NERD’s Top 10 Movies of 2013

Now that we’ve all had time to catch-up on all our must-see movies of 2013, members of the Never Ending Radical Dude movie writing team have compiled their lists for the Top 10 Movies of 2013. While we are all like-minded individuals dedicated to bringing you the best in news and reviews, I think you may be surprised at how different each of our lists are. Sure there are a few movies that will pop up in a lot of our lists, but overall I’d say this is a very fun and varied set of lists. So without further delay, check out what our top 10 picks were, and be sure to add your top 10 list in the comments section below!

JASON FURIE (Founder/Editor-in-Chief/Writer/Artist)

Phew. What a year in film. While I admit I am usually a sucker for the summer blockbusters, there are a few surprises on my list this year in the form of a few wonderful indie films and a blood-soaked horror film! You will also be able to spot a few action movies that you likely thought were garbage, and am I going insane because I’m the only one here (on a “nerd news” website nonetheless!) who put the epic MAN OF STEEL on my list! At #1 mind you! What a crazy world I live in because that movie was near nerd perfection! Sigh.

1. Man of Steel

2. Gravity

3. Her

4. Oblivion

5. Iron Man 3

6. Elysium

7. The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

8. Evil Dead

9. A Good Day to Die Hard

X. Mud

SEAN WHEELER (Writer)

In film, 2013 was a year of great surprise and equally great disappointment.  Many of the big budget blockbuster hopefuls left me flat, with the notable exceptions of THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE, Marvel’s IRON MAN 3, and THOR: THE DARK WORLD salvaging the year from the likes of THE LONE RANGER, OBLIVION, and AFTER EARTH.  Thankfully, there were some amazingly heartfelt films that were a bit off the beaten path, such as DRINKING BUDDIES and THE WAY WAY BACK, that brought a wonderful variety to the summer season.  The year ended on a high note, with a smorgasbord of fall and winter releases aimed at courting the Oscars, and while some great films were overlooked at nominations, such as THE BOOK THIEF and INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, they were certainly still a delight to audiences.  Overall in 2013, it felt like film was trying to find its footing again after the old formulas for success had stopped working, and while there are surely many more blunders to come, I hope this last year indicates that the film industry may be ready to bet on the low to mid budget films that actually have something to say.

1.  Her

2.  American Hustle

3.  Pacific Rim

4.  From Up on Poppy Hill

5.  42

6.  Gravity

7.  The Great Gatsby

8.  12 Years a Slave

9.  The Bling Ring

X.  Don Jon

MIKE McG (Writer/Artist)

In 2013, I felt the need to refine my criteria as to what constitutes a “Top Ten” film for me that particular year.  With 2012, I was just excited to be seeing movies in a theater on a regular basis and I played safe with some of my selections and went more for the rousing popcorn blockbusters.  I’ve learned to reel in my enthusiasm a little bit since then.  This past year, quite a few of my choices did not even receive a wide release or were the farthest thing from uplifting or optimistic.  But these films stay with me as they either excited, haunted, awed, charmed or unapologetically forced me to pay attention to them with their unwavering honesty.

1. 12 Years a Slave

2. Mud

3. American Hustle

4. Gravity

5. The Wolf of Wall Street

6. Pacific Rim

7. Prisoners

8. The Conjuring

9. The Place Beyond the Pines

X. The Wolverine

PACO CASABLANCA (Writer)

