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Edition · 2013
The Year in Film · 2013

Best of 2013

The films that defined 2013 — ranked by IMDb score.


These films defined 2013 — the year's highest-rated releases, ranked by IMDb score. Some are awards bait, some are popcorn fare, some quietly snuck in under the radar. All earned their place on the list.

  1. 01.
    Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

    Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

    2013·Dir. Nick Hurran·77 min·9.3

    In 2013, something terrible is awakening in London's National Gallery; in 1562, a murderous plot is afoot in Elizabethan England; and somewhere in space an ancient battle reaches its devastating conclusion. All of reality is at stake as the Doctor's own dangerous past comes back to haunt him.

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  2. 02.
    CM101MMXI Fundamentals

    CM101MMXI Fundamentals

    2013·Dir. Murat Dündar·139 min·9.0

    The funny little details of everyday life, simple things that make us laugh. An unforgettable performance from Cem Yilmaz. Yilmaz captures the audience with his hilarious stories about relationships, humankind's struggle with the technology and professional life. Yilmaz proves us that a food delivery or even a funeral might be amusing when considered correctly.

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  3. 03.
    Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor

    Doctor Who: The Time of the Doctor

    2013·Dir. Jamie Payne·60 min·8.4

    Orbiting a quiet backwater planet, the massed forces of the universe's deadliest species gather, drawn to a mysterious message that echoes out to the stars. And amongst them, the Doctor. Rescuing Clara from a family Christmas dinner, the Time Lord and his best friend must learn what this enigmatic signal means for his own fate and that of the universe.

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  4. 04.
    Sherlock: Many Happy Returns

    Sherlock: Many Happy Returns

    2013·Dir. Jeremy Lovering·7 min·8.4

    John and Lestrade try to move on with their lives after Sherlock's apparent death. However, Anderson believes he is still alive.

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  5. 05.
    Drishyam

    Drishyam

    2013·Dir. Jeethu Joseph·164 min·8.4

    Georgekutty lives a happy life with his wife and daughters. Things take a turn when his daughter gets indecently filmed using a hidden camera, by the son of a police inspector.

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  6. 06.
    Louis C.K.: Oh My God

    Louis C.K.: Oh My God

    2013·Dir. Louis C.K.·58 min·8.3

    Filmed at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on February 15th and 16th, 2013, Oh My God is Louis C.K.'s fifth stand-up special, his first for HBO since 2007's Shameless, and his first since winning a Emmy Award for writing on his acclaimed show on FX, Louie. Performed in the round in front of a live audience, he discusses such topics as the food chain, animals, divorce, strange anecdotes, broken morality, murder and mortality.

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  7. 07.
    Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2

    Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 2

    2013·Dir. Jay Oliva·78 min·8.3

    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.

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  8. 08.
    The Crash Reel

    The Crash Reel

    2013·Dir. Lucy Walker·108 min·8.2

    The Crash Reel tells the story of a sport and the risks that athletes face in reaching the pinnacle of their profession. This is Kevin Pearce’s story, a celebrated snowboarder who sustained a brain injury in a trick gone wrong and who now aims, against all the odds, to get back on the snow.

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  9. 09.
    Bo Burnham: What.

    Bo Burnham: What.

    2013·Dir. Christopher Storer·60 min·8.2

    Left brain and right brain duke it out and then belt out a tune in comedian Bo Burnham's quick and clever one-man show. As intelligent as he is lanky, Burnham cynically pokes at pop entertainment while offering unadulterated showmanship of his own.

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  10. 10.
    Soodhu Kavvum

    Soodhu Kavvum

    2013·Dir. Nalan Kumarasamy·138 min·8.2

    Dass specialises in small time kidnapping and has his own set of rules. The primary and most important among them is not to get involved with influential people. Three jobless youngsters meet Dass and the four take up an assignment for a hefty sum that throws away this primary rule and end up being chased by a dreaded policeman.

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  11. 11.
    Shahid

    Shahid

    2013·Dir. Hansal Mehta·129 min·8.2

    A story based on real-life human-rights and criminal lawyer, Shahid Azmi, who was slain while defending the wrongly accused by the law in terrorist activities.

