THE 30 BEST
FILMS OF 2013

2013 was a year alive with cultural milestones and global attention. From the viral sensation of theHarlem Shake to record-breaking streaming hits and landmark events like the Pope’s resignation and the Boston Marathon bombing, the world was captivated by stories that inspired, shocked, and united audiences. Cinema rose to meet the moment, offering the 30 Best Films of 2013 – bold, inventive, and unforgettable works that thrilled, moved, and challenged viewers.

From the gripping survival of Gravity, a breathtaking dance between isolation and resilience, to the poignant elegance of The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, which brought a timeless folktale to ethereal life, 2013 celebrated both technological marvels and delicate artistry. Her explored love and connection in a near-future world, while 12 Years a Slave confronted history with unflinching power. Elsewhere, Inside Llewyn Davis captured the quiet struggles of an artist on the margins, and Blue is the Warmest Colour painted love in raw, unforgettable strokes. So, where will your favorite film of 2013 land?

These rankings reflect a thoughtful blend of critical acclaim, audience impact, and cultural significance. They shine a light on films that sparked conversation, expanded horizons, and reminded audiences of cinema’s boundless potential. Together, these 30 films show that 2013 was a year when movies dared to be bold, beautiful, and deeply heartfelt.

30

Starred Up

2013 | 1h 46m | UK | ENGLISH | 17+

Top10nerScore70.682 / 100

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Starred Up (2014)

"You have to behave 'cause they will kill you."

DIRECTOR: David Mackenzie

WRITERS: Jonathan Asser

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Michael McDonough

STARRING: Jack O’Connell, Ben Mendelsohn, Rupert Friend, David Ajala, Peter Ferdinando, Gershwyn Eustache Jnr, Anthony Welsh, David Avery, Sam Spruell

GENRE: Drama

THEME: Prison Film

The teenage criminal Eric Love seems street-smart enough to navigate the corruption of the British prison system. But after his violent streak sends him to an adult prison, Eric comes face to face with Nev, a career criminal, and his long-lost father.

Starred Up delivers a bruising portrait of inherited violence, following a volatile young inmate and his estranged father inside a brutal UK prison system. Gritty performances, especially Jack O’Connell’s, pair with David Mackenzie’s tense direction to craft a searing study of rage, vulnerability, and fragile attempts at redemption.

29

Norte,

The End of History

'Norte, hangganan ng kasaysayan'

2013 | 4h 10m | PHILIPPINES | TAGALOG | 16+

Top10nerScore71.044 / 100

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Norte, The End of History (2013)

"the solution is simple: kill all the bad elements."

DIRECTOR: Lav Diaz

WRITERS: Lav Diaz, Rody Vera

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Larry Manda

STARRING: Sid Lucero, Angeli Bayani, Archie Alemania, Mailes Kanapi, Soliman Cruz, Hazel Orencio

GENRE: Drama, Slow Cinema, Crime

A man is wrongly jailed for murder while the real killer roams free. The murderer is an intellectual frustrated with his country’s never-ending cycle of betrayal and apathy. The convict is a simple man who finds life in prison more tolerable when something mysterious starts happening to him.

Lav Diaz’s Norte, The End of History reframes Crime and Punishment through the lens of post-Marcos Philippines, weaving a tale of fractured dreams and systemic decay. Its four-hour sprawl, striking visuals, and patient rhythms create a haunting portrait of guilt, suffering, and the impossible quest for redemption.

28

About Time

2013 | 2h 03m | UK | ENGLISH | 13+

Top10nerScore71.335 / 100

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"All we can do is do our best to relish this remarkable ride."

DIRECTOR: Richard Curtis

WRITERS: Richard Curtis

CINEMATOGRAPHY: John Guleserian

STARRING: Domhnall Gleeson, Rachel McAdams, Bill Nighy, Tom Hollander, Margot Robbie, Lydia Wilson, Lindsay Duncan

GENRE: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy

SUB-GENRE: Romantic Comedy, Low Fantasy

THEME: Time Travel

At the age of 21, Tim discovers he can travel in time and change what happens and has happened in his own life. His decision to make his world a better place by getting a girlfriend turns out not to be as easy as you might think.

