Year-End Lists

Tasha Robinson: The Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2011]

1. The Avengers
   Joss Whedon
2. Wreck-It Ralph
   Rich Moore
3. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
4. Chasing Ice
   Jeff Orlowski
5. I Wish
   Hirokazu Kore-eda
6. Where Do We Go Now?
   Nadine Labaki
7. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
9. The Secret World of Arrietty
   Hiromasa Yonebayashi
10. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
11. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
12. The Rabbi's Cat
    Joann Sfar and Antoine Delesvaux
13. Cloud Atlas
    Lana & Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer
14. Haywire
    Steven Soderbergh
15. Looper
    Rian Johnson

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

Keith Phipps: The Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2010s • 2018 • 2017 • 2016 • 2014 • 2011]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
3. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Wuthering Heights
   Andrea Arnold
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
7. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
8. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
9. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
10. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax
11. Argo
    Ben Affleck
12. Flight
    Robert Zemeckis
13. Oslo, August 31st
    Joachim Trier
14. Declaration of War [La guerre es déclarée]
    Valérie Donzelli
15. Bernie
    Richard Linklater

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

Nathan Rabin: The Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

[see also 2014 • 2011]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
3. Bernie
   Richard Linklater
4. Searching for Sugar Man
   Malik Bendjelloul
5. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
6. The Queen of Versailles
   Lauren Greenfield
7. Only the Young
   Jason Tippet and Elizabeth Mims
8. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
9. Killer Joe
   William Friedkin
10. Boy
    Taika Waititi
11. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
12. Compliance
    Craig Zobel
13. The Dictator
    Larry Charles
14. Dark Horse
    Todd Solondz
15. Save the Date
    Michael Mohan

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

Scott Tobias: The Best Films of 2012, as published by The A.V. Club

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

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
3. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
4. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
5. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
6. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
8. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
9. The Comedy
   Rick Alverson
10. Amour
    Michael Haneke
11. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve
12. Miss Bala
    Gerardo Naranjo
13. Haywire
    Steven Soderbergh
14. Looper
    Rian Johnson
15. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg

This list contributes to:

• A.V. Club: 20 Best Films of 2012

IndieWire Poll: Top 50 Films of 2012 (as voted by 204 critics)

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

1. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
2. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
3. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Amour
   Michael Haneke
5. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
6. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
7. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
9. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
10. The Turin Horse
    Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
11. Tabu
    Miguel Gomes
12. Argo
    Ben Affleck
13. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
14. Oslo, August 31st
    Joachim Trier
15. Silver Linings Playbook
    David O. Russell
16. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino
17. The Kid with a Bike
    Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
18. Cosmopolis
    David Cronenberg
19. Looper
    Rian Johnson
20. The Loneliest Planet
    Julia Loktev
21. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
22. Killer Joe
    William Friedkin
23. Barbara
    Christian Petzold
24. Magic Mike
    Steven Soderbergh
25. Bernie
    Richard Linklater
26. Killing Them Softly
    Andrew Dominik
27. Cloud Atlas
    Lana & Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer
28. Elena
    Andrey Zvyagintsev
29. Compliance
    Craig Zobel
30. Wuthering Heights
    Andrea Arnold
31. Anna Karenina
    Joe Wright
32. The Imposter
    Bart Layton
33. The Raid: Redemption
    Gareth Evans
34. Almayer’s Folly
    Chantal Akerman
35. Neighboring Sounds
    Kleber Mendonça Filho
36. Skyfall
    Sam Mendes
37. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
38. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France
39. Rust and Bone
    Jacques Audiard
40. It’s Such a Beautiful Day
    Don Hertzfeldt
41. Footnote
    Joseph Cedar
42. Goodbye First Love
    Mia Hansen-Løve
43. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    Stephen Chbosky
44. Keep the Lights On
    Ira Sachs
45. Take This Waltz
    Sarah Polley
46. Room 237
    Rodney Ascher
47. Alps
    Yorgos Lanthimos
48. Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
    Matthew Akers
49. The Gatekeepers
    Dror Moreh
50. Miss Bala
    Gerardo Naranjo

Kenneth Turan: Top 10+ Films of 2012, as published by The Los Angeles Times

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2017 • 2015]

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke

The Rest Listed Alphabetically [mostly]

• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• The Dark Knight Rises
  Christopher Nolan
• Footnote
  Joseph Cedar
• The Gatekeepers
  Dror Moreh
• The Law in These Parts
  Ra’anan Alexandrowicz
• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• Rust and Bone
  Jacques Audiard
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell
• Sundance Dramas: Middle of Nowhere, Robot & Frank, Safety Not Guaranteed
• Zero Dark Thirty
  Kathryn Bigelow
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies

As Submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Amour
  Michael Haneke
• The Gatekeepers
  Dror Moreh
• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• No
  Pablo Larraín
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

The L Magazine: 25 Best Films of 2012

[see also 2013]

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
3. Bernie
   Richard Linklater
4. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
5. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
6. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
7. Magic Mike
   Steven Soderbergh
8. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
9. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
10. The Color Wheel
    Alex Ross Perry
11. Killer Joe
    William Friedkin
11. Abendland
    Nikolaus Geyrhalter
13. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg
14. The Deep Blue Sea
    Terence Davies
15. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
    Nuri Bilge Ceylan
16. Looper
    Rian Johnson
17. Beasts of the Southern Wild
    Benh Zeitlin
18. Damsels in Distress
    Whit Stillman
19. Miss Bala
    Gerardo Naranjo
20. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
21. Almayer’s Folly
    Chantal Akerman
22. Whores’ Glory
    Michael Glawogger
23. Haywire
    Steven Soderbergh
24. Tabu
    Miguel Gomes
25. Girl Walk // All Day
    Jacob Krupnick

Stephen Holden: Top 11 Films of 2012, as published by The New York Times

[see also 2016 • 2015 • 2013 • 2011]

1. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
2. Amour
   Michael Haneke
3. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
4. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
5. Argo
   Ben Affleck
6. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
7. Elena
   Andrey Zvyagintsev
8. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
   David France
9. The Invisible War
   Kirby Dick
10. The Sessions
    Ben Lewin
11. Rust and Bone
    Jacques Audiard

Manohla Dargis: Top 36 Movies of 2012, as published by The New York Times

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

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke
2. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
3. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
4. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
5. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
6. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
7. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
8. Searching for Sugar Man
   Malik Bendjelloul
9. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
10. Zero Dark Thirty
    Kathryn Bigelow

Rest of the List, Alphabetically

• Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
  Alison Klayman
• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• August and After
  Nathaniel Dorsky
• Auto-Collider XV
  Ernie Gehr
• Barbara
  Christian Petzold
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• Bernie
  Richard Linklater
• Brooklyn Castle
  Katie Dellamaggiore
• The Dark Knight Rises
  Christopher Nolan
• Departure
  Mr. Gehr
• Footnote
  Joseph Cedar
• The House I Live In
  Eugene Jarecki
• The Kid with a Bike
  Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
• Life of Pi
  Ang Lee
• Magic Mike
  Steven Soderbergh
• A Man Vanishes
  Shohei Imamura
• Middle of Nowhere
  Ava DuVernay
• Miss Bala
  Gerardo Naranjo
• Napoleon (1927)
  Abel Gance, restored by Kevin Brownlow
• Oslo, August 31st
  Joachim Trier
• The Pirates! Band of Misfits
  Peter Lord
• Rust and Bone
  Jacques Audiard
• Skyfall
  Sam Mendes
• Starlet
  Sean Baker
• This is Not a Film
  Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
• The Turin Horse
  Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
• View From the Acropolis
  Lonnie van Brummelen and Siebren de Haan

A.O. Scott: 25 Favorite Films of 2012, as published by The New York Times

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

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
4. Footnote
   Joseph Cedar
5. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
6. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
7. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
8. Goodbye First Love
   Mia Hansen-Løve
9. Neighboring Sounds
   Kleber Mendonça Filho
10. The Grey
    Joe Carnahan

Honorable Mention, Alphabetically

• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• Barbara
  Christian Petzold
• Brave
  Mark Andrews and Brenda Chapman
• Consuming Spirits
  Chris Sullivan
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Pitch Perfect
  Jason Moore
• Rust and Bone
  Jacques Audiard
• Take This Waltz
  Sarah Polley
• The Turin Horse
  Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky

Top Five Documentaries

1. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
2. The Queen of Versailles
   Lauren Greenfield
3. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
   David France
4. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
5. The Central Park Five
   Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon