Year-End Lists

Cinema Scope: Top 15 Films of 2012

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

1. Leviathan
   Lucien Castaing-Taylor and Véréna Paravel
2. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
3. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
4. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
5. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
6. Viola
   Matías Piñeiro
7. The Last Time I Saw Macao
   João Pedro Rodrigues and João Rui Guerra da Mata
8. Differently, Molussia
   Nicolas Rey
9. Neighboring Sounds
   Kleber Mendonça Filho
10. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson

Honourable Mentions

• Barbara
  Christian Petzold
• Bestiaire
  Denis Côté
• Cosmopolis
  David Cronenberg
• In Another Country
  Hong Sang-soo
• Room 237
  Rodney Ascher

Robert Christgau: Top 102 Albums of 2012 (which Christgau calls “The Dean’s List”)

[see also 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2010s • 2019 • 2018 • 2017]

1. Americana
   Neil Young & Crazy Horse
2. Sounds of the Syrian Houran
   Dabke
3. Older Than My Old Man Now
   Loudon Wainwright III
4. The Truth About Love
   Pink
5. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
   Todd Snider
6. Bangarang
   Skrillex
7. Nehru Jackets
   Himanshu
8. Transcendental Youth
   The Mountain Goats
9. The Rough Guide to High Life
   various artists
10. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
11. 1991
    Azealia Banks
12. Listen . . . Oka!
    Chris Berry & The Bayaka of Yandoumbe
13. Between the Times and the Tides
    Lee Ranaldo
14. Coexist
    The xx
15. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
16. La Belle Époque: Volume 2 1973-1976
    Orchestra Baobab
17. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar
18. Ndigal
    Karantamba
19. Another
    The Human Hearts
20. First of a Living Breed
    Homeboy Sandman
21. Father Creeper
    Spoek Mathambo
22. Tell Me That Before
    Greenberger Greenberg Cebar
23. Red
    Taylor Swift
24. The Greatest Story Never Told: Chapter Two: Bread and Circuses
    Saigon
25. C.A.R.
    Serengeti
26. Kaleidoscope Dream
    Miguel
27. The Good Sun
    Homeboy Sandman
28. Haflat Gharbia: The Western Concerts
    Omar Souleyman
29. Back on Time
    Plug
30. A Working Museum
    Wreckless Eric & Amy Rigby
31. Wild Water Kingdom
    Heems
32. Perfectly Imperfect
    Elle Varner
33. Out of Sight, Out of Town
    Standard Fare
34. Falling Off the Sky
    The dB’s
35. Worship
    A Place to Bury Strangers
36. No Love Deep Web
    Death Grips
37. The Rough Guide to the Music of Ethiopia
    various artists
38. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
39. Celebration Rock
    Japandroids
40. Channel Orange
    Frank Ocean
41. Bloom
    Beach House
42. The Dreamer
    Etta James
43. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
44. The Only Place
    Best Coast
45. The Money Store
    Death Grips
46. Control System
    Ab-Soul
47. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
48. Songs for Desert Refugees
    various artists
49. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
50. Now What!
    Tommy Womack
51. Most of My Heroes Still Don’t Appear on No Stamp
    Public Enemy
52. No1 2 Look Up 2
    Big Baby Gandhi
53. Elysium
    Pet Shop Boys
54. Bouger Le Monde!
    Staff Benda Bilili
55. Kill My Blues
    Corin Tucker Band
56. The Queen of Vancouver Island
    Carolyn Mark
57. Beak & Claw
    s / s / s
58. The Moon in Transit
    Thomas Anderson
59. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
60. Living for a Song: Tribute to Hank Cochran
    Jamey Johnson
61. The Rough Guide to the Music of Morocco
    various artists
62. ¿Which Side Are You On?
    Ani DiFranco
63. Sadie
    P.S. Eliot
64. Sorry to Bother You
    The Coup
65. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
66. Balkan Beat Box
    Give
67. Lonely at the Top
    Lukid
68. 4Eva N a Day
    Big K.R.I.T.
69. Call Me Sylvia
    Low Cut Connie
70. 12 Bit Blues
    Kid Koala
71. The Complete Bowdoin College Concert 1960
    Pete Seeger
72. The Heist
    Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
73. Sister Pili + 2
    Moreno and L’Orch First Moja-One
74. Street Halo/Kindred
    Burial
75. Bhiman
    Bhi Bhiman
76. Subject: Matter
    Homeboy Sandman
77. African Electronic Music 1975-1982
    Francis Bebey
78. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded: Deluxe Edition
    Nicki Minaj
79. MDNA
    Madonna
80. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
81. Love at the Bottom of the Sea
    The Magnetic Fields
82. Stunt Rhythms
    Two Fingers
83. Some Girls: Deluxe Edition
    The Rolling Stones
84. Sings Bolling Greene
    Dylan Hicks
85. Kenny Dennis EP
    Serengeti
86. Nothing to Fear
    Dobie
87. Onwards to the Wall
    A Place to Bury Strangers
88. Instrumental Mixtape
    Clams Casino
89. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
90. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
91. …But Fear Itself
    Dobie
92. Kiss You Down South
    Ned Sublette
93. En Yay Sah
    Janka Nabay & the Bubu Gang
94. Kadior Demb
    Royal Band de Thiés
95. Folila
    Amadou & Mariam
96. Night and Day
    Andre Williams & the Sadies
97. Tchini Tchini
    Khaira Arby
98. La Familia Soriano
    Joan Soriano
99. Big Fucking Baby
    Big Baby Gandhi
100. Super Into On It
     Linkoban
101. The Original Sound of Cumbia
     various artists
102. There’s a Situation on the Homefront
     Tha Grimm Teachaz

