The perfect film is a rare thing indeed.
To garner that holy grail 10/10, you surely need a flawless marriage of direction, performances, script, plot, sound and really cool camera angles. Has any film actually pulled all of that off?
It’s this (clearly subjective) debate that has been getting a lot of attention in Reddit’s movie section recently.
Original poster VarrickCarter23 clarified: “When I ask this I don’t even really mean ‘whats your favorite?’ but rather one that has so few faults.”
The responses quickly started to pile in and while there are entries that won’t surprise you – Casablanca, Toy Story, Taxi Driver, Fight Club, The Dark Knight – the thread also threw up some interesting choices. We definitely can’t highlight all of them, but here are 12 that had compelling cases made on their behalf. Please voice all passionate objections in the comments. Therein lies the fun!
1. Her
Year of release: 2013
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 95%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A lonely writer develops an unlikely relationship with an operating system designed to meet his every need.”
VarrickCarter23 said: “The first film I ever thought that highly of was Her. I don’t consider it one of the best things ever or anything but I think it's a near flawless piece of film. It just set things up so well that no real plot point would feel forced or out of character. I love the implications, how the year is never specified, or what the rest of the world is like.
“I don’t wanna say too much because most of it is kinda spoilerish but it's one of Jonze's best films. The story is just really really simple, yet you find yourself getting sucked in easily. As someone doing long distance this film connected with me pretty strongly...
“Joaquin Phoniex is just such a good actor. The next film I saw with him in it was Inherent Vice and I barely recognised him. He just gets sucked into his characters.
“Scarlett Johansson really elevates the film too. Its a great idea to take a sex symbol like her and only allow us to hear her voice. Under The Skin is probably my favorite performance from her but this comes close.
“Amy Adams is Amy Adams.. so yknow. She’s great.
“I guess my only Nitpick is Chris Pratt's and Rooney Mara's inclusion, which I still enjoy. And they both actually do a good job, maybe it's just that the focus should have just been on Phoenix and Scarlett.”
2. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Year of release: 2004
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a procedure to have each other erased from their memories. But it is only through the process of loss that they discover what they had to begin with.”
VarrickCarter23 said: “The next film that really got me to give it a 10 was Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. THIS is what I would call one of the best things ever.
“Almost everything is done flawlessly: The acting is superb, the music is good, the plot is engaging, it's funny, its unique, its dramatic, it's depressing, it's lighthearted, it's surprising... it invokes almost every emotion out of me and it does it with soaring colours, literally.
“What I really adore is the camera work. The way things disappear out of a scene or a window, or the tricks with lighting, or building giant sets to make it look real, angles and tracking shots... all of it is masterfully done. Charlie Kaufman did not direct this and he wasn’t even the only one who worked on the story but his screenplay just jumps out at you. I think he's one of the best working today and this screenplay solidifies that.
“Ending also hit me like a truck. Really the whole movie did but the ending really knows where to aim. As a viewer you don’t know how to feel, similar to our characters.
“This cast is something else too. Jim Carrey plays it so differently than his usual goofy self: he's quiet and shy and nervous and not really a risk taker, and that makes him stick out even more. Just in the opening narration I got immediately invested in this guy, Joel's little life. I don't know how he wasn’t nominated for an Oscar (not that it REALLY matters, just wish he got that kind of recognition too)
“Kate Winslet plays an opposite in a way. She's quirky and loud, expressive and loves trying new things, and yet Clem and Joel still find a way to love each other. The contrast really makes both characters feel very different.
“The rest of the cast is mostly supporting but they're all great: Elijah Wood is a piece of shit, Mark Ruffalo and Kristen Dunst are both kinda innocent workers just doing their job, and Tom Wilkinson is mysterious yet still interesting.”
3. The Thing
Year of release: 1982
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 82%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A research facility in Antarctica comes across an alien force that can become anything it touches with 100% accuracy. The members must now find out who's human and who's not before it's too late.”
JendoShabo said: “John Carpenter's The Thing. Absolutely perfect horror movie. Interesting premise, awesome characters, incredible special effects, killer soundtrack, perfectly executed tension... I can go on and on.”
