2012 - The Best Movies
by Pu_Rock | created - 31 Dec 2012 | updated - 02 Nov 2013 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Life of Pi (2012)
PG | 127 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A young man who survives a disaster at sea is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While cast away, he forms an unexpected connection with another survivor: a fearsome Bengal tiger.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Adil Hussain, Tabu
Votes: 666,309 | Gross: $124.99M
Usually I am not a fan of 3D, but this movie was stunning and is at its best in 3D. It's a simplistic fairy tale. Sure, it has its issues, but it is a unique film.
2. Holy Motors (2012)
Not Rated | 115 min | Drama, Fantasy
A man boards a limousine to be driven to his day's work: nine mysterious "appointments."
Director: Leos Carax | Stars: Denis Lavant, Edith Scob, Eva Mendes, Kylie Minogue
Votes: 48,863
An experiment of Surrealism in film. Beautifully shot, unique and mind-numbing. Don't try to read between the lines, it will have you chasing your tail.
3. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
R | 157 min | Drama, History, Thriller
A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L.s Team 6 in May 2011.
Director: Kathryn Bigelow | Stars: Jessica Chastain, Joel Edgerton, Chris Pratt, Mark Strong
Votes: 318,686 | Gross: $95.72M
If you take it for what it is, entertainment, it is a really great film. I know a lot of people want to talk about torture, woman-power, and the accuracy, but for my money it was a great movie.
Great performances from top to bottom. It made you feel like you were there at all times.
4. Lincoln (2012)
PG-13 | 150 min | Biography, Drama, History
As the Civil War rages on, U.S President Abraham Lincoln struggles with continuing carnage on the battlefield as he fights with many inside his own cabinet on his decision to emancipate the slaves.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Votes: 272,447 | Gross: $182.21M
Its been said a million times. But DDL crushed it and made this movie. The movie itself isn't daring, its story-telling at its finest. Its Spielberg. The movie wasn't so much about Lincoln as it was the 13th Amendment.
But DDL and the story were worth the price of admission.
5. Moonrise Kingdom (2012)
PG-13 | 94 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two 12-year-olds, who live on an island, fall in love with each other and elope into the wilderness. While people set out on a search mission, a violent storm approaching them catches their attention.
Director: Wes Anderson | Stars: Jared Gilman, Kara Hayward, Bruce Willis, Bill Murray
Votes: 366,565 | Gross: $45.51M
I'll admit it. I'm a Wes Anderson fanboy. People want him to do something different, but I ask 'why'? His films are always fun, entertaining and unique (to him).
With that said, this movie was fun. Bruce Willis was fantastic. I think he plays great in comedic roles. The setting was different. Very enjoyable.
6. The Cabin in the Woods (2011)
R | 95 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Five college friends head out to a remote cabin for a getaway, but things don't go as planned when they start getting killed. They soon discover that there is more to the cabin than it seems.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz
Votes: 450,196 | Gross: $42.07M
IMDB has it listed as 2011 (?) - But it premiered in 2012
The gambit of horror. They throw the kitchen sink at you. Unique to the genre. A movie you can pop in and watch again. It makes fun of itself but not in a parody way.
7. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
PG-13 | 103 min | Drama
Charlie, a 15-year-old introvert, enters high school and is nervous about his new life. When he befriends his seniors, he learns to cope with his friend's suicide and his tumultuous past.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Paul Rudd
Votes: 547,451 | Gross: $17.74M
This film struck a cord with me. Not really sure why. Perhaps its because I went to HS in the 90's.
8. Argo (2012)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Votes: 638,723 | Gross: $136.03M
Really enjoyed it when I first watched it. But when I let the dust settle it was just alright. It felt 'Hollywood'. The manufactured tension at the end was a bit overboard. Still, overall a very great film A film that shows Affleck is here to stay and make good movies.
9. Looper (2012)
R | 119 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent into the past, where a hired gun awaits - someone like Joe - who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by sending back Joe's future self for assassination.
Director: Rian Johnson | Stars: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Paul Dano
Votes: 602,544 | Gross: $66.49M
We can get into all day about the 'science' behind it. But just the creativity and originality of the film deserves a ton of praise. When reboots and big FX budgets are all the rage. This original small budget sci-fi movie steals the stage. JGL and Bruce give great performances, the story makes you think, and its time travel!
10. Searching for Sugar Man (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez.
Director: Malik Bendjelloul | Stars: Rodriguez, Stephen 'Sugar' Segerman, Dennis Coffey, Mike Theodore
Votes: 72,849 | Gross: $3.97M
To me there are two aspects that make a documentary good. The subject and the documenting. The subject in this film is great. It brings to light this musician that you've never heard of to the point where you will probably buy his music. The documenting part could be a little better.
But this is the best doc I've seen this year.
11. The Avengers (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Earth's mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
Director: Joss Whedon | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner
Votes: 1,458,290 | Gross: $623.28M
12. The Master (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, History
A Naval veteran arrives home from war unsettled and uncertain of his future - until he is tantalized by the Cause and its charismatic leader.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams, Jesse Plemons
Votes: 186,050 | Gross: $16.38M
13. A Royal Affair (2012)
R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.
Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Alicia Vikander, Mads Mikkelsen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Trine Dyrholm
Votes: 50,698 | Gross: $1.55M
14. Kon-Tiki (2012)
PG-13 | 118 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Legendary explorer Thor Heyerdahl's epic 4,300-mile crossing of the Pacific on a balsawood raft in 1947, in an effort to prove that it was possible for South Americans to settle in Polynesia in pre-Columbian times.
