CinemaPath
The 100 Greatest Films of the 21st Century
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100. Iron Man (2008)
Directed by Jon Favreau
Rating: 8.1/10
Iron Man is known as the superhero film that launched a Marvel Cinematic Universe that defined the Hollywood film industry for years. The movie theater box office awaits MCU releases every year, most likely, one would find a marvel release topping the list of highest-grossing films of the year. This tremendous and revolutionary success can all be traced back to Robert Downey Jr., fitting the role of Tony Stark like a glove.
The template for future superhero films is seen here, while it's not the origin, it's the spark that ignited the MCU and modern superhero films that aspired to compete against its success. Because of Downey's charm and playboy attitude, the cocky yet ingenious billionaire Tony Stark works believably well through all the CGI escapist appeal.
His on-screen confidence and character development are a recipe for cinema success that fits perfectly into the Iron Man suit and persona. The self-awareness in the script and incorrigible lead character thrust Iron Man into never before seen heights of cinema.
The story, while simple, reminds us how our feelings can resonate with someone outside of our world. The attitude of an overtly pompous billionaire playboy who builds military superhero machines for himself is controlled enough that Stark’s character wins the audience. This is due to the solidly crafted yet reliable superhero origin story.
A self-important billionaire is taken hostage, losing his way of life and becoming humbled right before the audience. Once given his gifts or abilities, this hero learns to use them for good, protecting the world from villains. In the case of Iron Man, Downey Jr. gave marvel a lively, multilayered superhero with a moral compass. The film’s awareness can be witnessed by its admirable balancing act of humor and drama. Injecting the proper amount of pathos into a superhero role aimed at massive audiences was rare in 2008. Favreau’s direction and collaboration with Downey Jr allowed Iron Man to launch a historical origin story. This superhero tale comes across as honest and convincing as Downey's performance. This isn’t a bloated film but a superhero film about a man who uses his brain and resources to fly his path in a redemption story that resonates with many walks of life because of the humanity Downey Jr. gives Stark. It even utilizes the power of Downey Jr. as a celebrity comeback story, giving the film a meta-narrative, which shows just how pure a superhero film can be beyond the mise en scene.
Although the state-of-the-art CGI and brand awareness select superheroes have in the entertainment world, the attention in this film and the origin stories for other marvel films depended on the lead actor. Their likability needed to plug and fit into the formula that was being sketched. Downey Jr. convinced crowds rather quickly that he was Iron Man and that this was the role he was born to play. The idolization of superheroes was finally captured and utilized by marvel studios. The untapped potential of the comic book heroes needed an icon, a jumping-off point, and that’s where Iron Man’s significance is seen the most.
Because Iron Man tells the fundamental superhero story through its regular template, it finds itself closed off from pushing boundaries in a predictable finale act that unfortunately can’t match the rest of the film's momentum. There is a superhero and character development, but the story’s message and effect are sacrificed for the formula that the Marvel Cinematic Universe mistakingly allows, derailing many of its future films.
Without the film's confidence and playful wonder, this could've quickly fallen flat. This is represented perfectly in the MCU’s first-ever post-credit scene, which tells the audience there are more superheroes out there waiting to be discovered, almost as if Marvel is telling us they knew they struck superhero gold. While superheroes have sometimes been expertly portrayed in earlier depictions of Batman and Spiderman films, Iron Man deftly balanced the untapped potential in the mainstream draw to superheroes in cinema.
99. Creep 2 (2017)
Directed by Patrick Brice
Directed By Patrick Brice
Rating: 8.1/10
Horror cinema of the 21st century has heavily relied on jump scares, possession, demons, murderers, and remakes that attempt to capture the spirit of original horror classics. The unique ability of Creep 2 is that it takes the horror genre in a new direction among the clutter the genre has created, which is an incredible feat.
The premise is shockingly simple and builds upon the character introduced in Creep 1, Aaron. Director Patrick Brice decided to take the awkward, unsettling terror route through disturbing cinematography, witty dialogue, and a growing sense of terror.
Brice seems to push the envelope of a social media world where humans are increasingly desensitized to horror. The way to combat this saturation of the horror genre with cliches and repeats in American cinema was to invent a character that could bring in a fresh horror style.
The character of Aaron has traces of Norman Bates, and the story uses the two-handler style of the film. This term applies to films where two characters carry the level, and this can be seen in films such as Misery, My Dinner with Andre, and, most recently, The Lighthouse. These films rely heavily on dialogue to unravel the story.
Mark Duplass’ star turns as Aaron, a distressing, spine-chilling psychopath, is one of the most underrated performances of the 21st century. His perfectly executed dialogue inflicts awkwardness, and his menacing presence continuously keeps audiences on edge, wondering what unimaginable idea he is cooking up in his twisted brain to make us laugh and squeeze our firsts while trying not to squirm from the images on the screen. It’s an erratic, impulsive character that bewilders us as we see him continue to take his madness to unfounded heights. Sequences of tension build toward pithy dialogue from Aaron that only increases the uncomfortable nature of the film.
Aaron appears as an enigma, and we hope that the secondary character in this film can placate his growing need to act out in horrifying ways. The themes of the negative influences of social media and the growing need to prove ourselves to be successful to a society that drives us towards danger cause the secondary character, Sara, to seek out Aaron to interview him for her failing documentary show. This is a horror film with a harsh social critique on the harmful impacts of social media in this modern era that causes loss of identity and lack of respect for humankind.
This film also tackles the intriguing topic that involves the humanistic instinct to understand the insane. Sara is fascinated by Aaron’s erratic behavior and his life story. The attraction to the insane is reminiscent of women's fascination with infamous serial killers (Ted Bundy) and the difficult task of fathoming how someone like Aaron could exist in our world.
Creep 2 improves upon its predecessor by offering a more in-depth case study of its disturbing lead character while maintaining a gripping pace that doesn’t let up on the unpleasant atmosphere created in the film.
There is an uneasy subtlety to how Aaron operates, precisely what makes him stand out among horror cinemas' most notorious monsters. He is a human monster that is difficult to comprehend and brings strange gravitas to the found footage style of filmmaking. Horror fans will be pleased by the disparate nature of the film concerning horror cinema, and the average viewer will struggle to absorb the unnerving character Duplass magnificently creates.
98. Hell or High Water (2016)
Directed by David Mackenzie
Rating: 8.1/10
The history of the Western genre in Hollywood cinema is immense and complicated, full of death, shootouts, and revivals. The legend of the American western, Clint Eastwood, puts the cliches, reused motifs, dishonesty, and zaniness of past Hollywood westerns to rest with his spectacular western film Unforgiven (1992).
The western genre experienced another massive shift when No Country for Old Men was released in 2007, a film that dug deeper into the darker, more grounded themes Eastwood contemplated in Unforgiven. No Country For Old men revived the Western genre and created a new neo-Western label.
Hell or High Water was an exemplary film of the neo-westerns from the 2010s after the revival of No Country for Old Men. A neo-Western, a sub-genre of the Western movie, has a contemporary United States that blends themes from modern society with older Western motifs that now feel out of place.
The story follows the Howard brothers, Tanner and Toby, played by an unwieldy Ben Foster and a disciplined Chris Pine, respectively. They aim to rob the bank that seeks foreclosure on their family ranch. The depth behind the motivation to commit these crimes helps the audience empathize with apparent criminals robbing banks and endangering innocent lives. They desire to leave a better world behind for Pine’s children, not wanting them to live in the poverty they had to suffer and that the bank threatened them with.
Their morality is contrasted by the Texas ranger Marcus Hamilton (Jeff Bridges) on their tail. Hamilton, near retirement, represents the old western values of law and order. Hamilton is wise and uses his morality to remain determined to catch the men responsible for these crimes, although it seems futile given his life stage.
