Ranking The Star Trek Movies

"Space...the final frontier"

-Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek: The Original Series (1966-1969)

The Star Trek franchise has expanded once more, as the new series Star Trek: Picard premiered in January and new episodes are being released weekly. The franchise has an impressive track record with a total of 8 TV shows and 13 movies to its name, and more being planned all the time. Today I shall rank the movies of the franchise - after season 1 of Picard is finished, I will probably rank the TV shows as well with the new one included.

13. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

Yes, Star Trek is possibly the only movie franchise in history where the very first one is the very worst one. This is partially explained by the fact that Star Trek was a television series before being a movie series; therefore the first film doesn't have the advantage of starting it all. In addition, Star Trek: The Motion Picture is a lazily written movie that attempted to cash in on the success of the series without really understanding its essence, while randomly trying to be Star Wars or 2001: A Space Odyssey at critical points. It isn't all bad, though: at times, it is quite fun seeing the original cast return and reunite on the big screen. A majority of the film is quite a mess, though...thankfully the sequels were major improvements!

12. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

The fifth installment of the six original cast movies, this one is generally considered to be the very worst Star Trek film, and I can see why. Captain Kirk's actor William Shatner was chosen to direct the film, and while I don't intend to offend such a legendary actor, I do think he should've stuck to acting in this case. The film is ranked higher than The Motion Picture because there is a lot to like: the camaraderie of the main cast as they age is quite heartfelt, and the concept of religion and searching for a higher power within the Trek universe is intriguing (at first).

Why is it ranked so low then? Well, the directing by Shatner is quite disjointed, and the deep higher power -themes are squandered towards the end as the plot is resolved by a ridiculous set of twists. Also, the film's villain is Spock's evil half-brother Sybok - who thought this would be a good idea?

11. Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

This final installment of The Next Generation sequel films is also one to cause mixed feelings, yet when compared to The Motion Picture or The Final Frontier, the good does outweigh the bad in Nemesis. These good sides include the Next Generation cast getting a good send-off with especially the character Data being written off in a powerful way, as well as a young Tom Hardy playing the film's villain Shinzon and the plot having an interesting nature vs. nurture -theme to it. That being said, the film is weighed down by director Stuart Baird and the writing team not really understanding the Star Trek world, breaking many of its rules (and not in the cool, groundbreaking way) and often feeling like one of the Star Wars prequels atmosphere-wise.

10. Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

While nothing in this film is mind-blowing or amazing (except for Sir Patrick Stewart's acting), everything is thoroughly decent, making for a solid Next Generation follow-up. The cast is awesome as always, and the beginning half of the movie is delightfully chill as we follow them exploring a new world and interacting with its culture. Then the titular insurrection begins, as Captain Picard finds out the Federation is conspiring against these people, and the Enterprise crew starts to rebel. It's a fun film with an interesting story and excellent directing by Jonathan Frakes, but ultimately it feels more like an extra-long episode of The Next Generation than a proper piece of cinema.

9. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984)

Directed by Spock actor Leonard Nimoy (who apparently had more talent in directing than a certain castmate), this installment of the original cast movies just nails the ultimate Star Trek atmosphere. While the film's main story is about a slightly far-fetched plan to bring a character back to life (which was ultimately worth it), a majority of it is spent on a new and exciting planet, giving the crew a chance to explore and go where no one has gone before. Add to that a Klingon villain played by Christopher Lloyd, an emotional send-off to the original version of the USS Enterprise, and a sweet feel-good ending, and you've got yourself a successful Star Trek film.

8. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

It's not every year that a Star Trek film nabs four Oscar nominations, including Best Cinematography and Best Original Score. This fun and thoroughly well-made film would be much higher on most people's rankings, and its placement here isn't due to it being overrated - I rather find many of the other Trek films to be very underrated. That being said, The Voyage Home is a delightful and entertaining movie with a lot to offer. The time-travel story, the comedic elements, the mysterious probe and the satisfying ending make for quite an awesome film.

7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Ah, 1994, my favorite movie year of all time (fun fact: Forrest Gump, The Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction and The Lion King all came out during that one year). In between the six original cast films and the trilogy of Next Generation films there was this crossover, which brought the two most iconic Star Trek captains together. While the film does have minor flaws, none of them are strong enough to counter the sheer awesomeness of William Shatner's Kirk meeting and interacting with Patrick Stewart's Picard. The film also has a decent villain portrayed by Malcolm McDowell, good supporting performances by the Next Generation cast, a few Original Series cameos in addition to Kirk's big role, and a fascinating new sci-fi concept called the Nexus. But the true beauty of this film is definitely in the epic team-up of Kirk and Picard!

6. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

I am a big fan of the newest batch of Star Trek films, starring Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as the younger and alternate-timeline versions of Kirk and Spock. Even my least favorite of these films is so high on my list; while there are some elements in Into Darkness I didn't quite agree with, a majority of it absolutely great. Starting with a thrilling, adrenaline-pumping adventure sequence and going on to retell the story of Enterprise's fight with Khan with plenty of new twists, this exciting film was another success by reboot king J.J. Abrams.

The reasons for this being lower than the other new films are in the more intricate parts of the plot: the resolution is a bit uninspired and the consistency of the Khan storyline doesn't make that much sense when considering Star Trek canon. Still, Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing as the villainous Khan, and the main cast knocks it out of the park once again.

5. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

This was the final film to star the original Star Trek cast, and what a send-off they got. The film succeeds as a franchise finale on an intimate human level, as the main cast get to be heroes together for one last time and their chemistry is on a level that can only be reached by working together for decades. It also succeeds as a finale on a larger level, however: the symbolism of the film is its greatest asset. Released during the final months of the Cold War as the USSR was changing, Germany had been unified and diplomacy seemed to be winning, the effect of the time period can be thoroughly felt in this movie. After decades of warmongering, the Federation is on the verge of peace with the Klingon Empire in this film, and it's the Enterprise crew's job to make sure that the peace deal goes through. Heartwarming and powerful, this is truly the ending that the wonderful cast deserved.

