Ryan Gosling in Nicolas Winding Refn's "Drive"

It’s that time of year again when we intrepid critics whittle down the hundreds of titles we’ve seen over the last 365 days to the top 10 that made us gasp, chuckle, cringe, hope, feel and think the most. As seems to be the trend, Hollywood left us slim pickings, so the bulk of this list is made up of independent and foreign films, not out of snobbery, but, sadly, by necessity. Here are my picks, in alphabetical order, for the year’s 10 best:

A Separation
An incisive and penetrating portrait of the immovable tenets of reality. Asghar Farhadi unwraps the layers of family life in Tehran with the deftness and care of a master. No other film released this year connects with as much truth or treats its subject with as much keenness or soberness as “A Separation.”

The Artist
I love movies about movies. I also happen to love silent films. Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist” is both, and it’s the most fun I’ve had at the movies this year. Style over substance? Maybe. Melodramatic? Definitely. But that’s why I love it. Jean Dujardin’s charismatic performance as a silent screen hero struggling to find his place in the emerging world of the talkie may just be the best of the year.

John Boyega leads a street gang of alien-killers in "Attack the Block"

Attack the Block
“Attack the Block” is a movie made by film nerds fed up with the depressing banality of modern monster flicks. Set in the slums of South London, a gang of street hoodlums are the first to encounter the beginnings of an alien invasion, which they meet with a brilliant combination of youthful bravado and street-informed witticisms. And underlying it all are razor sharp barbs aimed squarely at the entrenched conservative sensibilities of England’s elite.

Certified Copy
Is a fake, a phony, a rip-off as inherently valuable as the original? Director Abbas Kiarostami leaves that up to us with a wonderfully realized imitation of life in “Certified Copy.” He leaves questions unanswered, ideas not fleshed out and relationships without resolve in this plodding, dialogue-heavy picture, which was more thrilling than Hollywood’s best high-budget action flicks this year.

Drive
Director Nicolas Winding Refn, known for other savagely macho films like “Bronson” (2008) and “Valhalla Rising” (2009) continues his reflection on male brutality with “Drive.” This time, his subject is a stone-cold, badass movie stunt driver played by Ryan Gosling. “Drive” is a quiet European arthouse-style movie, punctuated by the occasional outburst of extreme, bombastic violence. One of the most stylish, exhilarating and cinematic films of the year.

Martha Marcy May Marlene
John Hawkes was born to play a coldly menacing hillbilly capable of dehumanizing atrocity. His chilling presence combined with Elizabeth Olsen’s harrowing performance and Sean Durkin’s surprisingly controlled direction make this trying-to-find-your-place-in-society-after-escaping-from-a-cult movie the best directorial debut since Steve McQueen’s “Hunger” in 2008.

Bruce Greenwood as Meek in "Meek's Cutoff"

Meek’s Cutoff
Based on real events, “Meek’s Cutoff” takes us on a slow and tedious slog on the Oregon Trail in 1845. There is no horrific violence, no melodramatic Western cliches and no satisfying resolution. Instead, director Kelly Reichardt (“Wendy and Lucy”) gives us an understated, yet powerful vision of life on a wagon train. It may seem like nothing much happens, but every scene is encumbered by an unshakable sense of devastating uncertainty and creeping doom.

Melancholia
Director Lars von Trier isn’t known for his subtlety. He did direct the genital mutilation-fest “Antichrist” in 2009, after all. But “Melancholia,” a meditation on aloofness and depression in the face of catastrophe, is perhaps von Trier at is most restrained. Kirsten Dunst turns in one of the best performances of the year as a depressed and disinterested bride nonchalantly facing the literal apocalypse. It works, strangely, as a companion piece to Jonathan Demme’s “Rachel Getting Married” (2008) and Ingmar Bergman’s “Fanny and Alexander” (1982).

Michael Fassbender is a sex addict in "Shame"

Shame
“Hunger,” Steve McQueen’s 2008 directorial debut about IRA leader Bobby Sands’s hunger strike in a Northern Ireland prison, left me speechless. It was raw, unflinching, smart and devastating. His followup, “Shame,” though not quite as transcendent as his first effort, is nevertheless worthy of the same shower of adjectival praise. The same actor who played Bobby Sands in “Hunger,” Michael Fassbender, here plays a sex addict whose habit has crippling effects. It’s the “Requiem for a Dream” of sex addiction.

The Tree of Life
Perhaps the most divisive film of the year, Terrence Malick’s “The Tree of Life” tackles the biggest questions on the biggest scale. It combines some of cinema’s most ambitious and breathtaking cinematography with the intimacy of a small, struggling family in a small Texas town. Whether you think it’s pretentious drudgery or profound ecstasy, the one thing it’s not is ordinary.

————————————————————————————————————————–

Also check out:
The 10 best films of 2010
The 10 best films of 2009
TMA’s 25 best film of the decade (2000-2009)
TMA’s 100 greatest movies of all time
TMA’s 25 greatest horror movies of all time
TMA’s 25 greatest sports movies of all time

Peter Finch in "Network"

#5. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead (2007)
Lumet’s last film was also one of his best. Following a pair of troublesome brothers who plot to rob their parents’ jewelry store, “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead” refuses to flinch in the face of the humanity’s darkest inclinations. Lumet catalogued the basest of human urges with both uncompromising realism and inspiring empathy.

#4. The Verdict (1982)
How did Paul Newman not win an Oscar for this movie? If we try to answer that I suppose we’ll have to wonder why Sidney Lumet never won a Best Director Oscar for any of his films. David Mamet’s masterful script leads disgraced Boston lawyer Frank Galvin (Newman) on a stirring fight against the odds in his quest for justice and redemption.

