25 Million Rankings Determine Flickchart’s Top 20 Films of 2013
Yes – over 25 million rankings have been made this past year. That’s 70,000 rankings a day. Now that the year’s films have started to settle a few weeks into the new year, we’re ready to showcase the highest ranked films of 2013! You’ve added every movie you’ve seen from the year to your Flickchart, and pit them head-to-head against the best movies of all time. This breakdown of the year’s best is the result of each and every one of your rankings aggregated together to form the combined chart of the highest ranked, best movies of 2013.
Out of 963 total movies released in 2013, as of today, here are your current picks for the Top 20 of 2013:
#20 – The Wolverine
For my money, this was the comic book movie to beat this summer. By stripping away the thing that makes Wolverine the fearless killing machine that he is – his immortality – director James Mangold and his team make Logan vulnerable, and the character becomes all the richer for it. Hugh Jackman, now well into his 40s, is as ripped and tough-as-nails as ever, making one believe he could likely play this character into his 60s. The Wolverine’s greatest triumphs are twofold: It manages to wash away the bitter taste of the last solo outing, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, while simultaneously making the ending of the all-too-rushed X-Men: The Last Stand more emotionally resonant. Now, there’s an achievement. – Nigel Druitt
- currently ranked #1965 of all-time
- wins 53% of its matchups
- 46 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 2 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#19 – The Conjuring
2013 was a gigantic year for low-budget horror films, but The Conjuring was by far the most successful, taking familiar horror tropes and making a high quality and enjoyable film. Director James Wan knows his horror, having created both the Saw and Insidious franchises, and with a great cast that includes Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lily Taylor and Ron Livingston, it becomes easy to forget that you’ve probably seen this type of movie plenty of times before and just enjoy this well-made ride. – Ross Bonaime
- currently ranked #1734 of all-time
- wins 55% of its matchups
- 25 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 3 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#18 – Monsters University
No one sequence in it may match the sheer audacity of the door chase finale of Monsters, Inc., but MU is still chock-full of trademark Pixar inventiveness: Witness Mike and Sulley’s scare tactics to escape the human world, or the truly hilarious “Toxicity Challenge”. At its core, though, this prequel exhibits all the heart of its predecessor, adding even more depth to our heroes, and cementing Sulley and Mike as one of the all-time great movie odd couples. – Nigel Druitt
- currently ranked #1639 of all-time
- wins 56% of its matchups
- 44 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 6 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#17 – Frozen
Disney’s latest is a visually arresting breath of fresh air in children’s entertainment, veering away from a romance-centered princess story to tell a more child-relatable saga of adventure and sisterly love. The princesses are beautifully nuanced as characters, and it is a joy to watch them interact on screen. In addition to a powerful story and impressively fleshed-out characters, the movie boasts a fantastic soundtrack full of songs that are sure to be go down as Disney classics, particularly Princess Elsa’s song of empowerment, “Let It Go.” This film is an extremely strong effort from Disney – a great new take on the classic “Disney princess” formula. – Hannah Keefer
- currently ranked #1607 of all-time
- wins 59% of its matchups
- 23 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 3 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#16 – Man of Steel
While die-hard comic fans rallied against the portrayal of Zack Snyder’s Superman, Man of Steel still delivered edge-of-your-seat entertainment, amazing choreography, and beautiful cinematography. All of this combined with a wonderful performance by Kevin Costner as Pa Kent, an ambitious new reboot for the DC movie universe, and a creative look for the planet of Krypton and its people and culture made Man of Steel a must-see film of the year. – John Murphy
- currently ranked #1540 of all-time
- wins 53% of its matchups
- 140 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 18 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#15 – Captain Phillips
