Top 15 Movies of the 2000s

After creating my Top 15 Movies list for the years spanning 2010-2016, I was immediately interested in creating a Top 15 list for the previous decade, 2000-2009. This was in part due to the fact that there were movies that I wanted to put on the previous list but could not do so because they were made before 2010. Another reason is that I've noticed my view on movies in the past changing, where some movies I thought were good have lessened over the course of time while others that I didn't originally care for have grown into some very enjoyable pieces. This change is especially noticeable if, after reading this list, you explore my 23 Favorite Movies lists from back in 2014.

I do not think I will make any similar lists for other decades, I just don't have as much interest or knowledge compared to movies made in this century. With such a long passage of time (10 years is long when it comes to movies), and especially with such a drastic change in my taste of movies during this specific time period, it's interesting to notice what has stuck with me over the years compared to what movies I think I missed out on when growing up.

Once again, after giving a brief rundown on the movie or my impression of the movie, I will include things you should be made aware of in terms of content before watching, as well as what makes the movie so worth rewatching. Also once again, I will include a list of honorable mentions of movies I enjoyed, just not enough to warrant being at the top, and then at the very end will be my Need-to-See list, which this time will be majorly comprised of suggestions I received from friends online.

15. Funny Crooks in London: Snatch (2000)

I was in a bit of a Guy Ritchie faze for a time, mainly by watching this movie and its predecessor, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, multiple times. This is one of those kind of movies where the protagonists are not really good guys, but the characters are all interesting. A part of the charm of both of these movies is the low budget aesthetic, so that while you're watching a movie that may not necessarily look top notch, it makes up for it with funny writing and unique avenues of character development.

Snatch features a multitude of more memorable characters, including Jason Statham as the calm and witty protagonist, Brad Pitt's mushed mouth Irish rambler, Vinnie Jones as a psycho polite guy with anger issues, Benicio Del Toro's too cool for school gangster, and Alan Ford's quietly dangerous mob boss. With colorful names like Bullet-Tooth Tony, Frankie Four Fingers, Boris the Blade, and Gorgeous George, you know you're in for a goofy fun time. There's good reasons why this and Ritchie's first movie are being used and rebooted into a TV series this year.

Watch Out for: The Pikey gibberish (It ain't exactly English, not exactly Irish, it's just...Pikey). Profanities thrown about lackadaisically. Bloody violence is involved cause it's boxing and gangster business. And (though I don't really remember this) there are some images of topless women in the background from time to time.

Why It's Rewatchable: The humor works very well because of how sarcastic it is while still not relying entirely on darkness and bitterness. The quirky characters are some of the best in Guy Ritchie's career and you come to actually care for some of these grimy, crummy jerks.

14. American Odyssey the Musical: O Brother Where Art Thou (2000)

A classic Coen Brothers comedy that I did not fully appreciate when I first watched it, but has steadily grown on me over the years. This is the Coen Brothers movie I've watched the most and where you can especially make out their style for aesthetic and humorous dialogue. Pappy O'Daniel and Ulysseus Everett McGill are two of the best characters ever created by the Coens. This is an entertaining comedy with an unusual sense of humor, where even the Ku Klux Klan are funny characters. The cinematography works very well here because the sepia, grainy tones match the Depression era southern setting. What a lot of people remember from this movie is the soundtrack, which features a lot of folk, bluegrass, and blues music performed by modern day bards and groups in those genres. This is where I first really experienced appreciating this kind of music and only wish I appreciated it more when I was younger.

Watch Out for: A man loudly stating "Well we was fixin' to fornicate" in a polite public setting (I didn't get this joke when I was younger). There is some dark menace caused by the movie's antagonist, plus not to mention a Klan meeting done very realistically (to a certain point). Also, Tim Blake Nelson gets the tar beaten out of him...which actually is both fun and sad to watch.

Why It's Rewatchable: The visuals of the southern landscape, witty dialogue, the soundtrack and the goofy characters played by the main trio of George Clooney, Tim Blake Nelson, and John Turturro.

13. Backwards is Forwards:  The Mind Games Movie: Memento (2000)

The first of three Christopher Nolan movies on this list. Sometimes people think a movie is style over substance or vice versa. This one is both. It's a stylish movie because of the narrative framework, where the story is told backwards (the ending comes in the beginning and the real beginning comes at the end). It takes a lot of mental energy to focus enough to understand this movie, especially the first time through. The substance is the story and the characters involved.

The premise is simple: a man seeks revenge for his wife's murder. The way he goes about seeking revenge while battling his mental disorder is what gives the story conflict and substance. It also does some interesting character building by feeding us information in reverse order so that we can never really trust or empathize with anyone, even the main character.

Watch Out for: Bloody violence and profanity worthy of the R rating.

Why It's Rewatchable: The plot and story would ultimately make more sense the more you watch it. The plot is the most intriguing part, but the characters are interesting enough to keep you wanting to understand everything that's going  on. Also there's a little nostalgia involving the polaroid pictures.


12. Irish Culture 101 The Cartoon: The Secret of Kells (2009)

I mentioned its successor in my previous list now here is the first genuine article from Cartoon Saloon. I think I prefer this movie just because the Irish landscape gets more variety and attention and I prefer the historical setting. The illumination of the Book of Kells works spectacularly well in this movie because the animators give it an extraordinary appearance compared to the rest of the cartoon world. The art style kind of reminds me of Samurai Jack, but the angles are played with even moreso here. Celtic mythology and Catholic spirituality are blended as well as expected in this movie, not necessarily confusingly so but the line between reality and fantasy does get blurred some.

The voice over work is stellar, especially with the children actors. The legit Irish dialects may make it hard for audience members to understand everything, but I appreciate being absorbed in this foreign world in a time gone by. Again, what works best in this movie is the animation, where special things glow and sometimes a 3-D setting goes two dimensional and back.

Watch Out for: Some creepy or intimidating imagery involving the antagonists of this movie. Obviously nothing graphic, but just know that this movie is not all bright and colorful.

Why It's Rewatchable: Curious kid characters in a movie with a uniquely gorgeous artistic style.


11. So Much Better The Second Time Around: Shrek 2 (2004)

What's a Shrek movie doing on this list, and why is it not the original? Cause the sequel is funnier and improves upon the original that's why! Actually, this was one of the first DVDs my family owned and I watched it constantly. Seriously, EVERYTHING works better in this movie than the original, One improvement involves the multitude of pop culture references, some of which are definitely product of the times types but overall they make sense and are still humorous, even to a young teen who wasn't pop culture literate back then. Part of the success of the humor and references is because there's not as many bitter criticisms of Disney in these jokes as the original. All of the characters go through even more character building, so that we come to appreciate Shrek, Fiona, and Donkey and their relationships to each other even more than before. The new characters are fun additions and very fitting for this goofy world. The villainness here is so much better than the original villain because she is both melodramatic and delightfully charming, much better than just being arrogant. The animation is not all that much different from the first one, but the three years between the two definitely made it smoother.

The music can be somewhat distracting when you hear things like 'Accidentally in Love' and it transports you mentally back to 2004 but overall the soundtrack is enjoyable (and it introduced me to Tom Waits and Nick Cave music which I would not explore until many years later). The environment is pleasant to be in at all times, which is a part of what keeps me coming back to rewatch all the time.

Watch Out for: Some innuendos and other immature jokes that pop up in kids movies to appease to both kids and adults.

Why It's Rewatchable: Fun characters with funny things to say, the pleasant world we get to stay in, and the themes of love and friendship done in the least cheesy way possible.

10. So Slow It's Good Drama: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2006)

Sometimes I think I give people the impression that I dislike any slow pacing and long quiet moments in movies. Well, here's a movie that is full of slow pacing, long quiet moments, and even background narration, and I love it. A strange blend of western and documentary moviemaking, this gently paced movie gives you time to feel the uneasiness of these characters' lives. This movie introduced me to Casey Affleck and made me appreciate Sam Rockwell. Both actors, plus Brad Pitt, are tremendous forces in this film. It's a grim and tense movie, and yet you can feel sorrow and empathy for both Jesse and Bob at different points. There's not as much violence and gunplay in here as other westerns, but some of the imagery is more haunting here than any bloody shootout.

Sometimes I don't really have much more to say than just "It's really good and you should go watch it".