#3. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
A bank heist goes horribly wrong when Sonny (Al Pacino) and Sal (John Cazale) bungle through through the ill-planned robbery. Billed as a gritty thriller, “Dog Day Afternoon” is also laugh out loud funny and socially ahead of its time. Al Pacino has never been better and John Cazale (Fredo in “The Godfather”) is tragically brilliant.

#2. 12 Angry Men (1957)
The quintessential American movie. Lumet shared his vision of an uneasy America, on the precipice of chaos, through sharp dialogue and the electrifying presence of star Henry Fonda. An intimate, low-budget triumph of reason and courage.

#1. Network (1976)
An prophetic marvel of a film that predicts the present day media circus with chilling precision. Lumet commands one of the greatest scripts ever written (Paddy Chayefsky) with virtuoso skill. Peter Finch won history’s first posthumous Best Actor Oscar and Ned Beatty’s hilarious and prescient monologue stands as one of the five greatest diatribes in all of cinema.

Luca Guadagnino's "I Am Love"

I Am Love
Luca Guadagnino’s astonishingly beautiful portrait of a woman torn between love and loyalty.  A deep, layered, stylish work of cinema with all the passion and freedom of Italy’s greatest contributions to the medium. If I had numbered this list, “I Am Love” would probably be number one.

Carlos
The epic tale of an egomaniacal playboy terrorist. Édgar Ramírez’s brilliant performance as Venezuelan terrorist, Ilich Ramírez Sánchez, anchors this 330 minute tale of James Bond-style intrigue, murder and mischief. Director Olivier Assayas makes you want to be this asshole, for a little while at least, and then you realize he’s a bigger douche than you possibly could have imagined. Nice work.

The Social Network
David Fincher’s stylish direction, Aaron Sorkin’s quick-witted script, Jesse Eisenberg’s magnetic performance and Trent Reznor’s perfect score make this topical tech-drama one of the best films of the year.

Mother
Bong Joon-Ho has been wowing Korean audiences for years with films like “Memories of Murder” (2003) and “The Host” (2006). With “Mother” he manages to make high art out of an old fashioned murder mystery. Hye-ja Kim’s heartbreaking performance as the titular mother is one of the best of the year.

A Prophet
A brutal prison crime drama that is both sophisticated and blunt. Jacques Audiard leaves out the sentimentality and heaps on the raw, amorality that rules the world he’s chronicling. It could stand on its own a simple prison drama, but its weighty, complex themes elevate “A Prophet” into near-masterpiece territory.

True Grit
Even bad Coen brothers movies are good. “True Grit” is one of the great ones. Fantastic performances from Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld bring this charming script to life in one of the most purely enjoyable films I’ve seen in a long time.

Exit Through the Gift Shop
A fascinating documentary detailing the ins and outs of street art that may not actually be a documentary at all.  Directed by famed and reclusive British street artist, Banksy, “Exit” takes meta to a whole new level. Is it really just an elaborate ruse indicting the uppity art world? I hope so.

I’m Still Here
Definitely, obviously fake.  So what?  Joaquin Phoenix gives the performance of his life and makes this Casey Affleck-directed fake-umentary the funniest film I saw all year. It’s also a smart film with interesting things to say about celebrity and the obsessive media.

127 Hours
Danny Boyle’s wizardry behind the camera and James Franco’s surprising skill in front of it, make this true story of survival and the triumph of the human will utterly riveting.  Throw in a little Sigur Rós on the soundtrack and you’ve got the feel-good movie of the year.

Monsters
With an entire cast and crew totaling only five, this micro-budget sci-fi flick would have been a success if it only managed to tell a cohesive story without much else to offer.  Surprisingly, director Gareth Edwards manages much more than that, creating a nuanced, sophisticated story with fabulous visuals (which he rendered himself) that surpasses almost everything the big studios churned out this year.

Black Swan
Even though I gave “Black Swan” high marks in my review, I’m still torn on this Darren Aronofsky-directed psych-thriller. I’m confident that it’s one of the most sophisticated and layered films of the year, but it may also be middle-brow, misogynistic dreck. It makes this list based solely on the internal conflict it provoked in me.

