Based on the short story by Stephen Vincent Benét, this film is about the devil taking human form as a man named Mr. Scratch and the temptations he offered the titular Daniel Webster, a popular congressman who has aspirations to become the president of the United States, and a poor New Hampshire farmer named Jabez Stone who soon sells his soul to Scratch for wealth. The ensuing story shows Jabez’s descent into greed and insolence as Scratch’s hold grows stronger over him. William Dieterle serves as the director here and immediately cements himself as a director you wish you had discovered sooner. The way he plays with imagery here, melting the barrier between literal and metaphorical and allowing the Devil’s presence to be both foreboding and fearful while also exciting and enticing you with the beauty in it all, is masterful. The plot seems relatively standard, and that’s because this is one of those central origin points of this type of story; the modern-American bridge point from Faustus; and the film still manages to surprise you. Much of the third act takes a turn that I could only describe as Futurama meets Defending Your Life which is just about the biggest green flag I can put into words. 

Skip the bland Sean Penn remake. Broderick Crawford is a bright shining star in this Best Picture-winner where he depicts the political aspirer Willie Stark, whose once genuine aspirations centered around his fellow laymen soon become corrupted by the larger political machine and becomes the type of man he once sought to challenge. Once again, a classic story structure but is reinvigorated by its story structure and central performance. In a simple bur effect move, the movie lets Stark lose his first chance at election. This swift blow challenges his notions of self: if the honesty he approaches individual voters with can’t appeal on a mass level, then surely his methods must be the problem. By taking the story and adding logic and humanity to it, the film allows itself to feel fresh. We must also go back to Crawford, giving a much deserved Oscar-winning performance as this enigmatic lead character who always remembers the human core of Stark. This is beyond a broad caricature of “politician bad” that most stories this side of Adam McKay may stoop to. By taking moments to truly challenge Stark’s ideals, Crawford makes the character feel lived in and more real than many real politicians even now present themselves as.  

(Shoutout to Melissa Woody for writing this guest spot!) Incredible filmmaking that is both devastating and beautiful. The story follows a couple whose relationship is tested when illness shifts their bond from husband and wife to caregiver and patient. It is a brutal yet honest portrayal of love and commitment masterfully crafted by Michael Haneke. Haneke is the king of long static shots that compel you to confront uncomfortable truths and fears. It is equal parts harrowing and romantic but overall a very difficult watch. If you are looking for an emotional gut punch… this one is for you.

Watching Anatomy of a Murder for the first time is a truly shocking experience. There are many times where viewers will claim a classic movie can feel so modern and timeless, but this stands out as a true groundbreaker in subject matter actually discussed on film. The moral greys of this story, centered around James Stewart’s Paul Biegler legal defense of a man who killed his wife’s alleged rapist, become darker and seedier as each layer is peeled back. Courtroom dramas are a favorite of early Hollywood, but as the years went on and the Hays Code was less of a dominant and intimidating force, the language of cinema evolved. This was largely pushed by the prevalence of European cinema among American audiences, but the local front was largely headed by Otto Preminger. His commitment to these controversial themes add a sense of ingenuity and vigor to the screen. His direction and commitment to grit propels the wonderful script, with the aforementioned Stewart giving a great performance as expected, and absolute standout Lee Remick giving one of the best performances of the year. The entire film is filled with an electricity that you don’t want to look away, so when the end of the movie finally comes, you feel yourself begin to relax before the ending itself gives one final blow and cements itself as a highlight of its genre. 

Charlie Kaufman is famously known as a filmmaker known for diving into flawed characters and disassembling them to reveal the humanity in all their imperfections. From there, it only makes sense that he would eventually try his hand at stop motion animation. Teaming up with Moral Orel creator, Duke Johnson, Kaufman is able seamlessly adapt to the new medium and create a work that still feels fully his. David Thewlis voices a motivational speaker, Michael Stone, who has grown tired of his life. Everyone he meets sounds the same- quite literally, as nearly every other character is voiced by Tom Noonan with no attempt to hide this repetition. The only solace for Michael is when he suddenly hears a new voice, that of Lisa, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. Lisa thinks so little of herself. She sees herself as truly average and uninspired, always waiting for men to use her to get closer to her more attractive friend, but to Michael, she’s a whole world unexplored. This is one of those examples of what the actual medium of film can accomplish. The use of Tom Noonan’s omnipresence serves as this looming fear of how similar everyone and everything around you is, how you are abandoned in this sea of true mediocrity; and the lack of touching up on the puppet models, allowing their cracks between face plates to show brings in the audience and adds this penetrative factor to the emotional core of Michael and Lisa. The film feels both incredibly human and honest, while also bringing an existential terror to this idea of being lost in your world with no one who understands you or makes you feel like you belong. 

It’s rare for a movie to be a grammatically correct sentence, it’s even rarer for it to be two. Abby Ryder Fortson plays the title character, a young girl who struggles after moving across the country with her complicated family life always following her. There is just such incredible humanity to this film. Every scene reminds you of a memory of your younger self and walks a tightrope of filling you with the anxiety you felt at that time while also making you deeply empathize for Margaret and just want her to get through his hard period in her life. From sleepovers with Grandma to fighting puberty (there’s a scene where the girls exercise to increase their breast size so they can wear bras that is just so perfect at capturing this desire to get older while being deeply childish), the audience is there through every moment of what feels like the most important year of Margaret’s life. Like the moon bringing in the tides to make the ocean feel alive, Rachel McAdams is what propels this film from being great to a genuine masterpiece and hallmark for future generations. She’s not just serving as Margaret’s mother, she is all of our mothers. Every argument where they’ve advocated  for us behind closed doors, every struggle they’ve had to organize a paycheck to get you new clothes, McAdams perfectly captures motherhood and just makes you want to call your mom and thank her for being there for you through all her struggles. There’s one scene in particular where she confesses to Margaret about why her parents aren’t in hers or Margaret’s lives that is played so perfectly that it splits you in two and shatters your heart. This film is a master of tone balancing, allowing these moments of true sorrow to break you while also having consistent comedy without really fighting to make you laugh so hard you can’t catch the next line. This movie, more than many others, captures the true essence of what life can feel like. 

This forgotten comedy stars Jesse Eisenberg as a man who gets mugged on the street and decides to join a dojo to hopefully learn how to defend himself. As he rises belt ranks and gets closer with his sensei, played by Alessandro Nivola giving an incredible performance, and discovers the dojo serves as a breeding ground for toxic masculinity. Above all, this film is hysterical. It rarely takes large comedic swings and instead focuses its efforts on layered dialogue that help elevate the film above its dour tone and themes. This comedic style works perfect for Eisenberg, who’s able to flow between sheepish and his eventual red-pilled descent. This culminates into such a perfect finale that really caps off the film as a hidden gem within the 2010’s. 

Somehow, a movie featuring Robin Williams and Robert De Niro at the height of their powers while also being directed by Penny Marshall immediately following the smash success of Big has been largely looked over and that is a damn shame. It’s not a spoiler to say this film is a very successful tearjerker. Watching Williams’ character help cure patients seen by the rest of the world as barely not catatonic is so incredibly moving and emotional, which you think is where the tears stop, but then the movie continues and seeing the lives these patients go to live and the ensuing consequences of their experimental treatments decides to tear your heart open in ways you didn't know possible. Balancing both incredible hope and the ensuing sorrows is this brutal yet poignant seesaw that you don’t want to get off right through the true climax of this story. Amidst all this harrowing conflict, Williams does what he does best and is able to alleviate the tone and keep everything incredibly easy to watch, where the emotional swings are able to sneak up on you and knock you out when you forget it’s there.