Watch Out for: A few moments of profanities and some bloody violence.

Why It's Rewatchable: The characters are just so absorbing. There are images and scenes that stick with you and keep drawing you back.

9. Top Swashbuckling British Navy Tutorial: Master and Commander:The Far Side of the World (2003)

The movie really makes you believe you are out at sea during 1803. Most of our time is spent on one vessel, a magnificent home for so many men and it was tough to always tell what was done in studio and what was done on the ship. The costumes and lighting adds to the authenticity of this voyage we go on. There's enough scenes of swashbuckling action to keep a teen boy interested while at the same time it provides some eloquent dialogue and fantastic character building for adult tastes.

The script allows multiple characters to get time to be developed in their own way, and the way they interact with each other, especially with the class and work differences, are part of this movie's charm. You get a real sense of history from watching this movie and it lets you sympathize with each of the characters it addresses to you.

Watch Out for: A bloody violent battle takes place periodically, and you vividly see the blood and dead bodies. This movie is also not afraid of getting up close and personal with injuries, bones, and brains. The ocean can be an intimidating factor, especially when it's stormy and dark.

Why It's Rewatchable: You get to see how a British Navy vessel was operated and lived on in 1803. Plus all of the action to be had on the high seas.

8. Top Middle Earth Movie: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

The best of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It relies the least on computer generated effects and the images that are there are more spectacular than the visuals we get in the next two movies (except for Gollum, of course). I like that the focus is not split on three separate storylines but for the most part is only just on one, sometimes two, which makes it easier to get invested in the movie and characters. The final battle is actually my favorite because I love how such a small group of warriors tackles an overwhelmingly large force and it's made especially epic with the redemptive last stand of Boromir. Not to mention the boss battle between Viggo Mortensen and the Uruk Hai, where Viggo literally bats away a live blade that could've injured or killed him

I will be honest and say that when I first saw this movie, I got scared. I was always frightened by Gollum as a kid (I saw the animated LOTR movies before seeing this one) and the Ringwraiths are definitely frightening. The atmosphere in this movie can get pretty dark and intimidating to young kids with crazy imaginations. I did enjoy it enough to watch the VHS multiple times when we got it, I just always skipped what I thought were the scary parts until I stopped being intimidated by them. So this was the only movie I saw in the trilogy when they were first released in theaters and it was only after they came out on home video that I began to watch them regularly.

Even after reading the books, I still find this movie to be a tremendous feat. It paces itself very well for a three hour adventure, it has both fun action and dramatic dialogue, and it is probably the best adaptation of a book that is least like its source material.

Watch Out for: Chopped off limbs and bloody violence (though not too bloody). Also, the scary parts involving Ringwraiths and Gollumses.

Why It's Rewatchable: The magnetic pull you feel for the characters. The grand battles in fantastic landscapes. The good vs. evil story done so spectacularly well.

7. Rock'n'Roll History 101: It Might Get Loud (2008)

One of the first music documentaries I've seen and the one that I hold as the standard for other rock music documentaries I watch. This movie made me appreciate Jimmy Page and The Edge more and it introduced me to Jack White, whose music and personality I obsessed over for a time. The exploration of music history and the various methods of playing various electric guitars were what gripped me and keeps me coming back again and again.

There are so many visuals of concerts throughout the years. There are so many songs and electric guitar tones that showcase the growth of rock music over the decades. We get to see how technology has influenced song writing, sounds, and creativity and how different guitarists utilize the technology at their disposal.

Each guitarist also has their personal approach and attitude towards the guitar, which is great to have such variety of character in these high profile rock'n'rollers. We get to travel to some pretty neat places , from the Heady Grange cabin that Led Zeppelin recorded in to a random rundown Tennessee farm that Jack White transforms into his personal music practice room.

Watch Out for: Footage of bombing sites in Ireland from the 70s. Jack White cuts his finger while playing the guitar and like a boss keeps playing while he bleeds all over it. Jimmy Page uses some strange vocabulary sometimes that are carnal in nature.

Why It's Rewatchable: It's a quick watch at around 90 minutes, but the stories and history of the music are the magnetic attraction for someone like me to watch over and over again.

6. Top Top Superhero Movie:  The Dark Knight (2008)

Probably the best superhero movie ever made thus far. Part of what makes this movie work is that it does not spend as much time as the first movie on describing Batman's gadgets and doodads to the audience. We just watch him move around and use whatever and we accept it because it's Batman and he's rich and smart. The times when the gadgets are described are tolerable because they become important pieces of information later on. We all know how terrifying Heath Ledger was as he portrayed The Joker and how it was probably the greatest thing about this movie, so I don't need to rehash why he's awesome.

Everything is written and shot with an extreme sense of realism. The origin of Harvey Dent and Two Face is more believable than other incarnations. The mystery of Joker's identity and origins are realistic. Even Batman's technology and crime fighting ways are all displayed in a realistic way. Another great aspect of this movie is that it is thematic. Where do you draw the line on what is good and bad when you're fighting criminals without morals or rules? How much chaos and anarchy is in our control? Are people really willing to do good even when threatened by extreme violence?

Watch Out for: Mayhem and dark images of criminal activity. Death and violence is dealt to many people in this movie, but they do not often show carnage or bloodshed. The effects for Two Face are realistic and could be too much for some people.

Why It's Rewatchable: It's Batman v. Joker done in a realistic way!

5. How Did He Do That?!: The Prestige (2006)

The third Christopher Nolan movie on my list, and some people may be surprised by the fact that I put this above The Dark Knight. I myself am somewhat surprised. When I first saw this movie in the theaters, I was not impressed. I do not know if it was all the high dramatic acting or if it was all of the twists and turns in the plot, but when the ending came around, I was just like "meh, whatever". However, since then, this is one of the few movies from this time period I've watched multiple times over the years. It gets better every time I watch it. Part of it is because there are so many secrets and hidden clues into the storyline you do not know about about upon first viewing, so seeing it again allows you to see what was hidden in plain sight before.

I like the time period and the settings. We get some nice Colorado landscapes sprinkled in along with the grungy London urban sets. The best thing about this setting though is that it really matches up with the story's connection to magic. This took place during a time where changes in technology almost baffled the average person and the changes were so new and strange that they could be manipulated to look extraordinarily like machines of magic. The actors are all dedicated to their parts, giving us a great character study in the consequences of revenge and greed.

Watch Out for: This movie is not necessarily violent, but they do have a few extremely gruesome visuals that are barely within the PG-13 range. May be a use of a profanity here and there, but I cannot recall much of it.

Why It's Rewatchable: The tense relationship between Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman. The steampunk-esque technological effects. Perhaps most importantly, once you know the full story, you begin to pick up on little hints and clues earlier in the movie every time you watch it again.

4. Top Christian Movie: The Passion of the Christ (2004)

I watch this movie every Lent, during the Triduum before Easter. There have been plenty of other movies made about the final night and day that Jesus was on this Earth before His crucifixion, but none of them were done in the languages spoken during the actual time period of the events. I applaud the filmmakers' use of Aramaic, Hebrew, and Latin and only after watching it and studying some Latin have I caught some distinctions between the languages. Everyone gives this movie trouble for the utterly gruesome blood and violence on display, but I appreciate that the filmmakers did not shy away from the reality that Jesus endured intense and painful whippings, scourgings, and beatings all before he was finally nailed to the Cross. While mainly drawing on the Gospel of John, all of the Gospel narratives about the Passion come together in this moving drama. The use of time jumps to tell other parts of the Gospel, as well as the spiritual warfare on display, are done very well to tell the full story or to give weight to a particular scene.

Watch Out for: Some of the harshest and most graphically realistic blood and violence stunts and effects.

Why It's Rewatchable: For the non-believer, it at least tells a tragic story while bringing an historical time and place to life as authentically as possible. For the Christian, this movie is a visual reminder of what our Savior endured in His Passion, giving some great weight and urgency to the situation because of its approach of realism.

