This is the time of year when all the critics and websites begin to publish their Top 10 lists for 2007. But every list is different, just like every person is different. Last year I attempted to compile all the lists together, to figure out what movies appear on the most Top 10 lists. But my attempt to create a definitive listing never came to be, due to various reasons - but for the most part because of the extensive hours it required to compile.
This year I thought I’d make it a little easier. If I’ve learned anything from Steve Jobs it is that Simpler is better. Movie City News has a good compilation of the top 10 lists of the nation’s top critics. But there is a clear divide between critics and mainstream audiences, and a definitive list must account for both groups. A regular top ten list represents the opinion of one, so a definitive list must represent the combined opinion of everyone. You can read about how this list was compiled at the bottom of this posting.
The Definitive Top 25 Movies of 2007
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1. There Will Be Blood 91 |
2. The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 90.5 |
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3. Ratatouille 90 |
4. Persepolis 90 |
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5. In the Shadow of the Moon 90 |
6. Juno 89.5 |
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7. Sicko 89 |
8. Once 88.5 |
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9. The Bourne Ultimatum 88 |
10. No Country For Old Men 88 |
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11. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 88 |
12. Enchanted 86.5 |
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13. Gone Baby Gone 86.5 |
14. Away From Her 86.5 |
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15. This is England 86.5 |
16. The Savages 85.5 |
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17. Control 85.5 |
18. Hot Fuzz 85 |
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19. Hairspray 85 |
20. 3:10 to Yuma 84.5 |
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21. Rescue Dawn 84.5 |
22. Zodiac 84 |
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23. Superbad 83.5 |
24. Knocked Up 83.5 |
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25. Michael Clayton 83.5 |
More Movies…
26. The Simpsons Movie 83.5
27. My Kid Could Paint That 83.5
28. Atonement 83
29. Waitress 82.5
30. Grindhouse 81.5
31. Into The Wild 81.5
32. The Host 81.5
33. American Gangster 80.5
34. Lars and the Real Girl 80.5
35. Stardust 78
36. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 78
37. The Nines 74.5
38. The Darjeeling Limited 73.5
39. Lust, Caution 72.5
Internet Movie Database’s Top 25 Movies of 2007
1. There Will Be Blood 9.1 (1,151)
2. No Country For Old Men 8.9 (21,431)
3. Juno 8.6 (3,352)
4. In the Shadow of the Moon 8.6 (705)
5. Sicko 8.5 (20,557)
6. The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 8.5 (2,246)
7. The Bourne Ultimatum 8.3 (61,620)
8. Ratatouille 8.3 (48,149)
9. Lars and the Real Girl 8.3 (2,445)
10. Persepolis 8.3 (1,807)
11. American Gangster 8.2 (34,034)
12. 3:10 to Yuma 8.2 (23,370)
13. Atonement 8.2 (6,487)
14. Control 8.2 (3,780)
15. Grindhouse 8.2 (47,849)
16. The Nines 8.2 (636)
17. Hot Fuzz 8.1 (67,072)
18. Stardust 8.1 (28,778)
19. Into The Wild 8.1 (6,460)
20. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford 8.1 (6,215)
21. Lust, Caution 8.1 (3,274)
22. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 8.1 (965)
23. The Savages 8.1 (550)
24. Enchanted 8.0 (10,298)
25. Superbad 8.0 (57,064)
Rotten Tomatoes’s Top 25 Movies of 2007
1. Once 98% (131)
2. Ratatouille 97% (195)
3. The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters 96% (82)
4. No Country for Old Men 95% (170)
5. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly 95% (81)
6. Away From Her 94% (127)
7. In the Shadow of the Moon 94% (101)
8. The Bourne Ultimatum 93% (207)
9. Sicko 93% (180)
10. Juno 93% (138)
11. Gone Baby Gone 93% (137)
12. Enchanted 93% (130)
13. My Kid Could Paint That 93% (68)
14. This Is England 93% (82)
15. Hairspray 92 (191)
16. The Host 92% (131)
17. Rescue Dawn 91% (141)
18. Knocked Up 90% (207)
19. Persepolis 90% (31)
20. Michael Clayton 90% (170)
21. The Savages 90% (96)
22. There Will Be Blood 9.1 (30)
23. Zodiac 89% (206)
24. Hot Fuzz 89% (178)
25. Waitress 89% (149)
How Was The Definitive Top 25 Movies of 2007 List Compiled?
