03.19.14: This list is now final. While I may in the future see additional films that were released in the awards year of 2013, no more films will be added to this list. (I may add links to reviews of films listed here.)
This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2013 (for eligibility for the Academy Awards and the OFCS and AWFJ awards); some films released in the UK without US releases may also be included, for my own bookkeeping purposes. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2013 unless otherwise noted.
other yearly rankings:
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010
2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003
Gravity (10.10/10.04/11.07)
12 Years a Slave (10.18/10.18/01.10.14)
Inside Llewyn Davis (10.13/12.06/01.24.14)
Nebraska (10.08/11.22/12.06)
American Hustle (12.11/12.13/12.20)
Byzantium (05.28/06.28/05.31)
No (10.13.12/02.15/02.08)
Rush (07.15/09.27/09.13)
The Act of Killing (06.25/07.19/06.28)
Frozen (11.17/11.22/12.06)
Philomena (10.16/11.22/11.01)
Captain Phillips (09.25/10.11/10.16)
Upstream Color (04.11/01.21/08.30)
The Past (12.11/12.20/03.28.14)
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (12.09/12.25/12.26)
Metro Manila (09.05/TBA/09.20)
Tim’s Vermeer (11.21/12.06/01.17.14)
Prisoners (09.09/09.20/09.27)
Ernest & Celestine (02.23.14/late 2013/05.01)
August: Osage County (11.25/12.25/01.17.14)
The Wolf of Wall Street (01.07.14/12.25/01.17.14)
Foxfire (08.06/TBA/08.09)
Pacific Rim (07.09/07.12/07.12)
Kill Your Darlings (07.15/10.18/11.08)
All Is Lost (10.03/10.18/12.26)
Iron Man 3 (04.17/05.03/04.25)
Thanks for Sharing (07.16/09.20/09.13)
Before Midnight (06.18/05.24/06.21)
Saving Mr. Banks (10.20/12.13/11.29)
Frances Ha (07.22/05.17/07.26)
Europa Report (07.29/08.02/TBA)
Blue Jasmine (09.19/07.26/09.27)
Cutie and the Boxer (02.23.14/08.16/11.01)
Girl Most Likely (05.29/07.19/09.27)
Dallas Buyers Club (10.29/11.01/02.07.14)
The Square (01.10.14/10.25/01.10.14)
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (11.08/11.22/11.21)
20 Feet from Stardom (02.23.14/06.14/03.28.14)
Lee Daniels’ The Butler (11.17/08.16/11.15)
Her (12.14/12.18/02.14.14)
Lone Survivor (11.21/12.27/01.31.14)
Enough Said (10.03/09.18/10.18)
Like Father, Like Son (10.10/01.17.14/10.18)
The Broken Circle Breakdown (03.01.14/11.01/10.18)
The Way, Way Back (08.12/07.05/08.28)
Thor: The Dark World (10.28/11.08/10.30)
Blackfish (05.24/07.19/07.26)
Short Term 12 (10.29/08.23/11.01)
Stories We Tell (12.14/05.10/06.28)
The Spectacular Now (09.24/08.02/TBA)
Great Expectations (08.22.12/11.08/11.30.12)
How I Live Now (10.04/11.08/10.04)
Elysium (08.21/08.09/08.21)
In a World… (09.09/08.09/09.13)
Man of Steel (06.13/06.14/06.14)
Star Trek Into Darkness (05.03/05.17/05.09)
The Place Beyond the Pines (04.08/03.29/04.12)
The Crash Reel (05.21/12.13/10.11)
Eden (05.31/03.20/07.19)
Wadjda (10.10.12/09.13/07.19)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (12.16/12.18/12.18)
Fruitvale Station (10.25/07.12/06.06.14)
Camp 14: Total Control Zone (10.08/TBA/10.04)
The Bling Ring (07.09/06.14/07.05)
What Maisie Knew (09.02/05.03/08.23)
The Armstrong Lie (09.27/11.08/01.31.14)
Dark Touch (09.18/09.27/TBA)
Much Ado About Nothing (06.10/06.07/06.14)
The Invisible Woman (10.17/12.25/02.07.14)
Lore (03.14/02.08/02.22)
Populaire (03.08/05.17/05.31)
Out in the Dark (06.27/TBA/07.05)
Prince Avalanche (07.14/08.09/09.20)
The Network (05.25/09.27/TBA)
Mud (05.30/05.10/05.10)
Our Children (À perdre la raison) (02.20/08.02/05.10)
Behind the Candelabra (06.09/made for TV/06.07)
Gloria (10.20/01.24.14/11.01)
Inch’Allah (08.15/08.16/TBA)
The World’s End (07.09/08.23/07.19)
Don Jon (10.13/09.27/11.15)
Red 2 (08.08/07.19/08.02)
The Gatekeepers (01.23/02.01/04.12)
Trance (03.07/04.05/03.27)
