Music N' Other Drugs

Every December, I ask myself if this list is still worth the time and energy spent putting it together. I ponder the reasons why I care so deeply about something that most people don’t think about while simultaneously wondering if my not-so-subtle rejection of what the current Democratic Party stands for has alienated those who used to engage with me on a regular basis.

All I know is that people used to ask what was good and now they don’t. They used to participate in conversations regardless of ideological differences and now they don’t.

Luckily, there’s enough of that nine-year-old cinephile left in me to remember why I started making this list back in 1997, so I carry on simply because it’s still fun for me. I love movies despite how insular Hollywood has become and no amount of George Clooney election interference is going to change that.

One of the most common sentiments I hear is that there are no good movies being made anymore, but the reality is that they’re just harder to find. We’ve become a streaming society without acknowledging that many of these platforms are so desperate for content that quality control is often fifth or sixth on the bill.

Do we really need more derivative “Star Wars” fan service?

Are we really better off as consumers now that the streaming services have become alternate versions of the cable companies that many of us cut ties with?

Gordon Gekko was right when he said that business was about bubbles, and, sooner or later, the streaming bubble is going to burst. Before it does, you should seek out many of the films on this list, because that’s where most of them can be found whether we like it or not.

At the request of a friend, I’ve begun including all of my lists from past years, as well, so I guarantee that you’ll find something that brings you enjoyment during whatever time off you have before 2025 arrives.

Maybe we’ll even talk about it.

“His Three Daughters” – Directed by Azazel Jacobs

Jacobs has no agenda other than telling a universal tale of grief in which Carrie Coon, Elizabeth Olsen, and Natasha Lyonne are given equal time to shine.

“The Substance” – Directed by Coralie Fargeat

The message regarding the sacrifices women make to stay relevant in Hollywood is anything but subtle, but Fargeat more than makes up for that with unforgettable slices of body horror and a career-best performance from Demi Moore.

“Anora” – Directed by Sean Baker

This isn’t the first time that Baker has brought the plight of sex workers to the masses, but it’s arguably his best work yet.

“Babes” – Directed by Pamela Adlon

Easily the funniest and most accurate depiction of pregnancy I’ve seen in quite some time.

“Inside Out 2” – Directed by Kelsey Mann

2015’s “Inside Out” remains my favorite Pixar film, but this is one sequel that actually equals the emotional impact of its predecessor.

“Small Things Like These” – Directed by Tim Mielants

Cillian Murphy made a big splash with his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer last year, but what he does here could be his finest work yet. It’s a film about the evil brought on by unchecked power and how the kindness of strangers can make all the difference.

“The Tragically Hip: No Dress Rehearsal” – Directed by Mike Downie

The Tragically Hip have meant more to me than perhaps any other band, so I was always going to find a place for this on my list. If you know, you know.

“Conclave” – Directed by Edward Berger

It never ceases to amaze me how audiences love a good religious thriller despite mainstream society appearing to become more secular all the time, but Ralph Fiennes’ performance can’t be denied.

“Hard Truths” – Directed by Mike Leigh

Marianne Jean-Baptiste gives the performance of the year as a woman who’s had enough of everyone around her and isn’t afraid to say so.

“Challengers” – Directed by Luca Guadagnino

Guadagnino’s love triangle plays itself out on the tennis court and in the bedroom with riveting results.

Honorable Mentions – “Juror #2,” “Wicked: Part One,” “Longlegs,” “Sing Sing” and “Strange Darling”

The Worst – Because I’m at a time in my life where I have to prioritize quality over quantity, I didn’t waste a moment this year on anything that didn’t already show promise.

2023 – “Poor Things,” “The Killer,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret?,” “May December,” “Eileen,” “Maestro,” “A Thousand and One,” “Oppenheimer,” and “The Holdovers”

2022 – “Tár,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Woman King,” “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” “Turning Red,” “Emily the Criminal,” “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “The Fabelmans,” “All Quiet on the Western Front,” and “Nothing Compares”

2021 – “Mass,” “The Power of the Dog,” “The Beatles: Get Back,” “Passing,” “The Harder They Fall,” “King Richard,” “Summer of Soul,” “Barb & Star Go to Vista Del Mar,” “The Lost Daughter,” and “Cruella”

2020 – “Sound of Metal,” “Da 5 Bloods,” “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Small Axe,” “Palm Springs,” “The Forty-Year-Old Version,” “On the Rocks,” “His House,” “Mank,” and “Sylvie’s Love”

2019 – “Parasite,” “Marriage Story,” “Pain and Glory,” “The Irishman,” “Amazing Grace,” Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” “Us,” “Dolemite is My Name,” “Knives Out,” and “Blinded By the Light”

2018 – “If Beale Street Could Talk, “Sorry to Bother You,” “Widows,” “Blackkklansman,” “Private Life,” “The Hate U Give,” “Roma,” “A Star is Born,” “Game Night,” and “Won’t You Be My Neighbor”

