Favorite Movies by Year
by minnal_murali | created - 04 Jan 2021 | updated - 08 Apr 2022 | PublicIf I were giving an award for "Best Movie of the year" each year, these would have been my picks. Adding movies from 1979 onward.
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1. Nayattu (2021)
124 min | Crime, Thriller
Three police officers who are on a run for life, escaping the outbreak against them due to the unlawful arrest and torture of a civilian. It brings in a few shades of arrogant yet very much human police officers and their helplessness.
Director: Martin Prakkat | Stars: Kunchacko Boban, Joju George, Nimisha Sajayan, Jaffer Idukki
Votes: 8,840
2. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
R | 129 min | Drama, History, Thriller
The story of 7 people on trial stemming from various charges surrounding the uprising at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Illinois.
Director: Aaron Sorkin | Stars: Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong
Votes: 193,309
3. Jallikattu (2019)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A portrait of a remote village where a buffalo escapes and causes a frenzy of ecstatic violence.
Director: Lijo Jose Pellissery | Stars: Antony Varghese, Chemban Vinod Jose, Sabumon Abdusamad, Jaffer Idukki
Votes: 9,044
4. Pariyerum Perumal (2018)
Not Rated | 154 min | Drama
A law student from a lower caste begins a friendship with his classmate, a girl who belongs to a higher caste, and the men in her family start giving him trouble over this.
Director: Mari Selvaraj | Stars: Kathir, Anandhi, Yogi Babu, Lijeesh
Votes: 18,395
5. Wonder (I) (2017)
PG | 113 min | Drama, Family
Based on the New York Times bestseller, this movie tells the incredibly inspiring and heartwarming story of August Pullman, a boy with facial differences who enters the fifth grade, attending a mainstream elementary school for the first time.
Director: Stephen Chbosky | Stars: Jacob Tremblay, Owen Wilson, Izabela Vidovic, Julia Roberts
Votes: 178,348 | Gross: $132.42M
6. Maheshinte Prathikaaram (2016)
Not Rated | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Thriller
Mahesh, a studio photographer and studio owner gets into a fight and loses. He ends up taking revenge which leads to certain realizations in his life.
Director: Dileesh Pothan | Stars: Fahadh Faasil, Aparna Balamurali, Soubin Shahir, Alencier Ley Lopez
Votes: 10,321
7. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
PG-13 | 105 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
High schooler Greg, who spends most of his time making parodies of classic movies with his co-worker Earl, finds his outlook forever altered after befriending a classmate who has just been diagnosed with cancer.
Director: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon | Stars: Thomas Mann, RJ Cyler, Olivia Cooke, Nick Offerman
Votes: 138,270 | Gross: $6.74M
8. Boyhood (I) (2014)
R | 165 min | Drama
The life of Mason, from early childhood to his arrival at college.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ellar Coltrane, Patricia Arquette, Ethan Hawke, Elijah Smith
Votes: 367,147 | Gross: $25.38M
9. Her (2013)
R | 126 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a near future, a lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.
Director: Spike Jonze | Stars: Joaquin Phoenix, Amy Adams, Scarlett Johansson, Rooney Mara
Votes: 669,492 | Gross: $25.57M
10. 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: 666,775 | Gross: $124.99M
11. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011)
Not Rated | 155 min | Comedy, Drama, Musical
Three friends decide to turn their fantasy vacation into reality after one of their friends gets engaged.
Director: Zoya Akhtar | Stars: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif
Votes: 85,853 | Gross: $3.11M
50/50 a close second
12. Inception (2010)
PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A thief who steals corporate secrets through the use of dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Ken Watanabe
Votes: 2,550,410 | Gross: $292.58M
13. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
R | 153 min | Adventure, Drama, War
In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a plan to assassinate Nazi leaders by a group of Jewish U.S. soldiers coincides with a theatre owner's vengeful plans for the same.
Director: Quentin Tarantino | Stars: Brad Pitt, Diane Kruger, Eli Roth, Mélanie Laurent
Votes: 1,583,778 | Gross: $120.54M
3 idiots a close second
14. The Dark Knight (2008)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Crime, Drama
When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine
Votes: 2,870,232 | Gross: $534.86M
15. Like Stars on Earth (2007)
PG | 162 min | Drama, Family
An eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy trouble-maker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.
