It has been 10 years since A24 has changed the film industry as we know it. And yes, their contributions to the horror genre are their most notable. But I’ll be damned if they haven’t made some of the most ambitious, game-changing sci-fi/fantasy films of the past decade.

The ethereal nature of so many of their brand of fantasy is, by now, a trademark of the company itself. Various filmmakers have crafted a wonderfully unique identity for these genres, vastly different from what else is being offered on the market. And these are the very best.

10. High Life (2018)

And what better way to continue on that opening than with High Life. It is so cold, haunting, and mysterious. It sucks all the fun and glamor out of science fiction into the vacuum of space and delivers one of the most A24 experiences yet. Directed by Claire Denis, High Life is as visually captivating as recent sci-fi greats, but none of the film feels like a spectacle.

The film is intensely grounded in reality. It never strays into dystopia territory, but it is frequently a showcase of the many evils of humankind. Pattinson and Binoche are phenomenal and bring to life the visceral psychosexual elements of the film. But there is a reason High Life is on the lower half. Yes, it is a fascinating sci-fi vision unlike maybe anything seen before. But High Life certainly feel like a pretentious slog seemingly trying to be as obtuse as possible. Denis sacrifices pacing and downright watchability for her assortment of ideas. It, naturally, is worth praise but it does not hold up against some of the other top dogs.

9. After Yang (2021)

After Yang may be the latest film on the list but it grapples with some of Sci-Fi’s oldest questions. Namely, what it means to be human. After a family’s robot, Yang, breaks down, the father of the family goes through the usual tedium of life in order to repair it. In the process of repairing Yang and looking at Yang’s past experiences, Jake goes on an odyssey of sorts as he reevaluates the limits of human connection. Kogonada’s sci-fi creation is a tribute to life. It does not revel in breaking the viewer down but delivers softs emotional blows only to rebuild the strength of this family by the very end.

The sci-fi vision here is sleek but still has fascinating traces of modernity to it. The environment, like the core family is intentionally familiar. From its opening dance scene, After Yang puts its viewers in a comfort zone. It goes through all the small problems a family faces bonding with each other because the larger themes are sometimes too massive to comprehend on their own. After Yang is continued proof A24 has faith in its sci-fi stories, even if it pales in comparison to some of the higher entries.

8. Swiss Army Man (2016)

Before the Daniels went on to make perhaps the most critically acclaimed movie of the 2020s so far, they made Swiss Army Man. A movie where a man deserted on an island can use a body’s farts to propel himself across the ocean. The miracle of A24 ladies and gentlemen. That a movie so on its face stupid can be made and better yet, be something special. The melodramatic third act is a weak conclusion, but wow are the first two acts a triumph.

Swiss Army Man deftly blends humor and raw emotion. It drags Hank (an excellent Paul Dano) through the mud. This is a main character on the verge of emotional breakdown. His moments of sadness hurt but then make his tiny victories all the more impactful. Radcliffe also excels. He wanted to prove he could do something outside of Harry Potter and boy did he do it. This is a seriously underappreciated performance with virtually no glory to it. But his tireless grin as he occasionally helps, and tortures, Dano’s Hank makes the film what it is. Swiss Army Man is a display of two actors brilliantly bouncing off each other and graceful tonal gymnastics by the Daniels. A shame the end is not quite put together, but the journey is so good along the way.

7. Under the Skin (2013)

Like High life, Under the Skin wants to alienate some people. It may have some dull, confusing moments to it, but it manages to be a good amount more intoxicating than the aforementioned film. And it is because Glazer initially takes this film about seduction and runs absolutely crazy with the idea, going as far as to examine humanity at its absolute best and worst.

If the argument is that the best sci-fi is about ideas, then Under the Skin effectively prioritizes themes without letting go of engagement. Its eye-catching cinematography, done by Daniel Landin, is a never-ending highlight of the film. So is Glazer’s penchant for horror, as he sickly lulls you into security before assaulting you with horrifying scenarios. Without doubt, a film not for everyone. It is understandable to particularly find issue with the early dialogue exchanges that lack any interesting rhythm or realism to them. However, it is clear upon repeated viewings that this deserves a spot on this list and is a more than impressive feature.

6. The Green Knight (2021)

The Green Knight contains the most fully formed fantasy world on the list. A big part of A24 and their relationship with sci-fi/fantasy is making small worlds feel big, about using tricks to make even the smallest budgets feel larger than life. David Lowery does not take such measures. The Green Knight feels about as richly detailed as a fantasy film of the 21st century can be outside Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. To no one’s surprise, it also tells a radically different story than those films.

The Green Knight excels most in letting the viewer interpret what the film truly is. Does Gawain actually pass the test and survive by the end? Is the Green Knight merely jesting and teaching him a moral lesson? Or does he meet his untimely demise as he faces up to his fate? The Green Knight can be looked at through so many lenses. It can be a scathing takedown of all things medieval, or a sly appraisal the knight archetype. Not dissimilar to other films on the list, its occasional inability to be profound without being insultingly obtuse is an issue. The scene with Winifred feels especially meaningless. But there is a reason it is on the list. The power of the visuals mixed with the endless value of the psychology of the film makes it a can’t miss.

There are simply few actor-director combos as iconic as Samuel L. Jackson and Quentin Tarantino. Over the course of six films, they have frequently been a match made in Heaven. Their instincts seem to align so acutely. Sam Jackson’s very acting career feels designed to be in a Tarantino film, and there is maybe no actor who Tarantino writes better for than Jackson. They are one of the most legendary movie combinations of all time. In honor of that relationship, here is every combination they had ranked worst to best.

6. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Again, just have to reiterate that this is not an evaluation of the film as a whole. This one is an easy top 3 when assessing the film as a whole. But Samuel L. Jackson’s presence in this film is flat out bad. In fact, some would argue it is the sole flaw in what many consider to be Tarantino’s greatest effort.

The narrator is totally unnecessary. Every single word that comes out of Jackson’s mouth can be spoken by another character in the story. Not a single detail that he provides should have been given by a character outside the film. And it’s for one scene! At least with Kurt Russell in Once Upon a Time . . . In Hollywood, he has multiple scenes of narration, and his final one has some emotional resonance to it. And he’s an actual character in the film. In the middle of this epic WWII journey, Sam Jackson, one of the biggest movie stars on planet Earth, pops in for a few minutes for no rhyme or reason. It is a jarring interruption of the film’s pacing a loathsome case of immersion breaking. It is an infuriating addition to a film that otherwise, is as perfect as they get.

5. Kill Bill Vol. 2 (2004)

Not much to say about this one, except that it’s a Samuel L Jackson cameo done right. He’s not an omnipotent narrator taking up two minutes of screentime for no reason in an epic 2.5 hour. He is a character, whose face is smartly obscured for less than a minute and then leaves. That’s it. If you’re a Tarantino fanatic, you will spot it right away and think it’s fun. But the best compliment you can give is that some people have said they did not even know it was Jackson until the credits, which means this role served its purpose beautifully.

4. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Jackson has gone on record saying that the roles Tarantino gives him are special in that, Jackson is usually the smartest, most powerful character in the whole film. No character is more of a testament to that than Major Maqruis Warren, a lead Jackson helped pen with Tarantino. Marquis is Jackson running wild over the entirety of the supporting casts. He giddily runs verbal circles around every other character in the film, outmaneuvering every major player en route to sweet, sweet vengeance. This is Jackson chewing up scenery, shifting between overtly showcasing dominance and slyly playing games with those in the cabin.

Warren’s perfections do make him slightly uninteresting. And this can at times feel like Jackson doing his same old same old, cursing his way through three hours of dialogue. But it would be unfair to not recognize that Marquis is Jackson’s unique take on a quiet mastermind. Marquis is content on letting the others scream like morons and foil their own ambitions. So, no, Maquis Warren is Jackson and Tarantino creating a character as fully realized as The Bride. But he is a great character that departs from Jackson’s usual tendencies. There is also that whole monologue that Bruce Dern’s character has to suffer through. Which speaks for itself.

Steven Spielberg will go down as one of the greatest sci-fi directors of all time. But what does a master of sci-fi have to say about the genre? What are his favorites? What are the movies that inspired him to tell stories of dystopian futures, extraterrestrials, and artificial intelligence? Well, here they are.

1. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (2005)

In a surprise to absolutely no one, Steven Spielberg really likes A New Hope. Him and Lucas were so similar in their penchant for grand, whimsical stories that it would be practically redundant to mention his appreciation for that movie here. What you may not know is that Spielberg was so moved by this divisive prequel that he unashamedly cried at the end of it, saying it is “the best way you could possibly imagine for George to finish it off.” And his praise, in all honesty, makes sense.

Revenge of the Sith, like Spielberg said, is by far the best of the prequels. The film, and ending in particular, was supposed to be one last look at the Skywalker saga, the final piece of the puzzle that Lucas created the second he said he was going to make prequels to his original trilogy. The last shot is rightly moving and a tribute to the world-consuming IP Lucas created. Spielberg also praised the darkness of the film, another audacious aspect to it that is all too easy to look past 17 years later. There will always be fervent critics of Revenge of the Sith but Spielberg’s love of it is not just sensible but heartwarming as well. This was not just a successful attempt to make a political, multi-faceted space opera blockbuster that is supposed to perfectly match the vision he put out nearly 30 years earlier, but also a friend ending a chapter of his life on the perfect bittersweet note.

2. Alien (1979)

Steven Spielberg’s career is largely defined by his fascination with extraterrestrials and the cosmos. And a less obvious underlying tenet of Spielberg films is his distrust of authority, best encapsulated in 2017’s The Post. There is even an interview where Spielberg talks about the possibility of a U.S. coverup of aliens in the late 1970s, surely a byproduct of post-Watergate suspicions. So, it really is no wonder that Spielberg is a fan of Scott’s Alien.

Alien is a pristine mashup of some of Spielberg’s greatest interests. Scott’s Xenomorph is one of the most well-built up movie monsters, let alone movie aliens to ever exist. It slowly but surely reveals itself over the course of a film that oozes with a dark yet distinct sci-fi atmosphere. And the eventual reveal that the primary mission was to bring this life form back neatly scratches that Spielberg itch of distrusting the greater powers at be every step of the way. Everything down to Scott’s note that actors talk over Ripley brilliantly makes the individual so much smaller, so much less powerful than the whole. And moreover, Alien is a rare blockbuster that feels like a film Spielberg has made, but with a pacing slower but just as rewarding as any sci-fi feature Spielberg has directed.

3. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Surprise, surprise, a famous sci-fi director likes 2001. Spielberg has said 2001 has a “profound effect” on him. He specifically cites the stargate sequence as a memorable scene, made even more memorable by a guy running through the literal screen when the sequence was playing. Spielberg saw the movie multiple times in his youth. And you would hope Spielberg would appreciate such watchability, as his own movies gain so much from their re-watch value.