3. Taxidermy in Motion: Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009)

I often debate with myself whether I consider this movie or Moonrise Kingdom to be Wes Anderson's best. This is one of the movies that made me appreciate the artistry of stop motion animation, but it was shot so stunningly well and smooth that everything really looks like it's almost happening for real. This is one of the few times and places where I enjoy the word "cuss" to describe profanities because it adds so much to the humor (I dislike using descriptive terms like 'curse words' or 'swearing' in normal circumstances). This is the kind of movie that both kids and adults can enjoy because it does not stoop low to talk down to kids nor does it involve a lot of wink wink nudge nudge jokes for adults.

It's a short movie but it is paced so well and the story is so entertaining you don't even pay attention to the time. The characters are all quirky and the adventure is zany, yet the plot has enough substance to it that it still does some character building along with the visual craziness. There's some fun relationships developed between the father and son, the son and his rivalry with his cousin, and Mr. Fox with his friends. There's also the thrill of the chase as Mr. Fox messes with his opponents in absurd and fun ways.

Watch Out for: Here and there, the puppets may look a little creepy, particularly the humans and the rat. Also, again, the word 'cuss' replaces real profanities that your kids may be able to piece together.

Why It's Rewatchable: Mr. Fox is rambunctious and gets himself into all sorts of trouble. The family dynamic allows for some good character development and some redemption to play of a part of the story. The humor is much more subtle than other comedies and doesn't rely on immature or gross comedy.

2. Two Hours of Magnetic Madness: No Country for Old Men (2008)

This movie has to be experienced all at once, in one sitting, for the initial viewing. The suspense and drama just keeps building and building as everything moves along and it grips you. I couldn't believe it when the movie suddenly ended and cut to black before the credits. Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh is terrific, a believably realistic villain even if he is a nutball. The writing taken from McCarthy's book is wonderful to listen to and see come to life. It's actually kind of impressive how much of the book the Coen Brothers put onto the screen. This is the kind of movie that does not seem like a standard Coen Brothers movie but you're okay with it because it's just so incredible.

The scenery and backgrounds add some nice atmosphere to the piece, though they are not distractingly focused on for too long, unlike movies like The Revenant or even Hell or High Water. Javier Bardem is not the only great actor in this movie, just perhaps given the most memorable character. The other main characters, especially those played by Josh Brolin and Kelly Macdonald, are all very realistic and tragic. Fun fact, I randomly use a quote from one of the supporting characters from time to time: The deputy, played by great character actor Garrett Dillahunt, who is following the Tommy Lee Jones sheriff, looks at a troubling scene and says "Oh, Sheriff...that is agitatin' ".

Watch Out for: Gruesome scenes of dead bodies and some of the most realistic blood and injury effects in movies. Also some profanities are heard sporadically.

Why It's Rewatchable: The thrill of the chase as Javier Bardem tracks down Josh Brolin. There's actually something gripping and thought provoking about the helplessness that Tommy Lee Jones and other characters feel in their inability to stop the action.


1. So Serious It's Funny: Hot Fuzz (2007)

This is one of the movies on this list I've watched way too many times over the years (the only one on this list I'd say I've watched more is Fellowship). While some of the initial jokes in the movie have become too known to me, I still smile and chuckle throughout the piece. This is another movie that deserves repeated viewings after the first so that you can catch all of the inside jokes and clues you've missed along the way. This is an example of an homage and parody done well, where you understand how they are making fun of the buddy cop genre while at the same time it provides a story that can stand on its own.

People argue over which movie in the Cornetto Trilogy (this, Shaun of the Dead, or The World's End) is the best (most often people will say Shaun of the Dead) and obviously I consider this to be the best. They work really hard to present this as some dramatic action movie and it is because of its commitment to being serious that the comedy works so well. Timothy Dalton, while an underrated James Bond, must've been born to play villains because he is just the best in this movie. Simon Pegg is incredibly convincing in the dramatic serious lead role and this is the type of adorable nincompoop Nick Frost is best at, not like the vulgar character he is in Shaun of the Dead. The ensemble adds some British flavor to the comedy and even the cameos are memorable. The final quarter of this movie is essentially a climactic battle in the streets and it satisfactorily delivers on both the gunplay and the laughter.

Watch Out for: Slang and other R-rated profanities are utilized throughout the piece, mostly played for comedy. The blood and violence is not overly gory, but it does pop up here and there, especially at the end. And, for the briefest of five seconds, there's a scene where a woman wears plastic naked breasts.

Why It's Rewatchable: References and homages to particular movies as well as context clues hidden on the screen which revolve around the mystery. The comedy is spot on and the story is just pure entertainment.


Honorable Mentions

-Serenity (2004)

I have barely seen any episodes of the Firefly TV series only in the last few years (I know, I'm a bad geek), so I did not have any foreknowledge about the characters or storyline before going to the theater to see this movie. Yet, I still understood everything and I still enjoyed the way the story was told. The story focuses on a group of anti-heroes who actually go through some character development to turn them into likable good guys (at least, Nathan Fillon's character gets the most development), essentially giving us a prototype of Guardians of the Galaxy. The dialogue's dark sarcastic humor works very well here, as do the moral and philosophic questions that are played out in the midst of fun sci-fi action set pieces.

-The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (2002) and Return of the King (2003)

Just because I consider Fellowship to be the best does not mean I do not appreciate what great pieces of motion picture beauty both of these movies are. They help give the full story of this thrilling adventure. All of the movies work best when watching their Extended Edition DVDs. Although I may not appreciate Gollum as a character, I can appreciate the technical and acting achievements accomplished in creating Gollum. I like the development of all of the characters along the way, except for maybe Gimli, who gets turned into the comedic relief as we go further along. The strange things about these movies, and perhaps why I put them in the honorable mentions category, is that I actually prefer the plotlines revolving around the battles much more than I prefer the Frodo & Sam storyline that actually matters the most within the story

-Open Range (2003)

It has the sensibilities of real classic Westerns along with the movie making abilities of modern dramas. Kevin Costner is a great actor and plays off of the superior Robert Duvall very well in this movie, but sometimes the man just loves too much narration, quiet moments, and slow drama in a movie that should focus its attention on gritty character building and gripping action. Michael Gambon made a convincing villain and there is a cool gunfight at the end of the movie.

-Children of Men (2006)

I remember the impact this movie had because there are key scenes I can vividly remember even now. This is not exactly an uplifting movie in the usual sense, especially since this movie is set in a truly chaotic, hopeless dystopia. This was in the midst of the height of Clive Owen's movie career, where he proved what a cool, gruff anti-hero he could be. At another time, I'd consider him for the next recasting of James Bond. This movie is full of shadowy lighting and disparaging images of humanity hitting a low point. There are multiple single takes that last a long while, which adds to the feeling of tension and discomfort that you should be feeling along with the characters. What makes this movie so good is the hope that Clive Owen finds and protects in the midst of the death.

-The Last Samurai (2003)

This movie is a story of forgiveness and redemption. Tom Cruise’s Nathan Algren is haunted by evil violence he inflicted upon a tribe of Native Americans and at first becomes enslaved by alcoholism and lack of care for his life. Then, through the time spent with the samurai village, Algren finds internal peace, asks for forgiveness, and finds value in his life by protecting the lives of those who helped him. His redemption comes from a second chance opportunity. Instead of passively allowing this clan to be massacred, he stands up to fight for the clan, even if it costs his life. In a way, the Emperor Meiji also goes through forgiveness and redemption. At first, driven by a desire for a powerfully modern Japan, the Emperor allows Omura to take over governing powers (in essence), also allowing the samurai communities to be desolated. In the end, after the climactic battle, the Emperor is driven by grief over his former mentor’s death that he stands up for the first time, to drive back Omura’s ambitions and halt the cultural implosion of Japan.

Need to See (Based on Recommendations)

-The Fountain (2006)

Two fantastic actors in a movie with a complicated timeline and focused on trippy special effects.

-Wall-E (2008) & Ratatouille (2007)

I added in the second movie of my own free will because I have not seen both of these Pixar movies, both of which are usually regarded as some of the best from the company.

-Minority Report (2002)

A crazy sci-fi plot featuring Tom Cruise action and directed by Steven Spielberg.

-Gran Torino (2008)

It's not just about racial issues from what I gather, but also about values in masculinity and what it really takes to be a true man. Also, it's Clint Eastwood.

-Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (2000)

I know, this is like some modern classic kung fu movie or something. I know I should've seen it by now. However, I've heard of and seen clips of some great action and stuntwork. And I would add some culture by watching in the original language.