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  12. 12.
    Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

    Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

    2013·Dir. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra·186 min·8.2

    The true story of the "Flying Sikh" world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes.

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  13. 13.
    The Wolf of Wall Street

    The Wolf of Wall Street

    2013·Dir. Martin Scorsese·180 min·8.2

    A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.

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  14. 14.
    An Adventure in Space and Time

    An Adventure in Space and Time

    2013·Dir. Terry McDonough·83 min·8.2

    Actor William Hartnell felt trapped by a succession of hard-man roles while wannabe producer Verity Lambert was frustrated by the TV industry's glass ceiling. Both of them were to find unlikely hope and unexpected challenges in the form of a Saturday tea-time drama. Allied with a team of unusual but brilliant people, they went on to create the longest running science fiction series ever made.

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  15. 15.
    Hope

    Hope

    2013·Dir. Lee Joon-ik·122 min·8.2

    After 8-year-old So-won narrowly survives a brutal sexual assault, her family labors to help her heal while coping with their own rage and grief.

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  16. 16.
    Prisoners

    Prisoners

    2013·Dir. Denis Villeneuve·153 min·8.2

    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.

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  17. 17.
    12 Years a Slave

    12 Years a Slave

    2013·Dir. Steve McQueen·134 min·8.1

    In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

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  18. 18.
    Miracle in Cell No. 7

    Miracle in Cell No. 7

    2013·Dir. Lee Hwan-kyung·128 min·8.1

    A story about a mentally ill man wrongfully imprisoned for murder and his relationship with his 6 year old daughter.

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  19. 19.
    Tangerines

    Tangerines

    2013·Dir. Zaza Urushadze·87 min·8.1

    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.

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  20. 20.
    Rush

    Rush

    2013·Dir. Ron Howard·123 min·8.1

    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.

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  21. 21.
    Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

    Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox

    2013·Dir. Jay Oliva·81 min·8.1

    The Flash finds himself in a war-torn alternate timeline and teams up with alternate versions of his fellow heroes to restore the timeline.

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  22. 22.
    Blackfish

    Blackfish

    2013·Dir. Gabriela Cowperthwaite·83 min·8.1

    Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.

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  23. 23.
    The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

    The Tale of The Princess Kaguya

    2013·Dir. Isao Takahata·137 min·8.0

    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.

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  24. 24.
    Inequality for All

    Inequality for All

    2013·Dir. Jacob Kornbluth·88 min·8.0

    Based on Reich's 2010 book Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, the film examines widening income inequality in the United States. U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich tries to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap. He publicly argued about the issue for decades, and producing a film of his viewpoints was a "final frontier" for him. In addition to being a social issue documentary, Inequality for All is also partially a biopic regarding Reich's early life and his time as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton's presidency. Warren Buffett and Nick Hanauer, two entrepreneurs and investors in the top 1%, are interviewed in the film, supporting Reich's belief in an economy that benefits all citizens, including those of the middle and lower classes.

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  25. 25.
    Her

    Her

    2013·Dir. Spike Jonze·126 min·8.0

    In the not so distant future, Theodore, a lonely writer, purchases a newly developed operating system designed to meet the user's every need. To Theodore's surprise, a romantic relationship develops between him and his operating system. This unconventional love story blends science fiction and romance in a sweet tale that explores the nature of love and the ways that technology isolates and connects us all.

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  26. 26.
    Jodorowsky's Dune

    Jodorowsky's Dune

    2013·Dir. Frank Pavich·87 min·8.0

    In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.

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  27. 27.
    Special 26

    Special 26

    2013·Dir. Neeraj Pandey·144 min·8.0

    During the 1980s in India, a group of con artists rob businessmen and politicians by conducting fake raids, posing as officers of the CBI or Income Tax Department . They plan to execute their biggest con as a final job while a relentless cop is on their trail.