4. Star Trek Beyond (2016)

This installment was released on the year that the Star Trek franchise turned 50 years old. As far as 50th anniversaries go, I didn't find it as perfect as Doctor Who's The Day Of The Doctor, but honestly better than James Bond's Skyfall. Rather than going for an epic spectacle, the franchise celebrated this milestone by making a movie that is simply very Star Trek. Elements of the J.J. Abrams reboots are combined with elements of the original TV series, making for a blockbuster film featuring a lot of cool exploration and philosophy. Idris Elba is impeccable as the villain Krall, the main cast is brilliant, and the visual effects are quite amazing. Much like with the original series, the magic of this film is in the interactions between the characters: my absolute favorite parts of Star Trek: Beyond are the ones where the crew is divided into smaller groups and their chemistry and dialogue are wonderfully entertaining.

3. Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan (1982)

This is the film that most fans would put on first place without question - and I can see why. The Wrath Of Khan is an amazing film, and such an incredible step up from the less-than-impressive Star Trek: The Motion Picture which it followed. The pacing is superb, as everything in the story unfolds in such an exciting and engrossing way, and the directing by Nicholas Meyer fits the Trek universe with perfection. The main story is a creative follow-up to a classic episode from The Original Series, as one-time villain Khan returns and makes for an amazing antagonist, now motivated by revenge and played once again by the iconic Ricardo Montalban. The film's ending is incredibly emotional, as the plot is resolved by a moment that would put most Star Trek fans to tears.

2. Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

This one is quite simply larger than life. As a blockbuster sequel to The Next Generation it's already very decent, with brilliant directing by Jonathan Frakes and an exciting plot about the Enterprise following the Borg back in time in order to thwart a plan of theirs. What makes this film amazing, however, are the ideals behind it. The Star Trek movies have often been criticized by fans for being less philosophical and less focused on the values of the Star Trek shows, but First Contact is the biggest exception. The story is very powerful, showing the background to the utopian future of the Trek universe, and thus showing humanity a potential path forward, to a prosperous future free of war and greed.

1. Star Trek (2009)

My favorite Star Trek film just has the be this masterful J.J. Abrams reboot. The idea of re-introducing the classic Enterprise crew to a new generation is interesting enough, but the way the film goes about it is truly genius. Through an out-of-the-box story setting, the film both takes and doesn't take place in the original Star Trek timeline; it's part of the same canon and a direct continuation to the original series, yet it features a new timeline being created within the fictional universe by an older version of Spock and the film's villain Nero. This allows the film to make changes to the classic characters and tell their backstories, while still being part of the same fictional world instead of starting from scratch. This in turn allows the film to be a sequel, a prequel and a reboot all at the same time - if all of that was gibberish to you, I'll just say that this movie's setting is science fiction at its most creative.

And then there's the casting. Star Trek is one of the best-cast movies I've ever seen, as all seven younger versions of the main Enterprise crew are loyally similar to their original counterparts while also managing to put a fresh spin on their characters. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are especially pitch perfect as Kirk and Spock, and besides the main crew there's also Eric Bana killing it as the villainous Nero and of course Leonard Nimoy reprising his legendary role as the original Spock due to the film's timeline-shifting nature. The movie's final scene is one of my favorite movie endings ever, setting in stone the fact that this film breathed new life into the Star Trek world in the most wonderful way. Star Trek managed to be both a nostalgic love letter to the original series and an exciting new direction for the franchise.


Thanks for reading - subscribe via the "follow by email" field below if you want email notifications of my weekly blog posts! Tune in next week for my top 10 favorite horror films of all time!

Top 30 Movie Scores Of All Time

As a musician who is very much into movies, cinematic scores are pretty much my favorite thing in the world. My dad challenged me to post a list of the all-time greatest movie scores on my blog, and a challenge it indeed was. There are way more than 10 scores that deserve to be talked about, so I opted to make a top 30-list (don't worry, dear reader; the descriptions are shorter than usual so the post won't take 15 hours to read). Below is a list of my 30 favorite movie scores of all time; to qualify, the soundtrack must be a) instrumental and b) original (some of these films feature other music as well, but for this list I judge them only based on their original instrumental scores).

Here are my honorable mentions: Casablanca (Max Steiner), Dead Poets Society (Maurice Jarre), The Elephant Man (John Morris), Titanic (James Horner), Schindler's List (John Williams)

30. The Social Network (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross)

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross of Nine Inch Nails were quite an out-of-the-box choice to compose the soundtrack to Facebook biopic The Social Network. They did an amazing job however, producing a score that mixes the psychedelia and industrial sounds of Nine Inch Nails with the norms and styles of instrumental cinematic music. This made for a unique soundtrack suited perfectly for the dramatic story of Mark Zuckerberg and company.

29. The Nightmare On Elm Street Franchise (Charles Bernstein)

One of the many horror movie scores to appear on this list, Bernstein's music for the Nightmare On Elm Street franchise (especially the original film) is some of the creepiest music ever composed. While the long and tense tracks in the film are decent, the true genius of this score is in the short interlude pieces that pop up in critical places. The iconic main melody theme and much of the music accompanying it throughout the film is bone-chillingly scary, and thus very appropriate for one of the most frightening horror films ever made.

28. The Back To The Future Trilogy (Alan Silvestri)

Alan Silvestri has got to be the world's greatest composer of John Williams -style soundtracks without being John Williams. The Back To The Future score is very reminiscent of Williams's work, yet ultimately very original and perfect for the film in question. The epic brass melody in the main theme is glorious and fun, echoing the attitude of the time-travelling film trilogy in just the right way.

27. BlacKKKlansman (Terence Blanchard)

There are two layers to this recent movie score. The soundtrack during a majority of the film (everything after the opening scene and before the final scene) is a wonderful re-imagining of saxophone-heavy police movie soundtracks from the 70's and 80's - cheesy yet dramatic and appropriate. However, the movie's opening and ending scenes - very similar to each other regarding their themes - feature serious and emotional orchestral music, which ties in well with the overarching themes of the film.

26. Jaws (John Williams)

How much can one do with just two notes? That is a question that can only be answered by watching Spielberg's Jaws and paying attention to the intense John Williams score. The main melody that most of the tracks are based on is an intricate balancing of two consecutive notes, and it works wonders. Of course there is an orchestra adding harmonies as the music goes on, and many changing rhythms, yet in its essence the music of Jaws is so great because the two-note motif works so well and stays fresh and exciting throughout the film.