2017 – “Get Out,” “mother!,” “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri,” “Long Time Running,” “Okja,” “The Big Sick,” “Raw,” “Girls Trip,” “Mudbound,” and “The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)”

2016 – “OJ: Made in America,” “Nocturnal Animals,” “Loving,” “Fences,” “Arrival,” “Sing Street,” “Zootopia,” “Don’t Breathe,” “Deadpool,” and “Eye in the Sky”

2015 – “Room,” “Love and Mercy,” “Creed,” “Amy,” “Beasts of No Nation,” “Inside Out,” “The End of the Tour,” “The Martian,” “Straight Outta Compton,” and “The Clouds of Sils Maria”

2014 – “Boyhood,” “Birdman,” “Foxcatcher,” “Nightcrawler,” “Life Itself,” “The Babadook,” “Ida,” “Interstellar,” “Under the Skin,” and “Bad Words”

2013 – “Gravity,” “12 Years a Slave,” “American Hustle,” “The Place Beyond the Pines,” “Blackfish,” “Spring Breakers,” “Prisoners,” “Captain Phillips,” “Side Effects,” and “This is the End”

2012 – “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Master,” “Lincoln,” “The Dark Knight Rises,” “Flight,” “Life of Pi,” “Argo,” “Django Unchained,” “Take This Waltz,” and “The Grey”

2011 – “The Tree of Life,” “Drive,” “We Need to Talk About Kevin,” “A Separation,” “Rise of the Planet of the Apes,” “The Trip,” “13 Assassins,” “Bridesmaids,” “Moneyball,” and “Martha Marcy May Marlene”

2010 – “Black Swan,” “Dogtooth,” “A Prophet,” “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” “Fish Tank,” “The Social Network,” “Toy Story 3,” “The Fighter,” “Catfish,” and “Somewhere”

2009 – “A Serious Man,” “Up in the Air,” “The Hurt Locker,” “Summer Hours,” “Anvil: The Story of Anvil,” “District 9,” “An Education,” “The Messenger,” “Inglourious Basterds,” and “Antichrist”

2008 – “The Dark Knight,” “The Wrestler,” “Revolutionary Road,” “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “Frost/Nixon,” “In Bruges,” “Rachel Getting Married,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Man on Wire,” and “Slumdog Millionaire”

2007 – “Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead,” “I’m Not There,” “There Will Be Blood,” “No Country For Old Men,” “Into the Wild,” “Zodiac,” “Eastern Promises,” “Knocked Up,” “Grindhouse,” and “The Bourne Ultimatum”

2006 – “The Departed,” “United 93,” “Pan’s Labyrinth,” “Borat,” “Casino Royale,” “Blood Diamond,” “Half Nelson,” “The Descent,” “Hard Candy,” and “Flags of Our Fathers”

2005 – “Munich,” “A History of Violence,” “Capote,” “War of the Worlds,” “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Syriana,” “The Aristocrats,” “Grizzly Man,” “Cinderella Man,” and “Match Point”

2004 – “Sideways,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “The Aviator,” “Kinsey,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” “The Passion of the Christ,” “Kill Bill Vol. 2,” “Ray,” “Collateral,” and “The Machinist”

2003 – “American Splendor,” “Mystic River,” “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World,” “Kill Bill Vol. 1,” “Lost in Translation,” “The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King,” “The Last Samurai,” “Monster,” “Oldboy,” and “Dogville”

2002 – “Minority Report,” “25th Hour,” “Gangs of New York,” “Road to Perdition,” “City of God,” “Adaptation,” “Signs,” “Unfaithful,” “About Schmidt,” and “One Hour Photo”

2001 – “Mulholland Drive,” “In the Bedroom,” “The Pledge,” “Shrek,” “Shallow Hal,” “The Devil’s Backbone,” “Ali,” “The Others,” “Training Day,” and “Ghost World”

2000 – “Almost Famous,” “High Fidelity,” “Traffic,” “Memento,” “Requiem For a Dream,” “American Psycho,” “Cast Away,” “You Can Count On Me,” “The Cell,” and “Amores Perros”

1999 – “Fight Club,” “The Blair Witch Project,” “Magnolia,” “Being John Malkovich,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “The Insider,” “Bringing Out the Dead,” “Summer of Sam,” “Eyes Wide Shut,” and “The Sixth Sense”

1998 – “Saving Private Ryan,” “American History X,” “The Thin Red Line,” “The Truman Show,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Out of Sight,” “Pleasantville,” “Pi,” “He Got Game,” and “There’s Something About Mary”

1997 – “Boogie Nights,” “Jackie Brown,” “The Game,” “Titanic,” “The Ice Storm,” “L.A. Confidential,” “Good Will Hunting,” “Lost Highway,” “Cop Land,” and “Eve’s Bayou”