Once the film's climax passes, Hamilton fails to capture Toby but kills Tanner in a gunfight after he murders his partner. After this event and being unable to find Toby, Hamilton retires.
The most powerful scene in the entire film goes beyond the effects the robberies and deaths have in the story. The poignant finale that writer Taylor Sheridan desired to include in his neo-western tale is a tension-filled conversation between Toby and Hamilton, as Hamilton sought to discover the reasoning for the crimes in a world advancing faster than he can comprehend. Both men held the other responsible for the deaths of loved ones, Toby’s brother killed his partner, and Hamilton killed Tanner. Right before a shootout would presumably ensue due to the tension building within the scene, Toby’s ex-wife and children arrive, offering Hamilton a reason to keep his morality and give him a further understanding of what made Toby commit the crimes he did but lets him know he holds him responsible for his actions. Mutual respect is held together by a thread between the men, and the motivation of Toby’s crimes puts the tension to rest. The risk of death to protect his family comes across as admirable and selfish to Hamilton. Both men leave the conversation filled with suffering but the ability to continue with their lives knowing what they’ve witnessed and done.
Western cliches buried the genre for years, making them impossible to take seriously by audiences, and one of those cliches was an ending shootout, no matter what plot shifts needed to be made, a shootout was seemingly required into the fabric of the western genre. Instead of this, Sheridan allows his story to flow naturally, building toward a conversation that is both insightful and tension-filled without relying on hackneyed conclusions of past western films.
There is also the theme of revolting against the governmental systems that cause poverty, struggle, and alienation to the blue-collar class of America. While Hamilton is a lawful man, he can empathize just enough with Toby’s situation that he goes against the trained instinct that he lived with his entire career to enforce the law, even if it came to vigilante justice. Respect, pain, vengefulness, and empathy are left at the end of a crime-ridden blood trail in the American West.
The film occasionally struggles to explore the background of its characters, failing to give us fully rounded humans. Their journeys would’ve left a more distinctive mark on the genre if the story had allotted more time to their past experiences. Considering the amalgam of Western traditions in the story, a deeper connection to defining memories of the past could’ve allowed for Hamilton’s era of living to become more robust in the story to create a thought-provoking genre twist.
Hell or High Water represents the triumphs of blending old-fashioned western thrills with modern social critiques and sensibilities filled with complex morality. At a time when the Western genre is being explored in fascinating new stories, Hell or High Water allows viewers to witness the evolution of the genre while seeing a film that insightfully intertwines motifs of the past.
97. Unbreakable (2000)
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
8.1/10
After the phenomenon of M Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense, it was seemingly impossible he could follow it up with a story that matched the creativity and shocking twist the film offered viewers in 1999. The Sixth Sense catapulted Shyamalan into the international spotlight as the film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture among six other nominations.
A year later, Shyamalan decided to reunite with Bruce Willis to tell a nuanced, gripping thriller that depicted an admirably grounded comic book story, one that is rarely seen in Hollywood.
One of the most memorable shots of the 21st century hearkens back to Orson Welles’ ability to use depth of field to evoke emotion from different locations on the screen. Shyamalan uses that same technique to display the protagonist David Dunn (Bruce Willis), being evaluated at a hospital by a doctor in the background. At the same time, in the foreground, we witness a hospitalized patient dying from blood loss from a train accident Dunn was involved in but not harmed. This shot is not just tension-filled and disturbing to elevate the thrill of the film. The composition represents Dunn’s separation from a regular human's mortality.
Unbreakable’s story follows David Dunn, a sports stadium security guard who befriends a comic book enthusiast and store owner Elijah Price. Price begins to plant the seed of an idea in Dunn’s mind, an obsession that Price is determined to pursue. Price believes superheroes exist in our world, yet they are unidentifiable and don’t appear as they do in the comics. He’s convinced Dunn has been a superhero his whole life but hasn’t recognized the signs and potential of his powers. Shyamalan utilizes the trope of hiding in plain sight to reveal many shocking moments in his imaginative script.
The intriguing developments for Dunn’s character come from the questions Elijah poses to him about his life. Elijah asks Dunn if he has ever been sick and if he’s ever been injured. Dunn becomes puzzled as he cannot recall a day when he can concretely remember being sick. This begins to cause a psychological disturbance, making Dunn question his past. As soon as Elijah attempts to relate these unusual circumstances to be associated with Dunn being a superhero, Dunn dismisses the idea of superheroes to Elijah as being frustratingly fictitious.
The audience would naturally agree with Dunn as in this world portrayed similarly to our own, superheroes don’t exist, and the proof of them is nonexistent. Yet, Shyamalan’s well-executed direction, expert pace, and compelling script provide the tools to convince us that superheroes could exist in our reality. This credibility is achieved by sequences involving relatability through action. Willis attempts to bench press weights in his basement with the assistance of his son.
They both slowly realize that Dunn can bench press well over 350 pounds without even working out in the past. Watching Dunn lift the weights off himself isn’t a sensational moment, but it starts to build a superhero persona we are unlocking along the way with Dunn. His super-strength is shown through an action that other human beings have done and achieved. This provides us with a that there is more to uncover about Dunn’s possibilities. This discovery causes Dunn’s understanding of himself to be only more abstruse. This creates a compelling storyline, superior to a recycled superhero origin story.
Elijah becomes antithetical to Dunn, as the two represent supervillain and superhero. Elijah’s villainous persona draws inspiration from masterminds more than physically dangerous.
The theme of the power of belief causes a significant struggle between Dunn and his estranged son. Dunn and his wife Audrey are going through a separation, leaving Dunn to not often live at home. The proposed idea from Elijah of Dunn being a superhero creates a newfound bond between Dunn and his son Joseph. Dunn’s real-world issues as a father ground the story and plausibility of this happening to the “everyman” character. After this bond between father and son seems to be going well finally, Dunn again dismisses the possibility of him being a superhero to Joseph. Joseph becomes frustrated at his father's repudiation of Elijah’s ideas. Joseph becomes alienated at school as he gets bullied for telling other students that his dad is a superhero.
In a desperate attempt to prove to his father and mother that his father is truly a superhero, Joseph points a gun at his father, threatening to shoot him only to prove that he won’t be harmed. This sequence unfolds as a compellingly written stage play sequence that has the merit of being one of the best-composed scenes of 21st-century cinema. The attempt to prove what he believes is only the outer shell of a family dilemma unleashed by this action, where Dunn threatens to leave his son and move away if he doesn’t put down the gun. The brilliance of this scene is that it perfectly blends family drama and the superhero storyline into a climax that provides an unnerving experience within the realism of society. In this scene, the everyman father is forced to battle against an outside force poisoning his son's mind, and he treats it like many fathers would by counting down from three for his son to drop the gun.
In the final revelation, Dunn discovers that Elijah is a maddened malefactor. His dangerous captivation with finding superheroes has caused him to commit heinous crimes, murdering thousands of people, thinking he will find a superhero among them that is invulnerable to death. It is quite a diabolical plan and correctly leads him to Dunn but at the cost of thousands of lives. Price positions himself as an evil mastermind worthy of going toe to toe with the superhero he has found in Dunn. While the finale includes a worthy reveal, the characterization of Dunn’s family members and execution of the action halts the film from catapulting to a complete understanding of its material.
Shyamalan deconstructs the superhero genre in a puzzling, mystifying manner that solidifies his auteurism. He also crafts a superlative superhero film that provides an antithesis to an overcrowded genre filled with cliches. It is an intelligent, gloomy cinema filled with a despondent atmosphere that allows glimmers of hope through a troubled superhero origin story. Shyamalan’s film rejects the CGI action and sensationalism found in most of the superhero genre. There is a melodrama that propels the personal life of Dunn forward for the story, although it can detract from the film's focus. The story won’t land for many average superhero film fans but will likely succeed as a thriller disguised as a dissimilar type of superhero film.