Spielberg also famously worked with Kubrick to bring A.I. Artificial Intelligence to life. Which is important because in talking with James Cameron, Spielberg discusses how much the film above all else is about HAL. Not only does HAL show the dangerous side of futuristic creations Spielberg would return to, but it also is an embodiment of the fear of taking autonomy out of the hands of the individual and putting it into a higher power. The most profound example has to be that of Minority Report, which takes justice out of the hands of man and puts it into a three essentially lifeless machines meant to predict the future. No matter how you spin it, so much of Kubrick’s most beloved film can be found in the work of Spielberg, and obviously has a ton of merit outside of Spielberg himself favoring the movie.

4. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

Perhaps a less obvious selection among Spielberg’s favorites. Sure, it is science function. But as Spielberg said, he identifies it as the “first punk rock movie ever made.” And that is not quite the type of movie you think of when Spielberg comes to mind. As Spielberg himself says, A Clockwork Orange is horrifying, unkind, and dirty.

For a man who really is a master of the PG-13 rating, it is somewhat difficult to envision him liking something so dangerous for its time. Then again, it is Kubrick we are talking about here. So, at the same time, it does seem reasonable to think Spielberg would have such reverence for the film. And like 2001, A Clockwork Orange is something you cannot easily shake once you get into it. After being amazed by the Stargate sequence in 2001, Spielberg cites the Singin’ in the Rain scene as one of the most horrifying things he had seen in a movie, while still being oddly transfixing. It is not the movie to necessarily watch if you want that Spielberg touch, but it certainly is the movie to view in order to understand Spielberg’s varied taste.

5. THX 1138 (1971)

“Every shot was about craft.” Can any higher compliment be paid to a film? Generally, it is challenging find a Spielberg quote taking a jab at George Lucas. He has such respect for him as director and that quote is possibly the best summation of that. Spielberg has gone on record saying THX 1138 is a merging of the crafts. That every detail from costume design, makeup, hairstyling, every single aspect of filmmaking comes together in Lucas’s dystopian vision.

And unlike A Clockwork Orange, it is easier to see parts of Spielberg in this film. It is no doubt colder than Spielberg’s darkest movies but the energy, the kinetic energy that defines so much of the film is so up Spielberg’s alley. Spielberg is the master of the chase. His first movie was almost all a chase and THX 1138 is likewise a movie where the lone man is always on the run against a force much bigger than he is. And the fact that every single scene is so lovingly packed with detail makes it a film impossible for Spielberg not to love.

As far as genres go, perhaps no single one has a deeper catalogue than thrillers. You have heard the recommended classics 1000 times before but underneath that top layer of Se7en, The Silence of the Lambs, and Psycho, lies multiple layers of quality movies waiting to be watched. These are some of the most underrated of the genre.

1. Frenzy (1972)

With Frenzy being Hitchcock’s last great film, it is honestly surprising it has not got as much attention as some other thrillers. But perhaps that’s because of how out-of-place it is in the 1970s landscape. The new decade and New Hollywood as a whole brought forth a new breed of thrillers. Grimy landscapes, unmistakable moral ambiguity, and next to no room comedy defined what audiences got out of thrillers in the 1970s.

Frenzy is by no means a relic of the past but it’s not Hitchcock fully giving himself over to genre trends either. It is Hitchcock at his most voyeuristic and most graphic. Every murder feels like uncharted territory for even Hitchcock himself and seems much more likely to come out of a De Palma film than one from the original master of suspense. But Frenzy’s greatest victory is how cheeky it remains.

Despite this tale of a serial killer going around London killing women with a tie, Frenzy’s script can be as giddy and playful as Hitchcock’s lightest fare when it wants to be. That’s why Frenzy is a must-watch. It’s a fascinating merging of Hitchcock in his glory days and the much less forgiving violence and stories of New Hollywood and Giallo films. And it’s Hitchcock returning to his oh so British roots, making Frenzy a madcap mashup of all of the phases of Hitchcock’s career.

2. The Stunt Man (1980)

The Stunt Man begins with a thrilling escape that transitions into the joke that defines the whole movie, that nothing is more dangerous than film. The Stunt Man is an integral comedy thriller, one so sinister in its type of black comedy that makes some Coen movies seem time. O’Toole is larger than life as a movie director, maybe or maybe not conspiring to kill a stunt man and stealing his love interest. The constant swerving between thinking Cameron is in actual danger or just imagining it keeps viewers on their toes.

The movie deceives and fakes out so many times you will get lost in whether or not this is all some twisted joke or if the film really is a product of a psychopath’s imagination, and an intensely creative way to kill off a stunt man. Forty minutes in, watching The Stunt Man becomes akin to whiplash. But thanks to all the great work from Barbara Hershey, O’Toole, and Steve Ralisback early on, all the film’s trickery feels earned. Underneath the suspense is a story with genuine stakes, and a fresh take on jealousy and filmmaking itself.

3. Cop Land (1997)

The sheer star power of Cop Land is overwhelming. Stallone, De Niro, Keitel, and Liotta have an absolute blast and chew up dialogue like it’s the last movie they’ll ever be in. Robert Patrick is great as usual in support, and you got five future Sopranos just for the fun of it. It is pretty amazing how James Mangold has been chilling in the background for decades on end just for the fun of it. Maybe Cop Land does not stand upon the top of its genre. But it is a more than worthwhile venture into police corruption.

