This might be the weirdest movie on this list. Robert Eggers managed to follow-up The Witch with a movie equally devoted to capturing the look, sound, and feel of a specific place at a specific time, but this time focuses less on pure horror and instead delves into the bizarre and existential. With only two actors, Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe, both incredible, The Lighthouse immediately throws you into its isolated journey into madness. Shot on 35mm black and white film in a silent film era 1.19:1 aspect ratio -- mostly with lenses from the 1930s (and one from 1912!) -- Eggers and his team have made the most unique visual experience of 2019, certainly, and likely the decade as a whole.
49. The Social Network (2010)
David Fincher's heavily-stylized biopic of Mark Zuckerberg and the early days of Facebook was one of those movies that, upon first hearing about it, sounded like an odd prospect. Fincher, one of our best, most unique filmmakers, tackling the story of a profoundly unlikable billionaire? Sitting down to watch it for the first time, though, the opening scene alone declared this one as a new classic. Aaron Sorkin's script is relentlessly quick, and the cast (a career-best Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer) makes it all sing. Plus you get the Oscar winning score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross and one of the best bits of dialogue in any film ever, delivered by Rooney Mara's Erica Albright: "You're going to go through life thinking that girls don't like you because you're a nerd. And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won't be true. It'll be because you're an asshole." How true does that ring for so many online these days, huh?
48. Nighcrawler (2014)
The less I say about Nightcrawler, the better. If you haven't seen Dan Gilroy's nightmarish Los Angeles pseudo-noir by now, stop reading this list and go buy it. Featuring Jake Gyllenhaal's best ever performance (which is really, really saying something), this one is both deeply rattling and truly unforgettable.
47. Hereditary (2018)
Has there ever been a more extraordinary opening salvo from a horror director than Ari Aster's deeply terrifying Hereditary? This dark, unpredictable family drama contains some of the most creative, totally unexpected horror imagery the genre has offered in many, many years (if you've seen it, you know exactly the things I'm hinting at). Toni Collette's go-for-broke performance was likely the best 2018 had to offer, and the awards circuit's predictable anti-horror bias keeping her out of the major competitions was truly frustrating. Go into this one blind if you've yet to experience it, and prepare to see a family wrestle with loss more openly than most films would ever dare portray. A truly incredible film.
46. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
Spike Lee's BlacKkKlansmen pulls off one of modern films greatest balancing acts. The movie, about a black police officer and his Jewish partner going undercover with the KKK in 1970s Colorado, is consistently hilarious while remaining open and honest about the horrors of racism and bigotry. John David Washington and Adam Driver are both incredible in this movie, maintaining the comedic tone throughout but nailing the dramatic moments as they come along. I don't know that I'll ever shake the theatrical experience I had with this film. Even in rural Iowa, which, let's face it, has some diversity and inclusion issues, Spike Lee's coda to this film hit like a sledgehammer. People were sobbing in their seats, and walked out of the theater as though they had really learned something. Here's hoping they had.
45. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Drew Goddard and Joss Whedon's The Cabin in the Woods is perhaps the most aggressively "meta" take on the horror genre ever crafted. Its opening act starts to set up what one expects to be a traditional teens-get-slaughtered horror flick before the twist hits, and hits HARD, right before the title comes on screen. The concept is so high-brow that you can almost feel it straining to hold itself together as time goes on, but Goddard's direction keeps everything running smoothly until it fully sticks the landing. As clever as they come and a crazy amount of fun, The Cabin in the Woods has earned a place on many all-time favorite horror lists.
44. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Following up 2008's The Dark Knight was never going to be an easy task for Christopher Nolan, and plenty of folks out there will tell you that he dropped the ball with the conclusion to his Batman trilogy. The truth, though, is that he did a wonderful job. The Dark Knight made such big waves for several reasons, including an amazing performance by Heath Ledger (whose sudden death before the film's release likely made the portrayal more popular than it otherwise ever would have been) and a new spin on the genre that was more similar to Michael Mann's Heat than any previous "traditional" Batman film. Just because The Dark Knight Rises supposedly doesn't reach the same heights as it predecessor -- I'd argue it absolutely does -- doesn't make it a bad film, though. In fact, it's far more of a true Batman story than the heavily politics and villain-focused 2008 film, giving Christian Bale more screen time and a more complete story arc. Gary Oldman does his best work as Jim Gordon here, Anne Hathaway's Selina Kyle might be the best character in the trilogy, and Tom Hardy's Bane is honestly incredible (if you can get over the voice, the response to which has always baffled me). As a lifelong, diehard Batman fan, The Dark Knight Rises is everything I could have wanted out of the trilogy capping blockbuster, especially in its powerful closing minutes.
43. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Edgar Wright's adaptation of Bryan Lee O'Malley's Scott Pilgrim vs. the World is endlessly entertaining. It's packed front-to-back with great music, a wide array of talented actors giving it their all, and some of the most visually dynamic fight scenes you're going to find anywhere. It's hyper-energetic, superbly edited movie magic. What else would you expect from Edgar Wright?
42. It Follows (2014)
The central metaphor has been explained to death, and that's okay. It was always meant to be understood, and it's no less effective for being openly discussed. David Robert Mitchell's It Follows is a horror classic not because of its smart concept but because of Mitchell and co.'s genius camera work, subliminally setting up for us where the scares will come from and then subverting those expectations with unexpected pauses and clever framing. It's a masterclass in building and sustaining dread, the evil entity's relentless, straightforward (literally) pursuit of our protagonist (Maika Monroe) and those trying to help her never giving the audience a moment to rest. I've always been a firm believer that, when it comes to horror, less is more. Few films provide a better look at the of the strength of that idea than It Follows.
41. The World's End (2013)
The "Three Flavours Cornetto" trilogy from Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz/The World's End) have more than earned its beloved reputation. It was always the loosest of trilogies, a group of films linked merely by who was making them and their style: A Romero-loving zombie comedy with all kinds of heart in 2004's Shaun of the Dead, an action comedy with echoes of The Wicker Man in 2007's Hot Fuzz, and, finally, a... sad look at getting older and losing friends along the way? It's safe to say that Edgar Wright's third major pairing with Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, The World's End, wasn't exactly what the trio's biggest fans were expecting. It's still a very funny film with plenty of genre elements (a semi-Invasion of the Body Snatchers sci-fi tale with robot baddies), but there was clearly an effort made to make the emotional beats hit harder this time around. The common response I've found when discussing the film with other Wright fans is that, at first, the movie threw them off, they didn't like it as much as its predecessors in the "trilogy." Upon revisiting it, giving it a second, third, fourth look... it often becomes the favorite film of the series. Let's face it: We all miss being younger and the friends we had and things we did. Only a supremely talented group of filmmakers could tell perhaps the decade's most essential version of that story without losing the comedy and stylistic flair that made their films so damn popular in the first place. Cheers to you, Wright, Pegg, and Frost.
40. The Rover (2014)
A desolate Australian landscape after some type of societal collapse. A man (Guy Pearce, powerful as always) driven by some unknown motivation, tracks down a group of men who stole his car and left one of their own, injured and presumed dying, behind. The injured man (Robert Pattinson, who you have probably noticed is all over this list) isn't dying, though, and one of the car thieves was his brother. He joins Pearce's character in tracking them down. I won't spoil why Pearce's Eric is so desperate to get the car back -- I'll simply say that the revelation was so stunning in its simplicity and heart that I couldn't stop thinking about it for days after the credits rolled. The highlights of the film, other than its alarmingly convincing, bleak look, are the quiet, slowly unraveling conversations between Pearce and Pattinson. It's a gut-wrenching film at times, but the story, by director David Michôd and the great Joel Edgerton, is extremely engaging. The Rover is without doubt one of the underappreciated gems of the decade.
39. Ad Astra (2019)
After The Lost City of Z, I somewhat expected James Gray to return with a simpler, less devastating story. Thankfully, I was way off. Ad Astra, featuring one of two possible career best performances by Brad Pitt in 2019 (more on that in the next part of this list), is a complex story about fatherhood and expectations. Interestingly, that complicated emotional journey is told in a rather straightforward sci-fi mold: Pitt's Major Roy McBride is informed that his father, a famous astronaut long thought dead (Tommy Lee Jones), appears to be alive on the other side of the solar system and responsible for a series of electrical surges that have been wreaking havoc back on Earth. The film on its surface revolves around McBride's journey to his father, a trip filled with your expected sci-fi action sequences (including a stellar buggy chase on the Moon, one of 2019's most thrilling sequences), but it's the deeply contemplative third act that will stick with me for a long time to come.