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  28. 28.
    Bridegroom

    Bridegroom

    2013·Dir. Linda Bloodworth-Thomason·80 min·8.0

    A documentary that tells the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship — a relationship that was cut tragically short by a misstep off the side of a roof.

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  29. 29.
    The Square

    The Square

    2013·Dir. Jehane Noujaim·88 min·8.0

    The Square looks at the hard realities faced day-to-day by people working to build Egypt’s new democracy. Cairo’s Tahrir Square is the heart and soul of the film, which follows several young activists. Armed with values, determination, music, humor, an abundance of social media, and sheer obstinacy, they know that the thorny path to democracy only began with Hosni Mubarak’s fall. The life-and-death struggle between the people and the power of the state is still playing out.

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  30. 30.
    The Class of ‘92

    The Class of ‘92

    2013·Dir. Ben Turner·98 min·7.9

    A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

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  31. 31.
    Ugly

    Ugly

    2013·Dir. Anurag Kashyap·128 min·7.9

    When a 10-year old girl goes missing, her stepfather races against time to investigate the kidnapping. Can he find her before it's too late?

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  32. 32.
    Mumbai Police

    Mumbai Police

    2013·Dir. Rosshan Andrrews·145 min·7.9

    ACP Antony Moses is on the verge of uncovering his friend’s murderer when an accident leaves him with partial memory loss. Reassigned to the same case, he must retrace his own forgotten steps to uncover a truth more shocking than he imagined.

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  33. 33.
    Vishwaroopam

    Vishwaroopam

    2013·Dir. Kamal Haasan·147 min·7.9

    Vishwanathan, a Kathak dance teacher in New York, is happy in his marriage with Nirupama, a nuclear oncologist who married him to pursue higher studies in the USA. Deciding to cut ties with her husband, Nirupama hires a private detective to monitor his activities. To her utter shock, certain truths about her husband are subsequently revealed, setting off a chain of events that will change both of their lives irreversibly.

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  34. 34.
    Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent

    Berserk: The Golden Age Arc III - The Advent

    2013·Dir. Toshiyuki Kubooka·110 min·7.9

    One year has passed since Guts left the Band of the Hawk and Griffith was imprisoned by the Kingdom of Midland for treason. In the dead of night, at a camping site where they hide, the Band of the Hawk is attacked by Bakiraka assassins led by Silat. When all seems lost, Guts returns from his journey. "You destroyed everything." Crying that Griffith is nothing without Guts, Casca and Guts are joined together body and soul. Griffith is imprisoned in the oldest building in Wyndham Catle, the Tower of Rebirth.

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  35. 35.
    Before Midnight

    Before Midnight

    2013·Dir. Richard Linklater·109 min·7.9

    It has been nine years since we last met Jesse and Celine, the French-American couple who once met on a train in Vienna. They now live in Paris with twin daughters but have spent a summer in Greece at the invitation of an author colleague of Jesse's. When the vacation is over and Jesse must send his teenage son off to the States, he begins to question his life decisions, and his relationship with Celine is at risk.

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  36. 36.
    Dallas Buyers Club

    Dallas Buyers Club

    2013·Dir. Jean-Marc Vallée·117 min·7.9

    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.

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  37. 37.
    Short Term 12

    Short Term 12

    2013·Dir. Destin Daniel Cretton·96 min·7.9

    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.

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  38. 38.
    Captain Phillips

    Captain Phillips

    2013·Dir. Paul Greengrass·134 min·7.8

    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.

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  39. 39.
    Whiplash

    Whiplash

    2013·Dir. Damien Chazelle·18 min·7.8

    A ferocious, bullying music teacher teaches a dedicated student.

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  40. 40.
    About Time

    About Time

    2013·Dir. Richard Curtis·123 min·7.8

    The night after another unsatisfactory New Year's party, Tim's father tells his son that the men in his family have always had the ability to travel through time. They can't change history, but they can change what happens and has happened in their own lives. Thus begins the start of a lesson in learning to appreciate life itself as it is, as it comes, and most importantly, the people living alongside us.

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— End of Chapter —