Look, we’ve all known Tom Hanks is a great actor. The man has become the most trusted actor since Jimmy Stewart, playing everything from a toy cowboy to a mob father, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen quite as outstanding performance from Hanks as we see in the last ten minutes of Captain Phillips. So often we see the action hero who has been through so much trauma and pain, yet ends the film on a high note. In the end of Captain Phillips, Hanks loses that veneer of protection and breaks down in one of the most powerful scenes of 2013. Captain Phillips would have been powerful, regardless of who played the titular character, but with Hanks, we get to be reminded just how amazing this American treasure can be. – Ross Bonaime
- currently ranked #1502 of all-time
- wins 61% of its matchups
- 27 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- No one ranks it yet as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#14 – Thor: The Dark World
In all honesty, Thor isn’t the most exciting superhero in Marvel’s catalog. He lacks Tony Stark’s wit and isn’t as nearly as complicated as either The Hulk or Captain America. Luckily, though, the god of thunder is surrounded by an array of colorful characters that back him up and make Thor: The Dark World an enjoyable summer popcorn flick. The film has a few tricks up its sleeve, too, such as forcing Thor and his treacherous brother Loki to fight hand in hand against a more sinister force, and it never takes itself too seriously allowing for the humor to shine through. Plus, there’s always the customary Marvel post-credits scene, that sets the universe up for a galaxy full of guardians. Thor: The Dark World is a much welcomed member to the Marvel Movie universe. – Al Topich
- currently ranked #1494 of all-time
- wins 58% of its matchups
- 38 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 2 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#13 – The Wolf of Wall Street
If you want to see Leo DiCaprio getting hookers and blow, then this is the movie for you. Not only is it a great film, it’s also one of the unlikeliest best comedies of the year. DiCaprio goes all out, and chews the scenery with gusto beside many exceptional supporting performances – particularly Jonah Hill as the fast-talking hustler Donnie Azoff. This movie shows that lying, cheating, and stealing will only get you so far before it catches up to you. It prides itself in its insanity. Packed with adrenaline, its 3 hour runtime is never felt. When you watch a Scorsese film, you expect quality writing, directing, and acting. It delivers all this and more, so just go see it already. – Ryan Hope
- currently ranked #1274 of all-time
- wins 65% of its matchups
- 38 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 5 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#12 – Prisoners
You wouldn’t think “masterpiece” is appropriate of another well-trodden story about a man that will do anything to find his kidnapped daughter. This film, however, is riddled with mesmerizing performances by Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and a very impressive supporting cast. The cinematography by the Coen Brothers’ favorite, Roger Deakins, deserves mention for delivering the characters’ grim surroundings. The dark soundtrack will also hit you emotionally, but the plot twists pack an even harder punch. – Conner Wood
- currently ranked #1236 of all-time
- wins 61% of its matchups
- 25 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 1 user ranks it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#11 – This Is the End
We’ve had plenty of apocalyptic moments in 2013, be it through zombies (World War Z), Brits (The World’s End) or Will Smith’s family (After Earth), but if the apocalypse hits in 2014, I’m heading to James Franco’s house. This Is the End destroys the world one celebrity at a time, then locks us in safe keeping with some of Apatow’s favorite actors to survive the Rapture. Of course, there’s less apocalypse than most end-of-the-world films, and more Jonah Hill exorcisms and coked-out Michael Cera, but if I get a choice in apocalypses, I’m choosing this one. – Ross Bonaime
- currently ranked #1214 of all-time
- wins 57% of its matchups
- 57 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 6 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#10 – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire
With a new writer and director, it’s only been one year since the first Hunger Games, yet everything has become much more focused since we last visited Panem. Catching Fire proves that it’s so much more than “the next Twilight,” focusing less on love triangles and more on the politics and dystopian societies that have sprung up in the past seventy-five years. Catching Fire also fixes most of the problems that arose in the first film, while presenting a satisfying second installment that leads to the insanity that comes with the upcoming finale. – Ross Bonaime
- currently ranked #1136 of all-time
- wins 61% of its matchups
- 52 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 4 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#9 – American Hustle