About Time turns time travel into a tender meditation on love, family, and the beauty of everyday moments. Richard Curtis crafts a heartfelt story where laughter, mistakes, and loss intertwine, and Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams share a chemistry that makes the film glow with quiet, enduring charm and emotional resonance.

27

Snowpiercer

'Seolgungnyeolcha'

2013 | 2h 07m | SOUTH KOREA | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore71.395 / 100

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Snowpiercer (2013)

"Know your place. Keep your place. Be a shoe."

DIRECTOR: Bong Joon Ho

WRITERS: Bong Joon Ho, Kelly Masterson

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Hong Kyung-pyo

STARRING: Chris Evans, Song Kang-ho, Tilda Swinton, Jamie Bell, Octavia Spencer, John Hurt, Ewen Bremner, Ko Ah-sung, Ed Harris, Alison Pill

GENRE: Thriller, Science Fiction, Action

THEME: Post-Apocalyptic, Dystopian, Train Movie

In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer; a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine.

Snowpiercer propels viewers through a frozen dystopia with relentless tension, dark satire, and moral complexity. Bong Joon-ho layers sharp social commentary on class, survival, and human nature atop striking visuals and inventive action, turning a single train into a claustrophobic microcosm that challenges and mesmerizes.

26

Coherence

2013 | 1h 29m | USA | ENGLISH | 14+

Top10nerScore71.452 / 100

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Coherence (2013)

"...I have slept with your wife in every one of them."

DIRECTOR: James Ward Byrkit

WRITERS: James Ward Byrkit

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Nic Sadler

STARRING: Emily Baldoni, Maury Sterling, Nicholas Brendon, Lorene Scafaria, Elizabeth Gracen, Lauren Maher, Hugo Armstrong, Alex Manugian

GENRE: Thriller, Science Fiction, Mystery

SUB-GENRE: Psychological Thriller, Portal Fantasy

THEME: Chamber Film

Eight friends get together for dinner while a comet is passing overhead. After a power blackout across the neighborhood strange events start occurring. Venturing out to investigate why a particular house has lights, the friends experience a troubling chain of reality bending events.

Coherence twists the fabric of reality with a dinner party gone cosmically wrong, where quantum theory meets fractured trust. Through low-budget ingenuity, razor-sharp dialogue, and escalating paranoia, it crafts a tense puzzle that lingers long after the credits, daring viewers to question every choice they’ve made.

25

The Past

'Le passé'

2013 | 2h 10m | FRANCE | FRENCH | 15+

Top10nerScore71.708 / 100

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The Past (2013)

"Don’t you realize that the past is never really gone?"

DIRECTOR: Asghar Farhadi

WRITERS: Massoumeh Lahidji, Asghar Farhadi

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Mahmoud Kalari

STARRING: Bérénice Bejo, Ali Mosaffa, Tahar Rahim, Pauline Burlet, Elyes Aguis, Jeanne Jestin, Sabrina Ouazani, Babak Karimi

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Family Drama

After four years apart, Ahmad returns to his wife Marie in Paris in order to progress their divorce. During his brief stay, he cannot help noticing the strained relationship between Marie and her daughter Lucie. As he attempts to improve matters between mother and daughter Ahmad unwittingly lifts the lid on a long buried secret…

The Past is a delicately staged chamber of secrets, where Farhadi examines memory, responsibility, and the emotional cost of moving on. Through intricate character interplay, subtle tension, and compassionate detail, it transforms an ordinary divorce into a haunting exploration of human frailty and the burdens we leave behind.

24

Captain Phillips

2013 | 2h 14m | USA | ENGLISH | 13+

Top10nerScore71.907 / 100

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Captain Phillips (2013)

"Look at me. I’m the captain now."