Mangold delivers a fascinating look at how cops occasionally tag together to create a seemingly invincible front. But as the film progresses, we see this is not so much about brotherhood or family but maintaining some minimal sense of power in the face of a justice system waiting for the cops to slip up. And Stallone is in peak form trying to figure out whose side to take, playing his simple, down-on-his luck character to excellence. There is no reason not to watch Cop Land. With an abundance of great thrillers released in the 90s, it is understandable that this was swept under the rug. But there is no excuse to avoid such a good time in the present.

4. The Outpost (2019)

Nothing against 1917, but this is the war movie from 2019 worth the hype. What The Outpost lacks in technical achievement it more than makes up for in character and action sequences. Like Black Hawk Down, it follows a group of men left to fight an enemy they barely can see in an isolated location. When it comes to its stance on war, The Outpost strikes a very similar balance to Black Hawk Down. It by no means is pro war but is very much pro-soldier, frequently displaying the virtue and comradery of the team its story is based on.

Like The Stunt Man, its early moments of character building are necessary and thankfully devoid of any contrived dialogue. Conversations are both important and telling of the film’s themes while still having an impressive amount of realism to them. But what puts The Outpost on this list is the last hour. After having sporadic attacks sure to catch the viewer off guard early on, the second half of the movie is a barrage of bullets and nerve-racking tension. As the soldiers fight off Taliban fighters, it is near impossible not to be impressed with the action on display with a comparatively dismal budget by the standards of modern war films. Surely one of the most underrated war films of the 21st century.

5. Play Misty for Me (1972)

While Frenzy plays against some of the tropes of 1970s thrillers, Play Misty for Me fully leans into them. It is a psychosexual thriller where every scene that is not painted with the fierce color of Giallo films is a portrait of a sleazy cityscape. Play Misty for Me revels in being dirty. Its early affair slowly catches up to Clint’s Dave as he gets mysterious calls to play the song “Misty.”

Like the other films on this list, this was a film with solid elements all around that was not properly recognized. All the performances get the job done and the films effectively ramps up to a memorable slasher-esque finish over a roughly 100-minute runtime. In just over an hour and a half, viewers get to witness just how good Eastwood is as a chameleon director blending into the times and the immortal charm he brings in front of the camera.

What is the next McQueen project and when is it coming out? Truly one of the most important questions concerning film today. He may not get as much hype as Fincher, Joon-Ho, Gerwig, and other contemporaries but McQueen is one of the most formidable auteurs working today.

He is a man synonymous with quality. When he has something in the works, there is a high chance it will be good. And considering Small Axe came out in one year, there really has not been a McQueen project that has been outright bad yet. This is a guy who has been pumping out quality for fourteen years. And these are his projects, ranked.

9. Alex Wheatle (2020)

Alex Wheatle still has some damn good directing moments from McQueen and is energized by its soundtrack, but God is it McQueen playing by the books. Down to the orphanage cruelty, so much of Alex Wheatle is tired and textbook.

It’s a real-life story that, with the right mind, could have been a genuine best-of-the-year contender. And maybe McQueen is that mind, but the roughly hour runtime is a gross disservice to the character development of Wheatle himself. The film is a sprint through his most defining moments but said moments are rendered in such a plain way that not a second of this feels like remarkable filmmaking.

8. Red, White, and Blue (2020)

McQueen is at his worst when he feels like other filmmakers. When Red, White, and Blue’s dialogue isn’t ruined by being overly dewy-eyed it’s boringly snappy. Almost always, it feels either like the type of miscalculated sappy Biopic or the miscalculated biopic trying way too hard to break from the mold. Boyega is a delight here and the characters interactions with his father occasionally feel unique enough to be worthwhile but Red, White, and Blue is mostly McQueen playing it safe.

7. Education (2020)

Education is not a knockout conclusion to Small Axe but it’s hard not to see value in it. First off, it’s a moving dedication to the Black women in 1970s Britain who relentlessly fought for the education of their children. Secondly, Kingsley is such a sympathetic character that one cannot help but be invested in his aspirations. It’s the timeless anguish of a kid having big dreams and then facing the possibility they may never be realized.

Like the two previous Small Axe entries, it’s a character study through and through. But Education has the advantage of being consistent in dialogue quality the whole way through and being inspired enough to not come off as a film not made by McQueen. Even without some of his signature tendencies, Education works quite well despite not having a single quality likely to blow your socks off.

6. Shame (2011)

Shame is a divisive movie. If you really love it, you likely find it to be an oppressive masterwork. Never has New York been so shallow and beautiful at the same time. Never has an infatuation with sex been handled with such coldness yet empathy at the same time. If you really don’t like it, then you’re likely to have a hard time with the subject matter, Carey Mulligan’s performance, and McQueen feeling even more purposefully detached from his characters than usual.

Shame ends up on the lower half of the list but it’s still a great movie. McQueen, as per usual, directs a static long take like nobody’s business and throws in practical classes in how to direct a dialogue-less scene for free. The train scene is an arguable best from him. The cinematography is a delight to look at especially with that selective color palette, and Fassbender steals the show once again. At the same time, Shame is not always profound as it thinks it is. Some of the dialogue either does not ring true or comes out awkward, with Mulligan having some rough patches of delivery here and there.

The film also does not nail the transition from Brandon’s torturous lustful cycle and the greater look at the people in his life. It is not as bad as its most ardent haters say it is, but Shame is McQueen at a less pristine, less dynamic level. But that also says a lot about the director that it stands so tall over so many other movies being made today.

How the mighty have fallen. Adam McKay was, for a time, one of the comedy masterminds of the 2000s. Sadly, he has made some heinous misfires in the past few years that have largely tanked his reputation.

