Year-End Lists

Jean-Michel Frodon: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• Laurence Anyways
  Xavier Dolan
• Leviathan
  Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel
• Saudade
  Katsuya Tomita
• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

Nick James: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Amour
  Michael Haneke
• Beyond the Hills
  Cristian Mungiu
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Something in the Air
  Olivier Assayas
• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

David Jenkins: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes
• Beyond the Hills
  Cristian Mungiu
• Museum Hours
  Jem Cohen
• The Last Time I Saw Macao
  João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata
• Life of Pi
  Ang Lee

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

Miriam Bale: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by Fandor’s Keyframe blog

[see also 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2015 • 2014 • 2013]

1. Kuichisan
   Maiko Endo
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
4. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
5. Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke
   Jillian Mayer
6. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
7. Sun Don’t Shine
   Amy Seimetz
8. Bernie
   Richard Linklater
9. Almayer’s Folly
   Chantal Akerman
10. The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye
    Marie Losier

Roger Ebert: 20 Best Movies of 2012, as published by The Chicago Sun-Times, alphabetically

[see also 2011]

• Arbitrage
  Nicholas Jarecki
• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• End of Watch
  David Ayer
• Flight
  Robert Zemeckis
• Life of Pi
  Ang Lee
• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• Oslo, August 31st
  Joachim Trier
• The Sessions
  Ben Lewin
• A Simple Life
  Ann Hui

Grand Jury Prizes (alphabetical)

• The Central Park Five
  Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon
• The Impossible
  Juan Antonio Bayona
• In the Family
  Patrick Wang
• Last Ride
  Glendyn Ivin
• A Late Quartet
  Yaron Zilberman
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory
  Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky
• Rampart
  Oren Moverman
• Searching for Sugar Man
  Malik Bendjelloul
• West of Memphis
  Amy Berg

Sean Burns: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by Philadelphia Weekly

[see also 2020 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2011]

1. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
4. Killer Joe
   William Friedkin
5. Oslo, August 31st
   Joachim Trier
6. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
7. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
8. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
9. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
10. This is Not a Film
    Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb

Copyright (c) 2012 Don Hertzfeldt

Matt Prigge: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by Philadelphia Weekly

[see also 2016 • 2015 • 2011]

1. It’s Such a Beautiful Day
   Don Hertzfeldt
2. The Comedy
   Rick Alverson
3. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
4. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
5. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
6. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
7. The Grey
   Joe Carnahan
8. Damsels in Distress
   Whit Stillman
9. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
10. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax

Michael Phillips: 20 Best Movies of 2012, as published by The Chicago Tribune

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

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
4. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. Chico & Rita
   Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal
7. The Color Wheel
   Alex Ross Perry
8. Searching for Sugar Man
   Malik Bendjelloul
9. Flight
   Robert Zemeckis
10. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson

Nos. 11-20 (in alphabetical order)

• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies
• The Five-Year Engagement
  Nicholas Stoller
• Footnote
  Joseph Cedar
• Magic Mike
  Steven Soderbergh
• Oslo, August 31st
  Joachim Trier
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• The Queen of Versailles
  Lauren Greenfield
• The Sessions
  Ben Lewin
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell

Empire: 20 Best Films of 2012

[see also 2020 • 2011]

1. The Avengers
   Joss Whedon
2. Argo
   Ben Affleck
3. The Dark Knight Rises
   Christopher Nolan
4. Skyfall
   Sam Mendes
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
6. Sightseers
   Ben Wheatley
7. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
8. The Raid: Redemption
   Gareth Evans
9. Headhunters
   Morten Tyldum
10. Rust and Bone
    Jacques Audiard
11. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
12. Chronicle
    Josh Trank
13. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax
14. Looper
    Rian Johnson
15. The Descendants
    Alexander Payne
16. The Imposter
    Bart Layton
17. Magic Mike
    Steven Soderbergh
18. Young Adult
    Jason Reitman
19. Amour
    Michael Haneke
20. The Hunt
    Thomas Vinterberg

Karina Longworth: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by The Village Voice

[see also 2018 • 2017 • 2014 • 2011]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
3. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
4. Attenberg
   Athina Rachel Tsangari
5. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
6. Rust and Bone
   Jacques Audiard
7. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
8. Anna Karenina
   Joe Wright
9. Chronicle
   Josh Trank
10. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino