Best Films Of 2011
by TheAnimalMother | created - 11 Sep 2011 | updated - 8 months ago | PublicEvery list of this nature is obviously a continuous work in progress...
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1. Midnight in Paris (2011)
PG-13 | 94 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
While on a trip to Paris with his fiancée's family, a nostalgic screenwriter finds himself mysteriously going back to the 1920s every day at midnight.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Kathy Bates, Kurt Fuller
Votes: 449,765 | Gross: $56.82M
A highly creative marvel from Woody Allen. In my view, his best film in years. 8.5/10
2. Detachment (2011)
Not Rated | 98 min | Drama
A substitute teacher who drifts from classroom to classroom finds a connection to the students and teachers during his latest assignment.
Director: Tony Kaye | Stars: Adrien Brody, Christina Hendricks, Marcia Gay Harden, Lucy Liu
Votes: 99,064 | Gross: $0.07M
A unique and interesting film. 8.5/10
3. Limitless (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 105 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A mysterious pill that enables the user to access 100% of his brain's abilities transforms a struggling writer into a financial wizard, but it also puts him in a new world with many dangers.
Director: Neil Burger | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Anna Friel, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro
Votes: 612,200 | Gross: $79.25M
Highly entertaining and imaginative stuff. 8/10
4. Moneyball (2011)
PG-13 | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to assemble a baseball team on a lean budget by employing computer-generated analysis to acquire new players.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Brad Pitt, Robin Wright, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman
Votes: 464,363 | Gross: $75.61M
A very well put together film. 8/10
5. Thor (2011)
PG-13 | 115 min | Action, Fantasy
The powerful but arrogant god Thor is cast out of Asgard to live amongst humans in Midgard (Earth), where he soon becomes one of their finest defenders.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston
Votes: 899,913 | Gross: $181.03M
Wow, I was surprised. One of the very best 'superhero' films I've ever seen; Though it seemed like it was much more of a classic mythological tale, rather than a modern day comic book film. I love the way it weaved in the classic Norse mythology, awesome! Rarely ever do superhero films have this interesting of an origin story, and then they connect it to today's world so seamlessly, bravo! I never read the comics, but now I can fully appreciate why Thor has tons of fans. 8/10
6. Perfect Sense (2011)
R | 92 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
A chef and a scientist fall in love as an epidemic begins to rob people of their sensory perceptions.
Director: David Mackenzie | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Eva Green, Lauren Tempany, Connie Nielsen
Votes: 63,941 | Gross: $0.00M
A film that speaks to us something like a Bergman or Kubrick effort. Overall I'd say the film is about having a reverence for life, appreciation for what we have. A very good and interesting piece of work. 8/10
7. My Brother the Islamist (2011 TV Movie)
57 min | Documentary
Tree surgeon turned film-maker Robb Leech is desperate to know why his white middle-class step-brother Rich became radical Islamist Salahuddin, who now associates with jihadist ... See full synopsis »
Director: Robb Leech | Stars: Anjem Choudary, Richard Dart, Lewis Herrington, Robb Leech
Votes: 128
Interesting to say the least.
8. Pearl Jam Twenty (2011)
Not Rated | 119 min | Documentary, History, Music
A documentary on the band Pearl Jam that marks their 20th anniversary in the year 2011.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Eddie Vedder, Stone Gossard, Jeff Ament, Cameron Crowe
Votes: 8,183 | Gross: $0.45M
Great stuff.
9. Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)
TV-14 | 93 min | Documentary, Biography, History
'Bobby Fischer Against the World' is a documentary feature exploring the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer. The drama of Bobby Fischer's career was undeniable, ... See full summary »
Director: Liz Garbus | Stars: Bobby Fischer, David Edmonds, Anthony Saidy, Susan Polgar
Votes: 7,402
10. In Time (2011)
PG-13 | 109 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
In a future where people stop aging at 25, but are engineered to live only one more year, having the means to buy your way out of the situation is a shot at immortal youth. Will Salas is accused of murder and on the run with a hostage.
Director: Andrew Niccol | Stars: Justin Timberlake, Amanda Seyfried, Cillian Murphy, Olivia Wilde
Votes: 446,129 | Gross: $37.52M
A fun sci-fi film that keeps you on the edge.
11. God Bless America (2011)
R | 105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
On a mission to rid society of its most repellent citizens, terminally ill Frank makes an unlikely accomplice in 16-year-old Roxy.
