Year-End Lists

Bilge Ebiri: Top 20 Films of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2. It’s Such a Beautiful Day
   Don Hertzfeldt
3. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
4. The Grey
   Joe Carnahan
5. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
6. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
8. The Dark Knight Rises
   Christopher Nolan
9. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
10. Beloved
    Christophe Honoré
11. Room 237
    Rodney Ascher
12. Samsara
    Ron Fricke
13. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino
14. Almayer’s Folly
    Chantal Akerman
15. Extraterrestrial
    Nacho Vigalondo
16. The Raid: Redemption
    Gareth Evans
17. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
18. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
19. Keep the Lights On
    Ira Sachs
20. Anna Karenina
    Joe Wright

Reverse Shot: 10 Best Films of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
2. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
3. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
4. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
5. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
6. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. Almayer’s Folly
   Chantal Akerman
8. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
9. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
10. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg

Beats Per Minute: Top 50 Albums of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020]

1. Until the Quiet Comes
   Flying Lotus
2. Kill for Love
   Chromatics
3. Luxury Problems
   Andy Stott
4. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
5. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
6. I Know What Love Isn’t
   Jens Lekman
7. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
8. Total Loss
   How to Dress Well
9. Ekstasis
   Julia Holter
10. The Seer
    Swans
11. Ocean Roar
    Mount Eerie
11. Clear Moon
    Mount Eerie
12. A Church That Fits Our Needs
    Lost In The Trees
13. Twins
    Ty Segall
14. fIN
    John Talabot
15. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
16. Open Your Heart
    The Men
17. Motion Sickness of Time Travel
    Motion Sickness of Time Travel
18. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
19. Echoes of Silence
    The Weeknd
20. 2
    Mac DeMarco
21. Shrines
    Purity Ring
22. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
23. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
24. Sorrow and Extinction
    Pallbearer
25. Bloom
    Beach House
26. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
27. Children of Desire
    Merchandise
28. Sundowning
    Nü Sensae
29. Held
    Holy Other
30. Oshin
    DIIV
31. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
32. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
33. Coexist
    The xx
34. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
35. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
36. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
37. Centipede Hz
    Animal Collective
38. Keepers of the Light
    LHF
39. Mr. M
    Lambchop
40. Habits & Contradictions
    Schoolboy Q
41. Hive Mind
    Ital
42. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
43. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
44. America
    Dan Deacon
45. Blue Chips
    Action Bronson
46. The Money Store
    Death Grips
47. Voices from the Lake
    Voices From The Lake
48. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
49. Family Perfume Vol. 1 & 2
    White Fence
50. Galaxy Garden
    Lone

WUOG: Top 50 Albums of 2012

1. Attack on Memory
   Cloud Nothings
2. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
3. Shrines
   Purity Ring
4. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
5. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
6. Bloom
   Beach House
7. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
8. Visions
   Grimes
9. The Seer
   Swans
10. The Money Store
    Death Grips
10. No Love Deep Web
    Death Grips
11. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
12. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
13. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
14. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
15. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
16. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
17. (III)
    Crystal Castles
18. Open Your Heart
    The Men
19. Duality
    Captain Murphy
20. R.A.P. Music
    Killer Mike
21. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
22. Life Is Good
    Nas
23. Put Your Back N 2 It
    Perfume Genius
24. Total Loss
    How to Dress Well
25. Something
    Chairlift
26. Time Capsules II
    Oberhofer
27. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
28. Nocturne
    Wild Nothing
29. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
30. Slaughterhouse
    Ty Segall Band
31. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
32. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
33. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
34. Coexist
    The xx
35. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
36. Floral Green
    Title Fight
37. Cobra Juicy
    Black Moth Super Rainbow
38. Habits & Contradictions
    Schoolboy Q
39. Pluto
    Future
40. Port of Morrow
    The Shins
41. Manifest!
    Friends
42. Hospitality
    Hospitality
43. Transcendental Youth
    The Mountain Goats
44. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
45. Beams
    Matthew Dear
46. The Good Fight
    Krystale & Kaytradamus
47. Get Disowned
    Hop Along
48. Blood Rushing
    Josephine Foster
49. Breakup Song
    Deerhoof
50. America
    Dan Deacon

Jonathan Marlow: Top Ten Films of 2012, as published by Fandor’s Keyframe

1. The Wall
   Julian Pölsler
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. Palaces of Pity
   Gabriel Abrantes and Daniel Schmidt
4. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
5. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
6. Two Years at Sea
   Ben Rivers
7. Sister
   Ursula Meier
8. No
   Pablo Larraín
9. Compliance
   Craig Zobel
10. Berberian Sound Studio
    Peter Strickland

Vince Mancini: 7 Best Films of 2012 (extracted from a full 12-ish published by Film Drunk, which also includes four unnumbered “total copouts” that fall into a nether region between the top seven and a phalanx of honorable mentions)

1. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
2. Magic Mike
   Steven Soderbergh
3. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Looper
   Rian Johnson
5. The FP
   Brandon Trost and Jason Trost
6. Argo
   Ben Affleck
7. The Sessions
   Ben Lewin

Little White Lies: Top 10 Films of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015]

1. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
2. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
4. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
5. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
6. The Raid: Redemption
   Gareth Evans
7. Amour
   Michael Haneke
8. Two Years at Sea
   Ben Rivers
9. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
10. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve

Death and Taxes: 25 Best Albums of 2012 (in no particular order)

• The Haunted Man
  Bat for Lashes
• Kindred
  Burial
• Mister M
  Lambchop
• Lonerism
  Tame Impala
• Visions
  Grimes
• Mourning in America
  Brother Ali
• Break It Yourself
  Andrew Bird
• Little Broken Hearts
  Norah Jones
• Tohu Bohu
  Rone
• Channel Orange
  Frank Ocean
• Celebration Rock
  Japandroids
• Winterval
  Sam Willis
• Big Inner
  Matthew E. White
• In Our Heads
  Hot Chip
• Blue Chips
  Action Bronson
• Bloom
  Beach House
• 88:88
  Makeup & Vanity Set
• Nocturne
  Wild Nothing
• Orchard
  Minotaur Shock
• The Money Store
  Death Grips
• Ufabulum
  Squarepusher
• Azari & III
  Azari & III
• The Heist
  Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
• Oshin
  DIIV
• Into The Waves
  Sophia Knapp

Ben Kenigsberg: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Time Out Chicago

[see also 2022 • 2021 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013 • 2011]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
3. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
4. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
5. Miss Bala
   Gerardo Naranjo
6. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
7. In the Family
   Patrick Wang
8. Amour
   Michael Haneke
9. The Color Wheel
   Alex Ross Perry
10. Oslo, August 31st
    Joachim Trier