38. Ready or Not (2019)
I've admired the hell out of the guys that form the group Radio Silence since I first found out about them via their terrifying but oh-so-fun short segment in the first V/H/S film, called "10/31/98." They made some other contributions to anthologies and one mostly unsuccessful feature film (Devi's Due) in the time since, but finally have returned in a big, big way with Ready or Not. A brilliant idea executed to perfection, this is the story of a bride (Samara Weaving, always great but never better than here) marrying into an extremely wealthy family that made their fortune via games. Family tradition insists that any newcomer to the family must play a game, chosen via a card presented at random from a strange box, with them at midnight on their first day. Weaving's Grace soon finds out that she drew the one bad card: Hide or seek. To spoil any of the glorious scenes of comedic horror to follow would be a crime, so I'll just say this: The ending rules, and you should watch this film immediately... and badger everyone you meet to do the same.
37. Guardians of the Galaxy & Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 2 (2014/2017)
Okay, so I'm cheating. I'll tell you now that this won't be the last time. I originally had these both on the list separately, a few spots apart, but the truth I inevitably kept coming back to was this: James Gunn's genre-redefining, nonstop entertaining Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel really do function as one larger piece. They're the story of a kid from Earth stranded way out in the universe on his own, finding friends and ultimately family of his own choosing. They're a heartbreaking story of fatherhood and the many shapes it can take -- some good, some very bad. They're hilarious, they'll make you cry, and they'll leave you desperate to see this ragtag team of well-meaning scoundrels on more adventures. Luckily, between Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, we already got a bit more. I couldn't be happier that James Gunn will be getting back to work on Vol. 3 soon. The world is a better place with these films (and their amazing soundtracks) in it.
36. The Witch (2015)
Robert Eggers' debut film The Witch is a remarkable period piece, its hand-crafted (with era accurate tools) sets effortlessly pulling the viewer fully into its quiet, haunting world. I've always loved the tagline -- "A New England Folktale" -- a statement so simple and honest that it almost lulls you into thinking the movie won't go as far into unspeakable horror as it ultimately has to. If you, like me, enjoy tales of supposed witchcraft in early America and can stick with the film's Middle English-by-way-of-Shakespeare dialog, The Witch will offer plenty of intrigue and terror. Black Phillip should have received an honorary Oscar.
35. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)
Taika Waititi's The Hunt for the Wilderpeople is the story of a foster kid looking for his place in the world. It's uproariously funny, it's absolutely packed with great actors, and it will warm even the coldest of hearts. This was one of a string of massively successful films from Taika Waititi in his native New Zealand that led to him getting the biggest job of his life with Thor: Ragnarok. Luckily, his work on massive franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the new Star Wars series The Mandalorian hasn't overshadowed his earlier work. Instead, it seems to have made people seek these smaller scale stories out. I highly doubt that anyone who does so will regret the time they spend with Ricky Baker, played to such great effect by breakout star Julian Dennison.
34. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
James Mangold showed himself to be a master of the biopic with Walk the Line back in 2004, and he finally turned his talents back to that genre with the immensely satisfying racing drama Ford v Ferrari, starring Christian Bale (incredible as usual) and Matt Damon (ditto). The story of the efforts made by Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles for the Ford Motor Company in the buildup to the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford v Ferrari is full of expertly recreated racing sequences and equal parts heartbreaking moments of defeat and heartwarming successes. If you don't know the story of Ken Miles, in particular, you'll be blown away by this incredible man and what he could do (when Ford wasn't getting in the way, that is). Few movies in recent memory made such good use of theatrical exhibition as this one. When you get the chance, watch it LOUD.
33. Slow West (2015)
John Maclean's Slow West is one of the quirkiest Westerns ever made. The story of a Scottish teen (Kodi Smit-McPhee) coming to America to track down the girl he thinks he loves (on the run with her father for a crime in their native land) and teaming up with a bounty hunter with questionable motives (Michael Fassbender), this one is short but supremely effective. It's funny and it's totally original, and the supporting cast is loaded with great character actors (the immensely talented Ben Mendelsohn steals the show, of course). It also contains one of the great visual jokes ever committed to film. I seriously love this movie.