Director: Bobcat Goldthwait | Stars: Joel Murray, Tara Lynne Barr, Mackenzie Brooke Smith, Melinda Page Hamilton
Votes: 71,950 | Gross: $0.12M
A film that could have been so much better, but still is a very good watch nonetheless. 7.5/10
12. The Skin I Live In (2011)
R | 120 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
A brilliant plastic surgeon, haunted by past tragedies, creates a type of synthetic skin that withstands any kind of damage. His guinea pig: a mysterious and volatile woman who holds the key to his obsession.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Antonio Banderas, Elena Anaya, Jan Cornet, Marisa Paredes
Votes: 165,787 | Gross: $3.19M
A very bizarre and engrossing film, at least the first time you see it. The re-watchability of this well made film however is likely not so good, as once you know the mysteries in the film, it becomes far less interesting. 7.5/10
13. A Dangerous Method (2011)
R | 99 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.
Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen, Vincent Cassel
Votes: 108,323 | Gross: $5.70M
Freud and Jung duel in Cronenberg's psychosexy re-imagining. 7.5/10
14. Super 8 (2011)
PG-13 | 112 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
During the summer of 1979, a group of friends witness a train crash and investigate subsequent unexplained events in their small town.
Director: J.J. Abrams | Stars: Elle Fanning, AJ Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Joel Courtney
Votes: 367,450 | Gross: $127.00M
A good family film. 7.5/10
15. Carnage (2011)
R | 80 min | Comedy, Drama
Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, John C. Reilly
Votes: 132,993 | Gross: $2.55M
16. Unknown (I) (2011)
PG-13 | 113 min | Action, Mystery, Thriller
When a man awakens from a coma only to discover that someone has taken on his identity, he teams up with a young woman to prove who he is.
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra | Stars: Liam Neeson, Diane Kruger, January Jones, Aidan Quinn
Votes: 269,321 | Gross: $63.69M
In my view this is the best action film of the new millennium starring Liam Neeson. Far better than Taken or any of his others. 7.5/10
17. The Woman (I) (2011)
R | 101 min | Drama, Horror, Thriller
When a successful country lawyer captures and attempts to "civilize" the last remaining member of a violent clan that has roamed the Northeast coast for decades, he puts the lives of his family in jeopardy.
Director: Lucky McKee | Stars: Pollyanna McIntosh, Brandon Gerald Fuller, Lauren Ashley Carter, Chris Krzykowski
Votes: 25,841
I loved the mix of upbeat music with the downbeat story. It's sort of like great jazz on film, but here it's rock and horror. This film captures some pretty unique craziness. If you love horror films, don't miss this! 7.5/10
18. The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The affair between a politician and a contemporary dancer is affected by mysterious forces keeping the lovers apart.
Director: George Nolfi | Stars: Matt Damon, Emily Blunt, Lisa Thoreson, Florence Kastriner
Votes: 270,095 | Gross: $62.50M
A pretty fun little sci-fi thriller. 7/10
19. Hick (2011)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Drama
A Nebraska teen gets more than she bargained for when she sets out for the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Director: Derick Martini | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Rory Culkin, Eddie Redmayne
Votes: 20,831
I know a lot of people were lost regarding this film, but I actually found it to be easily relatable. 7/10
20. Goon (2011)
R | 92 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.
Director: Michael Dowse | Stars: Seann William Scott, Jay Baruchel, Alison Pill, Eugene Levy
Votes: 90,767 | Gross: $4.17M
A solid comedy. 7/10
21. Drive Angry (2011)
R | 104 min | Action, Comedy, Fantasy
A vengeful father escapes from hell and chases after the men who killed his daughter and kidnapped his granddaughter.
Director: Patrick Lussier | Stars: Nicolas Cage, Amber Heard, William Fichtner, Billy Burke
Votes: 103,398 | Gross: $10.71M
This is one of those films where a sense of reality is not really present. However the film still worked for me because it didn't take itself so seriously, unlike other farce action movies such as Salt that do take themselves far too seriously. This has the feel of a comic book film with a slightly exploitive edge to it. It certainly doesn't challenge your brain at all, it's just a simple little action film designed to entertain, and in that respect I feel it worked pretty well. Drive Angry is the kind of film that lets you just forget about the real world for a while an escape into some crazy fun. 7/10
22. X (XIII) (2011)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A veteran call girl and a runaway prostitute witness a murder and must evade the killer as he chases them through Sydney.
Director: Jon Hewitt | Stars: Viva Bianca, Hanna Mangan Lawrence, Peter Docker, Stephen Phillips
Votes: 7,416
An indie that worked for me. 7/10
23. Meet the Fokkens (2011)
Not Rated | 80 min | Documentary, Biography
A documentary on Louise and Martine Fokkens, 69-year-old twin sisters who have worked as prostitutes in the red-light district in Amsterdam for over 40 years.
