The 13 Most Memorable Movies of 2013

Why it rocks: Who knew a summer zombie movie starring Brad Pitt could be so good? Just when you thought that the straggling, flesh-eating genre may be starting to generate less screams and more Zzzz's, World War Z arrived with an adrenaline shot in the arm for the genre -- complete with insane special effects and a claustrophobic urgency and realism not seen since the introduction of those "speed zombies" in 28 Days Later. From the opening frames, Quantum of Solace director Marc Forster manages to keep a breakneck pace and pure thrills-a-minute as family man Brad must ditch his loved ones in order to help the United Nations quell a deadly zombie pandemic.

Why it rocks: Tim Tharp's wonderful novel comes to life, courtesy of the sure hand of director James Ponsoldt, who manages to get Miles Teller and Shailene Woodley to deliver some of the most relatable and authentic performances of the year. Charismatic and the boozy life of the party, Sutter Keely (a fantastic Teller) hides some secret pain as he parties through the end of high school with no goals beyond enjoying The Spectacular Now. But his girlfriend (a sincere Brie Larson) has loftier goals and leaves him behind, opening him up to have some fun with brainy, optimistic Aimee (Woodley's best performance yet, making good on her promise in The Descendants) in her first true relationship. A rare look into the real emotions, immediacies, uncertainties and excitement of youth on the verge of real adulthood, The Spectacular Now doesn't have a false storytelling bone in its cinematic body.

Why it rocks: In space, no one can hear you scream... Audiences around the world have watched this film with mouths agape, genuinely wondering "how'd they do that?" as Sandra Bullock (alongside a cool-as-ice George Clooney) makes you believe that she is in genuine jeopardy above our big blue marble. Bullock and Clooney play a pair of astronauts -- a brilliant medical engineer on her first shuttle mission and a veteran astronaut in command of his last flight before retiring -- struggling to survive after a disaster in space separates them from their ship. Tethered to nothing but each other and spiraling out into the blackness, fear turns to panic as they must figure out how they can make it home alive before their oxygen runs out. Best line: "I hate space!" Marking the long-awaited, triumphant return of director Alfonso Cuaron (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children of Men), the film's ultimate compliment may have been during a press junket when a journalist reportedly asked Cuaron how difficult it was to film the movie in space. Yes, you read that correctly.

Why it rocks: Bruce Dern delivers perhaps the best performance of his career as a cantankerous father who thinks he's struck it rich after receiving a sweepstakes letter in the mail. Determined to collect his prize, he wrangles his son (played by a surprisingly good Will Forte) into taking a road trip to claim the fortune and, by default, interact with his equally eccentric family.
Employing a stark, black-and-white palette for his heartbreaking tale of personal discovery, director Alexander Payne returns to darker, About Schmidt territory after striking gold with the comically lighter Sideways and The Descendants.

Why it rocks: Tom Hanks sure can pick 'em... In addition to portraying a pitch-perfect Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks, he shows his incredible versatility as real-life Captain Richard Phillips, whose US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama was overtaken by Somali pirates in 2009, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in 200 years. Recreating the frightening, true-life tale, Captain Phillip teams up Hanks with Oscar-nominated director Paul Greengrass, whose visceral camera in such films as United 93 and two Bourne sequels works perfectly for this life-and-death experience that effectively places audiences directly in the hot seat.

Why it rocks: Disney-Pixar rebounds from the less-than-stellar Cars 2 sequel (a good film, but a bit of a disappointment by Pixar storytelling standards) with this clever and inventive, laugh-a-minute prequel that reveals that inseparable pair Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal, always a charmer) and James P. Sullivan (John Goodman, with the perfect frat-boy voice) weren't always that chummy. In fact, the monsters in the closet couldn't stand each other when they first attended Monsters University. Showing how Mike and Sulley overcame their differences and became the best of friends, this whimsical Disney-Pixar production had all the ingredients to be the top family movie of the summer, with plenty of humor aimed high and low.