-Almost Famous (2000)

This movie is on so many lists for Best Movies of this decade. I am not entirely sure if it's my cup of tea, but I enjoy rock music and historical pieces enough to give it a shot.

-Road to Perdition (2002)

A mobster flick done by an artsy director. Seems like it has some great actors in it, plus it's got some thematic examinations based on the subject material that I think I would find fascinating.

-The Fall (2006)

Apparently one of the most gorgeous and artsy movies made so far this century. At the very least I'll be able to look at lots of nice things.

-American Psycho (2000)

Mainly on my list because my friend Steve stated interest in what I would think of this movie. I hear it's a dark piece of satire, just featuring a bloody nutball with occasional violence and sex.

Valuable Movies: The Tree of Life

No, this is not a scene from The Revenant, but I can see where you'd make that mistake.

After watching Drive and feeling underwhelmed by that movie, I decided I wanted to immediately jump into another movie that I desperately wanted to see from my Need-to-See List. So, in two sittings on two separate days, I watched The Tree of Life, directed by Terrence Malick. It has been over a week since I finished the movie and I've been digesting the experience ever since.

There's some movies I watch where I feel like I have to prepare myself ahead of time. I may not exactly know what the experience will be like, but I do know that it will be totally different from most other movies and a truly unique to the picture I'm about to witness. The Tree of Life is one of those movies I felt like I needed to prepare myself for. Get plenty of sleep the night before, be in a relaxed mood, be mentally aware, all that kind of stuff.

This is definitely an experience of a movie. It does not play by conventional filmmaking rules so you do not examine it like every other conventional movie. It plays by its own rules and you have to follow them, allowing yourself to be led on a mystery. That does not mean I still cannot analyze and critique it for its Artistic and Moral Values, just that I have to frame my critique with a different understanding of what makes a movie bad or good compared to how I critique something like Drive.

Artistic Value (Rating: 4.5)

What is it? I don't know. Welcome to this movie's experience!

Most of my critique and appreciation of this movie deals with the Artistic Value because this is mainly a piece of high visual art. This movie is filmed with tons of fast paced edits cutting to a variety of scenes throughout time and space. We get so many visuals involving water and trees, then cut back to suburban life in 1950s Texas, cut to modern urban architecture, then back to flying views of volcanoes and outer space, and in between the movie stuffs in some glowing ethereal lights like an orange Aurora Borealis.

This movie definitely tries to fit a lot of visuals into the camera shot. Often, there are nice big fishbowl lense shots where the actor is the main focus, but there's tons of scenery around them to add to the atmosphere. This is so that, even if you may not fully understand the point of the visual, you at least know where you are and what is going on around the character. It also helps to establish atmosphere and mood, keeping the audience in a calm sense of awe and wonder.

Here comes the sun (doo-duh-doo-doo)

The cinematography is gorgeous, as are whatever effects were used to create the galactic and prehistoric pieces. There were many shots where I had to wonder whether a special visual effect or a practical effect was used to achieve the image. I like that mystery because that means that at least I felt connected to the movie and felt that this image is real, whether it was created on computer or created by props.

The Tree of Life is visual poetry, which can be both good and bad. A lot of the philosophy and questions that are posed in the movie are done through what you see on screen compared to what you hear spoken. And since it does not strive to particularly answer the questions directly, that adds to the poetic aspect of the final product. The reason why it can be considered bad to be visual poetry is because it is such high art that it can feel almost arrogant or self-confident. If movies are busy trying to impress their audience and speak such lofty philosophical jargon, that can turn people off from appreciating the artistry of the movie. Thankfully, the arrogance is kept low in this movie so that the poetic aspect can still maintain integrity.

Although sometimes it does show off.

I often criticize movies for being slow and too quiet. This criticism stems from a connection with the pace of the movie in question. If I think a movie's pace is too slow, it means that I think a movie is lingering on some visual or some idea much much longer than necessary. The reason it's longer than necessary is because the movie was trying to make some point or feed the audience some sort of information, but once it has accomplished either goal, it continues to linger on the point or image without continuing to develop the story or the characters. So, because The Tree of Life is a slow movie in terms of plot and development, it had a hard task of being slow with good reason while keeping my interesting.

The editing of the movie helped to keep the pacing quick enough to the point of keeping it interesting. The pacing of Drive is one of my criticisms or negative opinions about that particular movie because it made its point and yet lingered far too long. Here in The Tree of Life, even if you do not fully understand everything being said and seen on screen, it gives you enough to grasp what's happening then moves on to continue developing its point or move on to the next point of view. This pacing, especially in the first half, is what kept me engaged and interested in moments where I scratched my head and in normal circumstances may have turned the movie off.

The first half is wonderfully enchanting, with so many various shots and angles that you do not care that you're essentially being dropped smack near the end of the story in the beginning. The characters played by Brad Pitt and Jessica Chastain first appear at older stages in their characters' lives, then during the rest of the movie we see scenes of them as young lovers and then as young parents. There are different leaps back and forth in time, almost giving the movie a dream-like quality where the dream is constantly shifting or changing but your mental awareness for the story maintains focus and awareness.

Though you always wonder how your house moves itself to the salt flats.

The second half takes on a more conventional narrative, or more specifically the third quarter of the movie does, which focuses on the childhood of the Sean Penn character. Instead of such dramatic leaps in time, we are treated to a straightforward progression in time and we linger longer on moments and stories that in the first half would've been told in passing images. This is where the movie drags more and actually began to lose me because it clashed so much with the first half. When you're introduced to a unique visual and storytelling style that is full of mystery and poetry, you begin to assimilate that style into your reception of the movie. Then we get dropped back into more standard plot development, even if the cinematography and editing remains somewhat stylized. I think the movie should've stuck to what it was doing, especially since in the final quarter it returns to the highly stylized visuals.

The narrations are also one of the positive and negative attributes of this movie. The narration allows the characters to express their inner thoughts, which is made especially cool when the dialogue is phrased in a way that the character can be speaking internal thoughts about their parent, God, or both. The use of narration also allows the images to continually move in rapid fire motion while maintaining particular focus on developing the character that is narrating. The negative aspect to me, which may seem like a nitpick, is that it's essentially all done in whispers. I cannot really recall any of the narration being spoken at a normal volume level, it was all quiet and raspy. At first, you don't really notice and it keeps you calm, but after so much narration continuously being done at this pitch and volume, it eventually gets grating to listen to. I love Bob Ross, and I enjoy when he does gently whisper, but he also fluctuates his pitch and volume so that it is not constantly at one level like it seemed like this movie was going for.

Moral Value (Rating: 5)

How Brad Pitt hugs all of his children.

Much of this movie's dialogue is like prayer, where the character is alone and communicates to God. They communicate lots of great questions as well as their interpretation of their life experiences based on those questions. We examine what is true love, what is the meaning of suffering, what is the purpose of life and death, what is right and what is wrong, all through tough questions posed by characters in vulnerable moments. Again, the movie does not directly answer the questions, but explores avenues towards answering those questions through the visuals and storytelling.

I found myself relating to a lot of the struggles in the father-son relationship that gets explored in the third quarter of the movie. The son's attempt to understand a tough love father figure, and how that father figure plays into the son's relationship with God, spoke to me directly, as did the boy's struggles when puberty began and the impact that time period had on his relationship with his mother. It was true and genuine, at least in my own viewing of it.

 There are consequences to the negative things that the people do, even if those consequences are not immediate or seen on the surface level. Once people experience these consequences, there is acknowledgement of wrongdoing and repentance, so that they can change for the better. The beautiful thing about the struggles in this movie is that it does involve a happy ending. We experience reconciliation and love at the end after all of the pain and anguish that the characters go through beforehand. This makes the emotional stakes and the suffering of the characters pay off in the end, to me. This also helps to punch up a positive morality in this movie.

...I got nothing. It's just a picture of this movie's family unit.

The MPAA rating for this movie is PG 13, which is only really because of the life experiences that the characters go through. There's images of spousal abuse (mainly verbal) and scenes of the tough physical type of fatherly parenting that we either remember or imagine growing up with in the past. The Sean Penn character, as a boy, goes through puberty and does some wicked acts out of curiosity and malice that he cannot seem to control. There are some images of a man having a seizure and convicts being thrown in police cars, but nothing is explicit or graphic. I can see this movie only really being viewed and enjoyed by adults. Not that there is much that is inappropriate for kids, but only because adults will fully appreciate and grasp the life experience of the characters. Even then, the movie is so different from a standard movie viewing experience, and the quality of the high art poetry is so high, that even some adults may not enjoy sitting through this whole movie. It is strange, challenging, and definitely worth exploring and staying with til the end.

Overall Value Rating: 4.75 out of 5

Valuable Movies: Drive

Blah blah blah "Some spoilers ahead" blah blah blah DRIVE

After creating my Top 15 Movies of the Decade So Far list, I went out and rented a few movies in order to make it through my Need-To-See portion of that list. I did not want to immediately start with Tree of Life, knowing what a unique experience it was going to be, and I heard mixed things about Her, so I began with Drive. It is on multiple other such Top lists and is hailed as one of the most unique looking movies with a different style of craftsmanship in terms of acting and storyline.

I like to mainly do my movie critiques by examining them in terms of Artistic Value and Moral Value. I will make sure to do so with this movie as well, but I first wanted to begin with my overall impression of the movie, since it has been several days since I watched it and I've been digesting on it ever since.

I really wanted to like this movie. Not just because it was hailed as one of the decade's best, but because I like movies that are different and there are so many fantastic actors in this movie. I'm not even usually a Ryan Gosling fan, but since he was not trying to be pretty boy and really made an effort to go for an out-of-the-box kind of character, I wanted to appreciate his stretch of acting chops. However, there is no doubt in my mind: I really did not care for this movie. It was so poorly paced, it abused the concept of slow motion, it pretended that mystery equals good character development, and it had the brass to pass itself off as something new and refreshing when it clearly pays homage to so many other movies.

Artistic Value (Rating: 2.5)

I'm not going to pretend like I was expecting an action thriller, though the trailers for this movie certainly hyped up the car chase and violent action factors of this movie. It is definitely a drama over an action piece, and I framed my viewing of it from a dramatic perspective. Despite the fact I knew this movie was more of a drama than an action movie, I still expected there to be more car chases than what we were given. Collectively, there's just two, one in the beginning and one in the middle. Both are beautifully spectacular. Great stunt work, great tension, great pacing and camerawork.
The chase scenes, especially in connection with the storyline, were reminiscent of Transporter or Bullitt. Perhaps too much so in some ways.

But Steve McQueen never drove his Mustang backwards, so there!

The dialogue and the subject matter, however, led me to believe that there would be at least one more if not a couple car chases. They talk so much about what an extraordinary driver Ryan Gosling is (he is only referred to as Driver in the movie so I just call him Ryan Gosling), and the conflict in the middle of the movie builds up to a potentially great chase scene that outdoes the two, but none of it pays off. Instead, we're just given as many varieties of shots featuring Ryan Gosling casually driving down L.A. as possible.

Part of the artistry of this movie is the cinematography. The best thing this cinematography has going for it is how it captures the look and feeling of the urban landscape. This movie shows both a beautiful side and an ugly side of L.A.. The setting surrounding Ryan Gosling as he's driving around is great to look at and really pulls you into this world. However, the cinematography can also be a distraction. It was distracting because there were lots of specifically framed angles of moments. Almost like the story was being told in photos rather than moving imagery. There are multiple multiple scenes that linger on the specific image rather than really moving forward.

The cinematography also influences the pacing of the movie. Honestly, the run time of this movie would've been cut in half if slow-motion was not used. Good golly, did this movie assault the use of slow-mo! Many times we are treated to one long extended take, which in a normal movie would just fly by in maybe ten seconds at most, but the camera lingers on the moment for way too many minutes. Yet, even with that, the movie ended really fast. I sat down to watch it for short intervals and within two viewings I was suddenly done when I expected to finish the next day. It's only 100 minutes and somehow one of the slowest moving movies I've seen in awhile ended faster than I expected. Did I perhaps abuse the fast forward button on my remote?

The reason why this is a problem is because if the movie is poorly paced and the viewer thinks the scene is going by too slowly, they're going to get bored and either lose focus or leave or intentionally tune out the movie mentally until something exciting happens. Because the cinematography relied so heavily on slow-mo, we're treated to so many minutes of the same exact image where nothing new is happening or being discovered. This is different from moments, either in this movie or in others, where we linger on a character and we see their internal thinking and conflict as their eyes wander around the person or the environment around them.

This movie may provide extraordinary characters in an extraordinary situation, but it still roots itself in realism. The violence is visibly painful for the characters and the blood effects are very realistic. The one area I think that lacked the most realism is the dialogue, more specifically how other characters reacted whenever they try to have a conversation with Ryan Gosling. How did people not get mad at Ryan Gosling's character whenever he didn't talk? Literally, multiple people would ask him a direct question, he would just silently stare at them for ten seconds, and then they just carried on as if this was a normal thing.  Not once did anyone mention this or even explode on him. I get it, we've turned Ryan Gosling into a meme at this point and his character in the movie is supposed to be a strong, silent type, but still.

"Hey Girl...(ten minutes of silent staring)...hey"

I'll end on a positive note. The soundtrack added some nice mood and atmosphere to this movie. People comment a lot about the soundtrack on this movie as being one of the highlights and it is. The modern techno, electronic noise adds to the L.A. landscape. The soundtrack also provided some basic narration on the movie's events or character thoughts. The technical sound effects in the songs actually made them even more appealing.

Moral Value (Rating: 1)

The Ryan Gosling character may be the main character of the story but he is definitely not a hero. He is just a mentally strange individual lacking the same greed demonstrated by the antagonists of the movie. Ryan Gosling is the strong silent type who really is only nice to certain people in order to get what he wants. His only positive trait is that he cares for his neighbor Irene (played by Carey Mulligan) and her son, caring just enough to protect them from danger or harm.

That positive trait is negated by the fact that this caring feeling involves lust for a married woman. I believe the movie was structured and framed a certain way so that Gosling's feelings and actions towards Mulligan are not considered bizarre or absurd. It's trying to justify his feelings by making Irene attracted to Ryan Gosling as well. I mean, when your husband is some deadbeat just released from prison, why not attract yourself to the mute stranger next door? Really think about this. Would you consider Ryan Gosling's actions okay in the real world (flirting with/ hitting on a married woman, staring at her for long periods of time, squarely protecting the son and mother but not giving two turds about the husband Oscar Isaac) if Mulligan's character did not reciprocate his feelings of romance and lust?

The most sympathetic character is Bryan Cranston, and that's because we feel sorry for him from the get-go. He's a down on his luck kind of guy who suffered a tragic accident in the past and is begging to find a second chance in life, and is finding some redemption in helping Ryan Gosling find work and trying to help Ryan Gosling hook up with Carey Mulligan because he knows they're an attractive couple. His death is the one with the greatest emotional impact.

No! Not Malcolm's dad, Walter Heisenberg!!!!

Essentially the best moral to take away from this movie is: Don't get involved in any mafia shenanigans in any way, even by accident. The mob comes into play almost out of nowhere in this movie, so that the second half really emphasizes the crime drama aspect of the movie. All the elements of Shakespearean tragedy come into play in this movie only when mobsters and money come into focus.

Perhaps one question this movie is trying to explore is: How do you handle evil when you're trying to do good? Ryan Gosling is trying to do what he thinks is right and good, which only leads him to cause more death and destruction as he loses control of his emotions and strength. He wants to return some stolen money, but the bad guys want to kill him in order to cover their tracks. He wants revenge for the death of Bryan Cranston, which only results in more death and destruction. So really, while Ryan Gosling tries to offer some semblance of 'good' in this movie, he really is not any more justifiably good than any of the villainous characters.

Finally, the MPAA rating. This movie earns its R rating mainly for the violence, which again is realistic, and only in certain circumstances is the storytelling and moral philosophy justified in its depiction of the violence. Language also comes into play, with various profanities and racial slurs, which is only really used to show how despicable and streetwise some of these characters are. There is a scene that takes places backstage of a strip club, so there's various shots and angles of women in the background without tops on and very little else. Really, this scene could've occurred without the women in the background (they don't run away when someone's about to get murdered right in front of them) and despite the setting, the nudity to me is not justified. There is good reason for this movie to be rated R, but not everything in that R rating is necessary in order for this movie to exist.

