TFR’s Top Ten

What is the best film ever? A question so large it’s almost laughable. Our previous articles have tried to analyse the criteria for a “classic” film, and what it even means for a film to be good. Now it’s time to answer the big question. For the last two months, the Trinity Film Review editorial team have polled our contributors and readers asking them what the best film ever is. Here are the top ten:

10.

12 Angry Men (Sidney Lumet, 1957)

It’s hard to find someone who hasn’t heard of this film. Based on a play of the same name, Lumet’s courtroom drama is a classic in every sense of the word. From the claustrophobic atmosphere to the gripping story, there are no chinks in this film’s armour. Aided by a career best performance by Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men’s exploration of morality, justice, and the legal system has only become more relevant with time.

9. Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse

(Peter Ramsey, Bob Persichetti, Rodney Rothman, 2018)

With the combined efforts of the MCU and DCU, it seemed like there was a new superhero movie every month. Fatigue was kicking in; all the films seemed the same. And then came Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse. Beautifully animated with a powerfully simple story, Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse reinvented the genre. How did they do it? By adding one quality all its contemporaries were missing: sincerity.

8. Star Wars (George Lucas, 1978)

What’s left to say about Star Wars? While now it seems inescapable; from the sequels, to the tv shows, to the video games, it’s safe to say that this space epic has a chokehold on pop culture, for better or worse. And while it may hurt the inner film-snob in all of us, sometimes things are popular because they’re just really good.

7. Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)

Its’ poster is a staple of college room walls, and for good reason. Swinging from laugh out loud one liners to moments of deep melancholy, Donnie Darko seems more like an experience than a film, oh and what an experience that is. This famously trippy film that made a star out of Jake Gyllenhaal (sorry Swifties) only gets better with each rewatch.

6.. Interstellar (Christopher Nolan, 2014)

The first time any of us watched a Christopher Nolan, we knew he was good. But it wasn’t until Interstellar that we knew how truly great he was. The ground-breaking special effects, haunting score, gorgeous cinematography, and heart-wrenching performances, Interstellar really has it all. It’s watching a great performing at his best, and God is that brilliant!

5. Moonlight (Barry Jenkins, 2016)

It’s sad to see what Moonlight’s legacy has become. An Oscars mix-up has overshadowed Jenkin’s masterpiece. Following a black, gay man coming of age in modern America, Moonlight explores identity and sexuality in a heartbreakingly tender fashion. We look forward to the day that social media and pop culture moves on, and all we have left is Moonlight the film, a stunning and gut wrenching odyssey of adolescence.

4. In Bruges (Martin McDonagh, 2008)

McDonagh may be getting a lot of critical acclaim at the moment, but we shouldn’t forget where he came from. In his breakout film In Bruges, McDonagh follows two hitmen hiding out in Belgium. Wickedly funny with iconic lines, this film shouldn’t be missed.

3. Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019)

What’s left to say about Parasite? Bong Joon-ho’s hilarious class satire made history by becoming the first

foreign language film to win Best

Picture at the Oscars. It’s also been one of the less controversial wins in recent history. And rightly so. Parasite captured the ‘eat the rich’ attitude becoming more prevalent in today’s society, showing us the world through a lens we hadn’t quite deciphered yet. Whether you love Parasite for its nail-bitingly tense scenes, darkly comedic lines, or its whip-smart satire, it’s easy to understand its entry on our list. The only question we have is: why isn’t it higher up?

2. Shrek 2 (Andrew Adamson, Conrad Vernon, Kelly Asbury, 2004). Ok, ok, hear us out. Joining the ranks of The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972) and Alien (Ridley Scott, 1979), Shrek 2 is a sequel that far surpasses its predecessor. And a staple of any happy childhood. This film has arguably better needle-drops than any other on this list. And a white-knuckle third act, with one of film’s saddest deaths (in our humble opinion). Let’s all free ourselves from our inner film bro and just admit the truth; Shrek 2 is fantastic.

1.Everything Everywhere All At

Once (Daniel Kwan, Daniel Scheinert, 2022) Maybe it’s recency bias, but we don’t think so. Everything we like about the previous entries have been fused together to one perfect (?) film. Stunning cinematography, unforgettable performance, belly laughs, a piercing script, and charming sincerity by the bucket-load. What’s not to love? And if you weren’t sobbing in the cinema while watching this, you’re lying.