You may be shocked to learn that all of Hypable’s writers are big fans of movies.
To send out 2012, we asked several Hypable writers to share their single-most favorite movie of the year.
For each film we explain why it was our top pick and avoided repeats. We’d love to hear which film is your favorite in the comments, and don’t forget to vote in the 2012 Hypable Awards to tell us which fandoms were the best of 2012!
John Thrasher – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
“I was someone who never read the book and went to see the movie based solely on the amazing trailer. I was absolutely blown away by not only the story but the performances. Logan Lerman as Charlie deserves an Oscar or at the very least a nomination. It felt like I was a part of the story and not sitting in a theater watching. One of my favorite movies ever.”
“One of the funniest movies I’ve seen all year, this movie not only has amazing covers but a hysterical cast that give us hilarious jokes all through-out. It makes fun of other A Capella type movies and shows while also making fun of itself. It’s not afraid to make cheap jokes and laugh at themselves for doing so. The show comes at a time where people laugh at Glee for the cheese. This one completely embraces that cheese.
Although lesbihonest Fat Amy made this movie! She’s acawesome!”
Marama Whyte – The Avengers
“Director Joss Whedon somehow achieved the impossible in this unashamedly nerdy and yet totally accessible extravaganza. Rather than being relegated to the nerd-niche, Whedon managed to convince the world to go and see a film about a group of superheroes they had probably never heard of, and to fall in love with them. Comic book fiends had one giant nerd-gasm, while the rest of the world was introduced to the big bad Marvel universe. The Avengers is no masterpiece of cinema, but it has a little bit of something for everyone, and sometimes that is just exactly what you need.”
Andrew Sims – Ted
“Seth MacFarlane’s directorial debut was easily one of the funniest movies of the year. I spent my time watching Ted in the theater mostly in tears of laugher like much of the audience. The adorable teddy bear living his adult life in even more adult situations was a unique blend of comedy that I’ll be watching again and again on Blu-ray. Bring on the sequel!”
Gabrielle Gold – Argo
“A movie that inspires you and shows the best of government in a time of crisis. With a strong message and excellent directing showcasing a great cast, it is a powerful film. Ben Affleck’s third directorial effort is one to be remembered.”
“Can violence be gut-wrenchingly funny? Writer/Director Martin McDonagh proves the answer to that is ‘yes.’ Not only is the movie one of the funniest movies of the year, it’s also one of the most brilliant. Without giving away spoilers (and the fun), the plot of Seven Psychopaths works in non-traditional ways. As good as the plot is, it is, perhaps, succeeded in brilliance by its cast of characters. This wasn’t a film that I had expected would be even in my top 5 favorite films of 2012, but Seven Psychopaths wound up being a very pleasant surprise.”
Joshua Nealey – The Dark Knight Rises
“Director Christopher Nolan had the monumental task of following up one of the most critically acclaimed comic book films of our time, The Dark Knight, and while there were times when the film suffered from massive plot holes and flawed villains with abysmally acted deaths – if you’re a fan of the genre and the ending of The Dark Knight Rises didn’t give you goosebumps, I can’t fathom what film will.”
Kristen Kranz – End of Watch
“In one of the most honest films of the year, writer/director David Ayer presents the compelling story of two cops looking to make a difference, and how their decisions on the job affect everyone in their lives. Led brillantly by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena, this cast brings the convoluted world of the LAPD to life in perhaps one of the most realistic feeling portrayals of police work to grace the screen since The French Connection. One of the year’s finest films made at one of the smallest budgets, it is a definite must see for fans of cop movies, found footage-style films, and young, eager filmmakers alike.”
Jimmy Bean – Cabin in the Woods
“Andrew Goddard and Joss Whedon’s clever deconstruction of the horror franchise did more than just put five teenagers into a scary cabin in the woods, it exposed an incredible world that basically explains why scary movies exist. The juxtaposition between the workaday lives of the nightmare creators and the horrifying reality of the sacrifice-ees opened up plenty of opportunity for comedy, lampooning both the conventions of the horror genre as well as highlighting the voyeuristic and controlling nature of society. It’s a funny/scary movie with plenty to say, and it manages to retain its rewatchability, even after the film’s big secret is revealed. Also, it basically plays out like a two hour rated-R episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”
“The Hunger Games shows us how well a book can be adapted for film and still maintain its original feel and the majority of its storylines and characterisation. I loved the book, and honestly I rarely feel like the Harry Potter or Twilight adaptations have quite lived up to their literary counterparts, so I wasn’t expecting much – but I was wrong. Jennifer Lawrence deserves all the awards for her stark, honest portrayal of Katniss, and the movie in general just emitted such a strong sense of loyalty to the text, it was a joy to watch for a fan of the books.”
Ben Rubin – Cloud Atlas
“While it was completely pushed to the side, it captures everything that a movie could possibly be in three stunning hours of film. Despite the arguably slow start, it had a constantly intriguing and clever narrative, not to mention six. Technically, the cinematography was brilliant along with amazing special affect and unbelievable makeup that transformed actors into several characters so well that I was barely able to figure out who played who until the credits. Overall, it was an incredibly deep, thoughtful, and original film that left me in a puddle of emotions yet euphoria that truly deserves more credit than it received.”
Natalie Fisher – Salmon Fishing In The Yemen
“I’ve never seen a film so near-perfect and yet so genreless. But it made every mini- element work to the highest degree – comedy, drama, romance, action, from the hysterical instant message conversations between the disembodied Prime Minister and Kristen Scott Thomas, playing his press secretary; the raw and formal interactions between fisheries expert Fred Jones (Ewan McGregor) and his career-focused wife; to the heartwrenching moment when the progressive Yemeni Sheikh offers to give up his life to save Fred’s in a flood. Emily Blunt does wonders with her own storyline as Harriet, both working with Fred on the Sheikh’s salmon fishing project, and dealing with the personal trauma of her new boyfriend’s death in a war zone, as Fred falls in love with her from afar. Beautiful scenery accompanies Simon Beaufoy’s supurb script in an surprising and heartwarming film about, above all things, faith.”
“Skyfall was a landmark in the Bond franchise not just because it marks the film series’ 50th anniversary, but also because it brought the super spy into the 21st century in spectacular fashion. Despite self-aware nods to its past, the film is gritty, dark and realistic with bigger stakes and more character development than we’re used to. Bond has depth, the villian (Javier Bardem) is genuinely disturbing and the action is grounded. Skyfall beckons a promising future for the previously waning franchise, bringing in a new age of sophistication, realism and awards-cred.”
Alec Bojalad – Looper
“The sci-fi movie that we all deserve, but judging by the box office maybe not the one we needed right now. A movie that builds up the rules of time-travel just enough to create a framework for the action onscreen but not enough to make your brain hurt. It successfully creates one of the best sci-fi plotlines over the first hour then gets bored and goes “alright, let’s try something completely different” for the back half of the movie and somehow knocks that out of the park too.”
What is your single-most favorite movie of the year?
We’ll have more looks at this year’s films in the coming days.