25. It & It: Chapter Two (Benjamin Wallfisch)

The spirit of Stephen King's novel can be felt clearly in Benjamin Wallfisch's It score. The book, as well as the film adaptation, is a combination of beautiful coming-of-age story and terrifying horror story, and Wallfisch nails this combo with his soundtrack. At times the music is emotional, humane and beautiful, while at others it is intense and very creepy. From the suspenseful string section in the opening scene of 2017's It to the emotional track at the end of the 2019 sequel, the music played a huge part in the It movies being a solid adaptation that did King's novel justice.

24. The Star Trek Franchise (2009 Onwards) (Michael Giacchino)

As a whole, the Star Trek franchise has many great soundtracks to its name (the music is honestly the best part about 1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture, even though the original set of films barely missed out on this list). With the 2009 reboot, Michael Giacchino (a man who forever has a place in my heart due to his work on the Lost soundtrack) faced the challenge of combining the undying themes of exploration and adventure from the 1960's Star Trek series with a modern cinematic style fitting a J.J. Abrams blockbuster. He did a fantastic job, composing a soundtrack that feels more majestic and cinematic than any previous Star Trek scores yet still resonates with the essence of the franchise and its roots.

23. The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (Michael Brook)

The score to this wonderful coming-of-age drama is untypical yet absolutely incredible. The use of long and slow chords played on various synth pads makes for a score that is constantly evolving and in perfect harmony with main character Charlie's story and the various phases he goes through in the film. Heartbreaking at times and uplifting at others, Michael Brook's music adds a lot to the deep emotional power of this fantastic film.

22. Gandhi (Ravi Shankar & George Fenton)

Legendary Indian composer Ravi Shankar worked with George Fenton to create just the right atmosphere for the biographical film of Mahatma Gandhi. The combination of Indian classical music elements with modern cinematic musical themes is incredible, making for a score that feels exotic and very Indian, while also having all the makings of a conventional Oscar-worthy soundtrack.

21. Psycho (Bernard Herrmann)

The most iconic horror soundtrack of all time deserves a lot of praise, even though it isn't quite my #1 favorite for the genre (see #7 on this list). I'm always amused when I remember that Alfred Hitchcock originally wanted Herrmann to compose a film-noir style jazz soundtrack for Psycho - the world would be a strange place had that happened. Herrmann's counter-proposal of making a string-heavy score was a great idea - the sharp and high-pitched string section in the infamous shower scene makes for one of the most inventive and influential moments in movie music history.

20. The Indiana Jones Franchise (John Williams)

Hearing five seconds of the main Indiana Jones theme is enough to make me want to hop on a plane and go on an thrilling adventure in some exotic setting. The adventurous spirit of the franchise translates so well into the magnificent John Williams score, with so many of the tracks being iconic and exciting - and surprisingly complex musically, as you might expect from a composer as genius as John Williams.

19. Black Panther (Ludwig Göransson)

Like quite a few of the scores on this list, Black Panther won the Academy Award for Best Original Score - a historic win for a comic book movie. And it was thoroughly deserved; Göransson did with the movie's African setting what Shankar & Fenton did with Gandhi and India: a perfect combination of cinema soundtrack norms and local music specific to certain parts of the world. A deep study of African music was conducted by Göransson as he composed the Black Panther score, leading to an exotic soundtrack that sounds genuinely African while also feeling genuinely Marvel. And as fan of creative rhythms, I'd say this film's main theme has that area covered more than hardly any other blockbuster.

18. The Terminator Franchise (Brad Fiedel)

1984's The Terminator had a soundtrack tailored for the film's atmosphere; a mixture of futuristic sci-fi sounds and an intense, badass rhythm fitting the action of the movie. Despite it being an action movie at its core, The Terminator also has a strong message of hope and humanity in its plot, and that comes across in the faint and emotional horn melody playing on top of the machinery-like rhythm. Brad Fiedel further improved upon this with 1991's Terminator: Judgement Day, with his arrangements of the first film's tracks being more dramatic and large in scale, while still having the same essence.

17. Top Gun (Harold Faltermeyer)

This is an interesting one: most people remember the Top Gun soundtrack for its use of pop/rock songs like Danger Zone and Take My Breath Away. While they do contribute a lot to the film's atmosphere, so does the extremely underrated instrumental soundtrack between those songs. Both versions of Faltermeyer's Top Gun Anthem are pitch perfect; the adrenaline-inducing buildup version played in the film's opening scene before Danger Zone kicks off, as well as the guitar-melody version played during the film's climax in what can only be called the most glorious action movie music of all time.

16. Birdman (Antonio Sanchez)

I may me partial to this one; I'm a drummer, and one doesn't come across movie soundtracks consisting entirely of drums very often. While the mere idea of a drum-based soundtrack is enough to get my attention, it's the inventive execution of this idea that puts the Birdman soundtrack this high on my list. The drumming is perfect for the film's unique and chaotic feeling, not to mention extremely skillful and rhythmically diverse.

15. Dunkirk (Hans Zimmer)

The entire soundtrack to Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk comes across as if it were one, two-hour long piece of music. It never ceases and is constantly evolving, matching the movie's engrossing intensity at every moment. The percussion rhythm in the background is like a ticking time bomb, building up towards something big and feeling suspenseful at all times. For a war film like Dunkirk, this unique soundtrack is absolutely perfect.

14. The Avengers Saga (Alan Silvestri)

2012's The Avengers was an ambitious project, bringing together the heroes from multiple superhero films, and the soundtrack had to match the ambition and epicness of what was happening on screen. Alan Silvestri was the right man for the job, with the overall score being quite majestic and especially the main theme and variations on its melody being some of the most glorious music ever heard in a movie soundtrack. As the team-ups and plotlines got even bigger with Avengers: Age Of Ultron and Avengers: Infinity War, so did the soundtrack, with Silvestri arranging the same melody ideas for even larger orchestras playing the music with even more gravitas. 2019's Avengers: Endgame brought this to an extreme, with melody of the main theme being ingeniously teased throughout the film and finally breaking through with unforeseen magnificence in the climactic battle scene.