When I was brainstorming this list, I decided that both the movie critics and mainstream audiences both should be represented. Rotten Tomatoes represents the biggest repository of critical response, while the Internet Movie Database has the largest user rated database. We averaged the two together and compiled the definitive listing of the top 25 movies of 2007. Note: A movie must have been released in theaters in the United States between January and December 2007, and must have garnered more than (either) 400 imdb user votes or 80 movie reviews to qualify for this list.
Is there a Divide Between Critics and Mainstream Audiences?
There is a definite divide between Critics and Mainstream ticket buyers, but it isn’t as big as most people think. For example, there are quite a few R-rated comedies and even a sci-fi horror film included in the top 25 critically acclaimed list this year.
Why is there a Divide?
I would attribute the divide to three big factors (and this is just my opinion):
#1 Critics see 300+ movies a year and comparably rate and review movies based on the tides while mainstream audiences see only a few movies a month. A more limited selection equates into an entirely different scale of what is good and what is bad.
#2 By conception, most of the people that saw Ratatouille probably wouldn’t have seen an art-house film like Once or Persepolis. Also critics see a lot of movies that they normally wouldn’t, while Mainstream audiences attend a movie screening because they are already sold.
#3 Since the average education of a movie critic/journalist is higher than the average movie-goer (who usually skews towards High School age), films with more depth and intelligent are usually more highly rewarded.
Can we see some examples of this Critic/Mainstream Audience Divide?
Here are some of the ones with larger gaps:
- The Nines (8.2 on IMDB 67% on RT)
- Lust, Caution (8.1 on imdb, 64% on RT)
- Once (7.9 on imdb, 98% on RT)
- Hairspray (7.8 on imdb, 92% on RT)
- The Host (7.1 on imdb, 92% on RT)
A couple of these are against the usual stereotypes and conventions: Audiences loved Ang Lee’s dramatic war thriller, but for Critics just didn’t take to it. And Critics fell in love with a sci-fi monster movie, while mainstream audiences weren’t as impressed.
Why isn’t Box Office Included in the equation?
Because this list (like most year end lists) has to do with Quality, and not money. Just because a Britney Spears album sells more than a Weezer CD, doesn’t mean that Britney made a better product.
What is the Biggest Shocker?
The King Of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters is the second best movie of 2007 (according to this list), one of the best received documentaries of all time both critically and by mainstream audiences, yet the Academy has announced that they are not considering the film for the Best Documentary Oscar. A travesty.
Note: /Film is not associated with IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes. Stats provided from both sites were accurate as of December 22nd 2007.
December 23rd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Ratatouille, eeeehhhh mmmmmeeeehhhh rrrrrrrrrrrrr aaaaaaahhhhhh PIXAR!!!! LISTEN TO MEEE!!!! DON’T EVER DO ANOTHER HUMAN CHARACTER AGAIN!!!!
December 23rd, 2007 at 7:58 pm
Wow i almost forgot Hot Fuzz was released this year. Why hasn’t this movie been mentioned in any of these top XX of 2007 lists being flung around.
December 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Way to rep King of Kong! This doc is a classic and transcends the genre. I didn’t know the Academy had put the kibosh on a nomination - when was that reported?
It is easily the best doc in years - it has stuck with me like no other flick this year. A great film about human competition and human nature in the guise of ’80s nostalgia. Seth Gordon could be the next Jason Reitman imo.
December 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Man, I’ve only seen a couple of those movies and I only intend to see a couple more. 2007 has definitely been a better year for music than movies. Looks like things are going to flip in 2008 though…
December 23rd, 2007 at 9:16 pm
I’ve seen so few of these movies. :( Gone Baby Gone was fantastic, more proof that Ben Affleck belongs behind the camera. And I really can’t wait to see Juno.
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:01 pm
I thought the Rotten Tomatoes ratings include user input as well…
Are you sure those percentages are just based on critics?
December 23rd, 2007 at 11:22 pm
Hot Fuzz FTW!