96. The Hurt Locker (2008)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Rating 8.1/10
The Hurt Locker received critical acclaim and had tremendous success at the academy awards, winning six in total, including Best Picture and Best Director. It was also the first best picture winner to be directed by a woman.
Behind all this acclaim is an immersive, gripping war film that harkens documentary-inspired cinematography to deliver impactful thrills that create thought-provoking ideas about war to the audience, as any competent war film should be able to accomplish.
Writer Mark Boal’s field experience gave us an erudite perspective. Kathryn Bigelow’s tight direction combined to create a disturbing look at the Iraq War while giving it an impressive leap over other films covering Iraq War. Boal’s story highlights a central theme of the dehumanization of war that leads to disturbing and insightful returns In war cinema.
The most powerful moments in this war film are ironically away from violence, where the quiet moments filled with poignant themes are in full force. The Hurt Locker aims to make you exhilarated, exhausted, and in awe of Jeremy Renner’s best performance to date. He commands every scene he’s in, leaving us wondering to think how unhinged he is.
The handheld cinematography builds tension during sequences filled with expertly designed set pieces, placing every shot with clear intentions. The multiple viewpoints with swift editing place viewers as close as possible to the tension-filled sequences while providing raw journalism-inspired cinematography.
Through strong characterization, The Hurt Locker reveals a disturbing truth about the nature of men in war, showing us that our main protagonist Sergeant Williams James (Jeremy Renner), is obsessed with his way of life. The allure of war became his love and calling while the man he was before the war, whomever he was similar to this or not, was now gone. We witness a possibly psychopathic bomb defuser during the Iraq war. This story and subject provide The Hurt Locker with the most intriguing protagonist in an Iraq War film.
The psychological impact of war is represented through Renner’s actions and journey. Iraq war veterans have criticized the film for its nonrealistic portrayal of the war and false depiction of actual bomb squad operations. In this sense, The Hurt Locker may not accurately depict the bomb squad’s operations, yet the plot represents a grave warning and anti-war stance. Much criticism from war veterans was towards the character Jeremy Renner plays, stating that a bomb squad leader would not have his fervid enthusiasm and unpredictability. Williams proves to be more unreliable and unstable as the film unfolds, and purposefully so. That perhaps is Bigelow’s leading point in The Hurt Locker. War has created William James, and the final moments of the film speak volumes to Boal’s message through Bigelow’s direction.
Overall, there is a lack of awareness and accountability for the actions the US army took within the film, where the sensationalism of Iraqi civilians dying at the hands of American troops becomes an afterthought in the direction of Bigelow. This is where the film stumbles and loses its way, but the in-depth characterization of William James provides the audience with an understanding of where blood and death are rooted.
Near the film's finale, William James returns to US soil, living with his wife and child. He takes a trip to the grocery store, a place that has become unfamiliar to him and strange. This film's crowning achievement is a moment fueled by pathos as James' state of mind becomes overwhelmed as he stands in a cereal aisle. James’ life in ordinary society is no longer ingrained within him. This realization and a lack of connection to his child convince him to return to only what he knows, the testosterone-fueled and masculine attraction to war.
95. Everything Everywhere All At Once
Directed by The Daniels
8/10
What happens when you combine a unique vision with the inventiveness of the Matrix and the absurdist, nihilistic storytelling from Rick and Morty? You get Everything Everywhere All at Once
What separates Everything Everywhere All at Once from other Multiverse films (Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) is a powerful and sometimes overly sentimental story at its core. Pile on top of that a near 2 and a half hours of dazzling imagery that provokes laughter, thought, sadness and existential questioning. The film has been labeled as a genre mashing extravaganza , but in a more concise manner, this is a fantasy movie filled to the brim with originality, tropes from other genres and inspirational storytelling from movies that came before it.
The layers of story and themes in Everything Everywhere all at once is perhaps it’s own worst enemy. It attempts to tackle the nihilistic viewpoints of a younger, current generation, while offering a journey of acceptance for the boomer generation of their lifestyle and coming to terms with the generations before and after them within a family and social context.
Yet, the most outstanding story arc is set for the mother of the Wang family, Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh), who is struggling to manage and understand her decisions that led to her current life. The story sets in as a fantastical awakening akin to The Matrix, where Evelyn is told she is the prophesied one to save the multiverse from a growing evil, her daughter from another multiverse. This journey through the multiverse has a more meaningful lesson than just stylistic flair. The use of it can be seen in several different ways, perhaps a metaphor for a midlife crisis or a lesson learned in a fantastical world - similar to Spike Jonze’s Where The Wild Things Are.
The special moments in this film are when the emotion rings through the screen when merely a pair of stale rocks discuss existential questions of life through text on screen that amounts to a touching mother-daughter moment. The style of the “Daniel’s” director duo brings a signature style that offers timely themes and occasionally gets lost in the silliness of their own creation. Michelle Yeoh injects Evelyn and the story with needed pathos, providing the audience with a character to root for.
The film’s issue of overwhelming the viewer with action sacrifices the impact of the story. Scenes that would’ve been better off with moments of storytelling are instead filled with sequences of squeezing out surrealistic ideas beyond their limits (Hot Dog Finger World). But several of these wasted scenes fill the screen with visionary and imaginative thrills.
Whether it’s the top of the line martial arts choreography, the gripping cinematography or the playful sound design, Everything Everywhere All at once is a technical achievement, serving up the best a near indie studio such as A24 can produce. This films quality surpasses even the larger budget films of recent memory, which highlights the creativity and inventiveness of the film.
The wide audience reach of the film will speak unique lessons to the different generations that view the film. Giving separate generations their own piece to take away from the film speaks to the strength and insightful perspective Everything Everywhere All at Once offers. The frenetic energy may turn off mainstream viewers but it would be a disservice to give up on the artistry alone in Everything Everywhere all at once. It’s important for independent filmmaking to achieve these heights because it pushes the bar higher for expectations for smaller studios while giving massive ones a run for their money and creativity.
While it’s attempt to tackle too many themes at once leave the effort feeling superficial at times, the film still creatively hits several marks on point.
Underneath the perverted jokes, generational themes and multiverse plot device, the core of this marvelous story is addressing the cynical, nihilistic perspectives that dominate our confusing and overwhelming world, while learning to see the joy in our life choices.
Evelyn (Michelle Yeoh’s) character has become spiteful while growing to resent her family for the mundane and disappointing life she lives at the beginning of this film. She’s on the brink of a divorce and is close to losing a relationship with her daughter because she is unable to appreciate or find another perspective on the life she painfully grinds through. It has the ability to be widely resonant character for many who watch the film feeling lost in their own way. What helps the film stick its turbulent landing is the lesson at the end of the long and winding road.