13. The Godfather Trilogy (Nino Rota)

Nino Rota's soundtrack for Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather movies is pure class. I once happened upon an Italian string quartet playing the film's main theme live on a sunny day in Venice, and this was perhaps the most magical moment of my life. The beautiful and timeless aesthetic of these films is personified by the beautiful string melodies in Nino Rota's Love Theme, The Godfather Waltz and other undying tracks from this masterful work.

12. The Dark Knight Trilogy (Hans Zimmer)

No other director/composer duo has been as prolific in the modern film era as Christopher Nolan and Hans Zimmer - four of Zimmer's scores from Nolan films have made it onto this list of mine. Among them is the intense soundscape of blaring horns that defines the Dark Knight films. Large in scale and perfectly atmospheric for the series's dark depiction of Gotham City, this soundtrack is truly epic and befitting this wonderful film trilogy.

11. 1917 (Thomas Newman)

The newest of the scores to make this list, the 1917 soundtrack was somewhat robbed of an Oscar this year in my opinion (the Joker soundtrack was also very good, but still...). Similar in style to the Dunkirk score yet even more heart-pounding, emotional and intense, this Thomas Newman piece worked wonders for Sam Mendes's war film. The track Sixteen Hundred Men, played in a climactic scene, is some of the best music to ever depict the gruesome and chaotic nature of war.

10. Braveheart (James Horner)

By now you might have noticed that I have a thing for soundtracks that infuse typical cinematic score elements with the traditional music elements of the culture where the film is set (see: Gandhi, Black Panther, etc.). No score does that quite as well as James Horner's acclaimed music to Braveheart. The use of bagpipes, as well as harmonies and scales typical for Scottish music, makes the film's atmosphere feel so much more authentic. In addition to the iconic main theme and other memorable songs, the track Sons Of Scotland (played on the background of the iconic scene where William Wallace gives his battle speech at Stirling) is one of the best individual tracks from any movie score ever made.

9. Home Alone (John Williams)

I'll admit that this score's placement on my list is boosted by my childhood nostalgia for this film and its first sequel - but so what? The point of movie music is to cause emotional reactions, and opinions about movies are supposed to be subjective. Also, my nostalgia isn't the only reason for this placement - the Home Alone soundtrack is also a great piece of music on a more "objective" level, as you may expect from the great John Williams. The main title with its emotional modulations, the Holiday Flight -theme that has become synonymous with chaotic pre-holiday stress, and the adrenaline-inducing Setting The Trap -track are all examples of the amazing and magical music that is an essential part of this holiday classic.

8. The Jurassic Park Franchise (John Williams)

The majestic beauty of this score is quite one of a kind. While the Jurassic Park films have their tense and thrilling moments, they are ultimately a series of quite beautiful films where ancient creatures are brought back to life on an exotic island. And that is where the soundtrack succeeds the most; while the suspenseful scenes also have very good music accompanying them, it's the moments where the characters stop to look in awe at what the park has to offer where Williams's music is truly in its element. The main theme is an absolutely brilliant piece of orchestral music, with many of the other tracks being on the same level.

7. The Halloween Franchise (John Carpenter)

With this one, it's mostly about the main theme. It's perhaps the greatest main theme of a film soundtrack to ever be made (I can't really decide between this one and the main theme from #2 on this list). While the score also has other very decent pieces to it, the recurring main melody of the Halloween franchise is the best piece of music ever made for a horror film. The sheer intensity and feeling of horror of the track gives me the chills every time it plays during one of the Halloween films, whether it's in the opening sequence or the opening credits or suddenly during a scene to signify something big. The rhythms, chord progressions and sounds of the Halloween theme are ingeniously composed, and it makes for a soundtrack perfectly suiting these films.

6. The Harry Potter Franchise (John Williams)

On a non-analytical, intuition-based level, I love this soundtrack for how magical it is. It just sounds so great, and it sounds like the exact atmosphere that is present in J.K. Rowling's books. If I put my musician's hat on and think more analytically, I love this soundtrack even more for how genius it is; I once discovered it's one of the absolutely hardest soundtracks to learn by ear on the piano, because it's excessively complicated despite sounding quite natural. John Williams uses so many different scales and unconventional melodies and harmonies in the main theme alone, not to mention other pieces of the score. I'd also like to give a shout-out to Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper and Alexandre Desplat, for composing new tracks and making arrangements of Williams's themes in the later installments of the franchise.

5. Interstellar (Hans Zimmer)

Every time I hear a piece of the Interstellar score, I'm brought back to the movie theater in 2014. Listening to those tracks even six years afterwards for the millionth time never fails to bring back the exact feeling I had when watching this Christopher Nolan film for the first time; that's how powerful this soundtrack is. Zimmer's use of a simple melody echoing the feeling of contact and signals in the film's plot, as the music around the melody gets louder and more convoluted, is magnificent. The overlapping synth pads and organs get more and more chaotic and intense as the film goes on, leading to a larger-than-life musical experience that makes the film all the more memorable.

4. The Shawshank Redemption (Thomas Newman)

Of all the scores on this list, this one is the hardest to describe by words. It seems to transcend any conventional means of why film music is great. I have described many of the ones on this list as "perfect for the atmosphere of the movie" and "very powerful", but the Shawshank soundtrack takes that to an entirely new level. Newman's score is a masterpiece where every chord, every piano sound and string melody, is one hundred per cent reflective of the emotions the movie is causing at the moment and the power of the story. The stoic, dissonance-filled soundtrack builds up during the film until it finally reaches a breaking point in a certain climactic scene, where are the build-up leads to a glorious-sounding payoff in the titular track The Shawshank Redemption.

3. Inception (Hans Zimmer)

With the trademark large orchestral arrangements, blaring horns and intense progressions of Hans Zimmer, this tour-de-force is a piece of art that very many film composers have been trying to recreate over and over again in the 2010's with similar but less original scores. The track Mombasa is chaotic and rhythmically diverse, while The Dream Is Collapsing is gigantic in scope with its massive and dramatic sounds and chords, and Time is one of the most emotional songs ever composed in any genre. Simply put, the Inception soundtrack is Zimmer's masterpiece.