#1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, Kubrick)
#2. Citizen Kane (1941, Welles)
#3. The Godfather (1972, Coppola)
#4. Andrei Rublev (1966, Tarkovsky)
#5. The Rules of the Game (1939, Renoir)
#6. Casablanca (1942, Curtiz)
#7. Vertigo (1958, Hitchcock)
#8. La Dolce Vita (1960, Fellini)
#9. Seven Samurai (1954, Kurosawa)
#10. The Godfather Pt. II (1974, Coppola)
#11. The Third Man (1949, Reed)
#12. The Wizard of Oz (1939, Fleming)
#13. Dr. Strangelove (1964, Kubrick)
#14. Goodfellas (1990, Scorsese)
#15. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972, Herzog)
#16. 8½ (1963, Fellini)
#17. Singin’ In The Rain (1952, Donen, Kelly)
#18. Raging Bull (1980, Scorsese)
#19. Lawrence of Arabia (1962, Lean)
#20. Solaris (1972, Tarkovsky)
#21. The Night of the Hunter (1955, Laughton)
#22. On the Waterfront (1954, Kazan)
#23. Intolerance (1916, Griffith)
#24. L’Atalante (1934, Vigo)
#25. Apocalypse Now (1979, Coppola)
#26. Birth of a Nation (1915, Griffith)
#27. Battleship Potemkin (1925, Eisenstein)
#28. Taxi Driver (1976, Scorsese)
#29. Chinatown (1974, Polanski)
#30. Rashomon (1950, Kurosawa)
#31. The Searchers (1956, Ford)
#32. The Good, The Bad and The Ugly (1966, Leone)
#33. Yojimbo (1961, Kurosawa)
#34. Nights of Cabiria (1957, Fellini)
#35. The Curse of the Cat People (1944, Fritsch, Wise)
#36. Annie Hall (1977, Allen)
#37. Tokyo Story (1953, Ozu)
#38. M (1931, Lang)
#39. Brief Encounter (1945, Lean)
#40. Rear Window (1954, Hitchcock)
#41. Barry Lyndon (1975, Kubrick)
#42. Ikiru (1952, Kirosawa)
#43. A Clockwork Orange (1971, Kubrick)
#44. Metropolis (1927, Lang)
#45. City Lights (1931, Chaplin)
#46. Bashu, The Little Stranger (1986, Beizai)
#47. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Kazan)
#48. Badlands (1973, Malick)
#49. The Asphalt Jungle (1950, Huston)
#50. Pather Panchali (Ray, 1955)
#51. Touch of Evil (1958, Welles, Keller)
#52. The 400 Blows (1959, Truffaut)
#53. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928, Dreyer)
#54. King Kong (1933, Shoedsack, Cooper)
#55. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927, Murnau)
#56. L’Avventura (1960, Antonioni)
#57. The Empire Strikes Back (1980, Kirshner)
#58. The Apartment (1960, Wilder)
#59. The General (1927, Keaton, Bruckman)
#60. Pierrot le Fou (1965, Godard)
#61. The Seventh Seal (1957, Bergman)
#62. Talk to Her (2002, Almodóvar)
#63. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971, Altman)
#64. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962, Ford)
#65. Do the Right Thing (1989, Lee)
#66. Pulp Fiction (1994, Tarantino)
#67. Ugetsu (1953, Mizoguchi)
#68. Manhattan (1979, Allen)
#69. Star Wars (1977, Lucas)
#70. F for Fake (1973, Welles)
#71. Blue Velvet (1986, Lynch)
#72. The Leopard (1963, Visconti)
#73. Modern Times (1936, Chaplin)
#74. Sweet Smell of Success (1957, Mackendrick)
#75. Yi Yi (2000, Yang)
#76. Grand Illusion (1937, Renoir)
#77. Out of the Past (1947, Tourneur)
#78. Mulholland Dr. (2001, Lynch)
#79. Wild Strawberries (1957, Bergman)
#80. Synecdoche, New York (2008, Kaufman)
#81. Psycho (1960, Hitchcock)
#82. Nayakan (1987, Ratnam)
#83. Wings of Desire (1987, Wenders)
#84. The Big Sleep (1946, Hawks)
#85. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004, Gondry)
#86. Ulysses’ Gaze (1995, Angelopoulos)
#87. Notorious (1946, Hitchcock)
#88. Nashville (1975, Altman)
#89. Days of Heaven (1978, Mallick)
#90. The Maltese Falcon (1941, Huston)
#91. The Bicycle Thief (1948, de Sica)
#92. A Touch of Zen (1971, Hu)
#93. Fargo (1996, Coen, Coen)
#94. Breathless (1960, Godard)
#95. Children of Paradise (1945, Carné)
#96. The Wind Will Carry Us (1999, Kiarostami)
#97. Rio Bravo (1959, Hawks)
#98. Jaws (1975, Spielberg)
#99. There Will Be Blood (2007, P.T. Anderson)
#100. Japón (2002, Carlos Reygadas)

A breakdown of the list

Most represented directors (2 or more):
Akira Kurosawa (4), Alfred Hithcock (4), Stanley Kubrick (4), Orson Welles (3), Francis Ford Coppola (3), Martin Scorsese (3), Frederico Fellini (3), Elia Kazan (2), Fritz Lang (2), Woody Allen (2), Jean Renoir (2), John Huston (2), John Ford (2), David Lean (2), David Lynch (2), Terrence Mallick (2), Jean Luc Godard (2), Howard Hawks (2), Charlie Chaplin (2), Robert Altman (2), D.W. Griffith (2)

Most represented decades (10 or more):
1950s (21), 1970s (19), 1960s (14), 1940s (11)

Be sure to check out the other lists in our TMA’s Greatest series:
TMA’s 25 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time
TMA’s 25 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time

1. Citizen Kane (directed by Orson Welles)

2. Eraserhead (David Lynch)

3. Night of the Living Dead (George A. Romero)

4. The Maltese Falcon (John Huston)

5. Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard)

The full list featuring the top 100 can be found here.

25. The Ring (2002)
It’s become popular among fanboys and purists to claim that “Ringu,” the Japanese film upon which it is based, is better than Gore Verbinski’s remake starring Naomi Watts. No. As good as Hideo Nakata’s original is, Verbinksi’s version retains and improves all of its great elements and cuts most of the flaws. What’s most impressive is perhaps the film’s mild PG-13 rating. Verbinksi proved that mindless gore and over-the-top violence are unnecessary in the quest for horror. Mood, sound storytelling and carefully placed pertinent imagery are more than enough to get the job done.

Black Sunday

24. Black Sunday (1960)
This list wouldn’t be complete without the work of Italian exploitation icon, Mario Bava.  Some of his work has faded with time and he’s even been criticized by some as an overrated director, but one thing is certain, “Black Sunday” has withstood the test of time and remains one of the great horror films ever produced.  The film takes a familiar storyline and maximizes its potential with breathtaking imagery and an eerie, unsettling tone.  It may not scare in the same way that modern audiences have come to expect, but its unique hypnotic, atmospheric aura and its stunning visuals are what make “Black Sunday” special.