DIRECTOR: Paul Greengrass

WRITERS: Billy Ray

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Barry Ackroyd

STARRING: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Faysal Ahmed, Mahat M. Ali

GENRE: Thriller, Drama

THEME: Siege Film, Pirate

The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

Captain Phillips delivers a white-knuckle hostage thriller anchored by Hanks’ commanding performance. Greengrass’ taut direction, documentary-like realism, and meticulous attention to the unfolding hijacking turn a true story into a relentless study of fear, courage, and human survival, keeping viewers perched on the edge of their seats.

23

Under the Skin

2013 | 1h 48m | UK | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore72.613 / 100

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Under the Skin (2013)

"Do you think I'm pretty?"

DIRECTOR: Jonathan Glazer

WRITERS: Walter Campbell, Jonathan Glazer, Milo Addica

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Daniel Landin

STARRING: Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy McWilliams, Lynsey Taylor Mackay, Dougie McConnell

GENRE: Drama, Science Fiction

SUB-GENRE: Psychological Drama

THEME: Extraterrestrial

A seductive stranger prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.

Under the Skin transforms a sci-fi premise into a haunting meditation on empathy and alienation. Johansson’s performance is both seductive and inscrutable, while the film’s subtle visual distortions and ambient score craft an unsettling rhythm that probes the fragile boundaries between human and outsider with quiet intensity.

22

Only Lovers
Left Alive

2013 | 2h 03m | UK & GER | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore72.679 / 100

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Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)

"We are the last true romantics."

DIRECTOR: Jim Jarmusch

WRITERS: Jim Jarmusch

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Yorick Le Saux

STARRING: Tilda Swinton, Tom Hiddleston, John Hurt, Mia Wasikowska, Anton Yelchin, Jeffrey Wright

GENRE: Romance, Drama, Postmodernism

THEME: Vampire, Gothic

A depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, already played over several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.

Only Lovers Left Alive drifts through time like a languid, nocturnal symphony. Jim Jarmusch’s vampires are cultured, world-weary romantics whose eternal love pulses through shadowed cities. Slow, hypnotic visuals, jazz-infused moods, and witty, melancholy dialogue craft a vampiric tale both stylish and haunting.

21

Batman

The Dark Knight
Returns

Part 2

2013 | 1h 18m | USA | ENGLISH | 13+

Top10nerScore73.094 / 100

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"I want you to remember the one man who beat you!"

DIRECTOR: Jay Oliva

WRITERS: Bob Goodman

STARRING: Peter Weller, Ariel Winter, Michael Emerson, David Selby, Mark Valley, Michael McKean, Grey DeLisle, Frank Welker, Dee Bradley Baker

GENRE: Animation, Action

THEME: Superhero

Batman has stopped the reign of terror that The Mutants had cast upon his city. Now an old foe wants a reunion and the government wants The Man of Steel to put a stop to Batman.

Part 2 of The Dark Knight Returns deepens the saga of Gotham’s aging protector, fusing Frank Miller’s noir aesthetic with psychological complexity. Batman’s tactical brilliance, coupled with the city’s oppressive darkness, transforms familiar conflicts into a thrilling, thoughtful meditation on justice, morality, and mortality.

20

Rush

2013 | 2h 03m | UK & GER | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore73.740 / 100

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Rush (2013)

"The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel."

DIRECTOR: Ron Howard

WRITERS: Peter Morgan

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Anthony Dod Mantle

STARRING: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino, David Calder, Stephen Mangan, Natalie Dormer

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Biopic, Period Drama

THEME: Sports, Motorsports

In the 1970s, a rivalry propels race car drivers Niki Lauda and James Hunt to fame and glory — until a horrible accident threatens to end it all.

Rush transforms the world of Formula 1 into a study of contrasting ambition. Hunt’s charisma and Lauda’s discipline collide under Howard’s meticulous direction, where every lap and glance communicates obsession, risk, and glory. The film is a thrilling, character-driven journey that celebrates human endurance and competitive spirit.