2. The Star Wars Franchise (John Williams)

How can one not feel chills down their spine when the legendary main theme starts to play at the beginning of every Star Wars film? The music is so very essential to these movies, with the iconic main melodies played by a wonderful brass section being such a big part of the aesthetic of this sci-fi adventure franchise. Apart from the main theme, there are tens and tens of other amazing tracks, with the haunting Force Theme, the universally ominous Imperial March and the dramatic Duel Of The Fates being among my favorites.

1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy (Howard Shore)

Movies, at their best, feel magical. Music has a hand in this phenomenon; movies are at their most magical when the music accompanying them has its own larger-than-life feel to it. And no other soundtrack is so clearly larger than life as Howard Shore's masterful Lord Of The Rings score. I could go on and on about the different tracks and how each of them are perfect reflections of the places and characters they appear with, exact depictions of the atmosphere in Tolkien's books, and cleverly arranged into different versions depending on the intricate nature of each scene, but that subject would deserve its own blog post (or maybe a book). Suffice to say, my absolutely favorite tracks from here include the sweet Concerning Hobbits and its variations, the heart-jerking The Bridge Of Khazad-Dum, the glorious Minas Tirith and the powerful, closure-giving The Grey Havens. All of the other tracks are also amazing.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my ranking of all the films in the Star Trek franchise.

Top 10 Oscar Winners 2019/2020

Hello again, reader!

Today I shall break down my personal favorites of the 2019/2020 Academy Award winners. I have ranked my 10 favorites based on how good the movie was in that specific category, and how deserved that win was (both in relation to other nominees as well as in the context of the film itself). I am excluding Parasite's win for Best International Film, as it is too hard to compare to the rest; it was in many ways the most deserved win, but it was so obvious that it didn't have the same effect as the rest of the night's winners (including the three other awards Parasite got).

Oh, and if anyone's interested, I got 12 out of 24 correct on my Oscar predictions! Not the greatest score, but many of the surprises were positive ones, so I don't mind.

Here are my honorable mentions for today's list: 1917 for Best Sound Mixing, Hair Love for Best Animated Short, Joker for Best Music (Original Score), Parasite for Best Directing, Rocketman for Best Music (Original Song).

10. Best Supporting Actor - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Brad Pitt)

Brad Pitt is a wonderful actor who worked hard for this one; his role in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is probably the best I've ever seen from him. I personally might have given the award to Al Pacino for The Irishman, yet Pitt comes so close that I really can't complain as he basically deserved it just as much. The work that went into this role, Pitt's impressive overall career as well as the heartfelt acceptance speech he gave made me feel very happy about his win.

9. Best Visual Effects - 1917

The practical visual effects of Sam Mendes's war epic were truly amazing. Not relying on CGI but rather on excessively innovative ways of creating explosions, gunfire and other horrors of war through practical effects, the film combines the old-school art of illusions and tricks as a means of visual effects with modern technology to create a visually unique end product.

8. Best Supporting Actress - Marriage Story (Laura Dern)

Laura Dern, overall one of the best actresses working today, had an especially excellent role performance as the lawyer Nora in Netflix's Marriage Story. Dern was charismatic, realistic, complex and powerful in her supporting role, thus making her win very deserved. It was nice to see Marriage Story, being one of the year's greatest films, winning at least one Oscar!

7. Best Live Action Short - The Neighbor's Window

Do yourself a favor: go on Youtube and spend 21 minutes of your life watching this short film. You will not regret it. While my money was on Brotherhood, I am glad that the award went to The Neighbor's Window instead; both were well-made and poignant, but I found this one to be much more powerful. The film has such an important and beautiful message to it, one that we could all benefit from. You care for the main characters staggeringly much considering how short of a time you spend with them. All in all, this short film was great and thoroughly deserving of its Academy Award.

6. Best Original Screenplay - Parasite (Bong Joon Ho, Han Jin Won)

What an incredibly night it was for Bong Joon Ho. After picking up this award and the one for Best International Film, he surely didn't expect to be back on that stage. Then he surprisingly won Best Director, picking up his third Oscar of the night. And when Best Picture went to Parasite as well, he seemed positively shocked. I respect the Academy for recognizing the achievements of this South Korean piece of art on so many fronts, and the award for Best Screenplay especially went to a deserving recipient.

Parasite isn't written like most movies, at least most Hollywood ones. The story is unexpected with its twists and turns, an unlikely combination with its comedic hijinks balanced with very dark moments, and revolutionary in how it conveys its message. Nothing is black and white, as the film manages to discuss themes of class and inequality without shoving anything down the viewer's throat; everything comes across in a subtle and realistic way. This multi-layered story doesn't give anything to the viewer on a silver platter but rather forces one to think for themselves, and we have the film's clever script to thank for that.

5. Best Makeup And Hairstyling - Bombshell

What a marvelous show of skill this one was! While there are other things Jay Roach's Bombshell did arguably even better, makeup and hairstyling were always going to be its biggest chance in the awards season. I can only imagine the amount of intricate work that went into transforming John Lithgow into such a look-alike of Roger Ailes, as well as giving Charlize Theron the exact look of real-life counterpart Megyn Kelly. The film's makeup department proved to be the year's absolute best in their craft, and I was glad to see this award going to the right address.

4. Best Production Design - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

While I personally might have felt that 1917 was even a tad more deserving of this award, I really can't be mad about this one; two exceptionally Oscar-worthy movie sets happened to collide on the same year. The production design for Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon A Time In Hollywood was on point, with the crew creating an incredibly vibrant and detailed 1960's Hollywood. Going as far as to create sets with in the sets for scenes where main character Rick Dalton acts in various movies and TV shows, the creativity and complexity of this film's production design was quite like no other. While Tarantino personally didn't win this year for writing or directing, you could see how happy he was for his production design team (as well as Brad Pitt) winning for their work in his film.

3. Best Picture - Parasite

A huge victory for fans of this film, South Korean cinema and overall recognition of international movies, Parasite's historic Best Picture win was a heartwarming surprise. On a purely subjective level, I liked a few of the category's nominees even more and would've been happy to see frontrunner 1917 taking the award home. That being said, I can't say that Parasite didn't deserve this. It is a wonderfully built, unique and impressive film that has a lot to say while also providing entertainment and visual beauty.

