Grumpy pensioner Arthur honors his recently deceased wife's passion for performing by joining the unconventional local choir to which she used to belong, a process that helps him build bridges with his estranged son, James.
Director: Paul Andrew Williams | Stars: Terence Stamp, Gemma Arterton, Christopher Eccleston, Vanessa Redgrave
Votes: 7,974 | Gross: $1.70M
19. Kon-Tiki (2012)
PG-13 | 118 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947, in an effort to prove that it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.
Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg | Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson
Votes: 51,977 | Gross: $1.52M
20. The Sapphires (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1968, four talented young Australian Aboriginal girls learn about love, friendship, and war when their all-girl group The Sapphires entertains the US troops in Vietnam.
Director: Wayne Blair | Stars: Chris O'Dowd, Deborah Mailman, Jessica Mauboy, Shari Sebbens
Votes: 15,175 | Gross: $2.45M
Release Date: March 22, 2013.
21. Assaulted: Civil Rights Under Fire (2013)
PG-13 | 79 min | Documentary
Assaulted" brings audiences to the center of the controversy over the issue that is dividing our nation - gun control. Narrated by Ice-T, it takes a critical look at gun laws and the movement to restrict our Second Amendment rights.
Director: Kris Koenig | Stars: Margot Bennett, Chris Cheng, Alan Gottlieb, Dan Gross
Votes: 139 | Gross: $0.01M
22. Behind the Candelabra (2013)
TV-MA | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A chronicle of the tempestuous six-year romance between megastar singer Liberace and his young lover Scott Thorson.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Michael Douglas, Matt Damon, Scott Bakula, Eric Zuckerman
Votes: 45,407
As a fan of Liberace I have to say that this movie was a great little surprise. It really captures everything that's interesting, shocking, disturbing and captivating about Liberace and his persona on and off stage. It's a magical, weird ride supported by great actors and a solid screenplay.
Highly recommended. Even if you're not a Liberace fan.
And don't be put off by the gay scenes. This isn't the 40s. Be more open-minded.
23. The Grandmaster (2013)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Ziyi Zhang, Jin Zhang, Chang Chen
Votes: 36,797 | Gross: $6.59M
Job. Well. Done. Wong Kar-wai. 9/10.
24. Broken City (2013)
R | 109 min | Action, Crime, Drama
In a city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed by its most powerful figure: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler.
Director: Allen Hughes | Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 83,389 | Gross: $19.70M
Very underrated and I amost missed it during its theatrical run. Sure, it's not the most original movie in the world, but as a dark, noir crime thriller set in NY it works and it works beautifully. I especially liked the scenes between Wahlberg and Crow.
It's exactly what I expected and that's why it's on the list.
25. The Croods (2013)
PG | 98 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
After their cave is destroyed, a caveman family must trek through an unfamiliar fantastical world with the help of an inventive boy.
Directors: Kirk DeMicco, Chris Sanders | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Ryan Reynolds, Emma Stone, Catherine Keener
Votes: 232,094 | Gross: $187.17M
A nice, little surprise. Looked great in 3D. Fun for the whole family.
26. Last Vegas (2013)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy
Billy, Paddy, Archie and Sam have been best friends since childhood. When Billy proposes to his much-younger girlfriend, they go to Vegas to relive their glory days. However, the decades have changed Sin City and tested their friendship.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline
Votes: 136,886 | Gross: $63.91M
Had so much fun watching this. Moral of the story: it's never too late to have some Vegas fun. Very, VERY good comedy.
Love it.
27. Gravity (2013)
PG-13 | 91 min | Drama, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Dr Ryan Stone, an engineer on her first time on a space mission, and Matt Kowalski, an astronaut on his final expedition, have to survive in space after they are hit by debris while spacewalking.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen
Votes: 863,381 | Gross: $274.09M
Visually, it's a masterpiece. Other than that it's 'been there, done that' movie.
Still, it was a good ride.
28. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
PG-13 | 161 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
The dwarves, along with Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, continue their quest to reclaim Erebor, their homeland, from Smaug. Bilbo Baggins is in possession of a mysterious and magical ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Ian McKellen, Martin Freeman, Richard Armitage, Ken Stott
Votes: 705,462 | Gross: $258.37M
Pleasantly surprised by these Hobbit movies. Don't listen to the whiners who keep saying that these flicks are too long and too boring.
Rent/buy them and you can be sure - you'll have a great time.
29. Monsters University (2013)
G | 104 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A look at the relationship between Mike Wazowski and James P. "Sully" Sullivan during their days at Monsters University, when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Director: Dan Scanlon | Stars: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren
Votes: 390,193 | Gross: $268.49M
30. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
R | 180 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Votes: 1,584,003 | Gross: $116.90M
One of the most insane - in a good way - movies of the last 20 years. Just watch it.
31. August: Osage County (2013)
R | 121 min | Comedy, Drama
A look at the lives of the strong-willed women of the Weston family, whose paths have diverged until a family crisis brings them back to the Oklahoma house they grew up in, and to the dysfunctional woman who raised them.
Director: John Wells | Stars: Meryl Streep, Dermot Mulroney, Julia Roberts, Juliette Lewis
Votes: 95,347 | Gross: $37.74M
32. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013)
PG | 114 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
When both he and a colleague are about to lose their job, Walter takes action by embarking on an adventure more extraordinary than anything he ever imagined.
Director: Ben Stiller | Stars: Ben Stiller, Kristen Wiig, Jon Daly, Kathryn Hahn
Votes: 341,023 | Gross: $58.24M
Touching, beautiful, heart warming movie. It now stands as one of my all-time favorite movies.