32. Marvel's The Avengers & Avengers: Endgame (2012/2019)
I told you I'd cheat again! In 2012, Marvel's The Avengers changed the blockbuster landscape forever. The long-awaited team up of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, and the Hulk defied all expectations, deftly weaving together their various skills and personalities in a heartfelt, hilarious action spectacular. For a lifelong comic nerd like myself, it was a dream come true. And then, with each successive Marvel film, the story didn't splinter off, but continued to build. The first Avengers film wasn't the climax of the story, but only the end of its first act. Seven years later Marvel blew almost everyone's minds with the culmination of a decade plus of work in the form of the massive, bombastic Avengers: Endgame. Held together by the strong direction of Joe and Anthony Russo, the end of Marvel's "Infinity Saga" featured dozens of beloved characters and somehow managed to do right by all of them. Quite frankly, a movie of such scale was unfathomable, even in the superhero genre, before Marvel Studios started their journey. It's popular in the film world to take shots at the MCU for being too loud and too flashy, but that's to be expected, and I couldn't care less. If I could show 8-year-old me Avengers: Endgame, it would make him incredibly excited for the future of the characters he loves. It's done the same for the modern me, to tell the truth.
31. Snowpiercer (2013)
Bong Joon-ho's Snowpiercer, based off of a French graphic novel, is a propulsive story of class warfare set on an always-in-motion train plowing through the snowy landscapes of a bleak apocalyptic world. It has echoes of Bioshock and J.G. Ballard's High-Rise, but at the end of the day it's utterly unique. Powered by a strong performance by Chris Evans, our journey from the back of the train to the front is filled with inventive action sequences, exquisite set design (totally new from car to car), and all kinds of surreal twists and turns. Snowpiercer is without doubt one of the greatest sci-fi films of the modern era.
30. It & It: Chapter Two (2017/2019)
This one isn't a cheat, damn it! Andy Muschietti's modern spin on Stephen King's masterful It is, at the end of the day, one giant story, covering two eras and doing great justice to both. The casts, both the younger and older versions, are perfect all the way through. The scares are plentiful, creative, and always serve to propel the story forward. I've always found it to be true that capturing the tone of a King story is more important than attempting to adapt the stories word-for-word, and Muschietti's films are now my strongest defense for that belief. This is sprawling, complex horror that values the human element and character above all else, and, as someone who first read the book in 6th grade and loves it dearly, I couldn't be happier with how this turned out. I can only imagine how many nightmares Bill Skarsgaard's Pennywise has caused out there in the world.
29. Animal Kingdom (2010)
One of the best crime dramas ever made. Ben Mendelsohn is absolutely transcendent. Don't read about Animal Kingdom... go watch it.
28. Mission: Impossible - Fallout (2018)
What the hell kind of action franchise is still getting better by the time its sixth entry rolls around? Christopher McQuarrie, in his second outing in the M:I franchise, takes the series to new heights (quite literally) with the absolutely jaw-dropping Fallout. Cruise has always been a little nuts, but he does things in this movie that I imagine had his agents quaking with fear. The huge stunts are cool as can be, of course, but the story, picking up from where the previous film, Rogue Nation, left off, is the best the franchise has ever offered, and that's what ultimately so impressive. Henry Cavill is great as Cruise's rival, and the supporting cast assembled over the last few films (Simon Pegg, for one, as well as the real standout, Rebecca Ferguson) continues to give these films more heart and soul than an action movie theoretically needs to get by. McQuarrie is gearing up to shoot M:I 7 and 8 back-to-back for release in 2021 and 2022, and you should all be as excited about that as I am.
27. Logan (2017)
"A man has to be what he is, Joey. Can't break the mold. There's no living with the killing. There's no going back. Right or wrong, it's a brand. A brand that sticks. Now you run on home to your mother... you tell her everything's alright. There are no more guns in the valley."
With those words, from George Stevens' 1953 classic Shane, we say goodbye to Hugh Jackman's Wolverine, perhaps the most beloved character in any long-running franchise the world has ever seen. Over the course of nearly 20 years, Jackman continued to evolve his take on the character, finding new depths when he needed to, more ferocity when the movies called for it, and plenty of emotional turmoil. James Mangold's Logan, an R-rated, gut punch of a Western that takes place in a distant, harrowing post-X-Men future, is the perfect final statement for Jackman's career-defining role. It will probably break your heart, but it will certainly have been worth the ride.
26. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri (2017)
Martin McDonagh's latest is a dark comedic drama about loss, grief, racism, cancer... all the kinds of things you aren't supposed to use to make people laugh. When you have Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell doing career best (and Oscar winning) work, though, you have to give them something worthy of their talents, and McDonagh certainly did. Only with this cast could you pull this story off and not have it feel mean-spirited or misguided. This is a movie about struggling people in tough situations, some self-created and some via tragedy, trying to better themselves and possibly failing. Ultimately, that's about as human as it gets, right? It's truly extraordinary.
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