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

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

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

Marya E. Gates: Favorite Fifteen Films of 2012

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

1. Any Day Now
   Travis Fine
2. Chicken with Plums
   Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud
3. Magic Mike
   Steven Soderbergh
4. Cloud Atlas
   Lana & Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer
5. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
6. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
7. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
8. Killer Joe
   William Friedkin
9. Argo
   Ben Affleck
10. Lincoln
    Steven Spielberg
11. Les Misérables
    Tom Hooper
12. Bernie
    Richard Linklater
13. ParaNorman
    Chris Butler & Sam Fell
14. 21 Jump Street
    Phil Lord and Chris Miller
15. The Impossible
    Juan Antonio Bayona

Armond White: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Unforgivable
  André Téchiné
• The Deep Blue Sea
  Terence Davies
• Sacrifice
  Chen Kaige
• Damsels in Distress
  Whit Stillman
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

Melissa Anderson: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

[see also 2019 • 2018 • 2016 • 2015]

• Barbara
  Christian Petzold
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• Magic Mike
  Steven Soderbergh
• Neighboring Sounds
  Kleber Mendonça Filho
• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

Jason Wood: Top 5 Films of 2012, as submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Berberian Sound Studio
  Peter Strickland
• Tabu
  Miguel Gomes
• Spring Breakers
  Harmony Korine
• Bill Cunningham New York
  Richard Press
• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012