23. Dead Alive (1993)
Most casual movie fans have no idea that the beloved New Zealander behind the epic fantasy blockbuster “Lord of the Rings” films was actually quite well-known for some of the most absurd, schlockiest, funniest, goriest, cheesiest horror movies of all time.  And his third feature, “Dead Alive,” is the culmination of it all.  At once hysterically funny and nauseatingly disgusting, Jackson’s ridiculous and surprisingly intelligent send up of 1950s New Zealand culture ranks among the most enjoyable movie-watching experiences of all time.

22. The Haunting (1963)
Another early sixties horror classic makes the list in Robert Wise’s “The haunting.” This time period in American cinema was a hotbed for artful frights. What makes this black and white gem so special is not necessarily that it was the scariest movie ever released at the time (which it was), but that its approach to the genre was so effective and unique. The house, not some monstrous killer, became the central character and the film’s amorphous supernatural element lent itself to some interesting psychological commentary and some of the best scares ever put to film.

21. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Audiences are still polarized on this trend-bucking experimental film billed as real “found footage” of some students working on a documentary about a local ghost legend. The shaky cam made some people sick while others simply refused to buy into the concept. Their loss. The impact this creative little film had on the landscape of horror is undeniable. It tapped into the most primal of human fears — being utterly lost and at the mercy of something you do not know and do not understand. And the perfectly understated ending is one of the best of any horror film ever made. Dozens of copycats emerged but none could capture the magic of “Blair Witch.”

Carnival of Souls

20. Carnival of Souls (1962)
Expensive special effects? Big name actors? Award-winning creature makeup? Who needs it? Herk Harvey’s classic creep-fest sure doesn’t. This super-mini budget 1962 horror flick does just fine without a Hollywood-sized checkbook, and it’s all the better for it. This strikingly original little film is one of the best products of America’s love affair with drive-in B-movies during the late fifties and early sixties. Horror movies are all about atmosphere, and it doesn’t get much better than the unbearably tense, unnerving creepiness of “Carnival of Souls.”

19. Nosferatu (1922)
Kids these days that equate horror with gallons of blood and brutalized coeds are missing the point. Any hack with a camera can do that. What sets F.W. Murnau’s creepy silent masterpiece apart is the storytelling. Silent films don’t have the luxury of dialogue which means if you don’t want people to fall asleep or lose interest you’re going to have tell a cohesive, compelling story using images alone. It’s not easy, but “Nosferatu,” an unauthorized retelling of Bram Stoker’s famed story “Dracula,” maximizes its strengths and has endured as one of the best vampire films ever made.

18. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
Don Siegel’s cult masterpiece of McCarthy-era paranoia stands the test of time as one of the most chilling depictions of destructive tribalism every put to film. Few viewers got the political message in 1956, and considering its expert manipulation of perception and very creepy imagery, it’s not hard to see why.  Siegel’s brilliant direction lends “Body Snatcher” a unique balance of paranoia, politics, terror and fun.  It’s every bit as good today as it was in 1956.

17. The Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
Another unique film in that it is a significant improvement over its classic predecessor. James Whale’s sequel to the already beloved and influential “Frankenstein” (1931) accomplishes the unthinkable by upping the satire, sharpening the wit, improving the horror and maximizing the nuance and intrigue associated with the iconic character. It also doesn’t hurt to have the genius of Boris Karloff at your disposal. The master partnership of Karloff and Whale with the addition of Elsa Lanchester make this surreal romp a great watch even three quarters of century later.

16. 28 Days Later (2003)
Danny Boyle puts a stylish spin on the zombie apocalypse picture. Shot on beautiful digital video, “28 Days Later” is a multi-layered exploration of humanity in the information age, animal rights, Darwinian science, survival and the meaning of personal relationships. Boyle tempers the political content with a heap of gory action, great scares and an expertly executed sense of unavoidable terror and isolation. “28 Days Later” may be the best horror movie of the modern era.

Night of the Living Dead

15. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
What if the most terrifying evil of all wasn’t some hulking monster with giant fangs or some crazed serial killer? What if everyone around you, even the nicest most non-threatening folks you knew suddenly wanted nothing more than to rip your flesh apart and eat you alive? George Romero wondered this and decided to follow the concept to its logical conclusion. He ended up with a groundbreaking, socially conscious film that marked the birth of a brand new horror sub-genre and would seep into every crevice of society and change the course of horror movies forever.

14. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
Wes Craven’s unforgettable foray into the last place you thought you were safe — dreamland. This is the film that introduced us to Freddy Krueger (Robert Englund), a wise-cracking undead child murderer who with his grotesquely burnt face and crudely fashioned clawed glove forever stigmatized striped sweaters and fedoras. The concept was unique and terrifying, but like most great horror films “Nightmare” synthesized the underlying issues of its time into a fun, scary and intelligent reflection of the darkest corners of society.

13. Jaws (1975)
Steven Spielberg isn’t the first guy people usually think of when talking about horror. In his prime most of his films were huge family friendly blockbusters that sought the widest audiences possible. And he certainly made some brilliant studio movies, but one of his best is his ode to old fashioned B-movie monster flicks — “Jaws.” By only showing glimpses of a 24 foot mechanical shark named Bruce a couple of times and laying an ominous two-note score under shots of dozens of water-treading adolescent legs, Spielberg successfully terrified a generation into staying out of the water.

Evil Dead 2

12. Evil Dead 2: Dead by Dawn (1987)
Our respects to fans of “Army of Darkness” and the original “Evil Dead,” both of which are great films, but the second installment in Sam Raimi’s wholly original trilogy of schlocky horror/comedy fun is the best of the bunch. This time Ash (Bruce Campbell) is back in the foreboding woods battling more over-the-top evil Sam Raimi creations. “Evil Dead 2″ is the perfect combination of the outlandish comedy of the third film and the innovative camera techniques, sound design and thrillingly unique approach of the first.

11. The Fly (1986)
It’s not often that a remake bests the original, but director David Cronenberg isn’t known for reinforcing the status quo. His update of Kurt Neumann’s 1956 classic does just about everything right. It’s disgusting, intriguing, thoughtful, intelligent, creepy and — did I mention disgusting? Geena Davis is great (whatever happened to her? Isn’t she in MENSA?), but Jeff Goldblum turns in the best performance of his career as the titular fly. And with layers of subtext ranging from what it means to age, to the implications of the AIDS epidemic, “The Fly” is a masterful film from a master director.

10. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
George Romero practically invented the zombie movie with his brilliant landmark effort, the minimalist masterpiece, “Night of the Living Dead,” in 1968. And then a decade later he perfected it with the bloody, claustrophobic, relentlessly terrifying sequel. Like any great work of art, “Dawn of the Dead” holds a mirror up to society and effectively and unapologetically rips into its absurdities. In this case the target is modern consumer culture.

9. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
An evil, evil movie — pure and simple. Master director, Roman Polanski, brought his distinct visual flair and unique insight into human psychology to mutate one of life’s great events into an horrific, tormenting, hellish curse. With a murderers’ row of film luminaries working on the film including Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Maurice Evans and Ruth Gordon starring, and legendary huckster William Castle producing, it’s no wonder Polanski’s thrilling adaptation of Ira Levin’s novel is one of the great horror films of all time.

Halloween

8. Halloween (1978)
Fittingly, still a Halloween favorite to this day, John Carpenter’s masterpiece of faceless horror is the pinnacle of boogieman terror. Its introduction into the world spawned legions of imitators and profoundly impacted not only the horror genre but the shape of cinema and popular culture on the whole. Far from a mindless slasher flick, John Carpenter’s precise and calculated direction elevates the material to the level of true art. Aside from its noted influence and impact as a landmark in the industry, this movie works on visceral level — tapping into the deepest of human insecurities. This is one for the ages.

7. Alien (1979)
Few directors had as much creativity and disciplined control of their craft as Ridley Scott in his heyday. And “Alien,” only his second feature film, holds the rare distinction of being simultaneously among the greatest sci-fi and horror movies of all time. This slasher flick set in space is the premier demonstration of audience control. Scott plays his viewers like a piano, building unbearable tension and wisely choosing to limit the exposure of the grotesque killer extraterrestrial to maximize the effect of its blood-letting appearances.

6. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Although some would probably categorize this Jonathan Demme flick as a psychological crime thriller, there’s no denying the sheer terror, creepiness and sense of impending doom its many horror elements evoke. Armed with a formidable triumvirate of world-class talent (Demme, Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster), “Lambs” delves inside the minds and explores the motivations behind a brilliant cannibal, a plucky FBI rookie and a twisted serial killer, and flawlessly performs a delicate ballet of cutting psychological terror, human insecurity and a pinch of good old fashioned horror movie gore.

5. Psycho (1960)
Hailed not only as a great horror movie, but as a major landmark in visual storytelling. The red herring found great favor in Hitchcock’s directing quiver and wowed movie-goers like never before in this brilliant exercise in audience manipulation and misdirection. Packed with the expert craftsmanship that only Hitchcock could deliver and some of the most iconic scenes ever put to film, including the infamous shower scene and the chilling twist ending, horror was never the same after “Psycho” — and that’s a good thing.

4. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
Remarkably gory for its time, the influence of Tobe Hooper’s innovative and uncompromising indie slash-fest can still be felt decades after its release. Although the film is completely fictional (with some elements of real life serial killer Ed Gein thrown in), Hooper and company had a stroke of genius by billing it as the true story of a group of teens massacred on a road trip in rural Texas by a family cannibals, which added a sense of real terror to the experience. And the primary antagonist, Leatherface, a mentally retarded serial killer who wears a mask made of human skin, remains the preeminent slasher villain, setting the precedent for the hordes of hulking, unstoppable power tool-wielding killers that followed.

3. The Exorcist (1973)
Based on William Peter Blatty’s supposedly true story of the demonic possession of a young child, “The Exorcist” insidiously exploits and subverts deep-seeded religious fears to the max. As far as we know, “The Exorcist” is the only film to be nominated for Best Picture that features an adolescent violating herself with a cross, spewing green pea soup and deviously laughing while her head spins. But what’s so great about the movie is that it’s really not about demonic possession at all. It’s called “The Exorcist” for a reason. The real conflict is actually raging inside of Father Damien Karras (Jason Miller), the young priest and first-time exorcist. The end product is a surprisingly mature meditation on guilt, faith, masculinity and the loss of a loved one.

2. The Thing (1982)
John Carpenter’s magnum opus.  This sci-fi tinged horror remake follows a crew of rough-and-tumble scientists stationed at an Antarctic base pitted against a devious shape-shifting alien. “The Thing,” unlike most traditional horror films with clearly defined villains, leaves our small crew at the mercy of an evil that could be anywhere, anyone, or anything — even the dog. It is a masterpiece of mood, tone and tension that also boasts some of the best practical monster effects in film. They’re so good, in fact, that they’re still more believable than most of Hollywood’s high tech CGI effects used today.

The Shining

1. The Shining (1980)
We realize this isn’t really fair. Stanley Kubrick is one of the greatest artists, of any medium, of the 20th century. His credits include perhaps the greatest comedy ever made (“Dr. Strangelove”) the greatest science fiction movie of all time (“2001: A Space Odyssey”) and one of the most subversive, insightful social commentaries ever made (“A Clockwork Orange”). So it’s only natural that this titan would eventually make it around to horror. And when he finally did in 1980 adapting Steven King’s chilling book about a small family left alone in a haunted hotel in the secluded mountains of Colorado, the result was nothing less than terrifying, atmospheric, haunting brilliance. Combine one of Jack Nicholson’s most demanding and iconic performances with the sure hand and unmatched craftsmanship of a master director and you’ve got the greatest horror film ever made.

Bill Murray as Big Ern McCracken in "Kingpin"

#25. Miracle (2004)

This stirring tale about the US Olympic hockey team’s improbable 1980 upset over the invincible Soviets may be built on a clichéd script and a formulaic narrative, but stellar performances, a profound understanding of the team dynamic, and incredibly shot athletic action make this Gavin O’Connor flick a fun, gripping piece of American nostalgia. A worthy tribute to one of the all-time great upsets in sports history.

#24. A League Of Their Own (1992)

Some macho dudes may balk (pun intended) at the inclusion of a movie about an all female baseball league formed during WWII, but these trash-talkin’ ladies are fine by us.  Anchored by a stellar ensemble cast including Madonna, Geena Davis, Rosie O’Donnell, and Tom Hanks, Penny Marshall’s “A League of Their Own” delivers a belly full of laughs, memorable one-liners, and just the right amount of sentimentality. Just remember, “There’s no crying in baseball!”

#23. Kingpin (1996)

This absolutely absurd and hilarious slapstick comedy has been called “the Caddyshack of bowling.” And rightly so. Woody Harrelson commands the laughs as Roy Munson, a balding, has-been bowler with a rubber hand that’s resorted to hustling seedy marks for extra cash.  But the real genius comes in Bill Murray’s unequaled turn as bowling’s most revered hot-shot jerk-off, Big Ern McCracken.  Truly one of the great comedic performances in cinema history.

#22. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Roger Ebert calls Clint Eastwood’s compelling tale of redemption, ambition, and friendship a “masterpiece, pure and simple, deep and true.” Strong words, but it’s hard to disagree with him. Eastwood adeptly stars in his own film alongside Hilary Swank, who delivers a brilliant and inspiring performance that powerfully and acutely echoes the narrative’s themes.  One of the most proficiently acted and beautifully photographed films on this list.

#21. When We Were Kings (1996)

The “Rumble in the Jungle,” the 1974 world heavyweight bout in Zaire between Muhammad Ali and the champion at the time, George Foreman, is one of the most famous fights of all time. “Kings,” the quintessential boxing documentary, covers the incredible fight, Ali’s stunning underdog victory through his infamous “Rope-A-Dope” strategy, and and its striking political and social significance, with calculated genius.

Robert Ryan in "The Set-up"

#20. Chariots of Fire (1981)

One man runs for God.  The other for fame, fortune, and status.  “Chariots of Fire” is a beautiful film that pits Christian agains Jew but adeptly depicts their rivalry with mutual respect, refusing to take sides.  What plays out on screen, in the minds of our characters, and in the world around them is an elegaic ode to competition, ambition, respect, and overcoming prejiduce, both inward and outward.  And what a musical score!

#19. The Wrestler (2008)

A dramatic instance of life imitating art. Mickey Rourke stars as Randy “The Ram” Robinson, a broke, washed-up professional wrestler that gets a chance to relive his past glory in the comeback of a lifetime. Rourke makes a parallel, real-life comeback of his own delivering, without hyperbole, one of the greatest performances in the history of cinema.  “I don’t hear as good as I used to, and I ain’t as pretty as I used to be. But I’m still here – I’m the Ram.”

#18. The Set-up (1949)

Robert Wise’s 1949 boxing-noir about a washed up, but stubbornly prideful fighter (Robert Ryan) surrounded by corruption. His daring choice whether or not to take a dive, coupled with gritty and stark intensity, including an 18-minute fight shot in real time, and striking drama make this early triumph of sports cinema a timeless classic. “Well, that’s the way it is. You’re a fighter, you gotta fight.”

#17. Rudy (1993)

The ultimate tale of the sheer power of heart and determination.  The true story of Notre Dame football player, Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger who was under-sized, under-skilled, and too stupid to know that he wasn’t supposed to succeed.  Sean Astin gives the most heartfelt, inspirational performance of his career in this misty-eyed celebration of the underdog.

#16. Brian’s Song (1971)

The true story of the Chicago Bears’ Brian Piccolo and hall of famer, Gale Sayers. James Caan is at his best as the free spirited Piccolo diagnosed with cancer and Billy Dee Williams is pitch-perfect as his friend, the legendary Sayers. Together, they forge an unlikely bond that tears down racial barriers and exemplifies loyalty, courage, and humanity. We dare any man to make it through this flick without shedding a tear. “Gayle, I think I’m pregnant.”

Paul Newman in "The Hustler"

#15. The Bad News Bears (1976)

A brilliant foul-mouthed comedy about a group of misfit Little Leaguers coached by an alcoholic. Walter Matthau leads the way with an understated performance for the ages, and helps this Michael Ritchie flick deconstruct cliched sports stories, feel-good family movies, and youth athletic leagues, all at the same time. “This quitting thing, it’s a hard habit to break once you start.”