19

The Lunchbox

'Dabba'

2013 | 1h 44m | INDIA | HINDI | 13+

Top10nerScore74.022 / 100

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The Lunchbox (2013)

"the wrong train can lead you to the right station…"

DIRECTOR: Ritesh Batra

WRITERS: Ritesh Batra

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Michael Simmonds

STARRING: Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Lillete Dubey, Nakul Vaid, Bharati Achrekar, Yashvi Punneet Nagar

GENRE: Drama, Romance

SUB-GENRE: Biopic

THEME: Food

A mistaken delivery in Mumbai’s famous lunchbox delivery system connects Ila, a neglected housewife, to Saajan, a lonely man on the verge of retirement. Through a series of exchanged notes that they pass back and forth through the lunches, Saajan and Ila find comfort in their unexpected friendship.

The Lunchbox delicately stirs the soul, turning Mumbai’s lunchbox delivery system into a vessel for longing, connection, and quiet humor. Ritesh Batra’s tender direction and the magnetic chemistry between Irrfan Khan and Nimrat Kaur transform simple notes and meals into an intimate, bittersweet exploration of love and second chances.

18

Fruitvale Station

2013 | 1h 22m | USA | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore74.331 / 100

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Fruitvale Station (2013)

"They shot him in the fucking back for no reason, man!"

DIRECTOR: Ryan Coogler

WRITERS: Ryan Coogler

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Rachel Morrison

STARRING: Michael B. Jordan, Melonie Díaz, Octavia Spencer, Kevin Durand, Chad Michael Murray, Ahna O’Reilly, Ariana Neal

GENRE: Drama

22-year-old Oscar wakes up on the last day of 2008 deciding to get a head start on his resolutions. He crosses paths with friends, family, and strangers, but it would be his final encounter of the day, with police officers at the Fruitvale BART station that would shake the Bay Area to its core.

Fruitvale Station captures the final day of Oscar Grant’s life with quiet urgency and emotional clarity. Ryan Coogler’s debut blends raw intimacy and social awareness, as Michael B. Jordan delivers a performance both tender and electric, illuminating the humanity behind headlines and the tragedy of systemic injustice.

17

Gravity

2013 | 1h 31m | UK & USA | ENGLISH | 13+

Top10nerScore74.649 / 100

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Gravity (2013)

"You've got to learn to let go."

DIRECTOR: Alfonso Cuarón

WRITERS: Alfonso Cuarón, Jonás Cuarón

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Emmanuel Lubezki

STARRING: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris

GENRE: Thriller, Drama, Science Fiction

THEME: Survival, Space Exploration

After debris destroys their space shuttle, a veteran astronaut and a brilliant medical engineer on her first mission drift in space while desperately trying to return to Earth.

Gravity orbits between spectacle and intimacy, with pioneering cinematography and enveloping sound design pulling viewers into the void. Cuarón’s tense, fluid direction and Bullock’s determined lead transform a minimalist premise into a weightless meditation on survival, rebirth, and the fragile beauty of human existence.

16

Tangerines

'Mandariinid'

2013 | 1h 27m | ESTONIA & GEO | EST/RUS | 14+

Top10nerScore74.737 / 100

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Tangerines (2013)

"I have learned that a man can change in a day."

DIRECTOR: Zaza Urushadze

WRITERS: Zaza Urushadze

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Rein Kotov

STARRING: Lembit Ulfsak, Giorgi Nakashidze, Elmo Nüganen, Misha Meskhi, Raivo Trass

GENRE: Drama

THEME: War, Chamber Film

War in Abkhazia, 1992. An Estonian man Ivo has stayed behind to harvest his crops of tangerines. In a bloody conflict at his door, a wounded man is left behind, and Ivo is forced to take him in.

Tangerines quietly captures the human cost of war in Abkhazia, where a humble farmer’s orchard becomes a sanctuary of compassion. Zaza Urushadze blends understated tension with tender humor, showing how small acts of kindness and shared labor can bridge enmity, revealing the fragile beauty of empathy in fractured lands.