Evelyn has to discover the importance of the other people in your world that give your life the meaning and importance. Fighting the nihilistic perspective of her Gen Z daughter in the film requires an introspective look at herself, finding an alternative viewpoint to see the beauty and love in the world around us. How does an older generation try to explain and address the meaningless outlook on life Gen z and younger generations have? The solution to that in Everything Everywhere all at once is to first be able to accept who you are and break through the societal constructs that have derailed your life. Secondly, Evelyn explains to her daughter that in this “meaningless” world beauty is all around us, the reason we assume the world is meaningless is because she is approaching it through only one lens, her own. Evelyn fights against the dooming idea of her daughters pessimism through the view of her husband, Waymond (Ke Huy Quan). He pleads to Evelyn to use compassion and empathy over violence as a way of reaching her daughter and her followers. This approach allows Evelyn to reach her daughter, building to this moment of realization -
The relationships in our lives continue to evolve our meaning in this confusing and overstimulating world. Evelyn assures her daughter that in all the multiverse versions of herself, she wants to be with her, in the life she built for herself and her family. This growth as a person touches her daughter and the multiverse villain version of her daughter “Joni Tupaki”. Evelyn choice to overcome the cultural plagues that haunt her from her father, overcoming her regrets of life altering decisions and acknowledging the insecurity as a mother are what leads her to breath through to her daughter. This realization is witnessed through a conversation at the end of the film that Evelyn has with the IRS worker named Deirdre (Jamie Lee Curtis). Deirdre tells Evelyn that Waymond explained the struggling situation of their lives to her. This moment of empathy convinced Deirdre to give them more time to file their taxes and save their family owned business. This allows Evelyn at the resolution of the film to see Waymond in a new light, seeing the kindness and steadiness he brings to her life. This was happening all along but it required Evelyn going through her journey into the multiverse to witness the expansive possibilities of her life and come to terms with her existence.
94. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (2017)
Directed by Martin McDonagh
8.2/10
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri serves as a showcase for its group of engaging stars to deliver a rage-fueled story that grapples with moral ambiguity and the pursuit of justice.
In the end, does anger begot anger? The conclusion in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, displays a poignant resolution to the despicable nature of humanity. This troubling tale takes place in southern rural modern America, where racism is prevalent, and justice can be shaped by an individual's quest to be judge, jury, and executioner.
Frances McDormand brilliantly settles into the role of grieving mother, Mildred Hayes, whose daughter was raped and murdered. The killer hasn’t been found, and as each day passes, her patience and sanity are tested in darkly comedic and harrowing ways. Martin McDonough’s balancing act of dramedy, finding the morbid humor in anger-filled moments, is crucial to this film succeeding in the commanding fashion that it does. The triumphant execution of a fully realized story and tone is partially thanks to McDonaugh’s honesty, fleshed-out characters, and restraint. The line is often crossed with comedy and drama to the point where there is no comfortable place between them anymore. If McDonagh didn’t show proper restraint with his comedic timing, the film's atmosphere would divulge into a satire that struggled with understanding its subject matter. Without inserting creative, humorous moments, the film would become an uncompromising tale of violence and rage.
There is a cheering, influential feeling to vigilante justice from our humanity. Mildred’s quest for justice leads her into conflict with those around her, and the outcomes are filled with painful interactions. Mildred focuses her attention on law enforcement, which becomes a motif of the film. The progression and journey of law enforcement in this film represent a rallying cry for vigilante justice, even for members of the police.
Sam Rockwell delivers a career-best performance as racist policeman Jason Dixon who becomes the centerpiece of a tale of redemption and portrays the life of a racist southern police officer with conviction. By the end of the story, Dixon is a volatile and violent officer who redeems himself through a valiant effort to help Mildred’s daughter's unsolved case.
The police chief of Ebbing, Bill Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), shows empathy and understanding towards Mildred. He is frustrated that he can’t offer her answers. Still, he expresses his indignation at Mildred’s decision to use billboards to write questions and demand answers from Willoughby and the police about her daughter. Willoughby meets an untimely death from cancer in the film while serving as a father figure to Dixon. Willoughby commits suicide shortly after revealing his cancer diagnosis to Mildred.
The character of Willoughby is a stark reminder of the preciousness of life. He was a man who seemingly was on the right side of justice, who was unfairly scrutinized by Mildred and took his own life to find peace from his illness. McDonaugh crafting the character of Willoughby into this story also provides an example of the fragility of mortality and shows how it can take the encouragement and support of an upstanding man to inspire an unjust man to pursue a different understanding of his way of life.
Dixon’s racist motivation and cruel actions aren’t forgiven in the film, but McDonough aims to explain how a man such as Dixon exists. Dixon almost flunked out of high school and still lives with his mother. Through her interactions with Dixon, audiences can deduce that his upbringing and current dynamic with his mother are the roots of Dixon’s bigotry. While McDonuagh's story beats aren’t attempting to make Dixon’s racist actions excusable, it reaffirms Willoughby’s belief that Dixon is genuinely a good man underneath his prejudice and violence.
Dixon’s redemption arc concludes when he overhears a man in a bar tout the horrid crime of raping a woman. The event shockingly lines up with many facts from Mildred’s daughter's case. Dixon provokes a fight with the clever idea of scratching the man’s face to obtain his DNA, bypassing the justice system. Unfortunately, the DNA does not match, and the victim of that rape was somebody else, removed from this story. Yet, the existence of injustice causes Dixon and Mildred to come to an understanding finally. They both agree to travel together and kill the rapist, knowing it’s a crime that, on the surface, has nothing to do with them but psychologically and morally becomes a symbol. The film ends on an ambiguous note where both characters are unsure if they will follow through on the murder once they get there but continue their journey towards revenge. Their resolutions are unfulfilled and rooted in rage, solidifying McDonagh’s story of anger to display the outcome of human emotions from tragedy in a southern, rural American social climate. The distressing perspective of virtue is at play, where violence reigns supreme, and the violent behavior of these characters is unchanged. It may be a pessimistic outlook, but McDonagh’s vision is fully realized and provides believable human reactions to vicissitudes in an unpredictable world.
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, is not about second chances. Instead, it leans towards the darker side of morality, where horrible things happen without karma or solutions. Can peace and redemption be reached through violent revenge? Most audiences viewing this story or similar tales from the outside would think not, but to Mildred and Dixon, killing a rapist is what’s left of justice in a world that has an ambiguous definition of that world to both of them. Dixon abused the meaning of justice while Mildred was searching for its definition. This rage-fueled film is searching for a solution that isn’t quite attainable in this current situation and society, hoping justice can be a precise, identifiable term.
93. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Directed by David Yates
Rating 8.2/10
It is no simple feat to make eight profitable films in a franchise, furthermore to pull off a magical and emotionally resonant conclusion would be the astonishing cherry on top. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 sends the franchise off on a breathtaking fashion that swiftly meets expectations that built for a decade of wizarding worldbuilding.
Since taking over directorial duties from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, David Yates instilled maturity in the story of Harry Potter as it became darker and more dire. Epic wizarding duels, heartwrenching deaths and dramatic, narrative heft fill this final film in the Harry Potter saga. Witnessing the lead actors grow from child stars into Hollywood stardom provides a unique emotional attachment as this story reaches its end for fans of the books and the films.
The seamless execution of the passionate conclusions of relationships engendered in the sprawling storyline makes The Deathly Hallows Part 2 a proper ending.
92. Up (2009)
Directed by Pete Docter
Rating 8.2/10
Pixar reminds audiences how they create wondrous adventures with beloved characters in Up. Finishing off a string of modern Pixar classics that includes Wall-E and Ratatouille, Up combines the trope of an unlikely friendship to showcase some of Pixar’s most heartwarming characters.
Up follows the life of a grumpy but endearing elderly man named Carl. We witness Carl grow up, fall in love, lose his wife and become a widow in one of the most famous montages in Hollywood film history. Using a melancholy score and perfectly executed storyboarding crafts a relatable love story sequence that defines Pixar’s modern sensibilities to evoke emotion from audiences of all ages. Within this touching sequence of love and death, the basics of silent filmmaking with a supportive score highlight the power of early cinema while showing the unique impact animation can have in its own right. Up received tremendous critical acclaim, including being the second animated film ever to be nominated for the academy award for best picture, once again solidifying Pixar as a cinematic powerhouse for all ages.
