The Top 10 Films of 2013

By Simon Miraudo
December 18, 2013

December: for avid list-makers, it’s the cinematic equivalent of Thunderdome. (Hundreds of movies go in. Only one comes out.) We’ve spent the past eleven months reviewing 2013′s releases as fairly and thoughtfully as possible, but that veneer of considerate criticism will be dropped in favour of sweet, sweet chart-making. Let the arbitrary rankings begin!

So, it’s come to this. The documentaries and foreign language movies and Australian pictures are dragged from their ghettos and forced to fight big budget behemoths, offbeat indie flicks, and gross-out comedies, simply so we – okay, I – can decide on “the best” film from the past 12 months. Some may call it an unnecessary, futile task, but selecting a personal favourite  – or, erm, 30 of them – can certainly be a worthwhile exercise. Think of it as a time capsule: here is what I believe deserves preservation, recommendation, and eventually, revisitation. Though it pains me I never got around to watching Bad Grandpa or Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa (both of which I’m genuinely sure I’ll love), the below selections were culled from the 200-plus features I did watch. I feel good about it. Well, I feel good about it now. Who knows the pangs of regret I might feel once I catch up with 12 Years a Slave (which I’m set to see less than 48 hours after this article is published) or, say, the Chris Brown celebration of dance Battle of the Year? Nonetheless, I humbly present my Top 10 (plus 20 honourable mentions) for your consideration. Take it with a pinch of salt though: as I said, it comes from someone who’s yet to view Battle of the Year.

Follow the link to read the Top 10.

Also:

The 10 Worst Films of 2013
The Top 10 Foreign Language Films of 2013
The Top 10 Australian Films of 2013
The Top 10 Male Performances of 2013
The Top 10 Female Performances of 2013

Previously:

The Top 10 Films of 2012
The 10 Worst Films of 2012
The Top 10 Foreign Language Films of 2012
The Top 10 Australian Films of 2012
The Top 10 Male Performances of 2012
The Top 10 Female Performances of 2012

Check out Simon Miraudo’s archive of reviews.