American Hustle’s story takes a bit of a backseat to its characters and dialogue, but in doing so allows the stellar cast to shine through. Director David O. Russell has stated that most of the dialogue was improvised, and it really shows. The main players are all now alumni of his films, and all of them have been nominated previously for one of his movies. This history and familiarity between the actors and director is omnipresent. Bale delivers an unflattering but brilliant performance, transforming himself yet again – this time as an aging, comb-over, out-of-shape con man. Jennifer Lawrence continues to steal every show – this one included – by playing Bale’s nagging, passive-aggressive wife. The film is full of deceit, but it’s also the center of its charm and success. – Ryan Hope
- currently ranked #1072 of all-time
- wins 59% of its matchups
- 24 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 2 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#8 – The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug
Peter Jackson continues his Hobbit trilogy with The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug. 3D and High Frame Rate aside, Jackson creates a considerably better film than its predecessor, An Unexpected Journey. The story starts to take on a much-needed epic tone, akin to that of the original Lord of the Rings trilogy. This may be due to the fact that Jackson deviates away from Tolkien’s original text by mixing in a few of his own characters and subplots. The real star of the film however is Smaug, who surpasses any and all expectations. He is truly the dragon that Tolkien fans read about as children and is reason enough to make The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug one of the best films of the year. – Al Topich
- currently ranked #1052 of all-time
- wins 59% of its matchups
- 44 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 7 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#7 – Pacific Rim
“This is a movie made by people who love giant monsters fighting giant robots for people who love giant monsters fighting giant robots.” Guillermo hits the nail on the head, delivering exactly what was promised in the colorful playground of a film that is Pacific Rim. Bringing on fresh faces to lead the cast, letting Idris Elba own the movie catch phrase of the summer (“We’re canceling the apocalypse!”), and plenty of scene stealing from Del Toro’s good-buddy Ron Perlman as an underworld kaiju organ dealer, Pacific Rim allows the kid in all of us to actually have fun at the movies instead of just another bleak, dark reboot or remake. If there was ever a movie that deserved to be viewed on a giant IMAX screen with massive surround sound, this was it. – Nathan Chase
- currently ranked #1042 of all-time
- wins 57% of its matchups
- 87 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 11 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
#6 – Before Midnight
Time again to catch up with Celeste and Jesse – arguably the most realistic cinema couple of our generation. The third installment of their story brings us heart-warming tenderness, snappy humor, and pointed poignancy. Richard Linklater, Ethan Hawke, and Julie Delpy breathe life into characters that feel more like old friends than characters in a movie. Like its successors, Before Midnight is at the pinnacle of romantic dramas, or when it comes down to it, the portrayal of the drama of life itself. – Brogan Else
- currently ranked #824 of all-time
- wins 66% of its matchups
- 44 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 3 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#5 – Iron Man 3
Everyone in the world went gaga over The Avengers, but if we’re being honest here, Iron Man 3 is the most purely satisfying entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date. Underneath the expected action set pieces are actually multiple engaging and interesting character studies, and an exploration of how a guy who finds out he’s really just a big fish in a little pond makes sense of his place in the world. It’s the film’s accessibility, and Robert Downey, Jr.’s measured performance, that puts this one in the “win” column. – Travis McClain
- currently ranked #802 of all-time
- wins 58% of its matchups
- 142 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 4 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#4 – 12 Years a Slave
If you would have told me that the quintessential film about slavery would have been written by the same guy that wrote Undercover Brother, I would have laughed in your face, but that’s exactly what has happened with 12 Years a Slave. This is Steve McQueen’s masterpiece, and also horrifyingly the true story of Solomon Northup. Chiwetel Ejiofor gives a heartbreaking performance of a man slowly being broken over a dozen years away from his family. It’s a shocking and fascinating film reflecting a time that so strongly deserves a film of this caliber. – Ross Bonaime