The call to action in Up occurs when wealthy landowners threaten Carl out of his treasured house. The house's sentimental value is tied to Carl's experiences with Ellie inside it. They dreamed together of traveling to the mystical area of the world called “paradise falls” in South America. The fantastical qualities associated with Pixar films are shown in a unique light related to Carl when he attaches copious amounts of balloons to his house—allowing them to fly.
Before his departure, Carl comes across the tenacious and goofy Russell, a boy scout trying to earn his stripes. Carl and Sheldon are on opposite sides of life at the beginning of this story. Carl seems close to his end as his motivation for a living slowly fades while Russell seeks adventure just as Carl did in his adolescence. Carl becomes Russell’s father figure throughout their adventure as they meet talking dogs and a hilarious, personable bird.
Up brings life and purpose to a man who had lost his way due to grief, he closed himself off to the world. It is a rewarding and joyful experience to see his viewpoint expanded and his passion reignited by Russell and the adventure he always sought out, a concept humans can relate to. There is a significant amount of regret and relatability to witnessing a person chase their dreams, something we all wish we had done, primarily when it stems from a relationship with a loved one.
The journey has valuable characterization as we learn about Russell’s absent father. Carl understands the damage Russell has suffered from this and learns the impact he can have on someone who also suffered a loss differently.
Pixar intertwines relatable characterization, endearing characters, and a memorable journey to create another modern animated classic. Up addresses grief and father figures while understanding the power of relationships and the dangers of isolation.
91. Apocalypto (2006)
Directed by Mel Gibson
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
90. Almost Famous
Directed by Cameron Crowe
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
89. Under the Skin (2017)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
88. Martyrs (2008)
Directed by Pascal Laugier
It is rare for a film to leave a scarring mark on a viewer and Martyrs accomplishes this through body horror while portraying the emotional turmoil without succumbing to throwing itself into the torture porn subgenre. Martyrs was apart of the French film movement known as the New French Extremity Movement. This movement consisted of transgressive films that caused controversy while tackling difficult themes of sexuality, abuse, the nature of violence and psychological terror. The film failed to get a theatrical release in the United States due to its polarization and gratuitous violence. Many will turn this film off a quarter of the way through, or at the halfway mark. Those who make it to the end may wish they turned the film off earlier and view the film as a sin, but to some, Martyrs represents a dogged leap for horror cinema.
What begins as a violent revenge film slowly turns into something much more sinister, as a young girl named Lucie escapes captivity where she was tortured as a child. Fast forwarding to present day Lucie tracks down the couple who tortured her and murders their entire family. Her friend Anna arrives soon after and sees the carnage. She reluctantly agrees to help Lucie bury the bodies.
The film brilliantly engages us with characters who have suffered horribly and although Lucie commits murder, we soon begin to see her unravel as she is haunted by a demonic woman that Anna cannot see. The demonic woman is a symbol of Lucie's guilt for leaving behind another girl who was tortured in captivity with her. While this guilt leads to her shocking demise early in the film, the narrative swiftly moves to Anna but it summons the question, where can this be leading to?
After all we were following Lucie's story of abuse, revenge, and guilt. Yet, we meet a dead end once Lucie realizes her revenge wasn't rewarding on any level and her psychological demons continue causing her to harm herself. This realization of the flawed perception of revenge becomes the first major theme Martyrs tackles. The growing sense of dread creeps in once Anna is alone in this house, bringing the audience along with her, keeping up a mystery as to what can happen next.
The determination of the second half of the film is a force to be reckoned with as the story goes places horror films before an after it wouldn't dare to - or haven't effectively. You may walk away from this film feeling empty, disturbed and down right scarred. It is not for the faint of heart but you will walk away having viewed an original and daring experience. The polarization of the film comes from the gruesome nihilistic viewpoint of the film and director.
The frightening and lasting imagery accentuates the bold narrative that Martyrs is throwing at you with full force. It is transcendent for the horror genre as it asks thought provoking questions from the perspectives of realistic monsters in our society who crave an answer to life's worrying questions. If you leave the film disturbed and angry at what you've seen then Martyrs may have pulled you into it's disturbing black hole. The macabre imagery is paired with urban societal fears that are turned up to the maximum disturbance level, creating villains within our backyards.
Even though Martyrs appears as a revenge film to start and even half way through tricks us into thinking it will remain that way, there is no redemptive qualities of how the story unfolds. Instead, it unflinchingly throws us into a harrowing pit of despair, challenging us to think deeply about what we've just watched and rarely a film can achieve that level of tremendous power.
87. Sorry to Bother You (2018)
Directed by Boots Riley
8.2/10
Boots Riley has crafted a scathing, memorable dramedy satire that not only provides timely social critiques but maintains intriguing momentum to tell a story fueled by distressing corporate greed.
There are Intricate levels of themes being applied in Sorry to Bother You. Most noticeably the corporate monster that can be most easily compared to Amazon, is depicted as horrifying result of a capitalist society gone terribly wrong. The issue of slave labor is horrifyingly uncovered as the story moves along, showing the temptation corporations are capable of within this dystopian world. Riley does a convincing job through set design and world building that although we understand this world isn’t exactly ours, it’s not far from it. The more issues that are brought up in Sorry to Bother You the story engenders thought provoking social commentary. Riley’s style is absurdist yet grounded in a reality of understanding and relatability.
There is a satirical racist component that is approached comedically early in the film the main character Cassius Green, (Lakeith Stanfield) is hired as a telemarketer. He has trouble successfully getting sales until another black worker suggest that he uses his “white voice” to sound more soothing and trustworthy to clients. That device bolsters the surrealism of the film as the white voice that is used by Green is completely fictionalized in a perfectly comedic style that we know as the audience Green could never have that voice. It’s a statement within itself that the white voice is not within a black man’s grasp and that in order to succeed he must become something that dosent resemble himself at all.
Green eventually works his way to the corporate level where he is coaxed and tempted by management with money to abandon his fight against the capitalist society that his friends were rioting against. In a classic and familiar storyline, Green becomes won over the rewards of money and fame. Being able to afford a luxurious lifestyle causes his relationship to crumble as his girlfriend protests against the very company he worked hard in to get promoted. Riley creates another dilemma to the audience, posing the question, should Green be proud of his accomplishments and abandon protesting? Riley uses this question only as a tactic that brainwashes Green further into an inevitable downwards spiral. The fog starts to clear more as Green is humiliated by wealthy white corporate workers at a party, being asked to rap for all of them. Subtlety is rare in this story as Riley’s messages are delivered powerfully through satirical comedy or by the process self realization. When Green is humiliated, tempted into a slave labor contract and finding himself deep in secrets that it’s too late for him to escape this social hell.
The modern, crisp editing and imaginative cinematography help expand the world Riley has created, filling it with his singular vision. Though his story may come across as grossly exaggerated or seen as an attempt to destroy capitalism it is instead a call to action. Within this story, society is past the time of possibly acknowledging the a different viewpoint then what they have become accustomed to. Riley cries out that the only way to break free of this is through willful force. The story of Sorry to Bother you displays an emphasis on the theme of not only the dangerous of a capitalist society but of social humiliation through racism and classism. Those beneath the upper class are left for sport, entertainment or slave labor unless action is taken.
The journey of Cassius Green occasionally wanders into predictable territory with a typical trajectory of a man’s struggle with greed and the negative impacts it has on his life. Riley is able to fight out of these constraints through his peculiar plot points that arrive to complex social issues that are tackled in a memorable manner.
Culture is being stripped away, as well as freedom and I have no doubt Sorry to Bother You will unfortunately become more relevant as the film ages. Riley is swinging for the fences with his bizzare script but if you’re able to strap in for a surreal, unforgettable damning portrait of capitalism, you’ll see Riley’s film is quite special.