Brilliant piece of filmmaking.
33. Her (2013)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Votes: 669,857 | Gross: $25.57M
34. Frozen (I) (2013)
PG | 102 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Fearless optimist Anna teams up with rugged mountain man Kristoff and his loyal reindeer Sven in an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, whose icy powers have trapped the kingdom of Arendelle in eternal winter.
Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee | Stars: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad
Votes: 663,972 | Gross: $400.74M
35. Delivery Man (2013)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Drama
An affable underachiever finds out he's fathered 533 children through anonymous donations to a fertility clinic 20 years ago. Now he must decide whether or not to come forward when 142 of them file a lawsuit to reveal his identity.
Director: Ken Scott | Stars: Vince Vaughn, Chris Pratt, Cobie Smulders, Jack Reynor
Votes: 82,832 | Gross: $30.66M
Not what you would expect from a Vince Vaughn movie...
36. The Counselor (2013)
R | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Crime
A lawyer finds himself in over his head when he gets involved in drug trafficking.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem
Votes: 105,921 | Gross: $16.97M
Ignore the usual moronic film critics and bloggers. Give it a chance and decide for yourself.
Personally I really liked it.
37. Escape Plan (2013)
R | 115 min | Action, Thriller
When a structural-security authority finds himself set up and incarcerated in the world's most secret and secure prison, he has to use his skills to escape with help from the inside.
Director: Mikael Håfström | Stars: Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, 50 Cent, Vincent D'Onofrio
Votes: 257,513 | Gross: $25.13M
38. Machete Kills (2013)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
The U.S. government recruits Machete to battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer who looks to launch a weapon into space.
Director: Robert Rodriguez | Stars: Danny Trejo, Alexa PenaVega, Mel Gibson, Jessica Alba
Votes: 82,430 | Gross: $8.01M
So much crazy fun...
39. Captain Phillips (2013)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Biography, Crime
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener
Votes: 492,796 | Gross: $107.10M
40. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (2013)
PG | 95 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Flint Lockwood now works at The Live Corp Company for his idol Chester V. But he's forced to leave his post when he learns that his most infamous machine is still operational, and is churning out menacing food-animal hybrids.
Directors: Cody Cameron, Kris Pearn | Stars: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Will Forte, Neil Patrick Harris
Votes: 114,764 | Gross: $119.79M
41. Baggage Claim (2013)
PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Romance
Pledging to keep herself from being the oldest and the only woman in her entire family never to wed, Montana embarks on a thirty-day, thirty-thousand-mile expedition to charm a potential suitor into becoming her fiancé.
Director: David E. Talbert | Stars: Paula Patton, Taye Diggs, Jill Scott, Djimon Hounsou
Votes: 9,720 | Gross: $21.56M
42. Prisoners (2013)
R | 153 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
When Keller Dover's daughter and her friend go missing, he takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts.
Director: Denis Villeneuve | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Viola Davis, Melissa Leo
Votes: 809,933 | Gross: $61.00M
43. Enough Said (2013)
PG-13 | 93 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A divorced woman who decides to pursue the man she's interested in learns he's her new friend's ex-husband.
Director: Nicole Holofcener | Stars: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener, Toni Collette
Votes: 66,384 | Gross: $17.54M
44. Horns (2013)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
In the aftermath of his girlfriend's mysterious death, a young man awakens to find strange horns sprouting from his forehead.
Director: Alexandre Aja | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Juno Temple, Max Minghella, Joe Anderson
Votes: 88,022 | Gross: $0.16M
45. About Time (I) (2013)
R | 123 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.
Director: Richard Curtis | Stars: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Lydia Wilson
Votes: 386,029 | Gross: $15.32M
46. The Lifeguard (2013)
R | 98 min | Drama, Romance
A former valedictorian quits her reporter job in New York and returns to the place she last felt happy: her childhood home in Connecticut. She gets work as a lifeguard and starts a dangerous relationship with a troubled teenager.
Director: Liz W. Garcia | Stars: Kristen Bell, Mamie Gummer, Martin Starr, Joshua Harto
Votes: 15,214
47. Afternoon Delight (2013)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Drama
Rachel tries to spice up her marriage with a trip to a strip club. She befriends McKenna, who gave her a lapdance. McKenna moves in with Rachel's family and becomes a nanny for the son.
Director: Joey Soloway | Stars: Kathryn Hahn, Link Ruiz, Cesar Garcia, Jane Lynch
Votes: 11,476 | Gross: $0.17M
48. We're the Millers (2013)
R | 110 min | Comedy, Crime
A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.
Director: Rawson Marshall Thurber | Stars: Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Ed Helms
Votes: 486,253 | Gross: $150.39M
'Everyday I'm hustlin', hustlin' / Hustle, hustlin' hustlin' / Hustle, hustlin' hustlin'...'
49. The World's End (2013)
R | 109 min | Action, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from twenty years earlier unwittingly become humanity's only hope for survival.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike
Votes: 298,267 | Gross: $26.00M
I laugh just by thinking about this movie. Really love it.
50. Blue Jasmine (2013)
PG-13 | 98 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A New York socialite, deeply troubled and in denial, arrives in San Francisco to impose upon her sister. She looks like a million dollars but isn't bringing money, peace or love.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Peter Sarsgaard, Sally Hawkins
Votes: 212,581 | Gross: $33.41M
51. Turbo (2013)
PG | 96 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A freak accident might just help an everyday garden snail achieve his biggest dream: winning the Indy 500.
Director: David Soren | Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph, Samuel L. Jackson
Votes: 110,756 | Gross: $83.03M
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