Directors: Gabrielle Provaas, Rob Schröder | Stars: Louise Fokkens, Martine Fokkens
Votes: 690 | Gross: $0.03M
Interesting and funny. 7/10
24. From the Sky Down (2011)
90 min | Documentary, Music
In the terrain of rock bands, implosion or explosion is seemingly inevitable. U2 has defied the gravitational pull towards destruction; this band has endured and thrived. This documentary asks the question why.
Director: Davis Guggenheim | Stars: Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.
Votes: 1,001
25. Source Code (2011)
PG-13 | 93 min | Action, Drama, Mystery
A soldier wakes up in someone else's body and discovers he's part of an experimental government program to find the bomber of a commuter train within 8 minutes.
Director: Duncan Jones | Stars: Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Vera Farmiga, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 549,594 | Gross: $54.71M
26. Contagion (2011)
PG-13 | 106 min | Drama, Thriller
Healthcare professionals, government officials and everyday people find themselves in the midst of a pandemic as the CDC works to find a cure.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow
Votes: 315,865 | Gross: $75.66M
7/10
27. Your Highness (2011)
R | 102 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
When Prince Fabious's bride is kidnapped, he goes on a quest to rescue her... accompanied by his lazy useless brother Thadeous.
Director: David Gordon Green | Stars: Danny McBride, Natalie Portman, James Franco, Rasmus Hardiker
Votes: 104,422 | Gross: $21.60M
If you don't mind some crude humor, this is worth watching. 7/10
28. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)
R | 127 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet Agent within MI6.
Director: Tomas Alfredson | Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong
Votes: 212,454 | Gross: $24.15M
29. The Rum Diary (2011)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Drama
American journalist Paul Kemp takes on a freelance job in Puerto Rico for a local newspaper during the 1960s and struggles to find a balance between island culture and the expatriates who live there.
Director: Bruce Robinson | Stars: Johnny Depp, Giovanni Ribisi, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Rispoli
Votes: 108,006 | Gross: $13.10M
Hunter S. Thompson lives again. 7/10
30. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
R | 158 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Journalist Mikael Blomkvist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing for 40 years by young computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård
Votes: 494,678 | Gross: $102.52M
Solid execution from Fincher yet again. 7/10
31. Sleep Tight (2011)
Not Rated | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Cesar, a miserable man who works as an apartment concierge, takes a special interest in an attractive woman who lives there. He goes to great lengths to trouble her.
Director: Jaume Balagueró | Stars: Luis Tosar, Marta Etura, Alberto San Juan, Petra Martínez
Votes: 46,675
32. Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)
R | 102 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Haunted by painful memories and increasing paranoia, a damaged woman struggles to re-assimilate with her family after fleeing an abusive cult.
Director: Sean Durkin | Stars: Elizabeth Olsen, Sarah Paulson, John Hawkes, Christopher Abbott
Votes: 55,811 | Gross: $2.98M
33. Kill the Irishman (2011)
R | 106 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of Danny Greene, a tough Irish thug working for mobsters in Cleveland during the 1970's.
Director: Jonathan Hensleigh | Stars: Ray Stevenson, Christopher Walken, Vincent D'Onofrio, Val Kilmer
Votes: 51,326 | Gross: $1.19M
Definitely worth a watch. 7/10
34. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)
PG-13 | 129 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
Detective Sherlock Holmes is on the trail of criminal mastermind Professor Moriarty, who is carrying out a string of random crimes across Europe.
Director: Guy Ritchie | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Jared Harris, Rachel McAdams
Votes: 480,304 | Gross: $186.85M
Definitely not as amazing as the first outing by these guys, but it still worked pretty well. 7/10
35. Killer Joe (2011)
R | 102 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
When a debt puts a young man's life in danger, he turns to putting a hit out on his evil mother in order to collect the insurance.
Director: William Friedkin | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Emile Hirsch, Juno Temple, Thomas Haden Church
Votes: 83,311 | Gross: $1.99M
36. Rampart (2011)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama
Set in 1999 Los Angeles, veteran police officer Dave Brown, the last of the renegade cops, works to take care of his family, and struggles for his own survival.
Director: Oren Moverman | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, Sigourney Weaver, Jon Bernthal
Votes: 25,236 | Gross: $0.97M
Another solid indie. Woody must be one of the most underrated actors in the entire world. 7/10
37. Bernie (2011)
PG-13 | 104 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
In small-town Texas, an affable mortician strikes up a friendship with a wealthy widow, though when she starts to become controlling, he goes to great lengths to separate himself from her grasp.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Jack Black, Shirley MacLaine, Matthew McConaughey, Brady Coleman
Votes: 63,428 | Gross: $9.20M
38. Hanna (2011)
PG-13 | 111 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A sixteen-year-old girl who was raised by her father to be the perfect assassin is dispatched on a mission across Europe, tracked by a ruthless intelligence agent and her operatives.
Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, Eric Bana, Vicky Krieps
Votes: 206,825 | Gross: $40.26M
A pretty solid action flick. 7/10
39. Another Earth (2011)
PG-13 | 92 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the Solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident.
Director: Mike Cahill | Stars: Brit Marling, William Mapother, Matthew-Lee Erlbach, DJ Flava
Votes: 99,991 | Gross: $1.32M
7/10
40. Haywire (2011)
R | 93 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A black ops super soldier seeks payback after she is betrayed and set up during a mission.
Director: Steven Soderbergh | Stars: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Michael Angarano
Votes: 89,757 | Gross: $18.94M
6.5/10
41. The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A lawyer defending a wealthy man begins to believe his client is guilty of more than just one crime.
Director: Brad Furman | Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Tomei, Ryan Phillippe, William H. Macy
Votes: 253,686 | Gross: $58.01M
42. The Hangover Part II (2011)
R | 102 min | Comedy
Two years after the bachelor party in Las Vegas, Phil, Stu, Alan, and Doug jet to Thailand for Stu's wedding. Stu's plan for a subdued pre-wedding brunch, however, goes seriously awry.
Director: Todd Phillips | Stars: Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms, Justin Bartha
Votes: 534,441 | Gross: $254.46M
43. Horrible Bosses (2011)
R | 98 min | Comedy, Crime
Three friends conspire to murder their awful bosses when they realize they are standing in the way of their happiness.
Director: Seth Gordon | Stars: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Steve Wiebe
Votes: 469,620 | Gross: $117.54M
Some pretty funny moments. 6.5/10
44. Tower Heist (2011)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
When a group of hard-working guys find out they've fallen victim to their wealthy employer's Ponzi scheme, they conspire to rob his high-rise residence.
Director: Brett Ratner | Stars: Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda
Votes: 150,970 | Gross: $78.05M
45. Warrior (2011)
PG-13 | 140 min | Action, Drama, Sport
The youngest son of an alcoholic former boxer returns home, where he's trained by his father for competition in a mixed martial arts tournament - a path that puts the fighter on a collision course with his estranged, older brother.
Director: Gavin O'Connor | Stars: Tom Hardy, Nick Nolte, Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Morrison
Votes: 497,768 | Gross: $13.66M
Who says men don't love soap operas? Checkout the overall rating on this one.
46. Sucker Punch (2011)
PG-13 | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young girl institutionalized by her abusive stepfather retreats to an alternative reality as a coping strategy and envisions a plan to help her escape.
Director: Zack Snyder | Stars: Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone
Votes: 252,700 | Gross: $36.39M
I can see why many young people enjoyed this. It's a little edgy and visually it's impressive. The film however is mostly just overdone nonsense with basic and boring characters. Many of the fantasy style scenes are way too long as well, adding to the boredom. It's not a bad film I suppose, but it's certainly not a very good one either. 6.5/10
47. Kill List (2011)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Nearly a year after a botched job, a hitman takes a new assignment with the promise of a big payoff for three killings. What starts off as an easy task soon unravels, sending the killer into the heart of darkness.
Director: Ben Wheatley | Stars: Neil Maskell, MyAnna Buring, Harry Simpson, Michael Smiley
Votes: 45,319 | Gross: $0.03M
48. Drive (I) (2011)
R | 100 min | Action, Drama
A mysterious Hollywood action film stuntman gets in trouble with gangsters when he tries to help his neighbor's husband rob a pawn shop while serving as his getaway driver.
Director: Nicolas Winding Refn | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Carey Mulligan, Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks
Votes: 704,197 | Gross: $35.06M
Personally I feel this film is highly overrated by many. It's worth a watch, but it's really nothing special. 6.5/10
49. Little Birds (2011)
R | 94 min | Drama
Lily and Alison face a life-changing event after they leave their Salton Sea home and follow the boys they meet back to Los Angeles.
Director: Elgin James | Stars: Juno Temple, Kay Panabaker, Leslie Mann, Kate Bosworth
Votes: 5,240 | Gross: $0.02M
50. Red Riding Hood (2011)
PG-13 | 100 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
Set in a medieval village that is haunted by a werewolf, a young girl falls for an orphaned woodcutter, much to her family's displeasure.
Director: Catherine Hardwicke | Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Lukas Haas, Gary Oldman, Billy Burke
Votes: 115,787 | Gross: $37.66M
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