Directors: Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg | Stars: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd-Magnus Williamson
Votes: 51,928 | Gross: $1.52M
15. Django Unchained (2012)
R | 165 min | Drama, Western
With the help of a German bounty-hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington
Votes: 1,692,198 | Gross: $162.81M
16. Flight (I) (2012)
R | 138 min | Drama, Thriller
Troubling questions arise after airline pilot Whip Whitaker makes a miracle landing after a mid-air catastrophe.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Denzel Washington, Nadine Velazquez, Don Cheadle, John Goodman
Votes: 375,897 | Gross: $93.77M
17. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
PG-13 | 164 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Eight years after the Joker's reign of chaos, Batman is coerced out of exile with the assistance of the mysterious Selina Kyle in order to defend Gotham City from the vicious guerrilla terrorist Bane.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Tom Hardy, Anne Hathaway, Gary Oldman
Votes: 1,825,180 | Gross: $448.14M
Nolan doesn't think we are stupid, and he makes a film that shows that point. The movie carries on the fantastic legacy of Batman. There is a lot going on this movie and it is up to the viewer to keep up. I like that.
Plus its dark and gritty. Everything we love about Batman.
18. Amour (2012)
PG-13 | 127 min | Drama
Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
Director: Michael Haneke | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Emmanuelle Riva, Isabelle Huppert, Alexandre Tharaud
Votes: 105,604 | Gross: $6.74M
Is it sadistic or is it art? That's up to the viewer. Do you want to watch 2+ hours of old people dying slowly? Questions that you need to ask yourself. This is not a happy film at all but it is worth watching. To me it borders art with sadistic tendencies.
19. ParaNorman (2012)
PG | 92 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse.
Directors: Chris Butler, Sam Fell | Stars: Kodi Smit-McPhee, Anna Kendrick, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Tucker Albrizzi
Votes: 109,854 | Gross: $56.00M
20. Prometheus (I) (2012)
R | 124 min | Adventure, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Following clues to the origin of mankind, a team finds a structure on a distant moon, but they soon realize they are not alone.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron
Votes: 643,622 | Gross: $126.48M
21. Pitch Perfect (2012)
PG-13 | 112 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Beca, a freshman at Barden University, is cajoled into joining The Bellas, her school's all-girls singing group. Injecting some much needed energy into their repertoire, The Bellas take on their male rivals in a campus competition.
Director: Jason Moore | Stars: Anna Kendrick, Brittany Snow, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp
Votes: 330,421 | Gross: $65.00M
22. John Dies at the End (2012)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Horror
A new street drug that sends its users across time and dimensions has one drawback: some people return no longer human. Can two college drop-outs save humanity from this silent, otherworldly invasion?
Director: Don Coscarelli | Stars: Chase Williamson, Rob Mayes, Paul Giamatti, Clancy Brown
Votes: 40,335 | Gross: $0.14M
23. Beasts of the Southern Wild (2012)
PG-13 | 93 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
Faced with both her hot-tempered father's fading health and melting ice-caps that flood her ramshackle bayou community and unleash ancient aurochs, six-year-old Hushpuppy must learn the ways of courage and love.
Director: Benh Zeitlin | Stars: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry, Levy Easterly, Lowell Landes
Votes: 85,045 | Gross: $12.80M
It was a good movie. I ranked it on my best of 2012. But I will also say that I don't get it. I don't get the love for this movie like some have for it. Wallis was amazing. At such a young age her facial expressions say it all. But I just couldn't get into the story. I understand it. Just didn't twirl my fancy.
But with that also being said. The film is fantastically shot and is beautiful to watch.
24. Jack Reacher (2012)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
A homicide investigator digs deeper into a case involving a trained military sniper responsible for a mass shooting.
Director: Christopher McQuarrie | Stars: Tom Cruise, Rosamund Pike, Richard Jenkins, Werner Herzog
Votes: 364,783 | Gross: $80.07M
25. Cloud Atlas (2012)
R | 172 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
An exploration of how the actions of individual lives impact one another in the past, present and future, as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero, and an act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution.
Directors: Tom Tykwer, Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 374,185 | Gross: $27.11M
26. Shame (2011)
NC-17 | 101 min | Drama
A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Lucy Walters
Votes: 206,104 | Gross: $4.00M
27. Chained (I) (2012)
R | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
A young man held prisoner by a cab-driving serial killer must make a life or death choice between following in his captor's footsteps or breaking free.
Director: Jennifer Lynch | Stars: Vincent D'Onofrio, Eamon Farren, Evan Bird, Julia Ormond
Votes: 20,851
28. Excision (2012)
Not Rated | 81 min | Comedy, Drama, Horror
A disturbed, delusional high-school student with aspirations of a career in medicine goes to extremes to earn the approval of her controlling mother.
Director: Richard Bates Jr. | Stars: AnnaLynne McCord, Roger Bart, Ariel Winter, Traci Lords
Votes: 24,586
29. Detention (2011)
R | 93 min | Comedy, Horror, Romance
As a copycat killer named after movie villain Cinderhella stalks the student body at Grizzly Lake High School, a group of co-eds band together to survive while serving detention.
Director: Joseph Kahn | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, Shanley Caswell, Spencer Locke, Dane Cook
Votes: 16,505
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