Furthermore, Parasite's victory is a symbolic one. The Oscars are criticized for being too white all too often, and the Academy choosing a South Korean film as Best Picture is a good sign for representation and diversity in Hollywood. With nothing against Hollywood, it is awesome to see other movie cultures being celebrated along American film, and hopefully this will boost the success of international films both in the box office and in critical acclaim.

2. Best Lead Actor - Joker (Joaquin Phoenix)

Ahead of the awards season, there were many reasons to believe that Joaquin Phoenix wouldn't win this award: while a majority of movie people saw this as the year's best acting performance, many were concerned whether the Academy would risk their integrity in voting for such a "dangerous" movie or just a comic book movie, especially the same comic book character for a second time (Heath Ledger won for playing a different interpretation of the Joker in 2008/2009). However as the Oscars neared and Phoenix won multiple other awards, the buzz got more real, and surely enough he got his Oscar. This was worth it if for his amazing acceptance speech alone (how can one be so punk rock yet so heartbreakingly emotional at the same time?), but also because this win was so incredibly well-deserved.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance in Joker is bone-chilling and powerful. He gets so deep into character as Arthur Fleck, and makes the viewer wonder with his mix of being frighteningly over-the-top yet frighteningly realistic. His portrayal of mental illness, terrifying laugh and perfect delivery of every single line makes for a pure Oscar-winning performance if I ever saw one. Well done, Mr. Phoenix.

1. Best Cinematography - 1917 (Roger Deakins)

I would have been mad if this award had gone to anyone else. As I mentioned in my Oscar predictions, 1917 has the best cinematography of any film I have ever seen. The complex and impressive camera work of the long takes the film is built on is pitch perfect throughout the film, adding to the riveting experience of watching the end product. Roger Deakins's win was my favorite of the night.


That's all for the Oscar season! Tune in next week for the list of my all-time favorite movie scores!

My 2019/2020 Oscar Predictions

Confused by the title? I'm quite tired of the annual confusion in Oscar-related media on whether "The 2019 Oscars" refers to the gala held in 2019 for movies released in 2018, or the gala held in 2020 for movies released in 2019; so I'm trying to build a bridge. Anyways, here are my predictions for this year's Academy Award winners! These aren't necessarily the same as the movies that I want to win, but rather my predictions on which ones will win in the end (these two do overlap quite often).

Best Picture - 1917

While I do believe this category to be a 50-50 toss-up between 1917 and Parasite (if anything else wins, I will be truly surprised), I do believe Sam Mendes's war epic to have a slight edge. Between winning the Golden Globe for best drama, being a unique and groundbreaking technical achievement, gaining immense amounts of praise from critics and dealing with the serious topic of war with a powerful story, 1917 has all the makings for a Best Picture winner.

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Joker (Joaquin Phoenix)

While Leo DiCaprio and Adam Driver also have somewhat of a shot, I still see Joaquin Phoenix's win as the easily most likely scenario. His performance has been the subject of incredible praise on all fronts ever since Joker hit the theaters, and his one-of-a-kind portrayal of mental illness and descending into madness is just the kind of gripping stuff that often dominates the acting categories in the Academy Awards. If Phoenix indeed wins for his stunning performance, it will be thoroughly deserved.

Best Actress in a Leading Role - Judy (Renée Zellweger)

While I haven't unfortunately seen this film (I really would love to see all of these movies but my student budget has different priorities), I have noticed that Zellweger's performance in this film has gathered more critical praise than any of the other Best Actress nominees. Between playing an iconic real-life figure, portraying a complex personality and being a wonderfully talented actress, Zellweger is very likely to pick up her second Academy Award.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Brad Pitt)

This category is very much up for grabs, with Al Pacino and Tom Hanks also having a fair chance. I still see Brad Pitt as the likeliest option; he has been crushing the awards season with a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, a Screen Actors Guild award and a Critic's Choice award for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. And no wonder; Pitt's performance in Tarantino's film truly is Oscar-worthy and a highlight of his impressive career.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Marriage Story (Laura Dern)

Laura Dern's performance in Marriage Story is the definition of great supporting acting; she never steals the spotlight from the film's two strong lead performances, yet makes the story richer with her portrayal of a morally complicated lawyer with just the right amount of compassion to be likable yet just the right amount of rule-bending and selfishness to be antagonistic at times. Dern does such an amazing job balancing the different sides of her character that the Academy is very likely to recognize it.

Best Director - 1917 (Sam Mendes)

I mean, it's one of the best-directed movies ever made. Any other year, Tarantino's work in Once Upon A Time In Hollywood or Scorsese's in The Irishman would be extremely hard to beat in the Oscar race, but this year all other directing feats dwarf in comparison to Sam Mendes's intricate, carefully crafted masterpiece.

Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay - Jojo Rabbit (Taika Waititi)

This is one of the harder categories to predict - will the Academy prefer Joker's adaptation of comic book storylines into a gritty real-life scenario, Little Women's adaptation of a classic novel onto the silver screen, or The Irishman's cinematic take on a true story? While all of those films do stand a chance, my money is on Jojo Rabbit for sheer uniqueness - much like with Get Out's screenwriting Oscar in 2017/2018, I believe the Academy will prefer a unique work unlike anything else that has been made. True stories and novel adaptations are up for the Oscars every year, but when else would the Academy get to vote for a critically acclaimed Hitler-comedy?

Best Writing, Original Screenplay - Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (Quentin Tarantino)

Much like the adapted screenplay category, this is one that I'm not all that sure about. My money is on Tarantino's wonderfully original and multi-layered script for Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but I won't be the least bit surprised if Noah Baumbach nabs the award for his work on Marriage Story. Parasite, 1917 and even Knives Out to some degree have chance as well as they all have gained much acclaim for their writing, making this the only category where any of the five nominees could win without it being a major surprise.

Best Animated Feature Film - Klaus

Fiercely competing with Toy Story 4 for the animated feature award, I think Klaus will make it as this year's winner - as acclaimed as Toy Story 4 was, the Academy does generally prefer original works to franchise sequels. While I haven't seen Klaus, I have noticed the multitude of compliments that critics have given it, and it does sound like the kind of film the Academy would look favorably upon.

