11. Zero Dark Thirty
The absolute toughest omission from my main top ten list, Kathryn Bigelow’s Zero Dark Thirty ultimately missed the countdown by just a hair, as I ultimately felt that the more character-centric dramas I chose for the final list personally resonated with me on a greater level. But that should not take anything away from this film’s incredible power. As I said when I reviewed the film, this is as smart, confident, and accomplished a piece of drama as I saw all year, a tremendous feat of journalistic storytelling illustrated with spectacular craft and an awe-inspiring lead performance by the incomparable Jessica Chastain. Zero Dark Thirty is unquestionably one of the best films of 2012 – that it missed out on the main Top 10 list speaks only to the sheer number of great movies released this year. On its own, this is as close to perfect as filmmaking gets.
Zero Dark Thirty arrives in theatres in very limited release December 19th, and will expand nationwide January 11th.
Continue the countdown with my Top 10 Films of 2012.
What films did you enjoy most in 2012? Would any of these movies rank among your personal best? What films did you love that were not included? Sound off in the comments and help us reminisce on a wonderful year at the movie theatre!