4. The Incredibles
Year of release: 2004
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A family of undercover superheroes, while trying to live the quiet suburban life, are forced into action to save the world.”
Whatzgood said: “I consider it perfect in the fact that there isn't a single thing (whether it be plot, characterization, humor, pacing) that i would have changed. There isn't a single flaw that i personally had with it.
“It is to-date my favorite animated movie.”
5. Predator
Year of release: 1987
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 78%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.”
Lord Blergus said: “Yeah, I know, it's just an action movie. But it doesn't pretend to be anymore than that, I like that. And as an action movie, I think it's one of the best in its genre. Music, effects, the monster, the cast, Arnold’s one-liners, they're all awesome. The movie is 30 years old, but still holds up.
6. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou
Year of release: 2004
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 56%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “With a plan to exact revenge on a mythical shark that killed his partner, oceanographer Steve Zissou rallies a crew that includes his estranged wife, a journalist, and a man who may or may not be his son.”
Groosenator2000 said: “My 10/10 movie is The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It's such an intricate complicated character study and even after seeing it more than ten times, every time I watch it I pick up things I didn't see the previous watch. All the characters are so well realised and fit so well together in that world and it culminates in one of the most poignant moments I've ever seen on screen.”
7. A Clockwork Orange
Year of release: 1971
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “In future Britain, Alex DeLarge, a charismatic and psycopath delinquent, who likes to practice crimes and ultra-violence with his gang, is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem - but not all goes according to plan.”
Ethan3lp said: “A Clockwork Orange - best performance ever, best screenplay ever, fantastic cinematography, flawlessly paced, the best film from the best director ever.”
8. Whiplash
Year of release: 2014
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 94%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.”
Noah2461 said: “I know it's only a couple years old but I can watch this movie time and time again and still be amazed. It's got everything I like in a movie. A great story, strong dialogue, well developed characters (including one of the most memorable antagonists in recent films) brought to life by great acting, and even boasts some really excellent cinematography and music. The intensity never really fades even though I've seen it 3 or 4 times. I think it will be considered a classic in time.”
9. Mad Max: Fury Road
Year of release: 2015
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A woman rebels against a tyrannical ruler in postapocalyptic Australia in search for her home-land with the help of a group of female prisoners, a psychotic worshipper, and a drifter named Max.”
TheTjums said: “I can't put a finger on a single thing I'd change in that movie. Everything just works and clicks into place so meticulously, you'd think Miller had spent his entire life thinking up and planning this movie.”
10. Michael Clayton
Year of release: 2007
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 90%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A law firm brings in its "fixer" to remedy the situation after a lawyer has a breakdown while representing a chemical company that he knows is guilty in a multibillion-dollar class action suit.”
Nwabudike_J_Morgan said: “For a 10 movie I would offer Michael Clayton, the narrative is complex but not incoherent, the characters are real, the casting is amazing (Sydney Pollack was such a good choice). The only real problem with the movie is that there isn't much of an audience for a story about slimy corporate lawyers.”
11. No Country for Old Men
Year of release: 2007
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 93%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and more than two million dollars in cash near the Rio Grande.”
Mbags88 said: “From the seamless story telling to the chilling performance from Javier Bardem, this is one of the few movies I believe to truly be flawless. 10/10.”
12. Synecdoche, New York
Year of release: 2008
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 69%
Brief IMDb synopsis: “A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play.”
Jonymcg said: “For me it would be Synecdoche, New York from 2008. This is directed by Charlie Kaufman. This film balances everything from humour, suspense, and at times is downright depressing.
“The reason why this film is 10/10 for me is not only it's grand themes, but also it's most subtle details. For instance, in the opening scenes, we are brought months into the future without realising time is passing without paying close attention to the dates in the newspapers, the times mentioned on the radio, and the dialogue. We realise as the audience that through repetition in daily life, we can forget about time. These small details can be forgotten but definitely add to rewatching the film trying to spot them out. Unlike films like Fight Club that certainly require repeat watching, you may watch this film and not realise the story being told on your first go.
“On top of this, Philip Seymour Hoffman provides us with his amazing acting. He is obsessed with death, often thinking that at every turn he will die.
“For those who haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it.”
(Images: Rex)