Best Cinematography - 1917 (Roger Deakins)

This is the one I'd bet on, were I a betting man. Featuring the hands-down best cinematography I have ever seen in any film, there is no way in Hell that 1917 isn't taking home the Oscar for best cinematography. This award going to anyone except 14-time nominee Roger Deakins would make for a shocking upset in the Best Cinematography race - if you can call it a race.

Best Costume Design - Little Women (Jacqueline Durran)

A beautiful-looking period piece with costume design by 6-time Oscar nominee Jacqueline Durran, Little Women is this category's frontrunner with Once Upon A Time In Hollwood close on its heels. Actual voting-on-your-heart aside (as the Oscars have been known to incorporate other elements into their choices), the Academy will likely want to give at least one win for Little Women after upsetting the film's fan base with snubbing Greta Gerwig for Best Director. If the film wins nothing else, I'm guessing it at least gets this one.

Best Documentary, Feature - For Sama

A critically decorated documentary about the female experience of war? Sure sounds like an Oscar winner to me. Similarly themed The Cave is another strong contender, but there seems to be more critical buzz around For Sama.

Best Documentary, Short Subject - In The Absence

In The Abscence is a gripping Korean documentary about the sinking of a ferry with students aboard, the failure in the government's first response to this and the chaotic aftermath that followed. With sharp production values and a grim, eye-opening real-life story unfolding through the 28-minute runtime, In The Absence has all the makings of an Oscar winner for this category.

Best Film Editing - Parasite (Yang Jinmo)

I have a major confession to make: I have not seen Parasite yet. Even a few of the biggest Oscar movies evaded me this year, though I definitely mean to catch Parasite as soon as possible. Oscars can be predicted quite well even when one hasn't seen all the films, due to the somewhat predictable nature of the Academy and the knowledge one has of these films through various media. I do believe Parasite will win something in addition to its inevitable Best International Film win, and best editing seems likely - I've heard good things specifically about the film's editing more than once, even though that isn't a very common area to give special credit to in movie conversations.

Best International Feature Film - Parasite

Along with 1917 in Best Cinematography, this is one of the few categories that I feel truly sure about. Parasite has gained immense praise from critics around the world, not to mention its nominations in other categories such as Best Picture and Best Director, where no other foreign films made the cut. This one is pretty much set in stone.

Best Makeup and Hairstyling - Bombshell (Kazu Hiro, Anne Morgan and Vivian Baker)

Joker also stands a chance in this category for sure, with the iconic look it gave to its titular character. That being said, my figurative money is on Bombshell for its incredible work. The crown jewel of the film's makeup work is transforming John Lithgow into a very realistic-looking Roger Ailes, yet the makeup department also deserves praise for their work in making the rest of the cast look very much like their real-life counterparts - especially Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly.

Best Music, Original Score - Joker (Hildur Guðnadóttir)

Talk about a toss-up - I wouldn't be one bit surprised if this one went to Thomas Newman's heart-pounding 1917 soundtrack or 87-year-old John Williams's dramatic Star Wars: Episode IX score. Still, the likeliest of the likely options is Icelandic composer Hildur Guðnadóttir's atmospheric score for Joker, which has already won plenty of awards and seems to have a clear Oscar momentum to it.

Best Music, Original Song - Harriet ("Stand Up" by Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo)

With powerful lyrics and a standout vocal performance by Cynthia Erivo, Stand Up has all the makings of a victorious Oscar song.

Best Production Design - 1917 (Dennis Gassner and Lee Sandales)

The incredible set design for 1917 will very likely win a well-deserved Academy Award for the work that went into creating the film's setting. Such a huge area of realistic World War I -trenches and battlefields was created for this long-take film, and the end product was quite mesmerizing.

Best Short Film, Animated - Hair Love

Hair Love is a beautiful and sweet short film, with quality animation and a nice story. Pixar's Kitbull is another strong contender for this category, but I bet the Academy will ultimately prefer a smaller production company that also bodes well for minority representation - something the Academy has been repeatedly criticized for not having enough of.

Best Short Film, Live Action - Brotherhood

Much like Hair Love, the Tunisian short film Brotherhood is also a chance for the Oscars to showcase diversity while also giving the award to a thoroughly deserving film. Brotherhood's themes of prejudice, religion, war and family are very universal and topical subjects and the cast is very decent. Another contender is the thought-provoking The Neighbor's Window, but I'm guessing that Brotherhood has the better chance of winning.

Best Sound Editing - 1917 (Oliver Tarney and Rachael Tate)

Creating the soundscape for 1917 was a truly challenging job. As supervising sound editor Oliver Tarney said, they had to help the audience get into the world of the two main characters by revealing everything they come across only as it is revealed to them. This makes for very well-paced and well-timed sound effects, that also come across as realistic and often quite frightening.

Best Sound Mixing - 1917 (Mark Taylor and Stuart Wilson)

I can only imagine how hard 1917's sound team had to work in order to accomplish the realistic sounds that came with the long-take narrative of the movie. The way the heavy breathing, footsteps and other sounds are heard quite loudly above the soundtrack really adds to the depth of the movie's atmosphere, making the viewer more immersed in the story of the main characters. This excellent sound department deserves an Oscar for their efforts (at least possibly - I haven't yet seen Ford v Ferrari, which is considered to be another strong contender for sound mixing.

Best Visual Effects - Avengers: Endgame

This is a neck-to-neck race, with 1917's realistic practical effects, The Lion King's photorealistic animation technique and The Irishman's de-aging technology competing with the more conventional blockbuster CGI of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and Avengers: Endgame. My money is on the very deserving Endgame; the movie looks so incredible from start to finish, with Marvel's visual effects team once again outdoing themselves in terms of cinematic grandeur. Also, considering the more calculating side of the Academy, they might want to award something to the arguably biggest movie in cinema history just out of principle.

Thanks for reading! My afterthoughts on the Oscars - in list form - will be posted here on Thursday as usual.

Ranking All Quentin Tarantino Movies

From his early career of acclaimed crime films, through his wonderfully entertaining 70's nostalgia era, all the way to his more recent trend of rewriting world history, Quentin Tarantino is one of my absolute favorite directors of all time. With the Academy Awards just days away and Tarantino being nominated in the best directing, writing and picture categories for his film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, I figured this would be a good time to share my ranking of the 10 feature films he has made so far. The list will only include films that Tarantino directed himself - therefore Four Rooms, Sin City and From Dusk Till Dawn are not included.