15

Like Father,
Like Son

'Soshite chichi ni naru'

2013 | 2h 00m | JAPAN | JAPANESE | 12+

Top10nerScore75.798 / 100

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Like Father, Like Son (2013)

"Blood doesn’t make a family."

DIRECTOR: Hirokazu Kore-eda

WRITERS: Hirokazu Kore-eda

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Mikiya Takimoto

STARRING: Masaharu Fukuyama, Machiko Ono, Yoko Maki, Lily Franky, Keita Ninomiya, Shôgen Hwan, Jun Fubuki, Isao Natsuyagi

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Family Drama

Ryota Nonomiya is a successful businessman driven by money. He learns that his biological son was switched with another child after birth. He must make a life-changing decision and choose his true son or the boy he raised as his own.

Like Father, Like Son offers a quietly powerful exploration of fatherhood, morality, and family ties. Kore-eda’s subtle storytelling and restrained pacing allow complex emotions to surface naturally, while the film’s layered performances invite reflection on what truly makes a parent, crafting an affecting, humane cinematic experience.

14

Blue Is the
Warmest Color

'La vie d'Adèle'

2013 | 3h 00m | FRANCE | FRENCH | 17+

Top10nerScore75.862 / 100

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Blue Is the Warmest Color (2013)

"I want you. All the time. No one else."

DIRECTOR: Abdellatif Kechiche

WRITERS: Abdellatif Kechiche, Ghalya Lacroix

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Sofian El Fani

STARRING: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Léa Seydoux, Salim Kéchiouche, Aurélien Recoing, Catherine Salée, Benjamin Siksou

GENRE: Romance, Drama

THEME: Coming-of-Age, LGBTQ+

Adèle’s life is changed when she meets Emma, a young woman with blue hair, who will allow her to discover desire, to assert herself as a woman and as an adult. In front of others, Adele grows, seeks herself, loses herself, finds herself.

Blue Is the Warmest Color immerses viewers in a raw, intimate journey of love and self-discovery. Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos radiate authenticity as their passionate connection unfolds. Abdellatif Kechiche’s unflinching direction captures desire, heartbreak, and the tender chaos of first love with stunning realism.

13

Nebraska

2013 | 1h 55m | USA | ENGLISH | 13+

Top10nerScore76.050 / 100

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Nebraska (2013)

"Jesus mom. Was the whole town trying to seduce you?"

DIRECTOR: Alexander Payne

WRITERS: Bob Nelson

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Phedon Papamichael

STARRING: Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk, Stacy Keach, Mary Louise Wilson, Rance Howard

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Family Drama

THEME: Road Movie

An aging, booze-addled father takes a trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim what he believes to be a million-dollar sweepstakes prize.

Nebraska blends understated humor with aching realism, as a father-son road trip uncovers nostalgia, disappointment, and fleeting hope. Payne’s restrained direction and stunning monochrome cinematography elevate a simple tale of family, ambition, and mortality into an intimate exploration of humanity’s gentle complexities.

12

Dallas Buyers Club

2013 | 1h 57m | USA | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore76.345 / 100

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Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

"I mean, goddamn, people are dyin'."

DIRECTOR: Jean-Marc Vallée

WRITERS: Melisa Wallack, Craig Borten

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Yves Bélanger

STARRING: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O’Hare, Steve Zahn, Michael O’Neill, Dallas Roberts

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Biopic, Period Drama

Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.

Dallas Buyers Club chronicles the grit and ingenuity of Ron Woodroof, turning desperation into activism during the AIDS crisis. With McConaughey and Leto embodying vulnerability and rage, Jean-Marc Vallée crafts a poignant drama where survival meets resistance, challenging authority through compassion and relentless drive.

11

The Wind Rises

'Kaze tachinu'

2013 | 2h 06m | JAPAN | JAPANESE | 10+

Top10nerScore78.498 / 100

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The Wind Rises (2013)

"She was beautiful, just like the wind."