Pazz & Jop: Top 100 Albums of 2012 (an annual poll of critics, published by The Village Voice)

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

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. good kid, m.A.A.d city
   Kendrick Lamar
3. The Idler Wheel…
   Fiona Apple
4. Celebration Rock
   Japandroids
5. Kaleidoscope Dream
   Miguel
6. Lonerism
   Tame Impala
7. The Seer
   Swans
8. R.A.P. Music
   Killer Mike
9. Visions
   Grimes
10. Bloom
    Beach House
11. Swing Lo Magellan
    Dirty Projectors
12. Blunderbuss
    Jack White
13. Attack on Memory
    Cloud Nothings
14. Fear Fun
    Father John Misty
15. Wrecking Ball
    Bruce Springsteen
16. Tempest
    Bob Dylan
17. Red
    Taylor Swift
18. Pluto
    Future
19. Boys & Girls
    Alabama Shakes
20. Tramp
    Sharon Van Etten
21. Locked Down
    Dr. John
22. Old Ideas
    Leonard Cohen
23. Sun
    Cat Power
24. Yellow & Green
    Baroness
25. Bish Bosch
    Scott Walker
26. Cancer 4 Cure
    El-P
27. Shields
    Grizzly Bear
28. Kill for Love
    Chromatics
29. Luxury Problems
    Andy Stott
30. Devotion
    Jessie Ware
31. Psychedelic Pill
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
32. Older Than My Old Man Now
    Loudon Wainwright III
33. Transcendental Youth
    The Mountain Goats
34. Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
    Spiritualized
35. The Haunted Man
    Bat for Lashes
36. ‘Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!
    Godspeed You! Black Emperor
37. Ekstasis
    Julia Holter
38. In Our Heads
    Hot Chip
39. Kiss
    Carly Rae Jepsen
40. Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
    Todd Snider
41. Some Nights
    fun.
42. Silver Age
    Bob Mould
43. All We Love We Leave Behind
    Converge
44. I Like to Keep Myself in Pain
    Kelly Hogan
45. The Money Store
    Death Grips
46. Shrines
    Purity Ring
47. The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy
    Nada Surf
48. Sing the Delta
    Iris DeMent
49. Coexist
    The xx
50. Open Your Heart
    The Men
51. I Know What Love Isn’t
    Jens Lekman
52. Local Business
    Titus Andronicus
53. World Music
    Goat
54. Born to Die
    Lana Del Rey
55. Europe
    Allo Darlin’
56. Metz
    Metz
57. The Cherry Thing
    Neneh Cherry & the Thing
58. Sorrow and Extinction
    Pallbearer
59. Kindred
    Burial
60. Reign of Terror
    Sleigh Bells
61. Mature Themes
    Ariel Pink
62. Life Is Good
    Nas
63. Black Radio
    Robert Glasper Experiment
64. Until the Quiet Comes
    Flying Lotus
65. Quarantine
    Laurel Halo
66. Wixiw
    Liars
67. A Thing Called Divine Fits
    Divine Fits
68. Blue Chips
    Action Bronson & Party Supplies
69. Researching the Blues
    Redd Kross
70. R.I.P.
    Actress
71. King Tuff
    King Tuff
72. Black is Beautiful
    Dean Blunt & Inga Copeland
73. Mr. M
    Lambchop
74. Heaven
    Walkmen
75. Sorry to Bother You
    The Coup
76. Americana
    Neil Young & Crazy Horse
77. The Lion’s Roar
    First Aid Kit
78. Confess
    Twin Shadow
79. The Carpenter
    Avett Brothers
80. Clockwork Angels
    Rush
81. Accelerando
    Vijay Iyer
82. I Bet on Sky
    Dinosaur Jr.
83. Love this Giant
    David Byrne & St. Vincent
84. Master of My Make-Believe
    Santigold
85. Dark York
    Le1f
86. Perfectly Imperfect
    Elle Varner
87. The Lost Tapes
    Can
88. Words and Music by Saint Etienne
    Saint Etienne
89. Warrior
    Ke$ha
90. Sunken Condos
    Donald Fagen
91. Awe Naturale
    THEESatisfaction
92. Twins
    Ty Segall
93. 3 Pears
    Dwight Yoakam
94. Banga
    Patti Smith
95. Big Inner
    Matthew E. White
96. Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded
    Nicki Minaj
97. The Only Place
    Best Coast
98. Voyageur
    Kathleen Edwards
99. Signs & Signifiers
    J.D. McPherson
100. Falling Off the Sky
     The dB’s