The daring depiction in Riley’s world portrays a violent and disturbing end to the protagonists journey. The fight against capitalism seems inevitable to win without excessive force from those who have been brainwashed, tempted and trapped by a society destined to create slave labor. Riley has crafted one of the most memorable directional debuts in the 21st century that offers entertainment, thought provoking social critiques and inventive storytelling.
86. Steve Jobs (2015)
Directed by Danny Boyle
Rating 8.2/10
Aaron Sorkin's engaging and riveting script provides this Steve Jobs biopic with a lively pulse that showcases Michael Fassbender's talents as a leading man. The unordinary narrative structure causes bumps in the pace of the film but also uncovers the relationships Jobs' had and developed with those closest to him along his journey to greatness.
The tempo rarely takes a break in this film as conversations build tension while revealing characterization in expert fashion. Biopic's tend to suffer from either self indulging nostalgia from those creating the film or seem to miss the mark of the revolutionary talent they focus on but with Jobs, the idiosyncratic narrative and pace complement the uniqueness of the title character. Audiences may come into this film hoping to gain insight into the mind of Steve Jobs and while that's a difficult task for a film to accomplish, especially when its subject has passed away, Fassbender brings intensity, boldness and a signature flair that convinces us this may well be how Jobs' persona was.
Beyond the product launches that dominate the narrative of the film, at the heart of the story is Jobs' inability to connect and accept his responsibility as a father amidst his revolutionary success. The script comes across honest, showing us Jobs' arrogance, brilliance and path to changing the world.
The cinematography and score aid the films momentum as it winds up and cools down for the three product launches that the film revolves around. The greatest achievement of Jobs is the daring storytelling that matches its lead to create an engaging biopic that takes glimpses of a mans life and tells us a rich story with them.
85. The Father (2020)
Directed by Florian Zeller
Rating 8.2/10
Frighteningly hypnotic in its technical aspects and emotionally charged with a poignant account of Dementia, The Father is a heart-wrenching viewing featuring an arguably career-best performance from Anthony Hopkins at the age of 83. Hopkins won the Oscar for best actor in a leading role for this film, becoming the oldest best actor winner in Academy Award history.
The Father appears normal at first, initially telling us the tale of Anthony (Anthony Hopkins) and his struggle with dementia. Yet, what director Florian Zeller expertly does is take us deep into the mind of a patient going through dementia - the horror, confusion, and despair that it causes not only to the sufferer but the loved ones around them.
The flat Anthony lives in acts as a rotating cube of repetitive, psychological torture as his mind slowly begins to deteriorate. We are able to witness in separate chunks the relationship he has with his daughter Anne (Olivia Coleman). The distress and impact dementia has on Anne’s life are overwhelming as she abandons her aspirations of moving far away with her new husband to stay with Anthony, avoiding the guilt of putting her own father in a home, a troublesome situation many can relate to.
Through his sensitive direction and script, Zeller taps into the realistic struggles of dementia. The empathetic portrayal allows the film not to become mawkish but there is no denying that The Father presents a difficult viewing. Zeller uses the location of Anthony's flat in a hypnotic manner as time jumps occur without set changes. Instead, Zeller issues characterization and plot to help us understand how difficult it is for Anthony to process the world around him. Weeks pass by in one room, creating a sorrowful atmosphere that keeps the audience's attention, wondering what could possibly happen next although the conclusion is inevitable.
Aspirations fade for Anne and her disgruntled husband as does hope for Anthony. Despair begins to settle in as faces change from his perspective and his temper becomes unstable, realistic expectations for someone in his shoes.
Hopkins has moments that shock us, scare us and break us into tears. Hopkins has the ability to convincingly cycle through the ever-changing emotional states of a dementia patient. It is quite shocking for Hopkins to deliver a tour de force at the age of 83 but he triumphs more than ever in this challenging role. His erratic behavior presents a danger to at-home nurses that Anne tries to hire to give herself time in her own life. Themes of family commitment and the dread of dementia that threatens those family bonds are what Zeller explores in The Father. Building upon Zeller’s resonant themes, the true-to-life presentation of dementia helps cement this film as one of the best movies of 2021. The shortcomings include a lack of background development for supporting characters and an unexplored exposition of Anthony’s past. The natural decomposition of Anthony's mental state can cause the plot to become muddled at times while tackling the nightmarish topic of dementia.
Nevertheless, Hopkins's ability to command every scene he’s in with tension, love, and sadness makes The Father a special albeit harrowing viewing.
84. Toy Story 3
Directed by John Lasseter
Rating 8.1/10
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
83. Searching (2018)
Directed by Aneesh Chaganty
Rating: 8.2/10
There are few films that incorporate modern technology and the suspenseful storytelling of Hollywood seamlessly to create a tension-filled iPhone, go-pro filmed thriller. While initially, the style of the film may come off gimmicky as it may remind viewers of found-footage films, Searching defies the negative conventions that plague found-footage films through a terrific script, convincing acting and unique presentation of 21st-century cinematography.
Searching plays upon our preconceived notions of the cameras that surround us daily. Our phones and laptops have become an integral part of our lives and the premise of searching plays upon these devices to create a timely theme. While it may appear as a YA film, the maturity of the plot and the despair the father David Kim (John Cho) finds himself in gives this story a wider reach towards adults. The story follows Kim as his daughter disappears which leads him on a wild goose chase through her social media outlets as we only view the film through laptop and phone cameras. Kim follows a detailed trail of breadcrumbs, digging into his daughter's private personal life that he has neglected to become involved in since the death of his wife. The impressive feat Searching is able to achieve is making us care for the characters while having us view them through an unordinary perspective.
The message of the varying lives we live, especially younger people in the world of social media is put under the microscope in this film. The real and present dangers to safety that social media poses are unraveled from the point of view of a parent, which allows the discovery and suspense to build to emotional peaks throughout the film. The relationships, secrets, and honesty between parent and child are explored to a gut-wrenching level. Searching delivers a barrage of twists that are expertly crafted so that they aren't overwhelming or contrived and that they don't damage the verisimilitude of such a virtually rare presentation of a familiar story of a missing child.
How well can a parent trust their child due to the dangers social media imposes? How serious are the threats of social media? These questions resonate with most viewers of the film and elevate Searching above found footage films. The importance of maintaining a relationship with a child through traumatic experiences is a glaring theme of the film due to the fact that the death of Kim's wife is what causes the space between Kim and his daughter. The only way Kim learns about his daughter's true activities in her daily life is by searching through her electronics because she has gone missing. Searching is a gripping, rollercoaster ride thriller that elevates its suspense through a fresh spin on timely themes regarding parental guidance and the hazards of evergrowing social media.
82. The Invitation (2015)
Directed by Karyn Kusama
Rating 8.2/10
The Invitation approaches the cult mindset and brainwashing while being a gripping psychological thriller about grief. What sets this film apart from the loads of independent and Hollywood psychological thrillers is the carefully executed pacing which relies on a tension-filled script. The Invitation pulls audiences through the grueling gauntlet of coping with grief and the dangers of denial.
The story follows the grieving lead character Will (Logan Marshall-Green) and his girlfriend returning to his old home where his ex-wife lives and is remarried. This gathering is an attempt to rekindle friendships and to somehow process the troubling death of Will's son who died when he was married to his ex-wife Eden. The striking differences in how people cope with death become center stage as Will is deeply disturbed and brings a foreboding atmosphere with him to the dinner. Conversely, Eden appears graceful, forgiving, and suspiciously gleeful. Kusama is able to fill nearly every scene with suspicion, and uneasiness while creating intrigue for viewers.
The inciting action in the film is the reveal of how Eden, her new husband David, and their friends have overcome their trauma. Their attempt to execute a backward type of intervention towards Will and the unconverted begins to draw the lines between sane and insane. David shows a video to the guests of their cult leader recording a woman dying on screen, which heightens the unsettling atmosphere. David explains their newfound perspective on life and death. Will slowly assumes the role of the Windmill Crusader as he challenges Eden's friends and their suspicious lifestyle changes. Due to Will's trauma, his attempts to prove that Eden and her friends are dangerous are dismissed as trauma responses due to his past. Will's suspicions are a familiar trope in cinema, where a struggling character is unable to convince those around him of the real dangers. Refusing to believe a character in Will's shoes is typical because of prejudice, mental illness, and in his case trauma. Kusama smartly designs a plot where we are rooting for Will to not only uncover the mystery but overcome his trauma. Indecent sexual proposals are made and hostile attitudes push the audience's anxieties to align with Will's. Will becomes trapped within the 'Only sane man' trope for a short amount of time until the tension reaches its peak, resulting in chaos while confirming Will's intuition.
The delicate nature of a film's narrative covering the death of a child may provoke overtly emotional responses to how writer-director Karyn Kusama presents those who have joined what is essentially a cult from many perspectives. It may anger audiences to see people who have become so desperate to be brainwashed into believing death is a positive, spiritual release. While viewers may look at death in a somewhat similar manner viewers may sympathize with the plight that Eden dealt with through her son's death and how it led to a change in her belief system.
The conclusion of the film perhaps reaches further than it can grasp in terms of preserving the verisimilitude of the feature. The acting is uneven, appearing serviceable, and excellent but also coming across as overacting. The bloodbath of an ending leaves a bit to be desired in terms of a resolution. Instead, we receive a partial cop-out with a slaughter but in some ways, it does accentuate the plot.
Although Kusama presents both sides of healing, the tension-filled story slowly unravels the menacing outlook the cult has instilled within those who were truly lost. In a way, the dangerous ones were taken advantage of and in turn endangering those who didn't choose their path to "healing". Kusama relays the powerful message that dealing with trauma through concepts realting to denial will lead to dangerous results.
81. Brawl In Cell Block 99
Directed by S. Craig Zahler
Rating 8.2/10
In a career-best performance from Vince Vaughn, Brawl in Cell Block 99 presents a modern update to the grindhouse genre of films. Vaughn is cast against his type in a dramatic role that sends his character down a hole of despair in the United States prison system. Vaughn's physical build, consistent dialogue delivery, and commitment to his personality combined with Zahler's unyielding metaphor of the US prison system as the nine circles of hell bolster Brawl in Cell Block 99 above the average low-budget genre fare into a barbaric triumph of a film.
Vaughn plays an ex-boxer turned drug dealer named Bradley, who, while repairing his broken marriage with a pregnant wife, finds himself in the center of a drug deal gone wrong. Bradley is sentenced to prison for seven years as he refuses to give the names of his employers to the police.
Vaughn surprisingly delivers on the bone-chilling violence and commands a brooding, threatening presence throughout his journey into the depths of prison misery. A growing sense of heartlessness and primal sensibilities drive this film toward showing a man pushed beyond his limits.
The negative outcome of this film being an independent, genre-fare film is the limited reach the film will have. Vaughn's committed, fury-filled performance sets a new standard for what the actor is skillful at as he erases the years of comedic performances while displaying his dramatic talents. Director Craig S. Zahler tells an unflinching, fervent tale that dismisses comedic relief or moments that could break the violent verisimilitude of his savage world. Instead, Zahler creates a sympathetic character out of Bradley, who is desperately keeping his pregnant wife safe while being a drug dealer. His unwavering dedication to his wife and the unborn child gains the audience's support. Vaughn's resolution carries the brutal, relentless violence that continues to push the line further away from hope. Bradley is assigned a mission to cause as much violence and disruption as possible to be transferred to Redleaf, a maximum-security prison. He is told that his target is in cell block 99 at Redleaf. As Bradley grinds closer to his goal of assassinating the target, he is assigned to the story and rips hope away instantly. It is revealed that there is indeed no target, and Bradley's descent into mayhem was manufactured to erase him from society. The alarming discovery that there is no target turns Bradley's initial purpose of sacrifice into utter despair.
Fortunately, from outside the prison, Bradley's business partner Gil protects his wife and frees them from their captors. Bradley's final moments entail speaking to his wife and learning that she is safe, bringing him solace before his demise at the hands of the warden.
The cinematography during the fight sequences is typically framed with medium shots, displaying brutality while sometimes zooming in to give the film the 1970s grindhouse atmosphere. Color schemes continue to darken as the film moves forward, and Bradley gets transferred to more threatening prisons. Combining the technical aspects with the cathartic moments within the narrative builds up to a meaningful conclusion of one part tragedy, another fate.
Zahler connects the niche grindhouse genre with a compelling narrative that paints a picture of unforgiving violence, moral code, and artful messaging. Zahler's patient storytelling that began in Bone Tomahawk is present in Brawl in Cell Block 99. Although his stories may sometimes drag, the climactic violence delivers the calculated build-up. It's rare to come across a film such as Brawl in Cell Block 99 that delivers such brutal violence while honoring the grindhouse genre of the 1970s to tell a meaningful story of dread, sacrifice, and injustice.
In terms of a political and social aspect, Brawl in Cell Block 99 demands immediate attention to the inhumane conditions incarcerated individuals go through in the United States. Bradley represents a middle-class individual attempting to make ends meet who resorts to selling drugs. The warden of the prison, played by a perfectly fitting Don Johnson, brings a menacing presence and portrays the people society doesn't see who manages the worst of the worst. Director Craig Zahler uses this opportunity to unleash our prison system's punishing and backward state. The corruption of institutions and the negative implications male domination has on society are thought-provoking subjects that linger beyond the violence of Zahler's tale. Through his craft, Zahler constructs a nightmare that will push many viewers away due to its unparalleled cruelty. Still, the film's morality keeps the violence grounded in its message and avoids becoming an exploitative gore fest.
80. Leave No Trace (2018)
Directed by Debra Granik
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
79. Adaptation (2002)
Directed by Spike Jonze
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
78. The Sound of Metal (2019)
Directed by Darius Marder
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
77. Up In The Air (2009)
Directed by Jason Reitman
Rating 8.2/10
Up In The Air showcases an insightful script and is brought to life by a perfect cast that explores hefty themes that linger with audiences beyond the credits.
Witty foreshadowing and thought-provoking dialogue are highlighted by Jason Rietmans's direction and script. The story of Up in the Air follows a delicate matter of devastating unemployment of working-class individuals in the aftermath of the market crisis of 2008.
In arguably George Clooney's finest performance, he plays Ryan Bingham, a single businessman who has the interesting and gloomy job of an employment terminator. This job brings him all around the world, firing people for companies who would rather hire his company to fly him out and fire their employees in person. Bingham has become completely accustomed to his life, a perfected routine that he cocooned himself within. There is no responsibility, stress, and commitment in Bingham’s life. In addition he offers seminars discussing all the weight and stress family members add to our lives, explaining how they can impede us from reaching our goals.
Bingham’s routine is shaken by Natalie (Anna Kendrick) a young new employee who represents youth and change arrives at his company with a new idea. She proposes a strategy to take the employees off the road in favor of virtual firing, a change that Bingham finds insulting to his craft and a threat to shattering his self constructed way of life.
Bingham claims there is a decent and dignified way he fires people, a concept that may be difficult for viewers to grasp. Bingham isn’t an easily likable protagonist but as we the script peels back the characterization we begin to realize his loneliness and isolation albeit he put himself in this place.
Bingham is assigned to bring Natalie with him on the road, flying across the country firing people to show her the impact and realities of the job. The atmosphere is sorrowful, bitter and filled with sadness as they arrive at half empty offices with employees barely hanging onto their livelihoods.