DIRECTOR: Hayao Miyazaki

WRITERS: Hayao Miyazaki

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Atsushi Okui

STARRING: Hideaki Anno, Miori Takimoto, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Masahiko Nishimura, Stephen Alpert, Morio Kazama, Mansai Nomura, Jun Kunimura

STARRING (ENGLISH): Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Martin Short, Stephen Alpert, Werner Herzog, William H. Macy, Stanley Tucci, Mandy Patinkin

GENRE: Animation, Drama, Romance

SUB-GENRE: Anime, Period Drama, Romance, Melodrama, Biopic

A lifelong love of flight inspires Japanese aviation engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose storied career includes the creation of the A-6M World War II fighter plane.

The Wind Rises soars as Hayao Miyazaki’s most bittersweet flight, blending historical drama with dreamlike reverie. Through Jiro’s pursuit of aviation beauty amid war’s shadow, Studio Ghibli crafts a delicate meditation on love, ambition, and the costs of creation, rendered in sweeping, hand-painted elegance.

INTRODUCING...

THE TOP 10
BEST FILMS
OF 2013

10

Short Term 12

2013 | 1h 36m | USA | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore78.595 / 100

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Short Term 12 (2013)

"It’s okay to be a little broken."

DIRECTOR: Destin Daniel Cretton

WRITERS: Destin Daniel Cretton

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Brett Pawlak

STARRING: Brie Larson, John Gallagher Jr., Kaitlyn Dever, Rami Malek, LaKeith Stanfield, Stephanie Beatriz, Frantz Turner

GENRE: Drama

THEME: Slice of Life

Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace’s tough exterior begins eroding.

Short Term 12 captures the fragile beauty of healing within a foster care home, where trauma and hope quietly coexist. Destin Daniel Cretton’s tender direction, paired with breakout turns from Brie Larson and Lakeith Stanfield, crafts a raw yet compassionate portrait of resilience, connection, and hard-earned trust.

09

Ida

2013 | 1h 22m | POLAND & DEN | POLISH | 14+

Top10nerScore78.751 / 100

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Ida (2013)

"You've no idea of the effect you have, do you?"

DIRECTOR: Paweł Pawlikowski

WRITERS: Paweł Pawlikowski, Rebecca Lenkiewicz

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Ryszard Lenczewski, Łukasz Żal

STARRING: Agata Trzebuchowska, Agata Kulesza, Dawid Ogrodnik, Jerzy Trela

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Period Drama

In 1960s Poland, young novitiate Anna is on the verge of taking her vows when she discovers a family secret dating back to the years of the German occupation.

Ida unfolds with spare elegance, capturing post-war Poland in stark black-and-white frames. Pawlikowski’s measured pace mirrors Anna’s quiet search for identity and truth. Subtle performances, haunting compositions, and restrained storytelling combine to create a meditation on faith, family, and the weight of history.

08

Inside Llewyn Davis

2013 | 1h 44m | USA | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore80.655 / 100

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Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

"The truth is, I don't belong anywhere."

DIRECTORS: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

WRITERS: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Bruno Delbonnel

STARRING: Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, John Goodman, Garrett Hedlund, Ethan Phillips, Robin Bartlett

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Period Drama

THEME: Music

In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.

Inside Llewyn Davis is a finely tuned portrait of artistic struggle, where humor and heartbreak coexist in equal measure. The Coen brothers balance sardonic wit, atmospheric 1960s New York, and Isaac’s introspective brilliance, delivering a resonant tale of perseverance, fleeting luck, and the loneliness behind the music.

07

Prisoners

2013 | 2h 33m | USA | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore80.775 / 100

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Prisoners (2013)

"Pray for the best, but prepare for the worst."

DIRECTOR: Denis Villeneuve

WRITERS: Aaron Guzikowski

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Roger Deakins

STARRING: Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Paul Dano, Viola Davis, Maria Bello, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, Dylan Minnette

GENRE: Thriller, Mystery, Drama, Crime

SUB-GENRE: Psychological Thriller, Psychological Drama

THEME: Police Procedural

Keller Dover is facing every parent’s worst nightmare. His six-year-old daughter, Anna, is missing, together with her young friend, Joy, and as minutes turn to hours, panic sets in. The only lead is a dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street.