December 24th, 2007 at 3:07 am
Pretty good list. Though I can’t understand why’d you leave out “The Man From Earth” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0756683/
It has 8.4 from 5,430 votes. Shouldn’t it be at no. 7 on the IMDB list atleast.
December 24th, 2007 at 4:44 am
Hot Fuzz was terrible. It was too long, there were barely any funny parts. I love the actors and their previous work but Hot Fuzz was not a good movie, I wish people would stop jumping aboard bandwagons.
December 24th, 2007 at 4:53 am
Don’t forget Starship Troopers!
December 24th, 2007 at 6:07 am
Pardon me, I am quite new at this, but did you forget the movie - Sweeney Todd. I can see on IMDB has User Rating: 8.7/10 and on Rotten tomatoes is 88%
It is also confusing that how can the rating be equal for movies on Rotten tomatoes, if there is not same amount of reviews per film?
E. g. Enchanted has 93% rating with 130 reviews compare to Sweeney Todd 88% with 136 reviews. I can only speculate here, if Enchanted vil get same amount of reviews, maybe vil not be as high as now.
December 24th, 2007 at 6:19 am
I think you should add ” The Man From The Earth” to the list.
It is the amazing film I have ever seen.
Maybe you should watch it and then you will understand why. :-)
December 24th, 2007 at 6:43 am
I Am Legend should be at least number 3
December 24th, 2007 at 7:00 am
Once is so overrated.
December 24th, 2007 at 7:06 am
“Just because a Britney Spears album sells more than a Weezer CD, doesn’t mean that Britney made a better product.”
How do you figure? For the record, I’m no Britney Spears fan, but I think that box office does need to be part of the equation because money talks. People vote with their wallets far more than they log into an IMDb account and rate a film.
Nice job on compiling the list; it’s a cool concept.
December 24th, 2007 at 7:12 am
Wow, awesome lists, I have a crap load of movies to watch this holiday,
December 24th, 2007 at 8:17 am
@m0nte: What do you mean? That movie was terrible. It was essentially your 28 Days Later or Resident Evil except far worse.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Hmm, No Country For Old Men is apparently in the Top 15 of all time on IMDB, but it doesn’t make your top 25? It has a better rating on both IMDB and rottentomatoes than some of the other movies you’ve got here. Not sure if we’re thinking of the same word “definitive”.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:39 am
Uh, I think No Country is at #10.
December 24th, 2007 at 11:28 am
Okay, the distinct lack of transformers is disturbing, and where’s shoot’em’up!?
December 24th, 2007 at 11:38 am
Did you SEE Zodiac? Apparently not.
December 24th, 2007 at 11:40 am
Wait, this is SUPPOSED to be a “DEFINITIVE” list?!! Where is ‘Transformers’? Granted that storywise Transformers is not so brilliant, but a person would be a dumb-ass retard not to admit that Transformers IS DEFINITIVE in the Special Effects arena of 2007!
Whoever’s making this list is making it up.
December 24th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
Did you consider the ratings at metacritic dot com? They have a good aggregation system for critic ratings (and better than RT in my opinion). Looking forward to your list next year.
December 24th, 2007 at 12:40 pm
Truecoat, my bad. sorry, mister sciretta, my mistake.
December 24th, 2007 at 1:25 pm
I’m so very glad to see “In the Shadow of the Moon” in a best of 2007 list. It’s my favorite documentary of all time, and is just needs to be seen by all.
December 24th, 2007 at 2:30 pm
TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS! TRANSFORMERS!
how is this not included!? i think that list is mainly for 40-65 yr olds
December 24th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
1. Any list that is suppose to blend the opinions of average film goers and critics shouldn’t place as #1 a movie only critics and industry folks have seen.
2. Metacritic is a good source as well: http://www.metacritic.com/film/awards/
December 24th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Hot Fuzz? Better reconsider that methodology! Nice list otherwise.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:28 pm
One word. TRANSFORMERS.
December 24th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
Oh and Across the Universe was 1000000 times better than Superbad.
December 25th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Hot Fuzz is such a better film than Transformers. It’s astonishing the number of people that have that confused.
December 26th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Metacritic really is the best source for ratings….
and Across the Universe was at least better then Zodiac…
December 27th, 2007 at 2:12 pm
Obviously not.