Drive: Overall Rating Score (1.75 out of 5)

Top 15 Movies of the Last Sixish Years

I'll try to keep my ramblings short to get to the list quickly, but I figure an intro is in order.

I got the idea of putting such a list as this together when I rewatched Whiplash a couple months ago and stated "1 of the 10 best movies in the last 5 years to me". Then, during a recent text conversation with a friend, she asked if I ever considered being a movie critic. Well I have, from time to time, and as you might be able to tell from previous blog posts I've written, I'm quite quite fond of watching movies and talking about them.

With that being said though, there seems to be an oversaturation of movie review people online, especially in blog form and on Youtube. Even in the Catholic world, there's multiple people who make their name known for being movie critics.

However, that does not stop me from creating a list of movies to back up my original statement on Whiplash being in the Top 10 movies recently. I got to wondering "What else is on that list?" and "How many people are out there making best movie lists at this time of year?". So, I will do my best to list movies in ranking order of my least favorite to most favorite. I have expanded the idea from 10 to 15 movies, and the past 6 years (i.e. best movies of the 2010s so far) instad of just 5.

This list will also include honorable mentions and list of movies that I have not seen within this time frame but I really really need to. Here and there you'll also notice places where I sprinkled in other reviews and posts I've done on the particular movie in question. My goal with this list, other than making it, is to recommend a bunch of movies to you that you may have otherwise not heard of or have forgotten how awesome they are. This is not exactly a "Best Of" list or a "Most Underrated" list, but rather a list of movies in various genres that I consider to be top quality, top notch filmmaking. Each movie quip will also include a warning on some negative aspects and also my considerations on why I would watch it again. Some of these movies I've only seen once, but I would like to think that the best movies out there are worth repeated viewings, and I will justify why I would watch all of these again and again.

15. Coolest Road Trip Documentary: Big Easy Express (2012)

Three intriguing folk-style bands, one week, and a whole lot of shots of trains and concerts. This documentary is about a traveling concert series featuring the bands Mumford & Sons, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. This was back when Mumford first got big, so each bands' discography was smaller then and there's been line up changes in the bands since. However, this was the movie that got me into Old Crow Medicine Show and gave me a deeper appreciate for acoustic music/ folk music. Like I said, a lot of the movie is just the bands playing songs while the images go back and forth between the concerts and the landscape that passes by the train that the bands are traveling on. The bands are all having a good time just jamming out and their joy is shared by me as a viewer. There's some quick interviews of different band members that give you some insight into the history of the bands as well as the philosophy behind some of the music. The movie's greatest problem is that it's barely over an hour long and there's so much more footage that could've been added to this unique experience to make it at least 90 minutes, if not 2 hours.

Watch Out for: The unedited version of Little Lion Man along with a few other moments of minor profanities. I can't think of too much besides.

What Makes It Rewatchable: The short time span along with the constant folk tunes and premier musicianship.

14. Most Underrated Harry Potter Movie: Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)

So so many people put this movie on the low end of the spectrum of Harry Potter movie rankings while they put Part 2 at the top. However, we need to remember that all we really got in Part 2 was:

 Recap, a bank robbery, a giant battle set up, a giant battle, a flashback montage, and a prologue wrap up.

That's it in a nutshell that pulls super hard on the heart strings, which I think is why people like it so much. Here in Part 1, there's:

An establishment of changes since the sixth movie, gathering of the heroes, everything falling apart, a ministry break-in, a large camping trip, the break up of the heroes, one of the craziest Christmas Eves, heroes reunited, intro to the new magic maguffins, heroes captured, then heroes escape.

All with the same emotional highlights as the following film. I have to admit that when it came time to see this movie for the first time in theatres, I was skeptical. The previous two films had butchered the source material and were not beloved by me. The thought of having to sit through two more instead of just one seemed like a chore. However, I was astounded at the quality dramatic acting presented by the three main leads. This is some of their best acting in any of the movies, especially Rupert Grint. Plus, it was a smart move to separate the final book into two, that way you could tell majority of the same story and stay close to the source material. The camping scenes, some of the longest and worst parts of the book, actually play out rather well here. They're paced correctly and yet everything made for the movie fits while staying as true to the book's purpose of these moments as possible.

Watch Out for: Hhhssss. Scary up close shotssss of ssssnakesssss. Also, some blood/ gore.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Impressive dramatic acting from the main trio and the constant tension that lingers from one scene to the next.

13. Old School New School Spooks: The Conjuring (2013)

I've grown a passion for exorcism movies in recent years, in part because they demonstrate the powerful tools that the Catholic Church possesses in ridding people of demonic possessions. The Conjuring is not exactly an exorcism movie in the same way as The Rite or Deliver Us From Evil. This movie is more of a classic, atmospheric horror film while the other two are modern exorcism dramas. The thing that both other movies have over this one though is that the priests are the actual warriors who combat the demons in intense exorcism rites. Here in The Conjuring, the warriors are a married couple, who collectively are an awesome combination, just not the standard spiritual warriors you expect in horror movies or real life. The characters and story are all based on real historical people and events and I'm not here to get into the amount of real history in the movie. I'm just saying it's just nice to know that not all of this particular horror film is entirely fictionalized. This definitely has the look and feel of an older horror movie, the classic 70s style that essentially defined the horror genre back in the day, but it still is new enough to keep the thrills and chills coming.

Watch Out for: Witches! Demons! LOUD NOISES GOING BUMP IN THE NIGHT! This is a scary movie, for sure, and the make up effects for the evil spirits and the bloody images are all top notch, so it will definitely keep you intimidated.

What Makes It Rewatchable: The authentically haunting atmosphere on top of the moments of grace provided by faith and family.

12. Top Foreign Animated Movie: Song of the Sea (2014)

There is more to animated family movies than Disney, Pixar, and Dreamworks. And yes, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are usually considered the masters of animated movies made in lands foreign to the U.S. However, there was one animation company that blended the modern with the classic styles, the 3-D with the 2-D, and shared the beauty of local folklore and artistry in a new, different way than Studio Ghibli. That was Tomm Moore and the Irish company Cartoon Saloon (amongst fellow companies in other countries) that made Song of the Sea.

Some people go back and forth on whether this movie or its predecessor, The Secret of Kells, is a better movie, but everyone agrees there is something unique and delightful about the artistry in both. This movie is like a cartoon tour through modern day Ireland, only if that tour included a detour into the fantastic mythological components hidden behind ordinary life. The kid characters are very well done, making you believe these are real siblings. The story touches on tragedy and drama, but offers enough lighthearted moments and grandeur to counterbalance. Plus, this movie will teach you how to properly pronounce the Irish name Saoirse (Sare-sha basically).

Watch Out for: Sometimes the artwork can get creepy, especially with the owl characters.

What Makes It Rewatchable: The illuminating glows and bizarre patterns of the beautiful artwork combined with touching family drama.

11. Top Movie Involving Catholicism: Calvary (2014)

We currently live in a time where movies in the Christian genre are lame and any movies focusing on the Catholic Church are not positive. This is not without reason, but it's tough to share the strength and beauty of the Catholic faith in movie form when the entertainment industry is constantly reminding everybody of the unfortunate crimes committed by some of its members. Calvary is a blend between both. I've seen people label this a dark comedy, but I cannot help but remember it as a gripping drama.

Ireland is a fantastic setting for this movie. The history of the Catholic faith runs deep in its culture, yet that faith has been battered and worn away on the Emerald Isle because of sins committed by some of its religious. Now, while Ireland is normally identified as a Catholic country, its citizens are rebelling against the people and institutions that hurt it, and so the state of the Church and its religious are ones of underdogs fighting against large odds.

Brendan Gleeson's priest is a great representation of the priesthood and the Church in Ireland. He has full knowledge of the world and its evils yet he relies on the virtues and the strength found in the spiritual life. He works to evangelize to people who are only Catholic on the surface as well as people who stay as far from the Church as possible. The cassock is a great look for him and we get to see him endure suffering, struggle & succumb to weakness before finally having his moment of radiant glory.