Prisoners plunges viewers into a morally complex nightmare, where desperation, obsession, and fear collide. Denis Villeneuve orchestrates every shadow and frame with precision, while Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal deliver searing performances. This thriller grips like a vice, haunting long after the screen goes dark.

06

Before Midnight

2013 | 1h 49m | USA | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore80.927 / 100

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"It's not perfect, but it's real."

DIRECTOR: Richard Linklater

WRITERS: Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Christos Voudouris

STARRING: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, Ariane Labed, Jennifer Prior

GENRE: Romance, Drama

THEME: Slice of Life

Almost two decades after they met by chance on a Vienna-bound train, Jesse and Celine are married and spending the summer in Greece with their two daughters. Over the course of one evening, the two examine the state of their relationship.

Before Midnight captures love in its raw, unvarnished form. Jesse and Celine navigate middle-aged intimacy with sharp, heartfelt dialogue and unflinching honesty. Richard Linklater’s direction balances humor, tension, and tenderness, turning everyday arguments and small joys into a profoundly relatable meditation on enduring love.

05

The Great Beauty

'La grande bellezza'

2013 | 2h 22m | ITALY | ITALIAN | 16+

Top10nerScore81.461 / 100

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The Great Beauty (2013)

"After all... it's just a trick. Yes, it's just a trick."

DIRECTOR: Paolo Sorrentino

WRITERS: Paolo Sorrentino, Umberto Contarello

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Luca Bigazzi

STARRING: Toni Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Carlo Buccirosso, Iaia Forte, Pamela Villoresi

GENRE: Drama, Satire

Jep Gambardella has seduced his way through the lavish nightlife of Rome for decades, but after his 65th birthday and a shock from the past, Jep looks past the nightclubs and parties to find a timeless landscape of absurd, exquisite beauty.

The Great Beauty is a decadent waltz through Rome, where Paolo Sorrentino paints melancholy and excess with cinematic brushstrokes. Toni Servillo’s introspective wanderings uncover beauty, emptiness, and the fleeting pulse of life, blending sumptuous visuals, sharp satire, and meditative reflections on art, love, and aging.

04

The Wolf of
Wall Street

2013 | 3h 00m | USA | ENGLISH | 17+

Top10nerScore81.876 / 100

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The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

"There's no nobility in poverty."

DIRECTOR: Martin Scorsese

WRITERS: Terence Winter

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Rodrigo Prieto

STARRING: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Matthew McConaughey, Jon Bernthal

GENRE: Black Comedy, Crime, Drama

SUB-GENRE: Biopic

An adaptation of New York stockbroker Jordan Belfort’s memoir chronicling his rise and fall on Wall Street. From the American dream to corporate greed, he went from penny stocks and righteousness to IPOs and and an addiction fueled life of corruption in the late 80s.

The Wolf of Wall Street detonates with Scorsese’s manic energy, plunging into excess, greed, and lust for power. DiCaprio electrifies as Jordan Belfort, a charismatic hurricane of ambition and vice, while razor-sharp humor, chaotic set pieces, and biting social satire make this a dizzying, unforgettable financial thrill ride.

03

Her

2013 | 2h 06m | USA | ENGLISH | 16+

Top10nerScore82.579 / 100

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Her (2013)

"Just lesser versions of what I've already felt."

DIRECTOR: Spike Jonze

WRITERS: Spike Jonze

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Hoyte van Hoytema

STARRING: Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, Chris Pratt, Olivia Wilde

GENRE: Romance, Science Fiction, Drama

THEME: Artificial Intelligence

A heartbroken writer falls in love with an operating system that evolves into a unique entity during their union. Things become complicated as Theodore’s complex emotions are exacerbated by ’Samantha’s’ inability to provide physical comfort.