Why it rocks: Director David O. Russell's highly anticipated follow-up to Oscar-bait Silver Linings Playbook is a force to be reckoned with, given its all-star cast, numerous zinger lines and irresistible late '70s/early '80s-era music and fashion. The tale's based on the true story of Irving Rosenfeld (played by a barely recognizable, scene-chomping Christian Bale), a notorious financial con artist from the Bronx who, along and his Brit mistress/partner-in-crime Sydney (Amy Adams is sexpot mode), was forced to work with out-of-control FBI agent Richie DiMaso (a curly haired Bradley Cooper) to expose other con artists, mobsters and politicians. The tale of corruption is highlighted by Jennifer Lawrence as Rosenfeld's Long Island housewife, flaunting a loose-cannon demeanor -- and lots of double-stick tape to keep her in place -- that threatens to derail the entire operation.

Why it rocks: Director Edgar Wright's hilarious and clever movie was the perfect nightcap to the summer movie season. Completing what has become known as The Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy (which started out with 2004's Shaun of the Dead and 2007's Hot Fuzz) without requiring anyone to have seen the formentioned films, The World's End follows a group of friends (Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike, Paddy Considine and Eddie Marsan) who embark on an epic 12-pub crawl in their hometown in an effort to complete "The Golden Mile," having fallen short two decades earlier when they were teens in their prime. Back to finish what they started, the reunited pals find out the hard way that an alien robo-invasion is taking place. The beer-soaked tale manages to both entertain and bite a bit with a searing commentary on what it's like for many to grow old, but not grow up...

Why it rocks: Arguably the best film of the year, this stirring film about slavery pulls no punches and is intensely engrossing from heartbreaking start to finish. Based on an incredible true story, 12 Years follows the dramatic turn of events experienced by Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor in a stunning performance) in the pre-Civil War era, a free black man from upstate New York who is double-crossed, abducted and sold into slavery in the South. There, he struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. Shame director Steve McQueen expertly manages an all-star cast that includes a sadistic and twisted Michael Fassbender, a genial Brad Pitt and Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano in a love-to-hate-him role, and newcomer Lupita Nyong'o in a heartbreaking performance.

Why it rocks: You can count on The Coen Bros. for a completely unique, different and entertainingly offbeat movie every time they serve something up. This time beautifully capturing the Greenwich Village folk scene of the '60s, Oscar Isaac shines as the title star in the film that chronicles a week in the life of aimless folk singer Davis -- looking for love, purpose and a modicum of success with his cat by his side. Loosely based on Dave Van Ronk's memoir The Mayor of MacDougal Street, the film features great moments from Coen Bros. mainstay John Goodman (in his sixth collaboration with the filmmakers), Carey Mulligan, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, Girls stars Alex Karpovsky and Adam Driver and F. Murray Abraham.

Why it rocks: Spike Jonze does it again... From Being John Malkovich and Adaptation to Where the Wild Things Are and his myriad clever music videos, the director remains a visionary director to get excited about. For his first "love story," he's teamed up with Joaquin Phoenix, who is in his prime following his stunning performance in The Master, for a near-future tale about a heartbroken man who falls hard for an advanced, intuitive operating system with a female voice (by Scarlett Johansson) that is insightful, sensitive and surprisingly funny. In the end, does it matter whether or not your true love is human?

Why it rocks: Clocking in at three hours, there's more than a Wall Street corporate raider's share of indulges to feast upon in the new film from Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Jordan Belfort, a real-life cad who made just shy of a million a week as wealthy stockbroker during the corporate-raiding '80s, living a life of hedonism and illegal money operations until the federal government finally caught up with him. Leo's onscreen reunion with frequent collaborator Scorsese delivers an orgiastic exercise in '80s exce$$, with mountains of cocaine and a stellar supporting cast that includes a loopy, screne-stealing Matthew McConaughey and an impressive Jonah Hill showing that Moneyball was no fluke.

Why it rocks: Many are calling it The Empire Strikes Back of The Hunger Games franchise (for non-geeks, that means the sequel one-ups the first in terms of scope and character development). The second film in the blockbuster dystopian franchise finds a triumphant Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) suddenly faced with the ramifications of the tricky stunt that kept them both alive as they prepare for the Quarter Quell. Is it as good as the fans say it is? The box office numbers don't lie... May the odds be ever in your favor!