Watch Out for: A man urinates on a painting...okay, it's not the worst thing in this movie. This movie does not shy away from talking about sin, if not really showing it. There's plenty of open dialogue involving sexuality/ sex abuse. There's profanity and blasphemy. There's drunkenness. It's not a timid shy movie but realistic and honest.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Brendan Gleeson is a one man army, waging spiritual warfare against arrogant snobs. With the priest's gruff attitude and Irish virtues, he is a loving authority to some and a good-willed road block to others. Plus there's beer drinking, cool cassocks, and gorgeous Irish scenery involved.

10. Top Middle Ground Cause It's Coen Bros: Hail, Caesar! (2016)

This movie did not make many Best Of lists from 2016. It was received as kind of a 'meh' movie, where it was kinda funny, but many people felt like overall it was some inside industry joke they were missing. Because the Coen Brothers make bizarre films, many of which would be panned by the critics if they in the hands of lesser creative minds, it's no wonder this movie would slip the minds of so many or be regarded as a barely funny dramedy by those who remember it.

So, what's it doing here? Well, to me, it's a much better movie than the other most recently made Coen Brothers movie, Inside Llewyn Davis, and it's a funnier comedy than their last comedy, Burn After Reading, which I started twice but could never finish because of how bored I was. I love all the little snippets of the various genre movies we see throughout the movie, whether the musical or the western or the drama or the biblical epic. I love Hobie Doyle, one of the best characters in Coen Brothers history, with stupendous dialogue delivered by a lesser known actor who outshown the stars. I love that the stars were much more cameos than main attractions. I love the struggle of the lead character, Eddie Mannix, a Catholic man who seeks Reconciliation often and prays the Rosary in times of crisis. The jokes are so clever and highbrow that, yes, it takes a few tries to catch some of them. Inside Llewyn Davis was an ugly confusing snooze fest that was about an interesting subject. True Grit was barely recognizable as a Coen Brothers Movie even if it was entertaining overall. Hail, Caesar was a bizarre tribute to a period of Hollywood and a beautifully looking modern morality play.

Watch Out for: Confusing, dead-panned jokes and lots of philosophical dialogue about Communism. There's also some profane/ blasphemous language on occasion. Plus there's a mature sexual reference briefly made late in the game.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Were that it were so simple? Hobie Doyle and Eddie Mannix are the most delightful characters to watch and listen to. Then there's all of the little tributes to various film genres that are stupendous, especially through great looking cinematography.

9. It's Scary Cause It's Really Happening: Sicario (2015)

Sicario is one of those movies that I remembered greatly enjoying after watching it, but it has almost fallen from chatter or memory since its release. Which is a shame, because if there's one movie we should be watching concerning the political, financial, militaristic, and moralistic costs of dealing with the drug cartel crisis facing the U.S. and Mexico, it's this one. Cartel Land is actually a documentary about the same subject released the same year, but the focus there is on two particular groups of vigilantes on both sides, their personal interpretation of the events, and there are enough conveniences or movie magic moments that I wonder if some of it was made up or coordinated by the movie making team to seem legitimate.

Anyway, Sicario seems just as if not more realistic than Cartel Land. There are moralistic dilemmas involved in taking on the cartels and there is a line that can be crossed. The tension is built mainly by the cinematography and the music, as we stare at passing images with a dark brooding beat thumping in the background. All of the actors are stellar performers in this. This movie has a less happier ending than The Conjuring, but the journey we go on gets the adrenaline pumping so much more and the uneasiness of it actually makes you want more not less.

Watch Out for: BANG! BANG! Gunshots. Blood splatter. Dead naked bodies hanging from the rafters. This movie is almost careless with how much death and destruction it leaves in its path.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Emily Blunt kicks plenty of butt, while Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin keep you on edge and uneasy. Plus there are a few tense moments you can't believe the characters survive.

8. The Passion is Awesome, Food is Awesomer Comedy: Chef (2014)

If you read other reviews of this movie, you'll essentially hear that it's all a metaphor for Jon Favreau's directorial career and how he wanted to go back to small indie films after major blockbuster success found in the Marvel franchise. What I care more about in this movie is 1) The relationship between the father and the son and 2) The food. This is a fantastic character piece where a self-centered dad builds his relationship with a son who wants to know him more. They depend upon each other for their success and instruct each other, whether it's the father teaching the son life lessons or it's the son showing the father business and marketing strategies. There is so much great food in this movie, you can almost smell it coming off the screen. And it's constantly going from dish to dish, flavor to flavor, depending on where the scene is located. I think it would be an awesome idea for theaters or movie watching groups to prepare dishes from the movie to eat along while watching it. Ultimately this movie is top notch because it has a fun premise and builds lovable characters very well.

Watch Out for: The dad is not always the best role model, whether saying profanities around the boy or making sexual innuendos with his friends.

What Makes It Rewatchable: FOOD! Glorious food! It's a celebration involving feasts!

7. Top American Animated Movie: Inside Out (2015)

Disney is almost going through another Renaissance period with its string of hits. Dreamworks has made itself a brand by successfully franchising audience favorites. Little movie companies have popped up trying to match the quality and success of the powerhouses, and the most triumphant underdog that is meeting that criteria to me would appear to be Laika. Pixar, on the other hand, has been struggling through several disappointing sequels and even Toy Story 3, while good, could not match the spark and might of Pixar movies a decade ago. And yet, one original idea came out as a total shock to the system in a refreshing way: Inside Out.

The trailers never got me excited for the movie and I was stunned by audiences raving about how good it was. After watching it a few times, I concur with everyone else's sentiments. Inside Out is a work of art both in terms of what it looks like and what it establishes for the characters' journeys. Each of the emotions are entertaining, even if Anger gets all the best lines. The creativity of the world inside the brain is witty and charming. I loved that they experimented with a little bit of various art styles while also establishing such solid texture and vibrant colors to the world it created. It's an emotional journey about emotions and we can all relate  in some way to the struggles that the preteen girl goes through

Watch Out for: TEARS! So much sadness and so much joy and the whole range in between is experienced during the course of this movie.

What Makes It Rewatchable: The emotions of the...emotions. As well as stunning computerized visuals and a fun family unit outside the brain.

6. Top Surprise Movie: Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

If I was shocked by how well I enjoyed Inside Out (I tend to only almost-like movies as much as the people that rave about them), this one shocked me even more. This is another movie that is not on too many of the Best Of 2016 lists but it should be. I only watched it cause it was recommended on enough lists and it was one of the few 2016 movies on DVD already. At first you think a young city kid obsessed with hip hop and a grumpy old introvert would get annoying real easily, but the script is so well written that they are extremely likable because of these qualities. There's tons of great humor but also some heartfelt drama that develops our characters over the course of the movie. There are plenty of moments where the camera flies over the New Zealand landscape, showing us beautiful places that even Lord of the Rings did not.

I think it surprised me how well I liked this movie because it was one of those quirky movies that it seemed like only movie snobs would appreciate. The indie soundtrack, the nearly cliche characters, and the obscure humor should have made me just barely appreciate it as one of those charming indie movies. I think I was also disenchanted beforehand because I had just recently watched What We Do In the Shadows, a mockumentary that involved the writer and director of Hunt for the Wilderpeople  and that definitely an obscure, movie-snob movie that I only appreciated. The character in Hunt however are all just charming, even the crazy villain, and the leads actually go through a touching story arc development. I had a great smile and laugh throughout the whole thing.

Watch Out for: Gangsta stuff! Sprinklings of profanity and bloody action. An awkward funeral scene and a couple of tear-worthy scenes involving death.

5. Yes, I'm Recommending a Romantic Comedy: About Time (2013)

A few years ago, during my adventure in the Pacific Northwest with Reach Youth Ministry, I by chance watched a time traveling romance called About Time. Its intriguing premise would make you think it's sci-fi where a man is gifted the ability to travel to any time within his memories, yet the human interaction that plays out keeps it a light and emotional drama. The romance between Domnhall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams is charming and this is one of the first times I can remember a movie where a man coming close to giving in to sexual temptation and infidelity and denying those lustful desires in the end. I love the character building that happens in this movie. It's an emotional journey of a movie that is not melodramatic nor is it taking itself too lightly for how absurd of a premise it is.

Watch Out for: A couple of sex scenes, or at least scenes with near nudity and sexual content. Also probably some minor profanities.

