The Top 12 Movies Of 2025

It’s that time of year again, where I struggle to put together a best-of list. For once, I’ll save everyone the spiel about how I don’t like ranking movies or pitting one film against another. (If you’re interested in that, you can read more about it here.)

The Top Ten Movies Of 2024

Hey, you know what? 2024 was a great year for movies. They all are, despite many talking heads claiming otherwise—they just aren’t looking or aren’t interested in anything that contradicts their narrative. 

The Ten Best Movies Of 2023

It’s that time of year again. 2023 has wound down, the holidays, whatever that looks like for you, are here, and this is the natural moment to look back at the last 12 months and talk about the best movies of the year.

The 15 Best Movies Of 2022

It’s that time again. The time of year where we pour over what we’ve watched in the past year and whittle it down to our favorites. Not my preferred activity; as I’ve said many times I’m not a fan of ranking, grading, and otherwise pitting art against other art.

The Ten Best Movies Of 2021

It’s that time of year again, where I hem and haw about making a best-of 2021 (or whatever year  it happens to be) list only to ultimately relent and do the thing. So here, as per usual, are my favorite films of the past 12 months.

Brent's Top 15 Movies Of 2020

Don’t know if you noticed, but 2020 was a weird year for movies. Not sure why. Oh yeah, that’s right, the sweeping worldwide pandemic that shut down most of the world at one point or another. That’ll do it.

Brent's Top Ten Films of 2019

Once again, it’s that time of year. I’m not a fan of ranking or even rating movies, though I do. (It’s an unfortunate necessity.) Every year I debate whether or not to do a top ten or best-of list, but I ultimately always do. So without further ado, here are my top ten movies of 2019. And I actually keep it to ten this year. Praise me.

The 10 Best Movies Of 2018

Okay, it’s that time of year again, the time of year I swear I’m not going to make a best-of list, only to cave and ultimately do just that. At this point, you’re probably sick of hearing me rant about how I hate ranking movies, pitting them against one another, and stating that one is objectively better than another. I don’t believe that’s true. What I put stock in is personal preference. And that’s what this list is. It’s not a “ten best movies” list, that should be readily apparent, it’s a “my ten (or whatever number) favorite movies list.” 

The Top 15 Movies Of 2017

Every year, I debate whether or not to make a year-end best-of list. I hate ranking movies (or giving them grades for that matter), and where a movie falls, or even what’s included, varies day-by-day, even hour-by-hour depending on my mood and what I remember.

Top 10 Films Of SIFF 2017

Another Seattle International Film Festival has come and gone. That means I spent the bulk of the last six weeks (preview screenings start well before the 25-day festival gets rolling proper) working full time at my day job then spending every available free moment in a movie theater, waiting in line outside a movie theater, or at a computer writing about what I watched inside a movie theater (or, to be honest, sitting on my couch as there are more and more screeners every year).

It's Going To Be Good: 25 Most Anticipated Movies Of 2017

2016 is in the books and took with it countless celebrities, lingering notions of human decency, and my expectations of not being annihilated in a nuclear war started by a buffoon’s Twitter account. But as we prepare for the impending Mad Max/Red Dawn-style apocalypse, we still have a ton of movies to look forward to between now and imminent death. And here are the ones flying high on my radar.

Brent's Top Science Fiction Movies Of 2016

‘Tis the season for lists and lists and lists. I already did my top ten movies of 2016, followed by my top ten horror movies of 2016—if we’re being honest, it was a strong year for horror, so there’s a ton of crossover. Now, what the hell, it’s time for my top science fiction films of the 2016.

Brent's Top Ten Horror Movies Of 2016

It’s the last week of 2016, I don’t have any reviews to write, Carrie Fisher just died, and the whole world is covered in shit. For some reason, these bleak circumstances seem a wholly appropriate place to drop a list of my top horror movies of 2016. There are certainly some grim times to be found among these titles.

Brent's Top Ten Movies Of 2016 [UPDATED]

Without fail, some people grouse about how that particular 365-day journey around the sun was a bad year for movies. 2016 is no exception, a circumstance made all the more egregious because so many giant blockbusters sucked ass or, perhaps even worse, wound up inane and tepid and unmemorable in every regard.

The 25 Best Movies Of The 21st Century So Far

Recently, the BBC polled almost 200 film critics from around the world to compile a list of the top 100 movies of the 21st century so far. The reveal caused quite a ruckus in certain circles—and by that I mean the insular community that watches far too many movies and spends most of its time on film blogs and Twitter.

Top 10 Movies Of SIFF 2016

Yesterday the Seattle International Film Festival announced its award winners, both those selected by a jury and those voted on by the audience. I’m sure they’re lovely movies, but as usual, I have little interest in watching most of them. My tastes tend to run in different directions, and with that in mind, here are my favorites of SIFF 2016, in no particular order except that in which they occurred to me. They’re all excellent and you should check out every last one when you have the chance.

Brent's Top Ten Movies Of 2014

Every year I tell myself I’m not going to make an end-of-year top ten list. I hate ranking films, but every year I cave and wind up throwing together a collection that I’m wholly unsatisfied with, and 2014 is proving to be no exception. Despite the fact that it was a terrible year in terms of overall box office receipts, that doesn’t mean there weren’t tons of great movies to be seen. I’m a firm believer that, no matter how fucked up the movie industry gets, there will always be people out there making interesting, worthwhile, badass cinema, you only have to look for it. Just check out all the amazing work on television right now, and all the big name filmmakers who are migrating that way in search of creative freedom. There will always be compelling stories being told.

Brent's Top Ten Films Of 2013

I wasn’t initially going to do a top ten list this year. It seems like indulgent ego stroking, a lot of work for very little gain, and, to be honest, not only am I super busy, I’m also a lazy sack of crap. Besides, while there may be one or two movies on my countdown that you won’t find on 90% of critic’s lists, there aren’t many earth-shattering surprises. But I’m bored at work, and I have to arrange my favorite movies into some semblance of order to vote on them later anyway, so what the hell, I might as well write about them, too, while I’m at it.

It's Going To Be A Good Year: Brent's Ten Most Anticipated Science Fiction Movies Of 2013

Now that we’ve got that pesky 2012 out of the way, we can turn our attention to the year ahead of us. 2013 still seems sparkly and new, there are no dings or scratches, and the possibilities are positively intoxicating. From all appearances, the next 12 months should be a pretty good time to be a fan of science fiction movies. We’ve got high-profile sequels on the way, a couple of long-awaited follow-ups to phenomenal debuts, and a whole mess of exciting films to see in the theaters. Some will be kick ass actioners, while others bring big ideas, themes, and thinkin’ to the genre.

With all of that in mind, here are the ten movies I’m most looking forward to.

Brent's Top Ten Films Of 2012

I couldn’t think of any clever or interesting takes on the end of the year list, so I’m going to stick with the old standby: the top ten (or so). These aren’t necessarily intended to be the best movies of the year in an objective sense. That’s a tough case to make for many of these. Regardless, here are my favorites of the year.