Martyrs (French Subtitle)

Teaser: A young girl tortured for years before escaping, returns 15 years later to show that a child never forgets.

Best Feature: Non-stop gore and tension. Interesting premise and strong female socio-pathic leads. Very hardhitting and emotionally raw.

Worst Feature: More an exercise in terror and excitement than substance.

While this movie is nowhere near as polished as films like Let The Right One In, it does what many horror films fail to do: it shocks, it awes and it puts you on the edge of your seat for the duration.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/martyrs/

Battle Royale (Japanese Subtitle)

Teaser: It's 2002 in Japan. High unemployment has caused the youth to run amok. Struggling to get a hold of their young citizens, the Japanese government employs a very draconian form of punishment for its youth offenders...very draconian indeed.

Best Features: The concept is original and utterly fascinating and it feels like a bunch of sick, but interesting people went to the movie room drawing board. Not a boring moment.

Worst Features: It has some elements of that Japanese style cheesiness (dialogue, dramatic effect).

This is one of the coolest concept movies of all time. It is a masterful blend of sadism, inventiveness and sheer sci-fi wonderment.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 83%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1217514-battle_royale/

The Class (French Subtitle)

Teaser: An exploration of a Parisian school teacher trying to navigate his insecurities and the problems of his class.

Best Feature: Great performances. A very multilayered examination of the teacher-student dynamic. Does not try to take the easy way out. Main character inspires and disgusts you at various moments.

Worst Feature: Not much in the way of action or controversy.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_class/

Session 9

Teaser: Five asbestos cleaners snag a lucrative contract at a mental asylum that could save their business. Things begin to look up until one of them brings their personal demons to work.  

Best Feature: Erie Hitchcock-esque environment and dialogue. Keeps you on the edge and brilliantly plays out the asylum aspect. Although, not in my top 10, it is a worthy mention because the concept is pitch perfect only the execution is off.

Worst Feature: Acting and dialogue. The gore is underwhelming, but not in the sense that there isn't enough of it, rather the problem lies in the fact that it is almost child friendly and shockless gore (if that makes any sense).

This movie is really at the cusp of brilliant here. They absolutely made a great horror movie from a conceptual standpoint. There are some shortcomings, specifically it is not particularly well-acted and the banter amongst the characters is not all that charming. However, the B movie feel to it actually is part of what makes this movie effective. It possesses that Hitchcockian aire of "high-brow horror", where the level of suspense and intensity is largely dependent on the imagination of the viewer. In my case, I found Session 9 chillin, albeit not very scary. Think Silent Hill (the video game) or Shutter Island (this movie is actually more effective at creating chills and unease) and you will have an idea of why many find this movie so promising. I hope it gets remade with a better cast and given a more dark feeling reboot, ala Christopher Nolan's transformation of the Batman franchise, and then I will be able to place this movie in my top 5.

My Ranking: Top 10 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 62%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/session_9/

No Country For Old Men

Teaser: After finding bags full of money, a man must try to escape its rightful owner without losing his family and his life.

Best Feature: Suspense. Acting is brilliant in this film. The greatest villain, maybe of all time. The story is slow, but full of such rich methodical performances.

Worst Feature: Slow moving plot line. Typical Coen Brothers quirkiness.

This was one of the best thrillers I have ever seen. By far the best villain of the past 20 years. Amazing performances from Brolan, Jones and Bardem.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 95%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/no_country_for_old_men/

Traffic

Teaser: A very serious, academic look into the war on drugs told through the eyes of different players on both sides of that war.

Best Feature: It is the most entertaining serious movie that I have seen. Flows evenly even though it is following different characters in completely different locations. Great acting.

Worst Feature: Some may find it too preachy. Other than addressing the issue from an academic standpoint, the movie does not really have a linear story (think along the lines of Babel).

This is my favorite politically motivated movie of all time. It has the essence of a great serial drama in its ability to make you think all the while telling a serious story that keeps you entertained. Rarely do you find a movie with so many high profile actors and not see them step on eachother's toes.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1103281-traffic/

Dirty Pretty Things

Teaser: An illegal Nigerian immigrant looking for a way to find money and a life in London uncovers a terrifying group doing horrendous things in a hotel where he works.

