# Best movie of 2013? Open discussion thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 25, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155 "2013-12-25T18:14:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/1 "2013-12-25T18:14:47Z")
It’s actually kind of early for a thread like this since we have to see all the late released movies, but I’d like to open up the discussion anyway. I’m not ready to proclaim my absolute “top movies” of the year yet, but here is what I’ve seen via DVD or theater so far and liked. Until the late movies get on DVD, I’ll be unable to decide finally. So, what movies released in 2013 did you love? I have yet to see the vast majority of(already mentioned) November/December movies, but so far this year, I have enjoyed the most: \*\* Riddick\*\* - Easily my top movie so far. Just a great movie all around. Best of the 3 Riddick movies and a huge pleasant surprise. **Prisoners** - Wow, why is this not the huge frontrunner for Best Picture at the Oscars already? Seriously, this should be a major contender for best actor(Jackman), best supporting actor(Jake Gyllenhal), and best director. Perhaps even screenplay and editing. See this movie ASAP. Warning…depressing somewhat. **The Great Gatsby** - Wow, was this another surprise. I’ve read the book and seen the Robert Redford movie and this new one is amazing. See it. **World War Z** - Out of production hell came a really good movie. Color me and my wife stunned. We loved it. **Olympus has Fallen** - Again, what a surprise and such a fun movie. Loved every second of it. **Warm Bodies** - What a hoot and a great movie. The wife and I smiled and enjoyed the whole thing. Special mention to the biggest surprise of the year as well: Hansel and Gretel: With Hunters - Should have been terrible. I’d actually say it was good and even above the average movies released this year. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/2 "2013-12-25T21:06:55Z")
I only saw 1 movie this year, The Book Thief. It was good, so I nominate that one. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/3 "2013-12-25T23:06:01Z")
Monsters University Fun and a good story. Not exactly the ending you would expect, but more satisfying in a way. ---
**Author:** ![Smid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@Smid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smid)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/4 "2013-12-26T12:33:36Z")
I had to turn off Olympus has fallen, I just didn’t think that hundreds of secret service agents, trained in tactics and security for the most powerful person in the planet, would just keep stepping out of cover into the bullets of the 12-15 people taking over the whitehouse… Dunno what happened in the end, but get the basics right. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/5 "2013-12-26T13:20:18Z")
I haven’t seen a huge number of films this year, but my top three faves, in no particular order, were: _Captain Phillips American Hustle Inside Llewyn Davis_ Honorable Mention: _Rush_ Guiltiest Pleasure: _Pacific Rim_ Didn’t much care for _Gatsby_. If _World War Z_ had been titled anything else, I would have considered it pretty good, but they basically threw away the entire book, and I can’t support that. I’m usually all over the sci-fi releases in a given year, but this year I seem to have missed almost everything significant in the genre. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/6 "2013-12-26T13:42:00Z")
My favorite so far is _Nebraska_. It’s been a pretty good year for movies, though, so it’s a hard choice. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/7 "2013-12-26T15:48:50Z")
Europa Report Captain Phillips Thor: the Dark World Olympus Has Fallen The Secret Life of Walter Mitty ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/8 "2013-12-26T18:54:03Z")
Here are a couple of indies that I thought were among the best movies of the year: [Frances Ha](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2347569/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1) - the story of a young woman who aspires to be a professional dancer, though she’s not very good at it. Her lack of success puts strains on her relationships, especially with her best friend. [Short Term 12](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2370248/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_1) - the lives of the children and staff at a foster care facility, focusing (although not exclusively) on the relationship between one of the counselors and a girl new to the compound. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/9 "2013-12-27T01:54:39Z")
I haven’t seen enough movies to have an informed opinion on the best movie of 2013, but the best movie I saw was _Gravity_. Yeah, I enjoyed the Marvel movies and _Pacific Rim_, but _Gravity_ had more substance to it, and I like seeing some nice hard science fiction on the screen. ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/10 "2013-12-27T02:41:52Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > I haven’t seen enough movies to have an informed opinion on the best movie of 2013, but the best movie I saw was _Gravity_. Yeah, I enjoyed the Marvel movies and _Pacific Rim_, but _Gravity_ had more substance to it, and I like seeing some nice hard science fiction on the screen. So, you’re saying that Gravity sort of…pulled you in? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![shiveringsheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@shiveringsheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiveringsheep)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 10:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/11 "2013-12-27T10:04:28Z")
For me, the Best movie so far in 2013 is Catching Fire. It has a worthy sequel that improves the original:) Thumbs Up! ---
**Author:** ![infinitii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e8c25b/32.png) [@infinitii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/infinitii)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/12 "2013-12-27T13:59:10Z")
Spring Breakers - Hard to believe that Harmony Korine, James Franco, and a bunch of Disney starlets were able to get together to make the best movie of the year but it happened. The soundtrack is also a perfect encapsulation of what is going on right now. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-movie-of-2013-open-discussion-thread/677155/13 "2013-12-27T14:39:03Z")
My favorite two movies this year: _American Hustle_ _Blue Jasmine_ Movies that I thought were very good in some aspects, but had flaws: _Gravity_ _12 Years a Slave_ Movies I missed or haven’t seen yet that may yet make my list: _Captain Philips Wolf of Wall Street Prisoners Her Nebraska Saving Mr. Banks_