What Makes It Rewatchable: The true growth of the relationship between Domnhall Glesson and Rachel McAdams, as well as the stellar relationship he has with the dad played by Bill Nighy.

4. Greatest Movie I Barely Understand: The Big Short (2015)

So, this is a greatly entertaining movie, even if it is about a very serious issue and is more of a drama than a comedy. The creative team knew this was a serious subject however, so they found as many ways to inject creative comedy into the mix. Sometimes they will introduce a random celebrity out of nowhere, Margot Robbie or Anthony Bourdain jump to mind, in order to explain a term or idea in a mundane manner for the common guy to understand. Really, I get dizzy thinking too hard about finances, accounting, and the stock market in reality, so majority of this movie was really beyond my comprehension. What kept me going though was the intriguing characters and the intriguing way they came across one of the terrible crises in America of the past decade.

Some of the star cast members really blend in to their role, making you forget who they are in real life. Then there's Steve Carrell, who seems more like Michael Scott pretending to have anger management issues and wearing a bad toupe and he gets so much screen time. And yet, I like this guy despite the surface level issues and he has some of the best scenes with his posse.

Watch Out for: Footloose use of various R-rated profanities and one scene in a strip club that is terribly uncomfortable to watch, whether you're on your own or if you're watching with your father.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Again, what makes this movie work so well is its delivery, meaning what it's trying to convey, how it's trying to convey it, and how it tries to help the average joe understand it all.

3. Top Superhero Movie: Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

Yes, Marvel is making the best superhero movies of this decade, and many people would normally consider Captain America: Winter Soldier to be the superior movie to this one. However, Guardians of the Galaxy is so much more entertaining and uplifting in an odd way than any Captain America movie. This movie is colorful, high tech, and its main characters are technically criminals. The witty dialogue and the retro soundtrack keep the movie from getting too dower and dark in its serious moments. Even the true villains, the 'bad guys', of the movie provide some hearty entertainment. People give Marvel a lot of credit for being the jokers, the light hearted comedians of a superhero genre that is turning gritty and realistic, and Guardians of the Galaxy is the best example of proving those people right. It's fun, it's adventurous, and the soundtrack is just too catchy to ignore.

Watch Out for: Sci-fi action and a shower of innuendos and profanities.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Peter Quill a.k.a. Star Lord. Gamora. Rocket Raccoon. Groot "I Am Groot" Groot. And Drax the Destroyer.

2. Top Drama Between a Dynamic Duo: Whiplash (2014)

Like I said, I recently watched this movie for a second time. It's even more tense and awkward than the first time since you already know all of the hardship that's going to happen. Yet, it's still engaging and thrilling. J.K. Simmons deserved the Oscar for his intimidating performance (I like to think I emulate him a bit on stage from time to time), but Miles Teller also deserved tons of credit for how driven and psychotic his own performance was. This movie shows that there is a danger in pursuing eternal fame and that there is a cost to being the greatest there ever was, especially what it costs to your relationships. So much gets packed into like 80 minutes, 1/4 of which is just playing sweet sweet jazz music.

Watch Out for: LOUD ABUSIVE PROFANITY! TONS OF IT! Also, if you get queesy seeing blood, better cover your eyes here and there.

What Makes It Rewatchable: Oddly enough, the loud shouting and madness provided by J.K. Simmons leaves you wanting more. The jazz music keeps you hyped while Miles Teller's character just keeps asking for punishment.

1. Most Quirky Presentation Childhood Nostalgia: Moonrise Kingdom (2012)

Seriously, this movie gave me a deep sense of nostalgia and longing for my youth, imagining the feeling of carefree summer time adventures I never even had but I knew the joy of. The music adds so much to the charm and splendor of this world, almost making it a fantasy rather than a realistic setting. The cinematography is what stands out in this film the most. From the way the shots are symmetrically framed as they package lots of minute detail to the fun way the camera zooms in and out of character's faces. It is signature Wes Anderson cinematography. Some people may consider Grand Budapest Hotel to be the better Anderson film of this decade, but they'd be WRONG! and the key to their wrongness is the children. The fact this movie has kids for main characters is what makes this movie so nostalgic and charming because they are wide-eyed, curious, naive, overdramatic, and they are the main reason why we get to explore so much beautiful landscapes and go through a fun innocent romance.

Watch Out for: The only really negative thing in this movie is whenever the kids are running around in their underwear. There's an especially awkward scene, about halfway through,on a beach where the leads really break each other's bubble which ruins an awesome song and dance moment for me and I generally skip it anytime I watch this movie.

What Makes It Rewatchable: It's a charming movie with beautiful cinematography. The characters are all quirky in some way, which provides some good humor and lightheartedness in otherwise grim situations.

Honorable Mentions:

-Of Gods and Men (2010)

Perhaps a more straight up Catholic movie than Calvary, or at least a more positive look at the faith. There are many quiet moments in this movie, some of which just include monks praying or celebrating Mass. It almost has a documentary quality because of the slice-of-life approach to the drama, as well as being based on real events. This movie also shows what peaceful communities can look like between people of Islamic and Christian faiths. The monks help and serve their Muslim neighbors because that is the community they live in and those are the specific people who are in need of their assistance. This is a gentle biopic about men you would have otherwise not really have heard of.

-Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

I really don't see this as some big philosophical study of feminism or environmentalism or social constructs or any of that other thematic nonsense that other people see in it. I just see this movie as one of the most thrilling, adrenaline-pumping, buckle up, white knuckled thrill rides to have graced our screens. It's so much cooler than any of that fake crap you see in Fast & Furious and any of their knock offs. Now, perhaps because the story is kind of simplistic and the imagery gets too bizarre sometimes, that's why I wouldn't include this in my Top 15 overall. However, the ride is just too good to ignore.

-Beware of Mr. Baker (2012)

I think I may like this movie so much more because of the experience I had seeing it than because of the movie itself. I was by myself on a Friday night and decided to check out the local indie theater in my college town. I got a beer, popcorn, and M&Ms and sat down on old, classic style theater seats in this small black box space that could only fit 30 people max . This was no luxury seated, padded wall, high tech home theater system. It just had the basic essentials and that was it. It was awesome!

The movie still sticks out in my mind after all these years of only seeing it 1.5 times (I tried rewatching it on Youtube within the past year or so). Ginger Baker, the man best known as the drummer for 60s band Cream, is not a likable man. He is selfish, arrogant, foul mouthed, bitterly disgruntled, and tiring to endure. And yet, his life has been full of hardships that he is a tragic figure to watch. Plus, all of these other well known drummers and musicians give his skills as a drummer high praise, so it can't all just be arrogant boasting from Mr. Baker. I think this movie also gave me an appreciation for jazz and in particular jazz drums, especially because of how it influenced rock music, showing me a side of jazz music I had not known before and I would not know again until Whiplash.

-The Kid with a Bike (2011)

I borrowed this movie from the library after Mr. Decent Films a.k.a. Steven D. Greydanus recommended watching movies by the Dardennes Brothers when Two Days, One Night was listed as one of 2015's best movies. It's entirely in French because it takes place in Belgium. It seems like a simple premise, boy gets abandoned by his dad and a woman takes pity on the boy. Yet, the boy is such an intriguing character, such a disobedient selfish jerk while at the same time so needy and vulnerable. It's a sad tragic look at the life of someone who needs basic emotional and mental necessities to be met.

Need to See List:

Tree of Life (2011) & Knight of Cups (2015)

Terrence Mallick has peaked my interest as a director worth checking out, especially since Tree of Life has gotten so much acclaim and buzz ever since it came out. Knight of Cups was also one of those movies that was on a few Best Of lists last year, but just wasn't noticed by too many people.

Two Days, One Night (2015)

Again, it was one of the best movies last year and came recommended by a movie critic whose opinion I greatly respect. Plus, I feel extra cultured every time I watch a foreign film.

Drive (2011)

This movie was on every single list I saw online when researching lists of Best Movies of This Decade So Far. It sounds like the simple premise matches well with some great acting and wonderful cinematography.

Her (2013)

Another movie that was on every other list essentially. I think the quirkiness and the relationship the character has with technology are what appeal to me.

The Babadook (2014)

A movie that is simulatenously a scary horror flick AND a family drama? Sold!