Ranking films I saw of 2012
by Alevi | created - 05 Jan 2013 | updated - 03 Feb 2015 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
PG-13 | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two 12-year-olds, who live on an island, fall in love with each other and elope into the wilderness. While people set out on a search mission, a violent storm approaching them catches their attention.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray
Votes: 366,533 | Gross: $45.51M
10/10 Wes Anderson's usual candy colored art direction is here, and so are the quirky characters. This time, however, they're given dramatic depth and become relatable. The two main child actors are great in their parts.It's flawed and goes to random, unexpected places, but I like that, and stays fairly off the beaten path plot and dialogue wise. Very quotable too like "What kind of bird...are you?" and "he's flown the coop!". The reason that this goes over the "modern day masterpiece" is because it feels much more... emotionally connectable, to me anyways. Because as amazing as Life of Pi is, it's ver polished, clean. I can't word exactly what I'm thinking, but it feels like Moonrise had so much heart and warm nostalgia and creativity bursting out, and Pi was creative and heartfelt too, but this is so filled with love, and a plot that swiftly moves in so many weird directions with great, off-normal characters, that I'm going to remember this more years down the line.
2. Life of Pi (2012)
PG | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
Votes: 666,185 | Gross: $124.99M
10/10 Every single element of this movie was remarkably crafted. The unfilmable book has been adapted into a movie with dramatic depth, moments of comedy, and absolutely dazzling cinematography and effects. As close to a perfect adaption as you might get. This is a modern day masterpiece.
3. Chronicle (2012)
PG-13 | 84 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.
Director: Josh Trank | Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Kelly
Votes: 264,211 | Gross: $64.58M
10/10 An amazing and overlooked take on both the superhero and found footage genres. It's a fully original story with likable characters. The found footage style was used very well. Supported by amazing debut performances, and violence used only at the appropriate times and to great effect.
4. Amour (2012)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama
Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud
Votes: 105,571 | Gross: $6.74M
10/10 Shocking, and truly one of the most horrifying "climaxes" to a film I have seen in a long time. The actors are perfect, Miss Riva really shows the slow deterioration of her character, almost creepily blending into the role. I usually don't like slow, lingering shots, yet here, it really makes you feel comfortable with this couple's apartment and their normal, everyday lives. This, of course, makes it all the more depressing.This unflinching, surprisingly powerhouse film is not easy to watch, but it's subtle cerebral questions about what it truly means to love, and when to give up life, make it worth the ride.
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
PG-13 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.
Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes
Votes: 85,037 | Gross: $12.80M
10/10 Proof you can have both an abstract, metaphorical art film and a touching relatable character drama at the same time. Quvenzhane Wallis is a fantastic child actress, really sinking into a roll that would be completely outside almost any actors comfort zone. Dwight Henry did great too, the two of them had great chemistry
6. Looper (2012)
R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano
Votes: 602,452 | Gross: $66.49M
9/10 A consistently tense and daringly original sci-fi film. The movie tries hard and succeeds for the most part in making a non confusing time travel movie. I'm glad it didn't end up being an ordinary action film that consisted of duel fighting scenes between Willis and Gordon-Levitt. The movie actually seems to spend more time developing the Woman and her son, and it could be argued that their the main characters.
7. The Secret World of Arrietty (2010)
G | 94 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
The Clock family are four-inch-tall people who live anonymously in another family's residence, borrowing simple items to make their home. Life changes for the Clocks when their teenage daughter Arrietty is discovered.
Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi | Stars: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Mirai Shida
Votes: 104,110 | Gross: $19.20M
10/10 Released in Japan in 2010, but in America in 2012, so I'm going to count it. A film from Studio Ghibli that as usual, has a soul and heartfelt characters. It doesn't confine itself to the slapstick and formulaic plotting found in most animated films, but instead decides to be original and creative. The story felt very laid back, with colorful but toned down animation. Films like this are the usual for studio Ghibli, but really, usual for them would be like a magnum opus for a company like Dreamworks.
8. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
R | 157 min | Drama, History, Thriller
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 in May 2011.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong
Votes: 318,639 | Gross: $95.72M
9/10 Whereas Argo is very melodramatic and has black and white morals, Zero Dark Thirty unflinchingly looks at the methods we used to receive information, good and bad. This feels much more real, more like how government workers would really act in these situations. In Argo it feels much more like Affleck was showing these events in a way to entertain us with some drama and thrills. ZDT, however, wants to inform you about the events leading up to the assassination of Bin Laden, and does so while still retaining character development and drama. The goings-on of Argo feel convoluted in a way to fit an easy to take story. The ending's of both feel similar, too. They end after the character's have finally completed the goal they've been searching for for so long, but both approach in different ways. (SPOILERS) In Argo, there is a perfect feeling of content in Affleck's character. He's back with his family, he's got an award, everything is officially O.K. forever. ZDT takes a much bleaker approach. After dedicating years of her life to finding this one guy, after she's accomplished her goal, she cries. She realizes that she has no idea what she's going to do with her life now, that revenge did not bring back her friends that died, that relief is wrongly placed since there will be another person down the line doing awful, psychotic things. Both endings summarize the overall texture of their film. Escapism vs. Reality. In the end, Argo's plot still had more tension to bring to the table, while ZDT probably had better characters and a more real feeling. I guess I enjoyed Argo more, but ZDT was a much more necessary, and shocking film, and due to that I'll probably remember this more in life.
9. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Eight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1,824,729 | Gross: $448.14M
9/10 While not as unnerving as it's predecessor, (probably due to a lack of Heath Ledger, but watcha' gonna do?), The Dark Knight Rises is still dark, cerebral and thought provoking.It has it's developed characters, fantastic effects, and an ending that I thought sealed the series up perfectly. Ignoring The Dark Knight, it still stands as one of the best superhero films.
10. Lincoln (2012)
PG-13 | 150 min | Biography, Drama, History
As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Votes: 272,402 | Gross: $182.21M
9/10 If Daniel Day-Lewis does not win an oscar this year, there will be riots in the street. Film buffs will be burning down buildings, chanting "Death to the Academy", just absolute panic. As slow as the whole movie goes, I thought all the performances were far above average, and any scene involving the senate debating was very thrilling to watch. It reminded me of 12 Angry Men.
11. Argo (2012)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Votes: 638,645 | Gross: $136.03M
9/10 suspenseful and thrilling. A mind blowing story bought to life through excellent dialogue and one of the few good uses of the overused "shakycam" method. American propaganda-ish, yeah, and it does have very black and white morals sometimes (The americans are heroes, The Iranians are evil), but doesn't push it too far as to feel ridiculous. No matter how wildly melodramatic the climax is, it still thrilled.
12. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 547,350 | Gross: $17.74M
9/10 Really strong lead performances hold this movie together mainly. I hope to see Ezra Miller do more in the future especially, and I also hope it means Emma Watson has moved on from her Harry Potter years. It does well with it's lack of plot, instead being more episodic, but still flowing smoothly between different events. The event at the end involving his aunt felt a little tagged on to fill the movie, after it felt like it had already ended, but it did give the main character more depth, so I'll take it.
13. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Votes: 450,095 | Gross: $42.07M
9/10
14. Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Director: David O. Russell | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver
Votes: 742,096 | Gross: $132.09M
15. Les Misérables (2012)
PG-13 | 158 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
In 19th-century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after breaking parole, agrees to care for a factory worker's daughter. The decision changes their lives forever.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway, Amanda Seyfried
Votes: 345,765 | Gross: $148.81M
9/10 Yeah, Russel Crowe's singing wasn't great, and the pacing was really quickly moving. I still believe nearly all of the performances were great and didn't seem constricted by the fact that almost none of them were actual singers. Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter were great together and I think had the most memorable performances. Anne Hathaway did an amazing job too. Maybe it's because this is the first adaption of Les Miserables I've seen, and after I see more I might think this movie isn't as fantastic as I do right now. But for the moment, I think this is an amazing watch.
16. Robot & Frank (2012)
PG-13 | 89 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In the near future, an ex-jewel thief receives a gift from his son: a robot butler programmed to look after him. But soon the two companions try their luck as a heist team.
Director: Jake Schreier | Stars: Peter Sarsgaard, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, Liv Tyler
Votes: 65,741 | Gross: $3.33M
9/10
17. Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
R | 86 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Three magazine employees head out on an assignment to interview a guy who placed a classified advertisement seeking a companion for time travel.
Director: Colin Trevorrow | Stars: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karan Soni
Votes: 130,803 | Gross: $4.01M
9/10
18. The Hunger Games (2012)
PG-13 | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Katniss Everdeen voluntarily takes her younger sister's place in the Hunger Games: a televised competition in which two teenagers from each of the twelve Districts of Panem are chosen at random to fight to the death.
Director: Gary Ross | Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 1,002,418 | Gross: $408.01M
9/10
19. Skyfall (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench
Votes: 730,541 | Gross: $304.36M
9/10
20. The Pirates! Band of Misfits (2012)
PG | 88 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
Pirate Captain sets out on a mission to defeat his rivals Black Bellamy and Cutlass Liz for the Pirate of the year Award. The quest takes Captain and his crew from the shores of Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London.
Directors: Peter Lord, Jeff Newitt | Stars: Hugh Grant, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Martin Freeman
Votes: 51,366 | Gross: $31.05M
9/10
21. Indie Game: The Movie (2012)
Not Rated | 103 min | Documentary, Drama
A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world.
Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky | Stars: Jonathan Blow, Brandon Boyer, Renaud Bédard, Anthony Carboni
Votes: 21,436
8/10
22. ParaNorman (2012)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tucker Albrizzi
Votes: 109,837 | Gross: $56.00M
8/10
23. The Avengers (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,458,094 | Gross: $623.28M
8/10
24. The Queen of Versailles (2012)
PG | 100 min | Documentary
A documentary that follows a billionaire couple as they begin construction on a mansion inspired by Versailles. During the next two years, their empire, fueled by the real estate bubble and cheap money, falters due to the economic crisis.
Director: Lauren Greenfield | Stars: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Lorraine Barrett, June Downs
Votes: 13,699 | Gross: $2.40M
8/10
25. The Woman in Black (2012)
PG-13 | 95 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A young solicitor travels to a remote village where he discovers that the vengeful ghost of a scorned woman is terrorizing the locals.
Director: James Watkins | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer, Ciarán Hinds, Emma Shorey
Votes: 192,482 | Gross: $54.33M
8/10
26. Frankenweenie (2012)
PG | 87 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
When a boy's beloved dog passes away suddenly, he attempts to bring the animal back to life through a powerful science experiment.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Winona Ryder, Catherine O'Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau
Votes: 116,984 | Gross: $35.29M
8/10
27. Hitchcock (2012)
PG-13 | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho (1960) in 1959 is explored.
Director: Sacha Gervasi | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston
Votes: 79,180 | Gross: $6.01M
8/10
28. The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
PG-13 | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
British retirees travel to India to take up residence in what they believe is a newly restored hotel. Less luxurious than advertised, the Marigold Hotel nevertheless slowly begins to charm in unexpected ways.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 99,392 | Gross: $46.41M
7/10
29. The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)
PG-13 | 136 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
After Peter Parker is bitten by a genetically altered spider, he gains newfound, spider-like powers and ventures out to save the city from the machinations of a mysterious reptilian foe.
Director: Marc Webb | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Irrfan Khan
Votes: 701,345 | Gross: $262.03M
7/10
30. Pitch Perfect (2012)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
Director: Jason Moore | Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp
Votes: 330,371 | Gross: $65.00M
7/10
31. Chimpanzee (2011)
G | 78 min | Documentary, Family
Meet adorable young chimp Oscar and his fellow mayhem-creating buddies, who see the world as their playground. Full of curiosity, joy and a love for mimicking others, these are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the jungle.
Directors: Alastair Fothergill, Mark Linfield | Star: Tim Allen
Votes: 6,361 | Gross: $28.97M
7/10
32. Brave (2012)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
Determined to make her own path in life, Princess Merida defies a custom that brings chaos to her kingdom. Granted one wish, Merida must rely on her bravery and her archery skills to undo a beastly curse.
Directors: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, Steve Purcell | Stars: Kelly Macdonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters
Votes: 441,699 | Gross: $237.28M
7/10
33. Hyde Park on Hudson (2012)
R | 94 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The story of the love affair between FDR and his distant cousin Margaret "Daisy" Suckley, centered around the weekend in 1939 when the King and Queen of the United Kingdom visited upstate New York.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Bill Murray, Laura Linney, Olivia Williams, Samuel West
Votes: 12,358 | Gross: $6.37M
7/10
34. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)
PG-13 | 169 min | Adventure, Fantasy
A reluctant Hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, sets out to the Lonely Mountain with a spirited group of dwarves to reclaim their mountain home, and the gold within it from the dragon Smaug.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage, Andy Serkis
Votes: 872,129 | Gross: $303.00M
6/10
35. Room 237 (I) (2012)
Not Rated | 102 min | Documentary
An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980).
Director: Rodney Ascher | Stars: Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan
Votes: 23,100 | Gross: $0.26M
6/10
36. Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
PG | 101 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A video game villain wants to be a hero and sets out to fulfill his dream, but his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade where he lives.
Director: Rich Moore | Stars: John C. Reilly, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Sarah Silverman
Votes: 457,813 | Gross: $189.42M
5/10 I feel like I need to explain this one. So, I can get over the formulaic plot found in almost every family film (plot being the character is all depressed, but meets someone and they become all happy, then they're are some montages, slapstick, and plotting villain stuff. The character has to betray these people or some lie is revealed about them, but then they come back together and defeat the villain, YAY!) However, I cannot take the film insulting our intelligence by throwing in countless subplots. For instance the bugs, the romance, having two separate, unrelated villains, the bad running joke about chocolate you probably didn't even know was there, the random twist that added nothing to the plot. The movie can't decide if it wants to be about Ralph jumping between different games and meeting new, interesting characters, or these two outsiders coming together to win the big race. Granted, the basic idea is VERY original and could make a great franchise, plus there are moments of actual comedy, ones that I remember months later. But to me, the mess of a plot just couldn't be saved.
37. Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.
Director: Rupert Sanders | Stars: Kristen Stewart, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Sam Claflin
Votes: 302,189 | Gross: $155.33M
5/10
38. Prometheus (I) (2012)
R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Votes: 643,523 | Gross: $126.48M
4/10
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