It’s time now to take a look at the films Edge writers thought were the best of the year.
The Best Films of the Year – The Official Edge List
1. THE DARK KNIGHT RISES | 2. SKYFALL | 3. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE | 4. LOOPER | 5. = THE HUNGER GAMES | = THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY | = MOONRISE KINGDOM | = THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER | = PROMETHEUS | = THE RAID | = 21 JUMP STREET
The Edge Contributor’s Personal Lists (Film listed in order of preference unless otherwise stated)
Chris Bloomfield, Film Critic
Martha Marcy May Marlene – Elizabeth Olsen is enthralling in this gripping, disturbing and highly effective thriller that will have you thinking long afterwards about what was real or imaginary.
The Imposter – A riveting and astonishing documentary about an extraordinary case of false identity.
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey – Yes, Peter Jackson’s latest venture into Middle Earth may take too long to get going and feels a tad unnecessary at times, but it nevertheless offers entertainment and spectacle on a scale that nothing else has this year.
The Raid – An outrageous scenario mixed with highly inventive martial arts scenes combined with a relentless pace and energy make this one of the finest action films in years.
Moonrise Kingdom – Told in a typically whimsical and witty fashion, Moonrise Kingdom is a wonderfully acted and touching look at childhood which stands as one of Wes Anderson’s best films.
Life of Pi – The 3D imagery is both sumptuous yet also quite terrifying here in Ang Lee’s adaptation of an apparently ‘unfilmable’ novel which manages to be both a technical marvel as well as emotionally engaging.
Headhunters, Searching for Sugar Man, Looper, Silver Linings Playbook
Tom Camfield, Film critic (in alphabetical order)
21 Jump Street, Avengers Assemble, The Cabin in the Woods, The Dark Knight Rises, Goon, Moonrise Kingdom, My Sister’s Sister, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Prometheus (So funny. Highlights include a guy /actually saying/ “I’m only here for the money” then showing he has absolutely no reason to be there as his only job appears to be throwing glowing orbs into the air and howling at them), Young Adult.
Nátt Day, Live & Records critic
Avengers Assemble, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Amazing Spiderman, Skyfall, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper.
George Doel, Deputy Editor
The Cabin in the Woods, Argo, Shame, The Dark Night Rises, Skyfall, Prometheus, Ted, Chronicle, Looper, 21 Jump Street.
Megan Downing, Live Editor
The Hunger Games, Ted, The Dark Knight Rises, Looper
Corinne Gurr, Film Critic
Avengers Assemble – My favourite film of the year has to be Avengers Assemble. The explosive action, dysfunctional relationships and witty lines uttered by Robert Downey Jr’s Iron Man made for an unmissable cinematic event.
The Descendents – George Clooney gives the performance of his career in a film which was much deeper than the trailer led audiences to believe.
The Dark Knight Rises – The perfect close to a trilogy that has changed how audiences look at the superhero genre.
Skyfall – It was Daniel Craig’s incarnation of Bond that really turned me into a fan of the franchise and Skyfall did not disappoint.
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World – I just really clicked with this film. Knightley and Carrell succeed in making the audience invest in their unconventional yet heartfelt partnership as they face an impending apocalypse.
Rebecca James, Records & TV critic (List in no particular order)
The Hunger Games, The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, The Hobbit, Sky fall, Prometheus, Hit and Run
Hannah Mylrea, Records critic
Avengers Assemble, The Amazing Spider Man, The Dark Knight Rises, The Hunger Games, 21 Jump Street, Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
Pitch Perfect – It was easy to watch, didn’t take its self too seriously and had great music. It didn’t cover any groundbreaking emotional content; but it wasn’t supposed to and it did what it was trying to do well. Plus Rebel Wilson is always hilarious.
Anna Karenina – Lots of people really hated this film; but I enjoyed it. Beautiful costumes and a wonderful score by Dario Marianelli were probably the key elements as to why I liked this film.
Brave – As a huge Disney Pixar fan, this film was a must have on my list. It shows Pixar completely rewriting their animation system for the first time in 25 years, to try and create the most complex visuals.
Ben Soper, Film critic
The Master, The Raid, Looper, Skyfall, The Descendents, The Dark Knight Rises, The Muppets, Young Adult, Shame, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.
Barnaby Walter, Film Editor
Amour, Holy Motors, Killer Joe, Liberal Arts, The Descendants, Michael, The Raid, Martha Marcy May Marlene, Skyfall, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
The list of the Worst Films of 2012 will be published soon.