At the same time, it would be a disservice to write off all the great works he has delivered. McKay’s comedies are still some of the best of the past twenty years and at least one of his more serious fare is a great and informative watch. He is a man that has enjoyed high crests and low troughs. Without further ado, the films of Adam McKay from worst to best.

8. Don’t Look Up (2021)

Don’t look up is the clear weak spot in McKay’s filmography. It’s the type of patronizing piece of work that makes viewers more distant from the message the film is conveying. Don’t Look Up was promised as a biting satire making fun of the complacency of humans in the face of their own destruction, but it ended up being a parody of McKay’s own style. Stuffed full of stars batting way below their acting weight, being shockingly unfunny every step of the way.

McKay furiously attacks you with his views with no tact or entertainment value attached. Its political nature is so simultaneously aggressive and vapid that it renders the message of the film moot altogether. Don’t Look Up feels like a horrible missed opportunity because it could have been a Dr. Strangelove, albeit a less revolutionary one, for a new age. It could have smartly commented on an urgent issue while providing frequent laughs, but it not only proved McKay is maybe the worst in Hollywood at transcribing his ideology onto a film, but that even his penchant for comedy has waned when he has been striving to become a more serious director.

7. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues (2013)

Anchorman 2 is its fight scene. It’s virtually the only reason it edges out Don’t Look Up and the only reason you would go back to visit the film at all. It’s a great scene but like everything in Anchorman 2, just owes its identity to the original. Way too many jokes are retreads of the original’s material, asking the audience if they remembered how much they loved the first one. But that of course defeats the purpose of Anchorman.

When the first came out, it boasted one of the strongest jokes to screen time ratios in years for a comedy and boasted a competent plot as well. Anchorman 2, meanwhile, stands on Ferrell’s legacy and his comedic tendencies without understanding what makes him funny in the first place. Its plot is exhausting and banal and the good jokes are severely overshadowed by groanworthy ones that have only damaged the series.

6. Vice (2018)

Vice isn’t a total failure. It’s evident McKay has a lot of scorn for the bush administration and occasionally it is able to be righteously angry and also somewhat sympathetic to Cheney himself. But all too often it is a bitter piece of work lacking the wisdom of something like Oliver Stone’s Nixon. it instead makes Cheney and his associates into caricatures instead of the Shakespearean monsters he wants to portray them as. And speaking of Shakespeare it’s hard to forget Vice actually using dialogue from Shakespeare’s work in the middle of dialogue scenes. In fact, it is all too likely scenes like that, and the edits of a fish being pulled in will be burned into your brain.

McKay takes a flamethrower to subtext and replaces it with insultingly bad images meant to represent the secondary meaning in any given scene. Down to the Fast and Furious post credits scene, Vice just feels hateful but not in a way that is complex or simply too good to turn away from.

5. The Other Guys (2010)

The Other Guys gets the job done. It’s a good comedy that shows just how funny Mark Wahlberg can be and also is an indication of just how well McKay can open a movie. The fall (quite literally) of Dwayne Johnson and Sam Jackson’s badass cops is a perfect way to setup the eventual triumph of Terry and Allen. Wahlberg and Ferrell don’t quite have the chemistry of Ferrell and Reilly, but they do carry the film with considerable ease for much of the runtime.

The Other Guys is an example of McKay’s comedy falling short in the home stretch. The sheen wears off after a while and the banter between the leads turns into the unbearable, far too long exchanges that dominate Netflix’s so called original “comedies” it’s also the earliest example of McKay botching his own social commentary, weakening the film’s tonal consistency with the occasional furious attack at American capitalism. It’s a less vicious and condescending watch than his later features but it’s also less funny engaging as his earlier ones. no doubt a good time but also not the pinnacle of his work.

The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent has all but certainly been released since this has been published which means audiences nationwide can see the definitive meta tribute to all things Nicolas Cage. But it is only right that this site has its own dedication to one of the most puzzlingly marvelous actors to ever grace the eyes of moviegoers. He is a man with so many great works, that this list only counts down the best of his more recent works. These are the 10 best Nicolas cage movies of the 21st century.

1. Pig (2021)

In the same way that John Wick marked the official return of Keanu Reeves to the upper echelons of Hollywood, Pig seemingly solidified Cage’s return to mainstream popularity. After years of having of being in small, middling indie projects, Cage finally stars in one that was actually worth seeing. Pig is a testament to just how good of an actor Cage is. He uses this quiet, brooding character to go against the zany, intensely angry persona he has built up for literal decades. Pig is about the softest Cage project you will find.

It is a tribute to the smaller things we love in life with a poetic ending that asks us how do we move on when the smaller things dissipate. The restaurant scene is one of the best Cage has ever been in, and it on the whole is a film that seemingly gets deeper the more you think about it. It certainly is a nuanced tale of revenge and letting go, but it also is rather densely packed with commentary on pretentiousness food culture and any art form for that matter. It mocks selling out and following trends and wholeheartedly embraces sticking to your aspirations, no matter how nonsensical or “uncivilized” they may be.

2. Spider-Man: Into the Spider Verse (2018)

Into the Spider Verse is obviously not a huge showcase of Cage’s acting talents. Of course, Cage is still phenomenal in the role and makes every line he’s given a marvel of voice delivery (“We don’t pick the ballroom. We just dance” a huge standout). But even if it’s not an anthemic work for Cage himself, Spider Verse is a work to take immense pride in. Cage is merely a hilarious audition to an exceptional group of heroes that burst with personality. The dazzling, inventive animation, Miles’ authentic hero’s journey, and the film’s insightful look into what the character of Spider-Man means are the shining stars.