Like most years, 2013 is simultaneously a great year in film and a disappointing one. Some working directors I respect underwhelmed me (TO THE WONDER, WOLF OF WALL STREET, AMERICAN HUSTLE, GRAVITY, STOKER, TRANCE, OLDBOY, PACIFIC RIM, ELYSIUM, THE WORLD’S END, BLUE JASMINE) while others I wasn’t too big a fan of pleasantly surprised me (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, SPRING BREAKERS, OBLIVION, ONLY GOD FORGIVES, THE LONE RANGER). Others I enjoyed lived up to expectations (BEFORE MIDNIGHT, HER, 12 YEARS A SLAVE, MUD, FRANCES HA, SIGHTSEERS) and some cinematic voices, new to me, made themselves known (DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, DRUG WAR, PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, A TOUCH OF SIN, THE GREAT BEAUTY, PRISONERS, THE HUNT) while others left me perplexed in need for more dissection (INSIDE LLEWYN DAVIS, UPSTREAM COLOR). Like every year, 2013 had many great hidden gems. All you have to do is be willing to dig. And of course, like every year, I wish I would have seen more films.

1. The Great Beauty

2. Before Midnight

3. Her

4. 12 Years a Slave

5. The Hunt

6. Captain Phillips

7. Drug War

8. Mud

9. Ernest & Celestine

X. The Act of Killing

MARK ESPINOSA (Writer)

I will not be pressured to put PACIFIC RIM on my list!  Not by you!  Not by anyone! Okay, I know I give that movie a lot of guff, but, I still respect the hell out of it.  It was a beautiful and an original-ish idea. Del Toro took a risk and it was fun to see. That’s really all I wanted with the films of 2013.  I wanted to see bold and original ideals get the attention they deserved.  We didn’t really get that.  What we did get though, was a few filmmakers taking risk with already established franchises. Quiet rebellions within the mainstream. IRON MAN 3 had Tony dealing with PTSD and barely inside of his suit. EUROPA REPORT dared to make a space film that didn’t depend on unnecessary drama. WOLVERINE is one of Marvel’s most recognizable characters and they took away his healing factor and cast predominately only Japanese actors. CAPTAIN PHILLIPS showed us that the bad guys aren’t always necessary bad. FROZEN proved that a 77 year old company can still adapt with the times. Somehow, WORLD WAR Z managed to scrap together a few elements of the popular book and make a surprisingly enjoyable film  My list doesn’t necessarily list the movies that I felt were the best of the year, but the movies I was pleasantly surprised by. With the constant predictability and rehashing of ideals running so rampant in Hollywood, I was happy to see a few movies that reminded me that I can still be surprised and have a good time at the cinema.

1. Iron Man 3

2. Gravity

3. Odd Thomas

4. Elysium

5. World War Z

6. The Wolverine

7. Europa Report

8. Thor: The Dark World

9. Captain Phillips

X. Frozen

DEREK HANSEN (Writer/Artist)

It’s no secret that I love me some sci fi and 2013 was the year of that. So many great films came out this year and my number one is HER (spike Jones). The film was amazing , loved the narrative flow, with the dream like flash backs. The morality and ethical aspects . My biggest let down this year was STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS. I SO wanted to love this film (don’t get me wrong it looks sweet and had some good action), but STAR TREK is so much more than that. But all we got was a cash in action film with lazy writing, O well. Over all, a pretty good year in film.

1.  Her

2.  Gravity

3.  Under the Skin

4.  Jodorowsky’s Dune

5.  Evil Dead

6.  Oblivion

7.  Pacific Rim

8.  Elysium

9.  The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

X. Europa Report

Well there you have it folks, our Top 10 Films of 2013. I’d say this was a pretty interesting year for us all and I think it’s safe to say that some of our final choices were surprises to us all! I’m still shaking my head that no one else included MAN OF STEEL, but what’s a nerd to do…I was glad to see GRAVITY, MUD, and HER show up quite a bit because those films definitely deserved it this year. Alright, so now that you’ve read our picks, it’s time for us to hear what you thought! Please post your top 10 list in the comments section below. Also feel free to tell us what’s missing for these lists as well as what you agree with! I look forward to seeing your lists below, and until next time, happy movie-going!

And in case you missed it:

Jason’s Top 10 Movies of 2010

Jason’s Top Ten Movies of 2011

NERD’s Top 10 Movies of 2012