The Angels’ Share (06.07/04.12.12/06.01)
Chained (01.27/direct to DVD/02.01)
Antiviral (10.04.12/04.12/02.08)
The Hunt (Jagten) (09.25.12/07.12/11.30.12)
Admission (06.10/03.22/06.14)
The Dyatlov Pass Incident (aka Devil’s Pass) (08.16/08.23/08.23)
The Purge (05.23/06.07/05.31)
The Rise (aka Wasteland) (08.13/07.26/09.20)
Hawking (07.16/09.13/09.20)
The Comedian (10.08.12/TBA/05.31)
The Sapphires (10.14.12/03.22/11.07.12)
A Hijacking (Kapringen) (05.13/06.21/05.10)
Everyday (10.16.12/TBA/01.18)
Sightseers (09.04.12/05.10/11.30.12)
Renoir (03.01/03.29/06.28)
Pain and Gain (07.16/04.26/08.30)
This Is the End (05.16/06.12/06.28)
The Incredible Burt Wonderstone (03.08/03.15/03.15)
Play (05.30/TBA/07.12)
Dirty Wars (02.24.14/06.07/11.29)
The Wolverine (07.17/07.26/07.25)
Machete Kills (09.13/10.11/10.11)
Museum Hours (07.30/06.28/09.06)
The Patience Stone (11.13/08.14/12.06)
Computer Chess (10.01/0717/11.22)
The Colony (09.20/09.20/TBA)
Touchy Feely (09.29/09.06/05.16.14)
The Spirit of ’45 (08.09/TBA/03.15)
Terms and Conditions May Apply (07.11/07.12/TBA)
Broken (03.04/07.19/03.08)
Shell (09.25.12/TBA/03.15)
My Brother the Devil (09.24.12/03.22/11.09.12)
Mother of George (10.09/09.13/TBA)
Call Me Kuchu (06.02.12/06.14/11.02.12)
Welcome to the Punch (03.20/03.27/03.15)
Song for Marion (aka Unfinished Song) (10.19.12/06.21/02.22)
Parkland (10.15/10.04/11.22)
Drinking Buddies (10.04/08.23/11.01)
We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks (08.09/05.24/07.12)
Now You See Me (07.03/05.31/07.03)
Hunky Dory (10.26.11/03.22/03.02.12)
Mama (02.12/01.18.02.22)
Koch (01.29/02.01/TBA)
The Wall (10.15.12/05.31/07.05)
Blancanieves (05.22/03.15/07.12)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist (05.07/04.26/05.10)
Ginger and Rosa (10.12.12/03.15/10.19.12)
The Brass Teapot (08.05/04.05/TBA)
Red Obsession (09.06/09.06/TBA)
Quartet (10.15.12/01.11/01.01)
Gimme the Loot (04.11/03.22/05.03)
Blood (10.04.12/TBA/05.31)
Love Is All You Need (Den skaldede frisør) (04.24/05.03/04.19)
The Call (06.04/03.15/09.20)
Carrie (11.26/10.18/11.29)
The Conjuring (07.23/07.19/08.02)
A Fierce Green Fire (03.01/03.01/TBA)
Gangster Squad (01.07/01.11/01.10)
Oscar Nominated Animated Shorts (85th Academy Awards) (02.02/02.01/02.24)
Oscar Nominated Live-Action Shorts (85th Academy Awards) (01.27/02.01/TBA)
Upside Down (09.22/03.15/TBA)
Ain’t Them Bodies Saints (07.11/08.16/TBA)
Dark Skies (04.03/02.22/04.03)
Parker (03.21/01.25/03.08)
The Great Gatsby (05.15/05.10/05.16)
Stoker (02.26/03.01/03.01)
Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (08.07/04.04.14/08.07)
Smash and Grab: The Story of the Pink Panthers (05.26/07.31/10.16)
From Up on Poppy Hill (07.26/03.15/08.02)
Berberian Sound Studio (09.13.12/06.14/08.31.12)
Winter of Discontent (08.16//08.23)
Oblivion (04.10/04.19/04.10)
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (12.09/12.13/12.13)
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2 (10.29/09.27/10.25)
The Book Thief (12.18/11.08/02.14.14)
The Fifth Estate (10.11/10.18/10.11)
Reality (01.24/03.15/03.22)
Rebellion (L’ordre et la morale) (04.12/TBA/04.19)
Cold Comes the Night (09.17/01.14.14/09.20)
Closed Circuit (09.02/08.28/10.25)
Blue Caprice (10.06/09.13/TBA)
Dom Hemingway (11.26/04.04.14/11.5)
After Tiller (05.24/09.30/01.10.14)
In the House (Dans la maison) (05.12/04.19/03.29)
The East (06.17/05.31/06.28)
All Is Bright (aka Almost Christmas) (11.01/10.04/direct to DVD)
The Company You Keep (10.03/04.05/TBA)
Warm Bodies (02.09/02.01/02.08)
Side Effects (02.28/02.08/03.08)
The Kings of Summer (09.29/05.31/08.23)
Good Vibrations (09.04.12/TBA/03.29)
Jack the Giant Slayer (03.17/03.01/03.22)
The Look of Love (04.22/07.05/04.26)
The Iceman (03.05/05.03/06.07)
Homefront (10.07/11.27/12.06)