#14. Bang The Drum Slowly (1973)

Robert De Niro, before he was Robert De Niro, stars as a naive, rookie catcher who is taken under the wing of a veteran pitcher (Michael Moriarty) only to be diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and face the awful possibility that he may be playing his last season. There isn’t a man alive who hasn’t teared up during this powerful tale of respect, loyalty, friendship, and the love of the game. One of the first baseball films to study the game from the inside out.

#13. The Hustler (1961)

Jackie Gleason turns heads with his dark, deep, and eerily fleshed out performance as champion pool player, Minnesota Fats, facing his own demons and his possible downfall personified by baby-faced upstart, Paul Newman.  Newman’s performance is equally breathtaking as the young, cocky, Fast Eddie Felson, who must decide whether to risk it all for superficial glory, or discover what’s really important in life.  “A 25% slice of something big is better than a 100% slice of nothing.”

#12. Breaking Away (1979)

Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern and Jackie Earle Haley all turn in amazing performances as a smalltown team of cyclists called the “Cutters.”  They have their work cut out for them racing against Indiana U’s snobby rich kids for the Little 500 trophy.  The perfectly captured feeling of just beginning adulthood, combined with Christopher’s amazing scenes on his bike set against Mozart and Rossini, help this superb film break away from its peers.

#11. Major League (1989)

The tagline reads, “When these three oddballs try to play hardball, the result is totally screwball.” Couldn’t have said it better myself. This hilarious romp is the classic tale of a team of misfits working together to become a team of ballplayers. What makes it standout from the crowd are the insanely memorable and wacky characters.  “Hats for bats, keep bats warm.”

Steve James' Dramatic Doc, "Hoop Dreams"

#10. Slap Shot (1977)

With the boon of hilarity inherent in the game of hockey — missing teeth, Billy Ray Cyrus-esque mullets, Canadians that pronounce ‘about’ as if they’re talking about footwear — it’s amazing more comedies haven’t been made about this funny, funny game.  Maybe it’s the fact that Paul Newman’s sailor-mouthed masterpiece does it so well it would futile to try and best it. “What did the old man trade for these assholes, a used puck bag?”

#9. The Natural (1984)

Robert Redford’s fantastic, mythical take on the reverence and awe that are still inspired by America’s grandest game. Roy Hobbs embodies the grace, power, mystery, and legend of the luminaries of baseball’s golden era. Few other films have ever been made with such respect, love, and nostalgia for the magical game of baseball. “When I walked down the street people would’ve looked and they would’ve said, ‘there goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was…’”

#8. Hoop Dreams (1994)

A striking and harrowing look at life in the inner city.  A tale of two impoverished high school basketball players that dream of a life of fame and fortune in the NBA only to be faced with the harsh realities of the cut-throat, unapologetic world of competitive basketball and White America.  “Hoop Dreams” is both an inspiring and heartbreaking film that exposes the harsh truths of exploitation and inequality in America.

#7. Pride of the Yankees (1942)

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.” Some of the most poignant, heart-wrenching, and inspiring words ever uttered in the realm of sports, or otherwise.  Lou Gehrig.  A true American hero.  The Iron Horse was a strong, confident, but humble soul who was tragically taken from us at the young age of 36 by ALS.  This brilliant film offers a beautifully elegiac and harrowing glimpse into the life and untimely death of a legend thanks to Gary Cooper’s inspired performance.

#6. Field of Dreams (1989)

Kevin Costner finds his niche as a baseball loving, 1960s idealist farmer with daddy issues who, after hearkening to a mysterious, heavenly voice, builds a baseball diamond in the middle of his Iowa cornfields. Ghostly reincarnations of legendary ballplayers from baseball’s golden age soon find a Mecca in the homemade field and relive their glory days. Misty eyes are unavoidable when Costner discovers the true meaning of the cryptic message, “If you build it…he will come.”

Kevin Coster & Susan Sarandon in "Bull Durham"

#5. Hoosiers (1986)

One of the most finely crafted underdog stories ever told. The premise is familiar–an obscure Indiana high school basketball team digs deep to overcome impossible odds and win the state title. It may now be considered cliched but Gene Hackman’s performance coupled with a timeless script propel this little film into the pantheon of greatest sports stories ever told.

#4. Caddyshack (1980)

“He’s on his final hole. He’s about 455 yards away, he’s gonna hit about a 2 iron I think.” The most hilariously farcical anti-establishment sports movie ever made. Comedy legends Chevy Chase, Bill Murray, and Rodney Dangerfield team up to make this tale of an uppity country club turned on its head one of the funniest and most quotable movies of all time.

#3. Bull Durham (1988)

Though it has some minor issues–Tim Robbins’ 90+ mph fastball looks more like 65 mph–this 1988 classic gets almost everything else spot-on.  Say what you will about Kevin Costner’s ventures into epic, post-apocalyptic  science fiction, e.g. “Waterworld” — he was born to play a washed up, endlessly quotable veteran ball-player. “You hit white balls for batting practice, the ballparks are like cathedrals, the hotels all have room service, and the women all have long legs and brains. ”

#2. Rocky (1976)

“Yo Adrian!”  Rocky Balboa, the charming southpaw from the mean streets of Philly, captures our imagination and our hearts on his quest to, “Go the distance.”  It’s a tale about an ordinary man with an extraordinary spirit set against impossible odds.  Sidestepping cliché but embracing fairytale, “Rocky,” a near-perfect film, is the measuring stick by which all other sports movies are judged.

