*SPOILER FREE* IMDb Top 150 Part 1: My Neighbor Totoro | Some Like It Hot

Movies I watched for the first time: Totoro, Secret in Their Eyes, A Beautiful Mind, Judgment at Nuremburg, Howl’s Moving Castle, Children of Heaven, Some Like it Hot.

150. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

• IMDb plot summary: When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.

• Some quick thoughts: This is definitely for children, but it’s also definitely art. As far as I can tell, this was the film that gained Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli international renown, and they’ve produced some all-timers. It’s slow, lacking the formulaic narrative Disney often peddles out, but a great alternative to the repetitive or excessively mindless entertainment that kids get exposed to.

• Does it belong? Sure, but lower. Especially since Chinatown is the spot below this and I really love Chinatown.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.1/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.1/10

149. Raging Bull (1980)

• IMDb plot summary: The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

• Some quick thoughts: This film continues to impress 40+ years later, and in all the same ways as when it was released: De Niro’s performance, Michael Chapman’s black and white cinematography, Thelma Schoonmaker’s editing, and Scorsese’s direction. As a study of a toxic “alpha male” the film has lost none of its potency; in its craft, it’s nearly perfect. It remains difficult to watch for me, not because of its violent but beautiful boxing scenes or psychological intensity, but in its uncomfortable relatability in the smallest of Jake’s insecurities. Scorsese creates an oft-moving portrait of a man who doesn’t deserve it to achieve something profound, and as a result the audience must confront something within themselves – that’s art.

• Does it belong? Yes, but much higher.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.1/10

• · Rymer’s Rating: 9.3/10

148. The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)

• IMDb plot summary: A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.

• Some quick thoughts: I was stunned by this film; it somehow blends the stylish realism of Heat with a story that feels like the Argentinean version of True Detective 5 years before we had True Detective, that also portrays a troubled era in the country’s history. The writing is stellar, the performances transcend the language barrier, and director Juan José Campanella creates a film that is tragic, romantic, haunting, yet with enough mainstream sensibility and sensitivity around his brutal subject matter that it’s far easier to watch than it could have been. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys detective stories or is looking for something fresh.

• Does it belong? Yes, but perhaps a little lower.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.1/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8/10

147. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

• IMDb plot summary: After John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematician, accepts secret work in cryptography, his life takes a turn for the nightmarish.

• Some quick thoughts: Ron Howard has directed some pretty good movies – including Apollo 13 and Rush – and some pretty bad ones, like last year’s Hillbilly Elegy. This is a good one. All the performances, most notably Russell Crowe’s and Jennifer Connelly’s, are quite strong, and Roger Deakins works his usual cinematographic magic to make the film look great. As far as mainstream biopics go, this movie’s pretty good but certainly not great, despite some interesting visual flair that Howard provides as we get glimpses of how Nash’s mind sees the world. If you’re looking for something else like this but maybe with more bite in its tone and more technical talent, I’d recommend The Aviator.

• Does it belong? Nope. Put this movie on another list, one comprised of “Best Picture winners with a physical/mental disability that gives the audience a hug” movies, right next to The King’s Speech. There’s nothing wrong with either, just nothing amazing.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.1/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7/10

146. There Will Be Blood (2007)

• IMDb plot summary: A story of family, religion, hatred, oil, and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.

• Some quick thoughts: Well, I already extensively sang the praises of the second best film of the decade here, but I’ll give you the TL;DR version: this is one of the best leading performances you’ll ever see, with one of the best talents we currently have writing and directing. Its themes are resonant in how the literally and metaphorically operate within the story, and it’s an experience you won’t soon shake off.

• Does it belong? Yes, and higher.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.7/10

145. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)

• IMDb plot summary: In the Falangist Spain of 1944, the bookish young stepdaughter of a sadistic army officer escapes into an eerie but captivating fantasy world.

• Some quick thoughts: I called it the 4th-best movie of the decade on my rankings here and watching it again to prepare this list I felt vindicated. Del Toro’s ability to surprise, scare, evoke tragedy, use setting/body horror to convey a character’s soul, and create beauty throughout all of that operates in its most perfect form here. This film also deserves kudos for portraying a time in Spanish history that most of the world hasn’t been deeply exposed to, and successfully weaving the threads of rebellion into the threads of myth and fantasy. It’s not for kids but will stun any adult willing to enter the labyrinth.

• Does it belong? Absolutely.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.5/10

144. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

• IMDb plot summary: Two Americans searching for work in Mexico convince an old prospector to help them mine for gold in the Sierra Madre Mountains.

• Some quick thoughts: The sheer number of directors who have listed this film as one that they enjoy and one that has influenced them is a testament to how special it is. Its study of greedy but desperate and starving men becoming corrupted by gold while out in the desert still makes for a thrilling and thematically rich watch. I also think that this is the best performance by the legendary Humphrey Bogart; his cool-guy charisma is twisted into something quite menacing as the movie progresses.

• Does it belong? Hell yeah.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.9/10

143. Casino (1995)

• IMDb plot summary: A tale of greed, deception, money, power, and murder occur between two best friends: a mafia enforcer and a casino executive compete against each other over a gambling empire, and over a fast-living and fast-loving socialite.

• Some quick thoughts: Man, this film rocks. If you like GoodFellas or The Departed but haven’t seen this, get to it immediately. Scorsese brings gobs of style and the maximalist production in lighting, sets, costumes, even soundtrack speak to the idea of excess and greed. As is the case, our characters pursuing these things end up getting punished for how they did it. I put this film in the tier of Marty films that include The Departed, The Aviator, Shutter Island, Gangs of New York, and The Color of Money; amazingly entertaining and stunningly well-crafted, but ultimately not all that significant to the history of the art form.