Her blends sci-fi and romance into a perceptive study of emotion and technology. Jonze’s meticulous direction, paired with a delicate score and immersive cinematography, frames a near-future society where intimacy is redefined, highlighting loneliness, desire, and the evolving boundaries between human and machine.

02

12 Years a Slave

2013 | 2h 14m | USA | ENGLISH | 15+

Top10nerScore83.749 / 100

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12 Years a Slave (2013)

"I don't want to survive. I want to live."

DIRECTOR: Steve McQueen

WRITERS: John Ridley

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Sean Bobbitt

STARRING: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong’o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano, Sarah Paulson, Adepero Oduye, Paul Giamatti, Brad Pitt

GENRE: Drama

SUB-GENRE: Biopic, Period Drama

In the pre-Civil War U.S., Solomon Northup, a free Black man from New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Solomon struggles to stay alive and retain his dignity, facing cruelty and unexpected instances of kindness. But his chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

12 Years a Slave marries historical fidelity with cinematic artistry, as McQueen crafts a searing portrait of oppression. Chiwetel Ejiofor’s central performance anchors a narrative of endurance, while stark visuals and precise pacing confront audiences with brutality, hope, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.

01

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya

'Kaguya-hime no Monogatari'

2013 | 2h 17m | JAPAN | JAPANESE | 9+

Top10nerScore84.418 / 100

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The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013)

"If i hear that you pine for me, i will return to you."

DIRECTOR: Isao Takahata

WRITERS: Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Keisuke Nakamura

STARRING: Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto, Atsuko Takahata, Tomoko Tabata, Shinosuke Tatekawa, Takaya Kamikawa, Hikaru Ijūin

STARRING (ENGLISH): Chloë Grace Moretz, Darren Criss, James Caan, Mary Steenburgen, Lucy Liu, Hynden Walch, George Segal, James Marsden, Oliver Platt

GENRE: Fantasy, Animation, Drama

SUB-GENRE: Fairy Tale, Anime

THEME: Coming-of-Age

Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo by an old bamboo cutter and his wife, a tiny girl grows rapidly into an exquisite young lady. The mysterious young princess enthrals all who encounter her. But, ultimately, she must confront her fate.

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya drifts like delicate brushstrokes come to life, with Takahata’s watercolor animation capturing fleeting beauty and fragile humanity. Every frame hums with emotion, transforming a timeless folktale into a bittersweet meditation on desire, impermanence, and joy, standing proudly as…
The Best Film of 2013

2013 - FINAL RANKING

RANKTITLE
1The Tale of the Princess Kaguya  ✶ 
212 Years a Slave   
3Her  ✶ 
4The Wolf of Wall Street  ✶ 
5The Great Beauty  ✶ 
6Before Midnight  
7Prisoners  
8Inside Llewyn Davis  
9Ida  
10Short Term 12  
11The Wind Rises  
12Dallas Buyers Club  
13Nebraska  
14Like Father, Like Son
15Blue Is the Warmest Color
16Tangerines
17Gravity
18Fruitvale Station
19The Lunchbox
20Rush
21Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2
22Only Lovers Left Alive
23Under the Skin
24Captain Phillips
25The Past
26Coherence
27Snowpiercer
28About Time
29Norte, The End of History
30Starred Up

✹ = TOP 100   ✷ = TOP 250  ✶ = TOP 500   ✦ = TOP 1000

HONORABLE MENTIONS

A Touch of Sin2013
An Adventure in Space and Time2013
Blue Jasmine2013
Blue Ruin2013
Boy & the World2013
Enemy2013
Frozen2013
Hard to Be a God2013
Home from Home – Chronicle of a Vision2013
Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox2013
Locke2013
Philomena2013
Stranger by the Lake2013
The Conjuring2013
The Dance of Reality2013
The Hunger Games: Catching Fire2013
The Selfish Giant2013
The Way Way Back2013
The World’s End2013
Upstream Color2013

THANKS FOR READING!

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