Robert De Niro is Jake Lamotta in "Raging Bull"

#1. Raging Bull (1980)

A masterpiece. That word is thrown around far too often, but Martin Scorsese’s technically and philosophically groundbreaking character study of deeply troubled fighter, Jake LaMotta (Robert De Niro), embodies the term.  Offering the grittiest, most unflinchingly realistic depiction of a brutal sport and its accompanying lifestyle in all their poetic barbarism, “Raging Bull” shocks, disgusts, compels, and inspires.  The Academy’s snub of this film for Best Picture is one of the most grievous missteps in industry history as it is not only the greatest sports film ever made, but one of the finest achievements in all of cinema.  De Niro famously set a new precedent for method actors adding 60 pounds to his frame in his Oscar-winning performance.

Honorable Mentions (most of these could have made our list on another day. And you know, some of them probably should have… oh well): Jerry Maguire (1996), The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962), The Sandlot (1993), Without Limits (1998), White Men Can’t Jump (1992), This Sporting Life (1963), Rocky III (1982), Heaven Can Wait (1978), Eight Men Out (1988), North Dallas Forty (1976), Olympia (1936), Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956), Prefontaine (1997), The Jericho Mile (1979), Tin Cup (1996), Friday Night Lights (2004), Better Off Dead (1985), The Longest Yard (1974), The Color of Money (1986), Dogtown and Z-Boys (2002), The Endless Summer (1966), Hurricane (1999), The Freshman (1925), Downhill Racer (1969), Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962)

TMA’s 25 Greatest Sports Movies of All Time: Abbreviated List

#1. Raging Bull
#2. Rocky
#3. Bull Durham
#4. Caddyshack
#5. Hoosiers
#6. Field of Dreams
#7. Pride of the Yankees
#8. Hoop Dreams
#9. The Natural
#10. Slapshot
#11. Major League
#12. Breaking Away
#13. The Hustler
#14. Bang the Drum Slowly
#15. Bad News Bears
#16. Brian’s Song
#17. Rudy
#18. The Set-up
#19. The Wrestler
#20. Chariots of Fire
#21. When We Were Kings
#22. Million Dollar Baby
#23. Kingpin
#24. A League of Their Own
#25. Miracle

<< Read the Detailed List

10. Once – A lasting relationship flourishes out of a common interest in music.  Director John Carney relies on simple but masterfully crafted songs to tell this familiar but inspiring story of love and hope. Minimalistic, intimate, powerful.

9. Ratatouille – Brad Bird, and the folks at Pixar have done it again.  Ratatouille follows the life of an aspiring gourmet, French chef.  He must overcome endless obstacles, most notably, the fact that he’s a rat.  The animation is mind-blowing, but doesn’t overpower the charming story.  Inspirational and funny.  A winning combination.

8. Michael Clayton - George  Clooney stars as a “fix-it” lawyer in this smart, but predictable law-thriller.  Clooney is good as the clean-up man, but Tom Wilkinson is great as his clean-up project.  Wilkinson plays an all-star attorney that decides to stand up and fly right (somewhat deliriously), thus becoming a liability to the firm.  Tony Gilroy’s excellent script is expertly acted producing fascinating and entertaining results.

7. Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead -Sidney Lumet returns to form as he directs Kelly Masterson’s superb script.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives a commanding performance leading a dysfuntional New York family into a foredoomed heist resulting in untold tragedies.

6. Into The Wild – Sean Penn finds his voice as he directs Emile Hirsch’s brilliant performance in this non-fiction, rite-of-passage picture.  Based on the life of traveler, and freedom-seeker, Chris McCandless, Penn show great care and love for his subject as he artfully tells our sympathetic hero’s tragic tale.

5. Juno – Diablo Cody pours her soul into this smart, hilarious, and heartfelt teenage-pregnancy story.  Cody takes great care not to take sides on this touchy issue letting the events unfold naturally and realistically.  Ellen Page steals the show making it hard to imagine anyone else in the title role.

4. The Savages – Tamara Jenkins finally unleashes a fitting follow-up to the brilliant “Slums of Beverly Hills” (1998).  Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Laura Linney are mesmerizing as bickering siblings fighting over how to take care of their ailing father (Philip Bosco).  Bosco’s performance is endearing, painful, and absolutely masterful.

3. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly – Julian Schnabel’s touching biopic of Jean-Dominique Bauby, famous editor of the French magazine, ELLE, is a breathtaking glimpse into the mind of a paralyzed genius.  Capable only of communicating with the blink of an eye, Bauby (Mathieu Amalric) enraptures us with his silent sarcasm, sense of humor, and endless wit.  Schnabel allows us to be sympathetic while still mindful of our protagonist’s considerable flaws.

2. There Will Be Blood - Daniel Day-Lewis is not human.  He is a chameleon.  His portrayal of increasingly evil Texas oil tycoon, Daniel Plainview, is utterly astonishing.   Director Paul Thomas Anderson’s THERE WILL BE BLOOD is a masterly, unflinching examination of a consummately evil man. Daniel Plainview (via a transcendent performance by the great Daniel Day-Lewis) is, as he likes to remind those around him, an oil man: he finds it, he drills for it, and he… Director Paul Thomas Anderson wisely steps back and allows the story to unravel naturally, and sometimes violently, in the hands of Day-Lewis.  This flick came within a hair of making our top slot for best film of the year.

1. No Country For Old Men - The Coens amazingly manage to surpass their timeless “Fargo” (1996) with this triumph of American cinema.  Cormac McCarthy’s acclaimed novel jumps off the screen in the hands of the two-headed director that is the Coens.  They took a great risk in leaving this film nearly void of music.  The gamble pays off, and the silence creates unbearable tension.  Tommy Lee Jones and Josh Brolin are exceptional in this Texas cat and mouse thriller.  Javier Bardem turns in the performance of his life as the amoral assassin, Anton Chigurh, an emotionless, impossibly evil villain that is destined to go down as one of the most notorious antagonists in silver-screen history.