Anthony Lane: 8 Best Films of 2012 (as extracted from his year-end roundup in The New Yorker, with some reflection of their implied order, and omitting the films that Lane describes as “lustreless” save for a particular performance)

• The Turin Horse
  Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• The Kid with a Bike
  Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Skyfall
  Sam Mendes
• Looper
  Rian Johnson
• Argo
  Ben Affleck

Kristopher Tapley: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by HitFix

[see also 2011]

1. The Grey
   Joe Carnahan
2. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
3. Looper
   Rian Johnson
4. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
7. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
8. Argo
   Ben Affleck
9. The Queen of Versailles
   Lauren Greenfield
10. The Master
    Paul Thomas Anderson

Dennis Harvey: Top 25 Narrative Films of 2012 (alphabetically, as published by The San Francisco Bay Guardian, which also includes his top 10 documentaries)

[see also 2011]

• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• Bernie
  Richard Linklater
• The Eye of the Storm
  Fred Schepisi
• Fat Kid Rules the World
  Matthew Lillard
• Footnote
  Joseph Cedar
• Girl Walk // All Day
  Jacob Krupnick
• Hermano
  Marcel Rasquin
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• The Hunter
  David Nettheim
• In Darkness – Agnieszka Holland
  pictured
• Keep the Lights On
  Ira Sachs
• Klown
  Mikkel Nørgaard
• Life of Pi
  Ang Lee
• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Michael
  Markus Schleinzer
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Natural Selection
  Robbie Pickering
• Oslo, August 31st
  Joachim Trier
• Safety Not Guaranteed
  Colin Trevorrow
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell
• Sister
  Ursula Meier
• Skyfall
  Sam Mendes
• 21 Jump Street
  Phil Lord and Chris Miller
• Wreck-It Ralph
  Rich Moore

David Denby: 11 Best Films of 2012 (as extracted from his year-end roundup in The New Yorker, with some reflection of their implied order)

[see also 2014 • 2011]

• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• Zero Dark Thirty
  Kathryn Bigelow
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• This Is 40
  Judd Apatow
• Arbitrage
  Nicholas Jarecki
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• The Master
  Paul Thomas Anderson
• Detropia
  Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
• The Central Park Five
  Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and David McMahon
• The Gatekeepers
  Dror Moreh

Les Inrockuptibles: 20 Best Films of 2012

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

1. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
2. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
3. In Another Country
   Hong Sang-soo
4. Twixt
   Francis Ford Coppola
5. Damsels in Distress
   Whit Stillman
6. 4:44 Last Day on Earth
   Abel Ferrara
7. Camille Rewinds
   Noémie Lvovsky
8. Looper
   Rian Johnson
9. A World Without Women
   Guillaume Brac
10. Atomic Age
    Héléna Klotz
11. Take Shelter
    Jeff Nichols
12. Summer of Giacomo
    Alessandro Comodin
13. The Day He Arrives
    Hong Sang-soo
14. Barbara
    Christian Petzold
15. Fengming: A Chinese Memoir
    Wang Bing
16. Laurence Anyways
    Xavier Dolan
17. Moonrise Kingdom
    Wes Anderson
18. Go Go Tales
    Abel Ferrara
19. Amour
    Michael Haneke
20. Smugglers’ Songs
    Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche

MSN: 10 Best Albums of 2012

1. Channel Orange
   Frank Ocean
2. Locked Down
   Dr. John
3. Older Than My Old Man Now
   Loudon Wainwright III
4. Wrecking Ball
   Bruce Springsteen
5. Blunderbuss
   Jack White
6. Boys & Girls
   Alabama Shakes
7. Tempest
   Bob Dylan
8. Awe Naturale
   THEESatisfaction
9. Red
   Taylor Swift
10. Babel
    Mumford & Sons
11. The Idler Wheel…
    Fiona Apple
12. good kid, m.A.A.d city
    Kendrick Lamar

Fernando F. Croce: Top 20 Films of 2012, as published by Slant Magazine

[see also 2019]

1. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
2. The Turin Horse
   Béla Tarr & Agnes Hranitzky
3. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
4. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
5. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
6. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
7. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb
8. Almayer’s Folly
   Chantal Akerman
9. The Kid with a Bike
   Jean-Pierre & Luc Dardenne
10. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax

Honorable Mention

• Alps
  Yorgos Lanthimos
• Oslo, August 31st
  Joachim Trier
• Neighboring Sounds
  Kleber Mendonça Filho
• Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
  Nuri Bilge Ceylan
• Bernie
  Richard Linklater
• Goodbye First Love
  Mia Hansen-Løve
• The Day He Arrives
  Hong Sang-soo
• 4:44 Last Day on Earth
  Abel Ferrara
• Lincoln
  Steven Spielberg
• Killer Joe
  William Friedkin