Bingham’s method to firing is to be transparent while encouraging the human across from him that he’s fired. He explains that the office job they’ve always had were hindering them from chasing their dreams. He even calls it a “rebirth” for one fired worker. His philosophy is to gently guide these fragile workers through this brutal moment in their lives to a secure place with dignity.
It’s an intriguing and subjectively despicable lifestyle Bingham lives. On the road Bingham finds his counterpart in Alex (Vera Farigma), who is also on the road for work. It seems to be the perfect match, no commitments, no love and no heartache for Bingham. The relationship starts our friendly, with mainly sex and keeping up with one another until they meet again at another destination.
What pushes Bingham to finally want commitment is the influence and experience he has with Natalie. Natalie is upset and confused as to why Bingham sees no value in marriage or having a companion, which she challenges him about. Natalie also questions his life goals when Bingham tells her that he has a set amount of frequent flyer miles he wants to gain as a goal, without having anything planned beyond that. She’s baffled by the idea of just wanting to gain miles for the sake of miles. She tells Bingham “if I had that many miles I would just drive to the airport and look at the screen and choose a destination.” Her comment speaks volumes about the disconnect between Natalie and Bingham as well as Bingham’s distanced relationship from his family.
Throughout Bingham’s trips his sister requested that he take pictures at notable landmarks he traveled to. The picture would include a printed out photo of his sister and future husband that he held up next to the famous locations. It was a quirky ask but it suggested that it would be meaningful to the narrative down the road.
Once Bingham is motivated to pursue something more serious with Alex, he brings he to his sisters wedding where we clearly realize he’s the estranged sibling of the family. Through catching up with his sister and future brother in law, he’s witness a couple struggling with finances that hits close to home.
When Bingham finally comes to the rehearsal dinner and asks his sister about the pictures she explains that they don’t have the money for a honeymoon after the small wedding they are even scraping by to afford. The pathos from Bingham begins to appear continually throughout the film and reaches a peak once he understands his sisters financial position. This is when Reitman’s script makes its final push and displays Bingham’s sentimentality to win audiences over.
While Bingham’s charter arc may seem poised for renewal, the realism of the picture settles back in that existed throughout the nature of Bingham’s job during the economic climate. He finally reaches out, putting his emotions on the line and visits Alex at her home in Chicago unannounced. Bingham is immediately devastated as he hears Alex’s children and husband in the background as no words are exchanged, this silent moment of realization is the culmination of Bingham’s journey in Up in the Air.
Alex calls him shortly after, questioning him, asking what he wants out of their unusual relationship. Bingham is unable to verbalize what he wants, which leads to Alex telling him that does not know what he wants from life. Bingham is speechless and hangs up his phone. The final scene of the film is poetic and moving as Bingham finds himself staring at a departure board in the middle of an airport after achieving the million miles he desired. He looks upon the board scanning the possibilities of where to begin his newfound perspective on life. This perspective is fighting his
urges of alienation and breaking the mold from his disconnect with world surrounding him.
Up in the Air is a smartly written, touching film during a genuinely depressing era in America. Bingham’s isolation becomes clearer as the film progresses and his morality goes through a judgement process because of the relationships he forms. The comedic, tragic and uplifting moments all combine to a portrayal of self growth that is to engaging and humane not to root for.
76. The Hunt (2012)
Directed by Thomas Vinterberg
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
75. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
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74. Gladiator (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott
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73. Black Death (2010)
Directed by Christopher Smith
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72. Dogtooth (2009)
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
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71. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
Directed by Drew Goddard
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70. Hot Fuzz (2007)
Directed by Edgar Wright
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69. Ocean's Eleven (2001)
Directed by Steven Soderbergh
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68. Let the Right One In (2008)
Directed by Tomas Alfredson
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67. The Prestige (2006)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
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66. Rocketman (2019)
Directed by Dexter Fletcher
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65. Avengers: Endgame (2019)
Directed by The Russo Brothers
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64. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)
Directed by Matt Reeves
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63. American Psycho (2000)
Directed by Mary Harron
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62. Moneyball (2011)
Directed by Bennett Miller
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61. Black Swan (2010)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
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60. Pans Labyrinth (2006)
Directed by Guillermo Del Toro
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59. Amour (2012)
Directed by Michael Haneke
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58. The Big Short (2015)
Directed by Adam McKay
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57. I Saw The Devil
Directed by Kim Jee-Woon
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56. Insidious (2010)
Directed by James Wan
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55. Ex Machina (2014)
Directed by Alex Garland
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54. Mystic River (2003)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
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53. WALL-E (2008)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
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52. Sideways (2004)
Directed by Alexander Payne
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51. Parasite (2018)
Directed by Bong Joon-Ho
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50. Logan (2017)
Directed by James Mangold
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49. Ratatouille (2007)
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48. Mass (2021)
Directed by Fran Kranz
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47. Shame (2011)
Directed by Steve Mcqueen
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46. Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Directed by Terry George
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45. The Power of the Dog (2021)
Directed by Jane Campion
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44. The Northman
Directed by Robert Eggers
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43. Children of Men (2006)
Directed by Alfonso Cuaron
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42. Foxcatcher (2014)
Directed by Bennett Miller
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41. Tropic Thunder (2008)
Directed by Ben Stiller
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40. The Square (2017)
Directed by Ruben Ostlund
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39. Spotlight (2015)
Directed by Todd McCarthy
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38. Secret Sunshine (2007)
Directed by Lee Chang-Dong
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37. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)
What You Need to Know
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36. The Fountain (2006)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
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35. Men (2022)
Directed by Alex Garland
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34. District 9 (2009)
Directed by Neil Bloomkamp
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33. Django Unchained (2012)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
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32. Prometheus (2012)
Directed by Ridley Scott
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31. The Great Beauty (2013)
Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
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30. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
Directed by Peter Jackson
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29. Mulholland Drive (2001)
Directed by David Lynch
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28. Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Directed by George Miller
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27. King Kong (2005)
Directed by Peter Jackson
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26. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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25. Inception
Directed by Christopher Nolan
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24. The Master (2012)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
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23. Cache (2005)
Directed by Michael Haneke
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22. The Departed (2006)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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21. The Mist (2007)
Directed by Frank Darabont
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20. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
Directed by Stephen Chbosky
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19. Prisoners (2013)
Directed by Denis Villanueve
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18. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Directed by Peter Jackson
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17. Mother! (2017)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky
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16. Inglorious Basterds (2009)
Directed by Quentin Tarantino
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15. No Country For Old Men (2007)
Directed by The Coen Brothers
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14. Whiplash (2014)
Directed by Damien Chazelle
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13. Silence (2016)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
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12. Interstellar (2014)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
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11. The Dark Knight (2008)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
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10. The Pianist (2002)
Directed by Roman Polanski
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9. There Will Be Blood (2001)
Directed by Paul Thomas Anderson
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8. The Tree of Life (2011)
Directed by Terrence Mallick
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CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
7. The Lighthouse (2019)
Directed by Robert Eggers
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
6. Burning (2018)
Directed by Lee Chang-Dong
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
5. The White Ribbon (2009)
Directed by Michael Haneke
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
4. Annihilation (2018)
Directed by Alex Garland
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
3. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Directed by Steve McQueen
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
2. The Social Network (2010)
Directed by David Fincher
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!
1. The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson
What is it that fuels you? For me, it’s CinemaPath. I love writing about my passions, what interest me, what interests others, and sharing all of my thoughts with my readers.
CinemaPath is truly my own little passion project, gaining more and more traction each day. I hope you enjoy browsing my site and all of the unique content I have to offer. Take a look around; perhaps you’ll discover what fuels you as well. Read on and enjoy!