Best Feature: The acting is incredible, especially Ejiefor. There is constant suspense, to the point where this movie could be classified as a horror-thriller. Taps into a segment of society, not often documented and makes a very intriguing film out of it.

Worst Feature: Not necessarily the most fluid thriller. Has some plot weaknesses.

This movie is on here largely because of the uniqueness of the plot. The way they weave what, at first, seems to be an exploring of the life of immigrants into a daring crime thriller is impressive. It includes two great performances from two actors who would later go on to act in defining roles, with Ejiofor (Red Belt, Children of Men) and Tautou (Da Vinci Code, Coco Before Chanel) really driving the movie home.

My Ranking: Top 10 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/dirty_pretty_things/

Y Tu Mama Tambien (Spanish Subtitle)

Teaser: A woman finds out her husband is unfaithful and in a fit of anger decides to go on a road trip with two young boys and do everything her high society marriage would not allow her to do.

Best Features: Amazing chemistry between the actors, even when they are not making love. A very good road trip story. The discovery of various locations in Mexico is source of enjoyment within itself. Underlying political message is heartfelt and adds to the depth of the narrative.

Worst Features: You cannot watch this movie with people you are not comfortable with. Is not for people who do not enjoy movies with narration. A coming of age story with no real linear conclusion.

This movie has become famous in America for its explicit sex scenes. However, the thing that caught my attention most about this movie was how great the younger actors carried the excitement of the plot. It is a movie about the meaning of friendship more than sex and is one that will have you rooting for that throughout.

My Ranking: Top 10 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 91%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/y-tu-mama-tambien/

Children Of Men

Teaser: In the future, women can no longer get pregnant and society has evolved around this reality by suffocating resources and quarantining undesirable peoples. Is there any hope?

Best Features: This movie has everything from action, violence, romance, drama and comedy. Some of the best overally supporting actor performances, on the aggregate, of any movie. The last action scenes are absolutely mind boggling.

Worst Features: Some might find it slow, and with the long action camera sequences will be unable to keep their attention spans sharp.

While this movie is really a drama, I have categorized it as an action movie due to the complexity and awe-inspiring nature of its actions scenes. In this alone, it has some of the best action scenes ever done in the past decade. Couple that with political and social message that permeates throughout and you have a truly solid film that is both enjoyable and thought provoking.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Action Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 93%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/children_of_men/

Let The Right One In (Swedish Subtitles)

Teaser: This is the story of how a vampire would hide in survive in the modern world. It is also a story about love.

Best Feature: The story is both charming and suspenseful. It is the most innovative approach to the vampire plot line that I have seen. The characters bring you in and you root for them.

Worst Feature: While suspenseful in the sense that you don't know if good things will happen to the characters that you have grown to care about, it is not scary at all.

This is most interesting vampire adaptation I have ever seen. It is the only one, to my knowledge, that actually grapples with the question of how would a vampire hide its identity in the 21st Century. It is also unique in that it makes a charming love story (child love story) out of fairly dark serial killer subplot.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 98%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/let_the_right_one_in/

A Prophet (French and Arabic Subtitles)

Teaser: An Arab man finds himself in a French prison run by young Islamic criminals and old Corsican criminals. He must navigate these two worlds to ensure his survival, finding that you can learn a thing or two just by listening

Best Feature: The suspense is astounding and it is carried with expertise by the main character. The growth of the story is epic, leaving the viewer truly caring for the characters. Perfect blend of plot and action.

Worst Feature: Might run a little long for some.

This movie adroitly blends great storytelling, suspense, action and an ethical undertone in a thriller that is as entertaining as any movie I have seen in a while. You will have a hard time finding more heart in another gangster flick.

My Ranking: Top 10 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 97%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1213205-prophet/

Fish Tank

Teaser: A 15 year old girl in a London projects goes through life trying to escape the problems in her home and her life, while trying to pursue her dreams of becoming a dancer.

Best Feature: The lead actress carries the film on her own. A very disturbing, but interesting performance by Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class). Has a very fluid journey feel that keeps the audience captivated (think Stand By Me).

