The 100 Project: The Top 25 Movies of 2011

By 2011, I was into my 2nd year as a "serious" blogger. I posted pretty much every other day, and was under the false pretense that maybe one day I'd make a buck or two off this thing. How stupid I was. Anyhoo, let's talk about movies. I watched a bunch of them from that year. Of course, I made a list of what I think were the best. Check it out here. As I've said before, though, things change, namely my opinions. So no, this is not just a regurgitation of that list. Instead of dilly-dallying any longer, let's just get to it. Oh, first a reminder. For this project, I'm using Letterboxd.com to guide me on the year of release, so you may see some of these movies listed on other sites as 2010 or 2012 releases. Got it? Good.

My Top 25 Movies of 2011

• According to my Letterboxd account I've seen 147 films released during 2011.
• I only saw 3 movies in theaters, 2 make the top 25.
• I've seen all 9 movies nominated for Best Picture. Only 1 makes my top 25, 1 other is an honorable mention.
• 2 Documentaries make my top 10, 2 more in the top 25, and another makes my honorable mentions.
• 4 non-English language films make my top 25. 2 more are honorable mentions.
• For the first time since 2002, no animated features make my list.

25. Fast Five

24. X-Men: First Class

23. Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

22. Moneyball

21. Win Win

20. Louder Than a Bomb

19. Cabin in the Woods

18. Dark Girls

17. A Separation

16. Shame

15. Kinyarwanda

14. Attack the Block

13. You're Next

12. Warrior

11. Killer Joe

10. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

In the grand scheme of things this American remake of a Swedish film barely two years older is unnecessary. I know, director David Fincher says it's not a remake but another adaptation of the same novel. Whatever he wants to call it, there's little denying he did a great job directing it. His version is as good as the original, possibly better, with a career defining performance from Rooney Mara.

9. Drive

This one is a love it or hate it type of affair. I saw it first on DVD and obviously loved it. The moodiness of it, the way our two main characters communicated through sheepish silence, the interesting people that impacted their world, the way it turns on a dime from contemplative love story to brutal action flick - it all works for me. Afterwards, I called my brother to ask if he'd seen it. He actually went to the theater to do so. He and his girlfriend hated it so much they walked out before it was over. He was expecting something like #25 on this list. Drive ain't that.

8. Beats, Rhymes and Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is one of my all-time favorite groups. This doc is a look at the both their history and their then-present. The years long feuding between two of the three members (Q-Tip and Phife Dawg) was well-known, but became fleshed out on both sides of it. Of course, it's not all bickering as we get to relive many of the moments that made them one of hip hop's most beloved crews. RIP to Phife Dawg who passed away in 2016 due to complications from diabetes.

7. Contagion

When I first saw this in either 2011 or 2012, it horrified me. It's about a worldwide pandemic spreading around the world, killing people by the millions, through seemingly innocuous human contact. The way it was presented, somberly and with focus on a quickly deteriorating society and a need for isolation, made it feel like it could really happen. Then it did.

6. Martha Marcy May Marlene

Before getting absorbed by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Elizabeth Olsen, was emerging from the shadows of her famous sisters (twins Mary Kate and Ashley) and building a resume as an actress to be reckoned with. Her performance here is her finest, heartbreaking and gut wrenching, she makes us feel every bit of her characters confusion and justifiable paranoia. To drive it all home, John Hawkes is perfectly charismatic and terrifying as a cult leader.

5. Pariah

Years before Moonlight, there was this portrait of African American teen sexuality. Our main character is fully aware she is a lesbian, but hasn't come out to her family, particularly her mom who holds staunch religious beliefs and is fully against homosexuality. Previously untested as an actress despite numerous movie roles, Kim Wayans provides us a great lightning rod of a character as the mother. 

4. The Skin I Live In

I wasn't quite sure what to expect going into this. I only knew it would be a lot to process, based on my previous knowledge of the director, Pedro Almodovar. It was that, and then some. Dark and disturbing on many levels, it eventually reaches a soul-churning conclusion. This is one of the most unique explorations gender identity and sexuality I've ever seen.

3. Tyrannosaur

This one is disturbing on a realistic level, which is always worse. In the end, it reveals itself to be a love story, but it's not one filled with meet-cutes and romantic gestures. This is all hard livin' and circumstances. Last time I did this, I had it as my number one. That it fell a couple spots has more to do with me not having watched it quite some time and the ascension of the other movies than my opinion of it lessening.

2. The Black Power Mixtape, 1967-1975

This doc takes a look at the Civil Rights Movement, post Dr. King, from a unique perspective. It was made by Swedish filmmakers using lots of footage that had never been seen before. It’s fascinating, insightful, and frustrating. That last emotion coming from the disheartening fact that a lot of what we’re seeing and hearing is still both prevalent and relevant.

1. The Raid: Redemption

I fell in love with it when I first saw it, way back in 2011. There is just enough story to hang a bunch of fight scenes on. However, these are probably the best choreographed fight scenes of all-time. As a result I’ve spent a lot of hours with this film. I’ve rewatched it several times, and I’ve lost count of how many YouTubers I’ve watched react to it. Every so often I will purposely search for more reactions. And yeah, I’m about to watch it for myself again. When it comes to this movie, I just can’t help myself..

Honorable Mentions (alphabetically): Bernie, Bridesmaids, The Descendants, Elena, Goon, Hanna, Haywire, Hobo with a Shotgun, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, Kung Fu Panda 2, Lovely Molly, Rango, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Super 8, Take This Waltz, Undefeated, Young Adult