Year-End Lists

Atlantic Wire: 10 Best Movies of 2012 (alphabetical)

• The Amazing Spider-Man
  Marc Webb
• Amour
  Michael Haneke
• Argo
  Ben Affleck
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• The Cabin in the Woods
  Drew Goddard
• How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
  David France
• Looper
  Rian Johnson
• Moonrise Kingdom
  Wes Anderson
• Your Sister’s Sister
  Lynn Shelton
• Zero Dark Thirty
  Kathryn Bigelow

Lisa Schwarzbaum: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Entertainment Weekly

[see also 2015]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
4. Amour
   Michael Haneke
5. Argo
   Ben Affleck
6. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
7. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
8. Skyfall
   Sam Mendes
9. The Loneliest Planet
   Julia Loktev
10. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
    David France

Owen Gleiberman: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Entertainment Weekly

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

1. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
2. Amour
   Michael Haneke
3. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
4. Room 237
   Rodney Ascher
5. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
   Stephen Chbosky
7. Killing Them Softly
   Andrew Dominik
8. Argo
   Ben Affleck
9. Flight
   Robert Zemeckis
10. Bernie
    Richard Linklater

Tom Shone (of The Economist: Intelligent Life magazine and The Guardian): 10 Best Films of 2012

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke
2. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
3. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
4. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
5. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
6. The Grey
   Joe Carnahan
7. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
8. Flight
   Robert Zemeckis
9. Magic Mike
   Steven Soderbergh
10. Django Unchained
    Quentin Tarantino

Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012 (a poll of over 90 critics, published by Sight & Sound Magazine)

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

1. The Master
   Paul Thomas Anderson
2. Tabu
   Miguel Gomes
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. Holy Motors
   Leos Carax
5. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
5. Berberian Sound Studio
   Peter Strickland
7. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
8. Beyond the Hills
   Cristian Mungiu
8. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
8. Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
   Nuri Bilge Ceylan
8. This is Not a Film
   Jafar Panahi & Mojtaba Mirtahmasb

This list summarizes other lists, including these:

• Artforum: Amy Taubin: Top 10 Films of 2012
• IndieWire Poll: Jonathan Rosenbaum: Top 10 Films of 2012
• Los Angeles Times: Kenneth Turan: Top 10+ Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Adrian Martin: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Agnieszka Gratza: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Alexander Horwath: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Andrea Picard: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Andrew Schenker: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Anna Smith: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Anton Bitel: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Armond White: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Barbara Wurm: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Brad Stevens: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Cameron Bailey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Carmen Gray: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Catherine Wheatley: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Charles Gant: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Christoph Huber and Olaf Möller: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Dan Callahan: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Daniela Michel: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: David Jenkins: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: David Thompson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Demetrios Matheou: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Derek Malcolm: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Dylan Cave: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Fernanda Solorzano: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Francine Stock: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Gabe Klinger: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Gareth Evans: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoff Andrew: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoffrey Macnab: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Geoffrey O’Brien: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Graham Fuller: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Henry K. Miller: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Ian Christie: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Isabel Stevens: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Bell: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Mottram: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: James Quandt: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jane Giles: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jason Wood: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jasper Sharp: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jean-Michel Frodon: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: John Wrathall: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Jonathan Romney: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kate Muir: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kate Stables: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kieron Corless: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kim Newman: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Kong Rithdee: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mar Diestro-Dopido: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Maria Delgado: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mark Cousins: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Mark Le Fanu: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Matthew Taylor: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Melissa Anderson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michael Atkinson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michael Brooke: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Michel Ciment: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Naman Ramachandran: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Bradshaw: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Hasted: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick James: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nick Roddick: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nicolas Rapold: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Nicole Brenez: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Paul Tickell: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Peter Bradshaw: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Peter Hames: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip French: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip Horne: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Philip Kemp: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Robert Koehler: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Roger Clarke: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Ryan Gilbey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sam Wigley: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sergio Angelini: Top Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: So Mayer: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Sukhdev Sandu: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Suzy Gillett: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Thirza Wakefield: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Thomas Dawson: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tim Robey: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tom Charity: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Tony Rayns: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vadim Rizov: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vic Pratt: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Vlastimir Sudar: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: Wendy Ide: Top 5 Films of 2012
• Sight & Sound Poll: William Fowler: Top 5 Films of 2012