• Does it belong? No, but I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8/10

142. Judgment at Nuremburg (1961)

• IMDb plot summary: In 1948, an American court in occupied Germany tries four Nazis judged for war crimes.

• Some quick thoughts: I rarely say this, but this film is a little overlong. I appreciate some of the breaks we get from the courtroom scenes, which can be quite intense, but are also some of the most powerfully written and acted courtroom scenes I’ve ever seen. In this film’s best stretches, it is an utterly profound mediation on being complicit in a government system like the one the Nazis created even if none of the defendants were members of the gestapo; as the film explores these ideas, it’s quite specific to Germany while also being universal to anyone who has been complicit in a harmful system without questioning what was really going on.

• Does it belong? No. It’s super powerful stuff, but likely works better on the stage in its original form than as a film.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.8/10

141. The Great Escape (1963)

• IMDb plot summary: Allied prisoners of war plan for several hundred of their number to escape from a German camp during World War II.

• Some quick thoughts: This movie is iconic, delightful, and still a great watch today. Its patient, methodical look at what it takes to break out of a Nazi prison camp is as charming as its ensemble cast, resulting in a two-act structure where the first half is build and setup, and the second half is thrilling escape and pursuit. Its status as popcorn entertainment with a brain and a heart does put a ceiling on its ability to stand as a lasting artistic statement, however, but I don’t anticipate this will ever age.

• Does it belong? No, but I would recommend you watch it immediately if you haven’t, it’s utterly engrossing and one of Quentin Tarantino’s favorites.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.5/10

140. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

• IMDb plot summary: Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stockbroker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption, and the federal government.

• Some quick thoughts: I re-watched this film in the same weekend I re-watched Casino in preparing this list – btw, spending 6 hours of my weekend with Scorsese was, and will always be, a treat – and so I couldn’t help but compare the two. They both have echoes of GoodFellas in their structure and aggressive style, they both ended up at similar points in this list. In fact, Casino feels like the more structurally sound and better-assembled film, whereas Wolf runs fast and loose. However, Wolf is one of the most successful critiques of modern society that I’ve ever seen, and it’s a thrill to watch Scorsese run headlong into controversy in his 40th year of making films. Being invited along for a ride of Wall Street debauchery with an all-time scumbag from Queens who made his money by selling a product he knows is fake feels extra resonant after the Trump presidency, and the movie also has some of the most kinetic sequences that Marty has ever created. This film is flawed, but it rings completely true and is a hell of a ride.

• Does it belong? Like a Lemon lude, this movie only gets more potent with age. Lock it in on this list, and my secretary will get back to you with an exact confirmation.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.5/10

139. Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)

• IMDb plot summary: When an unconfident young woman is cursed with an old body by a spiteful witch, her only chance of breaking the spell lies with a self-indulgent yet insecure young wizard and his companions in his legged, walking castle.

• Some quick thoughts: This is, once again, a kid’s movie from Studio Ghibli that nonetheless held my attention and proved worthy of artistic merit. Miyazaki crafts a world that’s almost as full of visual ideas as Spirited Away, and almost as thematically deep. He does sneak in a few anti-war statements that are digestible for children, along with what I’m discovering to be a typical Ghibli plotline of unexplained magic, self-discovery, physical transformation, bad guys who aren’t as bad as they seem, and a strong female protagonist; you really could do a lot worse.

• Does it belong? No. I think it’s really good, and more plot-centric than the admittedly slow Totoro, but we’ve gotta make cuts at some point here and so between this and Totoro I’m going with the more historically important entry.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8/10

138. Children of Heaven (1997)

• IMDb plot summary: After a boy loses his sister's pair of shoes, he goes on a series of adventures to find them. When he can't, he tries a new way to "win" a new pair.

• Some quick thoughts: This film is downright charming and rooted so deeply in its authentic setting that it’s hard not to be caught up in its sincerity. The child actors give great performances, and the film looks really good despite its modest budget. However, Majid Majidi’s direction wasn’t the strongest, and the film was oddly plotted and paced. I’m glad this film received some international recognition, but I was hoping for something better crafted.

• Does it belong? No, but I’m looking forward to more Iranian films higher on this list.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.6/10

137. Unforgiven (1992)

• IMDb plot summary: Retired Old West gunslinger William Munny reluctantly takes on one last job, with the help of his old partner Ned Logan and a young man, The "Schofield Kid."

• Some quick thoughts: Like one of my new favorites, The Irishman, this film benefits from the metatext of both the filmmaker’s career (crime films for Marty, westerns for Clint), as well as its storied genre (again, crime and westerns). Its meditations on myth vs. reality, what a “bad man” truly is, the nature of violence, revenge, and a just cause are all quite powerful, but all successfully done within a conventionally entertaining movie. It’s fashioned just like a western while critiquing the genre, as opposed to something like the also-excellent Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford which breaks the genre formula apart, is smarter than it appears and boasts strong writing and excellent performances.

• Does it belong? Absolutely.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.8/10

136. Some Like it Hot (1959)

• IMDb plot summary: After two male musicians witness a mob hit, they flee the state in an all-female band disguised as women, but further complications set in.

• Some quick thoughts: This film is an utter delight, and while what must have been scandalously risqué when this movie premiered now plays as gentle innuendo, Some Like It Hot refuses to age into obscurity. The movie has a lot to say about what it is to be a woman in the world that still feels relevant as our two heroes – disguised as women – bemoan the way that men treat them. It’s smartly written, sharply directed, and wonderfully performed by its cast. Go check it out if you’re looking for the kind of thing they just don't seem to make anymore.

• Does it belong? For sure.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.6/10