2012 has been a phenomenal year for movies. Despite not being able to watch every worthy film I still had an excessively long list from the movies I was fortunate to watch. With that being said, I would like to reiterate that the movies on this list are the movies that I personally enjoyed the most out of the ones that I saw this year.
Before jumping into the list I would recommend checking out the video below. Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr. makes these amazing compilations each year of all of the films that have come out and it makes for a perfect reminder of all of the gems that we got in 2012.
And with that let’s move onto the list!
7. The Cabin in the Woods
At the bottom of my list sits Cabin in the Woods. Cabin in the Woods while at a quick glance looks like any other teen horror flick is actually more of a self aware mockery of the genre. You come into this movie easily foreseeing what is going to happen next and then it breaks the format and your mind starts to get blown. The movie has a really fun cast and is written by Joss Whedon and while arguably not a horror film it is easily one of new favorites of the genre.
6. Skyfall
Prior to this year I had not been sold on Daniel Craig as Bond. Casino Royale was fun but not spectacular and I honestly can’t even remember anything from Quantum of Solace. Let’s just say that after Skyfall I am now all on board. Skyfall was hands down one of my favorite Bond films ever. It found that perfect mix of old Bond style and that new dark and grittier tone. On top of that we get Javier Bardem playing an absolutely amazing Bond villain and the entire film just looks stunning. I can now safely say that I cannot wait for Craig’s next venture with the character.
5. Life of Pi
While I loved the book, movie adaptations more often than not miss the mark. That definitely was not the case here. Life of Pi was one of those books no one thought could be made into a movie due to major lack of dialogue and the fact that the majority of the film takes place with Pi by himself in the middle of the ocean with a tiger. Despite these challenges Ang Lee was able to perfectly retell this fantastic story while still maintaining all of the magic that the book had.
4. Moonrise Kingdom
This year Wes Andersen presented us with another one of his loveable and quirky films and like the rest of them it was glorious. Moonrise Kingdom has one my favorite casts in a movie ever and each actor plays his or her respective character stunningly. While the film did have a lot of big names in regards to older actors the story was in fact one of two kids in love creating a nostalgic tale of that awkward and passionate young love. The more I find myself thinking back on this film the more I feel wrong putting it only at number four but there really are just a ton of amazing movies this year. You can read my full review of Moonrise Kingdom here!
3. The Dark Knight Rises
I know I am not alone in the belief that Christopher Nolan’s Batman movies are the best superhero films to date and this year we got to see the final installment of the trilogy. Christian Bale’s Bruce Wayne is forced to once again take up the cowl as Gotham is threatened by Bane. While the Dark Knight and Ledger’s Joker were tough act to follow, we are given a movie which does so swimmingly and a villain who is absolutely terrifying. The term epic is thrown around way too loosely these days but this trilogy and especially its conclusion I feel are more than worthy of the term. You can read my full review of the film here!
2. The Grey
Anyone who is curious why the movie about Liam Neeson punching wolves made it this high on the list clearly has not seen this movie. This isn’t just an action movie about men fighting wolves but it was the single most though provoking film I saw this year. The film takes a look at the nature of life and death while simultaneously providing an adrenaline rush of a thriller. Liam Neeson stars and delivers an absolutely stunning performance due to similarities between his character and himself. Hands down my new favorite Liam Neeson film and for the vast majority of the year the Grey sat in my number one spot.
1. Django Unchained
The reason this list took so long to come out was because I just had to wait for Django Unchained to be released. I am so glad I waited. Django Unchained follows in the same revisionist footsteps that Inglorious Basterds took and provides a bit of an alternative take on history. Christoph Waltz and Jamie Foxx play one of the best duos I have seen in years and their performances are only rivaled by the villains of the films who are played by Samuel Jackson and Leonardo Dicaprio. The movie is just so emotive, exciting, fun, funny and an absolute thrill to watch. I just got to watch Django within these past few days and have yet to write a review for it and I am not sure if I will because despite all of my best efforts I have yet to find or think of a bad thing to say about it. If I were to write a review it would be less of a review and more of a rant about why it is so awesome. Django Unchained is hands down my number one movie of the year and one of my new favorites of all time.
Honorable Mentiones
The Avengers
Looper
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
Safety not Guaranteed
So these have been my seven favorites of the year. What were some of your guy’s favorites? What were some of the movies that you feel deserve a spot on here? Leave your thoughts and your own personal lists in the comments below!