Richard Corliss: 10 Best Movies of 2012, as published by Time Magazine

1. Amour
   Michael Haneke
2. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
3. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
4. Anna Karenina
   Joe Wright
5. The Dark Knight Rises
   Christopher Nolan
6. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
7. Dark Horse
   Todd Solondz
8. Dragon
   Peter Chan
9. Frankenweenie
   Tim Burton
10. The Invisible War
    Kirby Dick

HuffPost: 30+ Best Movies of 2012

[see also 2023 • 2022]

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
4. Argo
   Ben Affleck
5. Django Unchained
   Quentin Tarantino
6. Moonrise Kingdom
   Wes Anderson
7. Silver Linings Playbook
   David O. Russell
8. Skyfall
   Sam Mendes
9. Les Misérables
   Tom Hooper
10. Looper
    Rian Johnson
11. The Avengers
    Joss Whedon
12. Life of Pi
    Ang Lee
13. The Master
    Paul Thomas Anderson
14. The Dark Knight Rises
    Christopher Nolan
14. The Hunger Games
    Gary Ross
15. Pitch Perfect
    Jason Moore
16. Amour
    Michael Haneke
17. 21 Jump Street
    Phil Lord and Chris Miller
18. Flight
    Robert Zemeckis
19. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
    Stephen Chbosky
20. Holy Motors
    Leos Carax
21. The Impossible
    Juan Antonio Bayona
22. ParaNorman
    Chris Butler & Sam Fell
22. Wreck-It Ralph
    Rich Moore
23. Promised Land
    Gus Van Sant
24. Magic Mike
    Steven Soderbergh
25. The Cabin in the Woods
    Drew Goddard
26. The Grey
    Joe Carnahan
27. Sleepwalk With Me
    Mike Birbiglia and Seth Barrish
28. The Sessions
    Ben Lewin
29. This Is 40
    Judd Apatow
30. Ruby Sparks
    Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris
30. Celeste & Jesse Forever
    Lee Toland Krieger

Amy Taubin: Top 10 Films of 2012, as published by Artforum

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

1. Cosmopolis
   David Cronenberg
2. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
3. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
4. Mobile Homestead [trilogy]
   Mike Kelley
5. Amour
   Michael Haneke
6. Memories Look At Me
   Song Fang
7. Our Children
   Joachim Lafosse
8. Almayer’s Folly
   Chantal Akerman
9. Araf — Somewhere In Between
   Yeşim Ustaoğlu
10. The Unspeakable Act
    Dan Sallitt

As Submitted to the Sight & Sound Poll

• Cosmopolis
  David Cronenberg
• The Gatekeepers
  Dror Moreh
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin
• Amour
  Michael Haneke
• Memories Look At Me
  Song Fang

This list contributes to:

• Sight & Sound Poll: Top 11 Films of 2012

David Edelstein: Top Ten Movies of 2012, as published by New York Magazine

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

1. Zero Dark Thirty
   Kathryn Bigelow
2. Lincoln
   Steven Spielberg
3. Amour
   Michael Haneke
4. The Gatekeepers
   Dror Moreh
5. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
6. Life of Pi
   Ang Lee
7. How to Survive a Plague: The Inside Story of How Citizens and Science Tamed AIDS
   David France
7. Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry
   Alison Klayman
8. Pitch Perfect
   Jason Moore
9. Oslo, August 31st
   Joachim Trier
10. Friends With Kids
    Jennifer Westfeldt

Best Film of 2005 (First Viewed in 2012)

• Margaret
  Kenneth Lonergan

I Love You, Too, Damn It

• Holy Motors
  Leos Carax
• Flight
  Robert Zemeckis
• Starlet
  Sean Baker
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower
  Stephen Chbosky
• Detropia
  Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady
• Monsieur Lazhar
  Philippe Falardeua
• Killer Joe
  William Friedkin
• Skyfall
  Sam Mendes
• Silver Linings Playbook
  David O. Russell
• Take This Waltz
  Sarah Polley
• Return
  Liza Johnson
• Beasts of the Southern Wild
  Benh Zeitlin

John Waters: 10 Best Films of 2012, as published by Artforum

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

1. The Deep Blue Sea
   Terence Davies
2. Paradise: Faith
   Ulrich Seidl
3. Paradise: Love
   Ulrich Seidl
4. Amour
   Michael Haneke
5. Killer Joe
   William Friedkin
6. Beasts of the Southern Wild
   Benh Zeitlin
7. Compliance
   Craig Zobel
8. Marina Abramović: The Artist is Present
   Matthew Akers
9. Beloved
   Christophe Honoré
10. The Imposter
    Bart Layton