December 27th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
There’s also a decent user-voted list of best movies of 2007 (http://www.makefive.com/categories/entertainment/movies/best-films-of-2007) “The Lives of Others” tops it off at number one there, I’m surprised it wasn’t even mentioned here.
I do think critics have a good understanding of the basic movie components - script, pacing, etc., - and have a lot with which they can make comparisons to, but it’s hard to figure out who to listen to sometimes. Sometimes I go to movies to relax, other times to stimulate and every so often to be informed. But when it gets down to it, did the movie enlightened me in some way or another? Had something worth the millions of dollars and millions of hours spent to tell me something? Or was it just trying to make a dash for my wallet?
December 30th, 2007 at 9:03 am
I think it’s a great list, for some people (like me) who has not seen all the movies on the list, it can give a good idea what to watch next. Transformmers is a great movie, but only because of the the effects, the stroryline did not live up to many people’s expectations and I am not surprised it did not make many of the lists.
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Transformers was a movie purely for product placement. I got so sick of seeing the grills of the cars with there sad attempt at achieving massive automobile sales, that’s all that movie was about.
complete bullshit
January 13th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
i think harry potter and the order of the phoenix should be ranked #1
February 5th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
Wow…it’s amazing how much people differ in opinion.
Cameron: okay I saw superbad and it was an okay movie. I agree with you that transformers should have been on the list but I also agree with justin…there was too much product placement and true transformers fans were very dissappointed with the plot and the lack of fight scenes throughout the movie.
But just for the record…Across the Universe slaughtered….and I mean SLAUGHTERED…every single Beatle song that was in it. I left half way through the movie. Well, I left when Bono came on the screen. *gag* That movie sucked. That movie was a disgrace to Beatles fans.
February 10th, 2008 at 3:04 am
no country for old men sucks! zodiac sucks too,enchanted is for kids under 7 years! what list is this?? there is a few movies that can worth it to be on the list! 2007 was not a good year for movies…
February 10th, 2008 at 11:14 pm
Oh? And what films would you have on the list? Norbit perhaps?
February 11th, 2008 at 11:54 am
“Just because a Britney Spears album sells more than a Weezer CD, doesn’t mean that Britney made a better product.”
I’m afraid who made the better product is only a matter of opinion and in this example it is obvious that considerably more people hold the opinion the Brittney’s album is much better than Weezer based on sales. Sales are the only objective measure of how good a product is versus the subjective formula you’ve used here.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:53 am
First I would like to very much thank you for your contributions in the blogosphere, though I am quite new at this I have found your posts both enlightening and engaging, and what more could anybody hope for? I would also like to commend your choice of There Will Be Blood as the best film of the year, I think that it is an excellent film. This, however, brings me to my question. Is there a necessity for popular culture criticism? And if there is a necessity for it, what is that necessity? One aspect of people’s day to day life seems to be indulging in other people’s opinions instead of those same people forming their own; even people who hold their own opinions (I make these same lists) seem to thrive off of examining, critiquing and disagreeing with others. To me what is even more bothersome is that more often than not these lists (at least many of the most prominent ones) tend to agree with each other; Richard Roeper and his partner Roger Ebert both have No Country for Old Men and Juno on their lists, and New York Times film critic A.O. Scott and Village Voice film critic J. Hoberman agreed that I’m Not There, Terror’s Advocate and There Will Be Blood are among the best films of the year. Have we become a society that we now need some kind of vindication to hold the opinions that we do? Or is a movie only good if the mass majority thinks that it is? I read in an article in The Village Voice S.T. VanAirsdale, in his article titled “5 Steps to a Better View,” proposed that we “eradicate the top 10 list” as it is “perhaps the ultimate cancer on contemporary film, a backslapping orgy of hype that prizes propriety and capsule-sized cleverness over any sort of art, revelation, or insight.” Like I said before I admire your choice very much, and I too am guilty of doing these lists. I am, however, unable to understand what necessitates their existence. I truly hope I get to hear your opinion on this.
February 25th, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Where in the world is Pirates 3?
February 27th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Why did everyone else select No Country and you didnT?
February 29th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
I think SuperBad should have had better ratings, anyone with a sense of humor can see that it was a great movie.