Best 15 Films of 2011

15. The Ides of March

George Clooney had a great year and the highlight of it was the political thriller ‘The Ides of March’ that he directed and starred in. On the surface, it looks like yet another political thriller to come out during the Oscar season but it is infact a very gripping and suspenseful tale filled with twists and turns that you wouldn’t expect. The pacing is fast and the character work is brilliant made even better by excellent actors all around including Ryan Gosling, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti. Plus, George Clooney looks like a more charismatic President than most actual ones do. It’s a recommended dramatic thriller that shows Clooney’s artistry in multiple roles.

14. The Muppets

No one expected a ‘Muppets’ movie to be any good and that’s where Disney and Jason Segel managed to surprise us all the more. It was funny, had some memorable musical numbers, an excellent screenplay that not only acknowledged how the Muppets have lost their pop culture relevance but actually made that a major plot point, tongue-in-cheek tone that led to some highlight moments, and most of all, heart that almost any kids movie of this kind lacks in recent years. It made the Muppets relevant again and gave us one of the best surprises of the year.

13. Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows – Part 2

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again – the Harry Potter franchise doesn’t get nearly as much credit as it deserves. And in the past few movies, the franchise has transitioned from being a childrens book adaptation to a bonafide dark fantasy film that appeals to adults alike akin to ‘Lord of the Rings’. There’s no better proof of this than the epic finale of the series which not only provides thrills for the fans but actually has some excellent character moments that give a fantastic closure to the series. It’s just a quality film in its own right filled with everything you expect from a great film, but sadly the Academy will fail to recognise it despite heavy campaigning. Which is a damn shame.

12. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil

Another big surprise of the year was this obscure horror comedy that didn’t look too promising until you actually watch it. It takes the whole horror cliche of hillbillies being evil and turns it around its head in a hilarious fashion. In the film, you actually follow two happy go-lucky hillbillies who just want to spend some time in their vacation cabin. But when a bunch of teenagers arrive there at the same time, it’s assumed what how they would react when they see two roughened up hillbillies in the vicinity. The result is a hilarious and gory romp that has funny performances and is a ride all the way through, leading to an enjoyable and much recommended film for horror buffs.

11. Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that a prequel to a stale franchise would have ever reached close to this list, but ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ did the unthinkable. It was a well-told story from the point of view of an animal that was more human than any other character in the film. Andy Serkis does an award-worthy job with giving Caesar a heart and a good screenplay helps the film form the building blocks to a whole new exciting trilogy that brings something new to the table. It was a critical and commercial hit that most of all managed to prove that sometimes prequels have a worthy story to tell too.