Directors: Aamir Khan, Amole Gupte | Stars: Darsheel Safary, Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma
Votes: 206,671 | Gross: $1.22M
16. Children of Men (2006)
R | 109 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
In 2027, in a chaotic world in which women have somehow become infertile, a former activist agrees to help transport a miraculously pregnant woman to a sanctuary at sea.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Julianne Moore, Clive Owen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Caine
Votes: 529,343 | Gross: $35.55M
Rang De Basanti/The Prestige would be my pick on some other day
17. Thanmathra (2005)
160 min | Drama
Will an unexpected turn of events change Rameshan's life forever and prevent him from witnessing his dream where his son becomes a reputable IAS Officer?
Director: Blessy | Stars: Mohanlal, Meera Vasudevan, Arjun Lal, Nedumudi Venu
Votes: 4,799
18. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Horror
The uneventful, aimless lives of a London electronics salesman and his layabout roommate are disrupted by the zombie apocalypse.
Director: Edgar Wright | Stars: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Kate Ashfield, Lucy Davis
Votes: 593,889 | Gross: $13.54M
19. Anbe Sivam (2003)
Not Rated | 160 min | Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Two men, one young and arrogant, the other damaged - physically but not spiritually - by life, are thrown together by circumstances, and find that they are in some ways bound together by fate.
Director: Sundar C. | Stars: Kamal Haasan, Madhavan, Kiran Rathod, Nassar
Votes: 25,299
The original "Old Boy" is a close second
20. City of God (2002)
R | 130 min | Crime, Drama
In the slums of Rio, two kids' paths diverge as one struggles to become a photographer and the other a kingpin.
Directors: Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Stars: Alexandre Rodrigues, Leandro Firmino, Matheus Nachtergaele, Phellipe Haagensen
Votes: 800,960 | Gross: $7.56M
21. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
PG | 224 min | Drama, Musical, Sport
The people of a small village in Victorian India stake their future on a game of cricket against their ruthless British rulers.
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker | Stars: Aamir Khan, Raghubir Yadav, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley
Votes: 120,678 | Gross: $0.91M
22. Memento (2000)
R | 113 min | Mystery, Thriller
A man with short-term memory loss attempts to track down his wife's murderer.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior
Votes: 1,322,721 | Gross: $25.54M
23. American Beauty (1999)
R | 122 min | Drama
A sexually frustrated suburban father has a mid-life crisis after becoming infatuated with his daughter's best friend.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Votes: 1,210,852 | Gross: $130.10M
A more than worthy Oscar winner in my opinion
24. The Truman Show (1998)
PG | 103 min | Comedy, Drama
An insurance salesman discovers his whole life is actually a reality TV show.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Jim Carrey, Ed Harris, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich
Votes: 1,196,179 | Gross: $125.62M
I almost picked "American History X"
25. Children of Heaven (1997)
PG | 89 min | Drama, Family, Sport
After a boy loses his sister's pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures in order to find them. When he can't, he tries a new way to "win" a new pair.
Director: Majid Majidi | Stars: Mohammad Amir Naji, Amir Farrokh Hashemian, Bahare Seddiqi, Nafise Jafar-Mohammadi
Votes: 80,691 | Gross: $0.93M
How do I choose between this and "Life is Beautiful"?!!
26. Trainspotting (1996)
R | 93 min | Drama
Renton, deeply immersed in the Edinburgh drug scene, tries to clean up and get out despite the allure of drugs and the influence of friends.
Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: Ewan McGregor, Ewen Bremner, Jonny Lee Miller, Kevin McKidd
Votes: 725,584 | Gross: $16.50M
27. Se7en (1995)
R | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Two detectives, a rookie and a veteran, hunt a serial killer who uses the seven deadly sins as his motives.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey, Andrew Kevin Walker
Votes: 1,798,692 | Gross: $100.13M
28. Forrest Gump (1994)
PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, Romance
The history of the United States from the 1950s to the '70s unfolds from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, who yearns to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright, Gary Sinise, Sally Field
Votes: 2,256,553 | Gross: $330.25M
Such a hard year to choose from!! Shawshank Redemption, Vidheyan, Pulp Fiction, Leon, Pavithram... So many options!
29. Manichithrathazhu (1993)
Not Rated | 169 min | Comedy, Horror, Mystery
When a forbidden room in an old bungalow is unbolted, the spirit of a vengeful dancer is unleashed.