Oz the Great and Powerful (02.27/03.08/03.08)
Flying Blind (02.19/TBA/04.12)
About Time (08.20/11.01/09.04)
2 Guns (08.23/08.02/08.16)
Errors of the Human Body (04.21/04.19/TBA)
Greedy Lying Bastards (10.10/03.08/09.27)
Stand Up Guys (01.29/02.01/06.28)
Monsters University (06.06/06.21/07.12)
Shadow Dancer (07.25.12/05.31/08.24.12)
Fill the Void (10.13.12/05.24/TBA)
The Wind Rises (02.21.14/11.08/05.09.14)
A Field in England (06.27/02.07.14/07.05)
Blue Is the Warmest Color (10.12/10.25/11.22)
The Frozen Ground (07.16/08.23/07.19)
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (08.01/08.07/08.07)
White House Down (09.03/06.28/09.13)
Ender’s Game (10.25/11.01/10.25)
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (09.10/11.29/01.03.14)
47 Ronin (01.21.14/12.25/12.26)
Insidious: Chapter 2 (09.14/09.13/09.13)
Escape Plan (10.18/10.18/10.18)
Emperor (10.02/03.08/10.04)
A Single Shot (09.19/09.20/TBA)
Paradise (10.17/10.18/TBA)
Runner Runner (09.24/10.04/09.27)
Breathe In (07.22/03.28.14/07.19)
The Heat (07.18/06.28/07.31)
Stuck in Love (06.10/07.05/06.14)
Dead Man Down (05.03/03.08/05.03)
Everybody Has a Plan (10.15.12/03.22/05.31)
Epic (05.12/05.24/05.22)
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (08.24/08.23/08.23)
Despicable Me 2 (06.24/07.03/06.28)
Broken City (01.10/01.18/03.01)
The Croods (03.14/03.22/03.22)
The Last Stand (01.24/01.18/01.24)
The Host (04.03/03.29/03.29)
Summer in February (06.10/01.17.14/06.14)
The Counsellor (11.07/10.25/11.15)
Vehicle 19 (05.10/06.14/05.10)
Not Another Happy Ending (10.10/TBA/10.11)
You’re Next (05.29/08.23/08.28)
Black Rock (07.29/05.17/06.21)
Walking with Dinosaurs: The 3D Movie (12.15/12.20/12.19)
Trap for Cinderella (06.26/TBA/07.12)
The Hangover Part III (05.23/05.23/05.22)
The Sweeney (01.21/09.12.12/03.01)
Starbuck (11.20.12/03.29/11.23.12)
Delivery Man (01.06.14/11.22/01.10.14)
Evil Dead (03.12/04.05/04.19)
Storage 24 (06.25.12/01.11/06.29.12)
Sun Don’t Shine (07.26/04.26/TBA)
Safe Haven (02.25/02.14/03.01)
Olympus Has Fallen (04.17/03.22/04.17)
Fast & Furious 6 (05.13/05.17/05.24)
Borrowed Time (07.14/TBA/09.13)
Hammer of the Gods (08.29/07.05/08.30)
The Monk (03.20.12/03.08/04.27.12)
Spiders (02.07/02.08/TBA)
The Internship (06.20/06.07/07.04)
The Wee Man (01.11/TBA/01.18)
Bullet to the Head (02.01/02.01/02.01)
Beautiful Creatures (02.13/02.14/02.13)
World War Z (06.17/06.21/06.21)
The Lone Ranger (07.17/07.03/08.09)
Hummingbird (aka Redemption) (06.24/06.28/06.28)
Passion (08.29/08.30/TBA)
Diana (09.21/11.01/09.20)
Cockneys vs. Zombies (09.02/08.02/08.31.12)
The Smurfs 2 (07.22/07.31/07.31)
Bounty Killer (09.04/09.06/TBA)
The Seasoning House (06.05/TBA/06.21)
No One Lives (09.22/05.10/09.06)
A Good Day to Die Hard (02.13/02.14/02.14)
009 Re: Cyborg (03.14/TBA/06.07)
I Give It a Year (02.04/TBA/02.08)
Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (02.07/01.25/02.27)
Paranoia (03.06.14/08.16/03.07.14)
G.I. Joe: Retaliation (03.25/03.28/03.27)
The Big Wedding (04.16/04.26/05.29)
Laurence Anyways (08.16.12/06.28/11.30.12)
The Lifeguard (08.29/08.30/TBA)
Identity Thief (03.11/02.08/03.22)
Movie 43 (01.25/01.25/01.25)
Jewtopia (09.19/09.20/TBA)
Planes (07.16/08.09/08.16)
Kick-Ass 2 (08.12/08.16/08.14)
Riddick (09.04/09.06/09.04)
Jeune & Jolie (10.31/04.25.14/11.29)
Jewtopia (09.19/09.20/TBA)
I’m So Excited! (04.15/06.28/05.03)
To the Wonder (02.19/04.12/02.22)
Spring Breakers (04.10/03.22/04.05)
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (02.27.14/10.25/10.23)
As I Lay Dying (09.23/10.11/TBA)
The Canyons (07.31/08.02/TBA)
Austenland (09.17/08.16/09.27)
Adore (10.01/09.06/TBA)
Only God Forgives (07.26/07.19/08.02)
Hell Baby (08.27/09.06/TBA)
We’re the Millers (08.21/08.07/08.23)
Labor Day (10.14/12.27/03.28.14)
Grown Ups 2 (08.15/07.12/08.09)