Worst Feature: Very slow moving plot, conclusion may not be as satisfying as some may hope.

This movie is great in that you are brought into the world of a main character, who is interesting in her own right, and then just when you think the pace of the movie might be slowing the plot takes a "somewhat" unexpected turn and finishes with an eclectic pace. Most movies that follow this formula drone on for the first 40 minutes and then you are treated to an accelerated and exciting last 30. I think this movie achieves being interesting in the beginning and then tantalizing us with its conclusion.

My Ranking: Top Ten Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/fish_tank/

Requiem For A Dream

Teaser: A very psychadelic tale of four individuals whose addiction to drugs dictates their every move. While they are constantly trying to better themselves, each move these individuals make "forward" sends them spiraling down to one of the most gutwrenching conclusions in movie history.

Best Features: The music makes you feel like you are experiencing what the characters are experiencing. The performances are spot on. The visuals and editing are perfectly melded with the atmosphere of the scene.

Worst Features: The movie is, quite literally, emotionally disturbing.

This film is, without equivocation, the most visceral movie watching experience I have ever had. I have never had fictional characters emotionally drain me like the four protagonists of this film. This is by far, in my opinion, the best movie Aronosfky has made (Black Swan, Pi, The Wrestler, The Fountain).

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 78%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/requiem_for_a_dream/

Blue Valentine

Teaser: A couple with an embattled past goes through tough times in a very complicated marriage.

Best Features: Knockout performances by both Gosling and Williams. The movie makes you feel, in ways that most romantic dramas do not. Has one of the greatest scenes in a love movie of all time.

Worst Features: Ending feels very abstract, while the movie spends its entire time dealing with real human emotions in a very literal and powerful way.

This movie is just powerful. I have not felt this much natural emotion from just watching a movie since Requiem for a Dream. It is very depressing, in the sense that things are bad for this couple, however, the scenes feel real and engaging. I do not remember how long this movie is, but it feels like 5 minutes because of how engrossing it is. It doesn't make the Top 5 just because of how deep the genre is.

My Ranking: Top 10 Entire Drama Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 88%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/blue_valentine/

Rec (Spanish Subtitle)

Teaser: A news crew in Barcelona is shadowing a fire department when they get a call. With handheld camera dictating the viewers exposure to the characters we follow them as a routine call goes horribly wrong.

Best Features: It is the best in the handheld horror genre (ex., Blair Witch Project). The scares are genuine. The plot is compelling throughout.

Worst Features: The ending gets way to involved in an otherwise never before mentioned plot development, where it wasn't needed in order to drive the movie (I say this even having seen the sequel).

This movie is so high on my list mostly because it is such a powerful and effective use of an otherwise annoying and contrived camera style (handheld documentary style). I like this movie's use of the technique much more than Paranormal Activity and would go as far as to say it is the best use of that camera technique that I have ever seen. The movie, within itself (plot, script) will not blow you away, but the scary movie experience is delightfully visceral and stands above any horror offering of the past 20 years.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 96%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10009132-rec/

The Chaser (Korean Subtitles)

Teaser: A former Detective, disgraced after being on the take, becomes a pimp. When one day he begins to notice that his women are going missing, he uses his former professional skills to hunt them down. In his journey he finds that something truly sinister is going on and that he must stop it.

Best Features: The plot, while seemingly ridiculous, is actually very compelling. The violence is bone-chilling, believable and unnerving. They are able to make the suspense palpable for a very long time. The protagonist and antagonist are both expertly portrayed and drive the film. It is loosely based on real events. It does not seek to make the audience happy again by having a sunny payoff.

Worst Features: Maybe a little long. Police procredural aspect of the movie seems a little contrived.

What makes this movie great is that it is actually scary and suspenseful, even for someone who is normally bored by the average horror film. The plot is unique and compelling and the two main actors really sell the tension and hatred. Also, the violence is very realistic and adds to the impending suspense. This is the best Korean horror film I have seen, with Old Boy and I Saw the Devil trailing behind it in the Korean Horror genre.

My Ranking: Top 5 Entire Horror Genre
Rotten Tomatoes: 82%
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/chaser/