- currently ranked #742 of all-time
- wins 65% of its matchups
- 39 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 2 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#3 – Star Trek Into Darkness
This one took a lot of flak from the more outspoken Trekkers at Las Vegas this year, but it did something that a lot of fans seem to have not entirely appreciated: It reintroduced political commentary to Star Trek – always a hallmark of what made the franchise so special on TV, but rarely appears on the big screen. Nicholas Meyer should have received a screenwriting credit for passages that were nearly plagiarized from The Wrath of Khan, sure, but it’s disingenuous for anyone to say they didn’t want to see Khan 2.0 (the Internet recorded everything you said in the wake of the 2009 reboot, people!). This Trekker celebrated his 22nd anniversary as a fan in 2013 and was thrilled by going Into Darkness. – Travis McClain
- currently ranked #655 of all-time
- wins 60% of its matchups
- 157 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 12 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#2 – The World’s End
Edgar Wright continues to prove himself as one of the most creative directors with his fast editing and breakneck pacing. His newest entry, The World’s End, is filled with hilarious back-and-forth banter, and its ensemble cast hits all the right emotional notes. Fight scenes are meticulously choreographed, and the film’s humor proves to be absolutely gut-busting. This great comedy/sci-fi flick concludes the “Cornetto Trilogy” as one of the year’s best. – Conner Wood
- currently ranked #624 of all-time
- wins 62% of its matchups
- 64 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 4 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
#1 – Gravity
I don’t typically subscribe to the “theater is better” mentality, but I cannot escape the fact that I don’t think I would have reacted the same way to Gravity had I not seen it on the big screen, and in 3D to boot. This film truly is a visual miracle, just the way that Star Wars was in 1977, or Avatar in 2009. Yet amidst all of Alfonso Cuarón’s pretty pictures and signature long takes, the most stellar aspect of his interstellar opus is a truly amazing performance from Sandra Bullock. It’s a character study that tugs at the heartstrings, reaffirms life, and almost makes one wish that the Academy hadn’t blown Bullock’s Best Actress Oscar on The Blind Side. – Nigel Druitt
- currently ranked #223 of all-time
- wins 66% of its matchups
- 126 users have it ranked in their top 20 of all-time
- 16 users rank it as their favorite movie of all-time
*****
So – what do you think of how the year ended up? Were there any of your favorites missing? Do you think this is all wrong and needs to be completely rearranged? Rank it! Make your voice heard and change it! Don’t forget that you can also further filter the chart to get the best of 2013 combined with your favorite actors, directors, genres, and franchises. You have the power to refine the charts and decide which films should represent the best cinema has to offer from 2013.
This post is only accurate up to the minute this post was published, so if you’re coming to this post after the fact and want to see how things have shaken up, you can always check the daily stats at http://www.flickchart.com/charts/2013.
Want to see where the rest of the year’s best films ended up? You can also check out:
Is that not a still from Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom in place of the #4 pick 12 Years a Slave?
Ah, you’re right. It’s been updated. Thanks for spotting that!
You’re welcome. I really enjoyed the list. Cheers.
I never said I wanted to see Khan again, and I never understood why so many people though the perfect way to explore the new Star Trek universe they set up was to rehash the second original film. It was crap.
For what it’s worth, I very vocally disagreed with the idea of Khan 2.0, or anything we’d already seen in the original timeline. As tends to happen, no one asked me. The discourse after the release of Star Trek was almost entirely centered on what Khan in this timeline would be like, though, and I can easily see why J.J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci felt pressured to explore that in the sequel.
My feeling is that they did a surprisingly solid job overall, given the near-obligatory nature of the story. I’m glad it’s out of the way and I hope that the next movie in the series actually gives us something truly original instead of a retread of something we’ve seen already (not, of course, that anyone has asked me).
As for Star Trek Into Darkness, I didn’t care for the specific scenes that recreated The Wrath of Khan (hence my dig at them for not crediting Nicholas Meyer for screenwriting credit), but the original content was overall pretty satisfying for me.