Director: Fazil | Stars: Shobana, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi, Vinaya Prasad
Votes: 12,298
Schindler's List is a close second
30. Scent of a Woman (1992)
R | 156 min | Drama
A prep school student needing money agrees to "babysit" a blind man, but the job is not at all what he anticipated.
Director: Martin Brest | Stars: Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, James Rebhorn, Gabrielle Anwar
Votes: 328,737 | Gross: $63.90M
31. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
R | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A young F.B.I. cadet must receive the help of an incarcerated and manipulative cannibal killer to help catch another serial killer, a madman who skins his victims.
Director: Jonathan Demme | Stars: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Votes: 1,547,964 | Gross: $130.74M
32. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 145 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mafia, covering his relationship with his wife Karen and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,257,129 | Gross: $46.84M
Martin Scorsese at his finest
33. Kireedam (1989)
Not Rated | 124 min | Action, Drama
The life of a young man turns upside down when he intervenes in a dispute in order to rescue his father (a cop) from a ruthless local outlaw.
Director: Sibi Malayil | Stars: Mohanlal, Thilakan, Kaviyoor Ponnamma, Parvathi
Votes: 8,549
34. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
R | 174 min | Drama, Romance
A filmmaker recalls his childhood when falling in love with the pictures at the cinema of his home village and forms a deep friendship with the cinema's projectionist.
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore | Stars: Philippe Noiret, Enzo Cannavale, Antonella Attili, Isa Danieli
Votes: 282,855 | Gross: $11.99M
35. Thoovanathumbikal (1987)
151 min | Drama, Romance
Jayakrishnan falls in love with two girls, Radha and Clara, and fights his confusion about whom he should marry and spend his life with.
Director: P. Padmarajan | Stars: Mohanlal, Sumalatha, Parvathi, Ashokan
Votes: 4,996
Thaniyavarthanam and Kamal Haasan's 'Nayagan' are very close
36. Aliens (1986)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Votes: 762,923 | Gross: $85.16M
37. Back to the Future (1985)
PG | 116 min | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Marty McFly, a 17-year-old high school student, is accidentally sent 30 years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown.
Director: Robert Zemeckis | Stars: Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover
Votes: 1,306,561 | Gross: $210.61M
38. The Terminator (1984)
R | 107 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A human soldier is sent from 2029 to 1984 to stop an almost indestructible cyborg killing machine, sent from the same year, which has been programmed to execute a young woman whose unborn son is the key to humanity's future salvation.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Michael Biehn, Paul Winfield
Votes: 924,028 | Gross: $38.40M
39. A Christmas Story (1983)
PG | 93 min | Comedy, Family
In the 1940s, a young boy named Ralphie Parker attempts to convince his parents, teacher, and Santa Claus that a Red Ryder Range 200 Shot BB gun really is the perfect Christmas gift.
Director: Bob Clark | Stars: Peter Billingsley, Melinda Dillon, Darren McGavin, Scott Schwartz
Votes: 168,613 | Gross: $20.61M
40. Blade Runner (1982)
R | 117 min | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
A blade runner must pursue and terminate four replicants who stole a ship in space and have returned to Earth to find their creator.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Edward James Olmos
Votes: 822,983 | Gross: $32.87M
41. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies
Votes: 1,036,776 | Gross: $248.16M
42. The Shining (1980)
R | 146 min | Drama, Horror
A family heads to an isolated hotel for the winter where a sinister presence influences the father into violence, while his psychic son sees horrific forebodings from both past and future.
Director: Stanley Kubrick | Stars: Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, Danny Lloyd, Scatman Crothers
Votes: 1,106,483 | Gross: $44.02M
43. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
PG | 105 min | Drama
After his wife leaves him, a work-obsessed Manhattan advertising executive is forced to learn long-neglected parenting skills, but a heated custody battle over the couple's young son deepens the wounds left by the separation.
Director: Robert Benton | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Jane Alexander, Justin Henry
Votes: 154,704 | Gross: $106.26M
I had to watch this movie to finally understand why it won the Oscar that year over "Apocalypse Now"
44. Pada (2022)
130 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
All the governments that have ruled the nation made laws that denied the indigenous people their way of life and their land often, protecting crony capitalist interests. The film revisits an episode of dissent in the 90s which brought up this question amongst us. A history forgotten!
Director: Kamal K.M. | Stars: Kunchacko Boban, Vinayakan, Joju George, Dileesh Pothan
Votes: 2,994
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