Cage is a delightful addition to a vibrant cast of heroes and villains, each one just unbelievably memorable and quotable in their own right. The whole film does not crumble in his absence. The interplay between Miles and Peter B. is too well written for a side character’s removal to have such an impact, but who are we kidding? Is Spider Verse really the same with any other voice actor drinking milkshakes and solving Rubik’s cubes? No, because it’s Nicolas freaking Cage.

3. Mandy (2018)

But enough of Nic restraining himself or being a background character. Just because we do not want Nic to overact to oblivion does not mean people are not craving the batshit lunacy projects he takes part in. It’s so metal. So unforgiving in its harsh colors and violence. Goes so hard in B movie dialogue that you halfway through you cannot tell if it is even aware of how 80s it truly is.

It has just the right amount of sincerity to make it work, largely thanks to an underrated Andrea Riseborough performance and a score with a lot of flexibility. A beautiful revitalization of Nic Cage excess that does not lose its artistry among its chainsaw fights and hilarious low brow jokes. The film is just as hypnotic and metal as its poster. If you don’t vibe with it, you better just get out of its way.

4. Color Out of Space (2019)

Color Out of Space was just never going to be as acclaimed as Mandy given its intense similarities. This is very much a throwback 80s bonanza fest where Nic is screaming about alpacas just for the sake of Nic Cage screaming at alpacas. But Color out Of Space is important for assessing Nic’s resurgence because it is a cautious response to past critiques of his movies. It still maintains the fun and unpredictability of Mandy while having a soul, taking time for concrete emotional moments so the style does not trample over the substance.

Its theme of dread is delicately drawn out over the runtime, capturing that slow burn descent into madness that comes with Lovecraft stories. “Lovecraft” is the buzz word when it comes to this movie, but it honestly should be. How many pieces of media outside of Bloodborne faithfully replicate the ominous features of such a neat nano genre? Nowadays, barely any director is giving their time to bring the monsters and imaginative horror of Lovecraft to life. And for Nic Cage to be at his boldest in a movie that does that; that is just marvelous.

5. Prisoners of the Ghostland (2021)

And here is the final entry in the trilogy of madcap projects Cage has done. A movie that revolves around him trying to complete his mission before the bombs attached to his balls explode. Cage once again being bold as all hell here, not at all afraid to lean into the crazy side that arguably cost him his fame in the first place. Sion Sono may not make the best movies of all time, but he certainly makes some of the coolest, and the fusion of western, cyberpunk, and samurai genres just reinforces how awesome the worlds he puts together are.

It likely contains the best action scenes Cage has been a part of post-2000, and is able to reach a hilarious, awe-inspiring climax that does not feel like it is trying too hard to be as weird and out-of-the-box as possible. And, like his other recent efforts, Prisoners of the Ghostland taps into a more profound part of Cage as well. This is another protagonist that expands on Cage playing men that have fallen apart and need violence to in some way quell the suffering they constantly battle from previous loss. What a world we live in to get the seediest and most intelligent version of Cage at the same exact time.

2022 has been a very good year for movies so far. The unusual bump in quality may be because of the flood of releases coming in after the delays caused by the pandemic, but that does not stop this year’s slate of movies from being any less impressive. From horror to comedy, blockbusters to indie fare, Vikings to multiverses, 2022 has offered a lot from all types of movie fans. These are the best of the year so far.

10. RRR

RRR is a movie of moments above everything else, so much so that the gonzo moments of spectacle have clouded some from acknowledging how contrived the dialogue can be for much of the feature. Too much of RRR, especially when it comes to the conversation with the love interest, feels amateurish and contrived. They sometimes are frighteningly similarly to the quid pro quo exchanges found in Netflix originals, where almost all the words are expositional and meant for an audience far dumber than anyone who would be watching this movie.

But the moments that do work in RRR are marvelous. RRR is the rare ballsy action flick that doubles as an absurdly well-choreographed musical. Its opening fistfight is just as thrilling as the free-for-all dance battle. This is all the more impressive considering how these scenes are woven in between a uniquely tuned movie bromance and a whole thesis on colonialism and revolt. RRR could seriously use trimming and a more subtle script that does not overdo virtually all of its plot points. Yet, the big moments its fanatics dwell on as well as the irresistible charm of its leads make it a vital film for the first half of 2022, even if it will not stand as one of the year’s best by the end.

9. Navalny

Navalny is likely the leading candidate for documentary of the year so far, and it should be. It is a lean piece of filmmaking that is both a successful portrait of a daring political figure constantly under threat of death, and a rather provocative form of investigative journalism.

The ride it provides to viewers is typical for a muckraking documentary, but that does not keep any of its reveals being any less astounding, with the phone call of course being an absurd accomplishment for such a small team to realize. Its investigation into the plot against Navalny is timely and well-paced, with not a single piece of footage really seeming out of place. A deeper look into the character and quirks of Navalny would have set this apart from other documentaries like it, but it remains a more than solid example of no-nonsense filmmaking.

8. The Northman

If The Northman strays more from the Hamlet formula, it could have skyrocketed up this list. Eggers is as good as ever here capturing era-specific dialogue and giving it a melodious flow. It is the rare film, not unlike a Coen feature, where merely listening to it is a delight because of how noticeably fine-tuned the script was. And The Northman is likewise no slouch to look at either. The cinematography tracks our hero across various painting-like vistas, most notably the inside of a volcano.