The Great Beauty (03.01.14/11.15/09.06)
The Grandmaster (10.17/08.23/12.05.14)
Filth (02.15/05.30.14/10.04)
I’m assuming The Call is the Halle Berry movie that came out last March in the U.S., and got mostly negative reviews. I don’t really see the purpose of an embargo at this point, but the audience ratings on Rotten Tomatoes are actually fairly positive. (71% liked it.)
So I guess the studio logic is: No one in the U.K. will bother to look up the reviews, even though they’ve been out for three months, and the movie will become a word-of-mouth hit before the critics have their say.
This logic, of course, makes no sense, but welcome to the 21st century.
By an even bigger stretch of logic, my embargo extends past the US DVD release date.
Wow – Byzantium is the top of the list? I’ve really misread that one – by the trailer, I had assumed it was some kind of Twilight knock-off and automatically assumed it would be awful.
What does it mean that I have heard of only 10% or so of these movies? And then what does it mean that I’ve heard of a much higher percentage of the red-light movies?
Great to see the rankings back- I’ve really missed this feature.
Why is Spring Breakers so low on the list? it was a really good movie.. i mean cinematography was great, acting was believable, it was full of insight. Its one of the few films that doesn’t use nudity, sex, drinking, and other hedonistic acts as shock value but rather, give a warning that today’s society is heading downhill. I think that film conveys it’s message really well. Probably one of this year’s most misunderstood. (You may wanna check out other of Korine’s films then go back to Spring breakers, you’ll appreciate it more)
P.S.
I’d really like to see your review of the film to know why to hated it so much, i like how our opinions aren’t the same, cause now we can discuss the film, hopefully? (:
Maybe I’ll get around to reviewing it. I always want to review everything, but time is limited.
True, time is of the essence. I’m also looking forward to your review of Byzantium. I was kindda surprised it’s at the top of the list since it was kinda predictable and, not much stood out to me but hey, maybe you saw something that I didn’t. :) excited to read! :)
New to this site, yeah when I saw this i was also wondering the same thing. You think we could just get a quick review of Spring Breakers & Byzantium? One of those 1 paragraph ones like your review of Mortal Instruments & The Great Gatsby? (:
As soon as I can, I’ll review them.
Why have you not seen Gravity yet? I wonder if It’ll top Byzantium? ;)
Recently I was REALLY low on cash and debts were eating me from all sides! That was UNTIL I decided to make money on the internet! I went to surveymoneymaker dot net, and started filling in surveys for cash, and surely I’ve been far more able to pay my bills!! I’m so glad, I did this! – js2o
Oh, so apparently the Oscar winning critically acclaimed “The Great Beauty” is worse then Grown Ups 2. This is a shit website from a shit reviewer who doesn’t know shit about shit and should go get buttfucked in her cunt! You hear that old dyke?
I don’t think Filth and Summer In February should be on this list.
The explanation at the top deals with it.
Your 2004 films ranked disappeared.
No, it hasn’t. It’s right where it has been since I first posted it.
2005’s list is the earliest it goes… maybe it disappeared when you changed flickfilosopher’s design?
Oh! Sorry! I read that as “2014,” not “2004.”
There is no list before 2005 — that’s when I started it.
Hm? I recall you had a 2004 list before. Like you had a top 10, then “all the rest” and then a bottom 10. Can’t seem to find it any more, though.
I don’t think so. You’re welcome to search the late 2004 and early 2005 posts, though.