The Northman, like a surprising amount of the best films this year, also doubles as a great action film. It bathes in the brutality of its action and carries over that aggressive energy to virtually the whole plot. Many have described it as the most metal film of the year and that is more than a fair characterization. It is a testosterone fueled rage fest dominated by sword fights, grimaces, and battle cries. It could benefit from a main character with more depth and less exposition, but it still is a top tier.

7. Top Gun: Maverick

Maverick’s praise may be a tad overblown. The actual target and Hangman’s rescue attempt are just eerily similar to A New Hope’s trench run, the newcomers are severely underwritten, and the lack of a clear enemy is both confusing and robs the audience of someone to root against. The film has more problems than some will let on, but I would be lying if it still does not deserve to be called one of the best of the year.

The obvious acclaim is properly directed towards the flying. It is insane what the actors had to go through. Their faces contorting from the G-force, mixed with the sound design from the theater leads to an often-visceral experience at the movie, a triumph for the art of moviegoing itself. The final action scene is nothing short of a phenomenal set piece, with just the right length, direction, and momentum shifting between heroes and villains. But Maverick is a little more than that.

It also is a very well done legacyquel that pays homage to the original without feeling cheap and expands on the story in a simple yet compelling way. And it also is a thoughtful reflection on Cruise himself, this relic of a man refusing to quit and providing entertainment for audiences despite his age. It is a pretty darn good popcorn flick that should make all fans of the movies happy that it is succeeding.

6. Scream

A weak lead acting performance aside, Scream was as an elite January film to kick off the year in film. It successfully captured the meta spirit of the original and was as acerbic as Craven. Its takes on fandom and elevated horror do not always ring true but when they land, you get something as brilliant as that opening scene.

Scream’s opening sets the stage for what the whole movie sets out to be, a bitter and playful look at the current horror landscape but also a delightful slasher. It has the all the jumps and violence the first one offered but in a new, oh so bloody coat of paint. It is not revolution like the original Scream, but it is the first time in a while where the franchise feels like a competent balance of hilariously overdone slasher encounters, and ultra-self-aware dialogue exchanges.

Zack Snyder is at once one of the most despised and beloved directors in Hollywood. Some fans think he can do no wrong, that he is a misunderstood auteur pumping out singular, genius works of art. Others think he is an abomination to the art itself and medically allergic to making good movies. He has got some absolute stinker but also has some admirable works. Here they are, ranked worst to best.

9. Sucker Punch (2011)

Snyder can argue all he wants this is some misunderstood critique of nerd culture and how women are sexualized by male creators, but with his given track record and just the outfits the characters wear in the film, it really is hard to take him seriously.

Sucker Punch is nauseating to look at and nauseating to hear. Snyder classically using just one color and darkness to overwhelm every other color, also butchering the look with CGI and a whole lot of slow motion. Dialogue is about as bad as it gets when it comes to modern blockbusters, with a healthy dose of references to nerd culture just make it all the more agonizing to hear. All around just a challenge to endure.

8. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice (2016)

Nothing is going to make this movie good. Time may pass by, but Batman v. Superman’s positive aspects largely start and stop with the warehouse fight scene. Even that is worth scorn, as it teased a more brutal version of Batman that we barely got to know. It is Snyder at his ugliest, brutally conducting an onslaught of pure gray onto the color palette. The action scenes we do get not only lack punch due to the lack of weight behind them but for how exceptionally dull they are. It awkwardly has to build Batman’s character, then rush the rivalry with Superman before having to confront the predictable threat of Doomsday at the end. Jesse Eisenberg’s turn as Luthor remains one of the worst performances of the past 10 years.

You can get glimpses of a genuine vision here, like with Holly Hunter’s Senator. There is something to be said about the jurisdiction of superheroes and how they would interact with the world we know today when they cause so much destruction, but what does that mean when it is buried under so many other things? How can any reasonable, interesting theme come to the surface when the film has to deal with all of the aforementioned things, and also introducing Wonder Woman, and dealing with Superman and Lois’s romance, and the insanely bad “Martha” connection between the two leads. Still a disaster.

7. Zack Snyder’s Justice League (2021)

It really was not that Zack Snyder radically reconstructed Whedon’s Justice League, he simply added more to it. He did not fix the fact the movie still serves as introductions to both Cyborg and Flash in the middle of a superhero team-up movie. The structure is, therefore, still horribly unnatural. And when we do get genuine character building it feels out of place. Flash is a whiny, fanboy type that feels more akin to Peter Parker than anyone else. Wonder Woman is a condescending jerk the entire time that has a superiority complex that is both obnoxious and rather contradictory to her characterization in her solo movie. Bruce Wayne has to serve as the Nick Fury of the group with no real time to shine on his own, popping up mysteriously to assemble a team of unsuspecting heroes.

The new aspect ratio helps the look, but the color is still way too drained here, and the CGI makes this feel like Snyder’s least organic looking film. Exposition is delivered incessantly, and the dramatic beats are telegraphed from start to finish. And what a battle to get to the finish. With really only the Superman vs. Justice League scene standing out, this is nothing short of painfully boring when it sits at over four hours. It is remarkable how little the Snyder cut says in that time period, and how little fun it offers for fans of the genre.

6. Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole (2010)

Legend of the Guardians is the obvious outlier in Snyder’s collection. It is a largely innocent animation film the whole family can enjoy. And it has some good stuff in it. Some of the visuals are quite impressive, the voice work is sturdy, and in a theater, it probably was a perfectly serviceable moviegoing experience. With that being said, there is still something remarkably uninteresting and cold about the film.

Snyder is no Pixar, and the screenplay really struggles to find dialogue and character motivations that are understandable to children but carry a secondary meaning for adults. It is both too serious and carefree at the same time, which makes for an odd tone. And the core of the film simply does not run warm. You get no real sense of passion when watching it. The film is hollow, with no character or scene capable of making an impact on you.

Ang Lee is a sleeper pick for one of the greatest directors of all time. His recent works have weakened his legacy and diehard fans are yearning for the quality films he was once known for, but he still has quite the collection of films. These are the movies of Ang Lee worked worst to first.

14. Hulk (2003)

The obvious pick for Lee’s worst film, but the right one. Hulk is just intensely unmemorable. Lee arguably adds some degree of personality to the story but even the action isn’t quite on the level of the Hulk and Abomination battle at the end of The Incredible Hulk.

Is this better than that 2009 film? Perhaps. Having sexual desire be a part of Hulk’s character is certainly a Lee specific touch, but it doesn’t prevent the romance itself from being one of the most milquetoast, ineffective love stories you will see in a superhero movie. The CGI just isn’t acceptable by today’s standards and Hulk’s conflict with the military is as plain as you can get. It’s nice that the movie has its fans, but the overwhelming majority are going to see this and think nothing of it the next day.

13. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk (2016)

A classic case of Lee getting caught up in the technology of the movie and forgetting about the quality of the story itself. Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk is the embodiment of everything wrong with Lee’s most recent works. The big story behind it is that it’s shot at 120 fps in high-definition 3D. That was supposed to be the selling point of a new Ang Lee movie of all things. It is not just a visual trick that distracts Lee from the story, but it is an actively distracting part of the movie. Makes numerous scenes look totally unnatural and overall makes for an experience of a movie that really cannot be seen at home with any degree of pleasure.

As for the story, it is a saccharine, stereotypical take on American courage that dampens the power of the actual true story. Mix that in with some mind-boggling turns from Chris Tucker and Steve Martin and you have simply a bad film from Ang Lee. Both painful to look at and to endure such a boring story that feels as though it has been told numerous times before.

12. Taking Woodstock (2009)

Taking Woodstock is only worth a watch for the Lee diehards. The movie may conjure up feelings of nostalgia for a crazy era, it may make you laugh, and it may make you in awe of what Lee can do with a camera. But it’s much more likely you will be disappointed with how empty Taking Woodstock is.

It takes a pivotal cultural moment, a mix of seediness and righteousness and a whole lot of drugs and music but does not strike an emotional chord. It really does not have much to say about the festival itself and the main character’s arc is tolerable enough but very derivative of other coming-of-age stories. Probably just best if you watch the Paul Dano scene on YouTube and skip the rest.

11. Ride with The Devil (1999)

People may admire Ride with the Devil for its impressive vistas and sense of scale. And while some separate elements of the film are admirable, the film on the whole is just not that impressive. In all the ways The Ice Storm is a hyper-intelligent version of a typical Oscar bait drama, Ride with the Devil really just is standard Oscar bait fare.

It aimlessly wanders in certain sections of the movie, is overlong, and mixes in romance, war, and a western revenge tale unsuccessfully. It is both overstuffed and unsuccessful in justifying or even remotely examining the heinous acts of its main characters. Maybe this could be considered as a superior Lee flick with more efficacious pacing and more engaging moment-to-moment dialogue, but as it stands it simply is not a good movie, but rather a very mediocre movie with some very good aspects.

10. Gemini Man (2019)

Did anyone think Gemini Man would be good? From the trailers it seemed like an excuse for Lee to play with technology rather than make an actual movie and that’s what it is, consistently soulless throughout and way too caught up in perfecting young Will Smith, Gemini Man forgets that it actually has to have a functioning, well-written story to be memorable.

Gemini Man lacks all the subtlety of Lee’s previous movies. It was past its expiration date the second it came out and features the same labored dialogue exchanges you expect in a story where a character goes against an older version of oneself. The action is nothing special but even if one tries to justify Lee’s resistance to quick-cutting as a strength, it simply cannot make up from a shockingly bad screenplay. Don’t let the bold reviewer fool you into thinking this is the underrated work of a masterful auteur, it’s a downright blunder.

9. Pushing Hands (1991)

Pushing Hands definitely feels like a debut film from Lee. It is him trying to fire on all cylinders. We got kung-fu, we got elements of magical realism, a clash between the young and the old, a clash between the east and the west, a look at the middle-class experience, a look at the Asian-American experience.

It feels amateurish insofar as most of these themes half-baked and could each use more attention. But at the same time, it is wildly impressive that Pushing Hands is as poignant as it is. The dramatic moments hit home thanks to warm, lowkey performances from the cast and the absurdist moments are unpredictably hilarious. Despite having so many plates spinning at once, the film is deceptively simple and impactful, and an indication of how good Lee would become.

8. The Wedding Banquet (1993)

The Wedding Banquet is likely not going to knock your socks off, but it thrives thanks to a consistently interesting plot and typical Lee optimism. Unlike some of his other movies, the sweetness here is not overdone. It is both proper and helpful in making for a sometimes goofy, always delightful farce of a movie.

It is not nearly as funny as it could be and really would benefit from edging closer to a traditional romantic comedy. At the same time, it is relatively thoughtful when it comes to Lee examining his usual themes of culture and tradition. Nothing spectacular but a good early feature with not much to get in the way of the experience.