I hope you enjoy the list!

10. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The reasons for the Kill Bill movies not being higher on this list are very subjective; they simply didn't make me feel as invested and passionate about their story than other Tarantino films, making them slightly less interesting to watch. But on a cinematic level, I hugely respect the work that went into the series and the sheer creativity and unique style that Tarantino poured into it. Kill Bill: Vol 1 follows The Bride (brilliantly portrayed by a badass Uma Thurman) on her quest for vengeance, culminating in a violent and extremely well-choreographed action sequence where she takes on an elite assassination squad. A highlight of the film is the backstory sequence for the villain O'ren Ishii (Lucy Liu), brought to life in anime style which makes for an entertaining, out-of-the-box change of pace.

9. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004)

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 is a successful sequel, fulfilling the plot of the first installment and taking the story to a satisfying ending. The reason for this second part being barely ahead of the first movie lies within my passion for good endings: Vol. 2 is just as well-made and interesting as the first one, with the addition that it makes for a thoroughly decent climax to the two-film story. Highlights of the film include the intense wedding day opening sequence, the chapter where The Bride trains with the eccentric Pai Mei (Gordon Liu), and especially the bone-chilling final confrontation between The Bride and titular antagonist Bill (David Carradine). While parts of the Kill Bill saga were a bit boring for me compared to Tarantino's other works (please don't burn me, fellow film enthusiasts), they are still very well-made action cinema that I hold in high regard.

8. Death Proof (2007)

This first half of the Tarantino-Rodriguez double feature Grindhouse is one of those impressive films that manage to work both as a parody and as a film on its own (much like Wes Craven's Scream for the horror genre). Clearly made as an over-the-top homage to the b-list "sexploitation" action flicks of the 60's and 70's, the film has a lot of fun with the tropes of that genre. Still, Death Proof also rises above that to be an awesome action movie in its own right, thanks to brilliant dialogue, sharp casting, unique storytelling devices and one hell of an action sequence. Seriously, the intense scene of Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) chasing a car with Zoe Bell (played by the real-life Zoe Bell) hanging on the hood is possibly my favorite action sequence from any Tarantino film. Also, the ending of the movie is delightfully satisfying and humorous. A lot of people dismiss this as the weakest Tarantino film, but I found that the lack of seriousness didn't make it any worse when viewed as a ridiculous and entertaining piece of action nostalgia.

7. Django Unchained (2012)

Tarantino's one-of-a-kind style of making movies and the aesthetic of the western genre made for an unlikely match made in heaven. Far from being a typical western, Django Unchained features many of the genre's tropes and intricacies while putting a very Tarantino twist on them, making for a strange and awesome film. It isn't higher than this on my list mainly because it isn't as much of a start-to-finish entertainment extravaganza as many of Tarantino's films; at times the 165-minute runtime felt a bit long. That being said, around 83 per cent of Django was absolutely wonderful to watch, with its anachronistic soundtrack and violent yet heroic revenge story making for a memorable piece of cinema. The cast is beyond amazing: a charismatic lead performance from Jamie Foxx, an untypical villain performance by Leonardo DiCaprio, a solid role by Tarantino's go-to actor Samuel L. Jackson and an Oscar-winning performance by Christoph Waltz make for a dynamite combination.

6. Reservoir Dogs (1992)

For most directors, the first feature film is a somewhat flawed freshman effort, where they're still trying to find their own style. But with this particular director, the debut film is the most Tarantino-esque film imaginable, proving that he had a clear vision and confidence for his filmmaking style from the get-go. Filled to the brim with pop culture references, cool and entertaining dialogue, chill humor mixed with crime and tension, and non-linear storytelling, Reservoir Dogs is the perfect typical Tarantino film. The plot follows a group of gangsters after a diamond heist gone wrong, and the cast playing them is appropriately absolute diamond quality: Harvey Keitel, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth, Steve Buscemi and Tarantino himself all play eccentric characters who have brilliant chemistry with each other. Also, the film's final showdown is absolutely perfect.

5. Inglorious Basterds (2010)

Tarantino's films always have a peculiar humorous aspect to them; while they are never comedies, they never take themselves too seriously and thus feel amusing in a self-aware and entertainment-driven way. Critics were skeptical about how this would play with a film set in World War II Europe, a dead-serious setting that usually makes for heart-stopping and depressing movies. Yet somehow it all worked out, making for yet another instance of Tarantino making a unique addition to a whole genre by adding his own trademark style.

The beauty of Inglorious Basterds is that it manages to be so entertaining and fun without belittling the horrors of the second world war, never making jokes in poor taste. The evil of the Nazi regime is on full display, followed through the violent yet charismatic group of Inglorious Basterds, sent to assassinate Nazi leaders and lead by Aldo Raine (Brad Pitt). The show is stolen by the gripping subplot about Shosanna (Mélanie Laurent) looking for revenge, and even more so by Christoph Waltz's terrifying, once-again Oscar-winning performance as villain Hans Landa. The film's beginning is incredibly strong, with an extremely tense scene that has since become an iconic moment in modern cinema. Even stronger is the ending where, without spoiling any details, Tarantino goes for a truly revolutionary and out-of-the-box story direction.

4. Jackie Brown (1997)

On a Tarantino scale, it doesn't get more underrated than Jackie Brown. The balancing of dark and realistic crime themes with entertaining dialogue and a laid-back atmosphere is better than ever in this often-forgotten flick. Pam Grier is strong and likable in the lead role as Jackie Brown, a flight attendant who gets sucked into a rabbit hole of crime and risky decisions regarding a large sum of money. Samuel L. Jackson, Robert De Niro and Robert Forster are fantastic in their supporting roles, and the dialogue is even more magnificently entertaining than in most Tarantino films.

While not featuring any actual heists, Jackie Brown profits from a heist-thriller atmosphere, with the build-up to the climactic money exchange featuring incredibly built tension, double-crosses and clever last-minute twists as it all goes down. Ultimately, this is also Tarantino's sweetest film, with a budding romance between two characters being built in the background. This creates a humane sense of caring for the characters that isn't always present in Tarantino's world of crime and violence.

3. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Most Tarantino rankings I've seen have this western near the very bottom of the pack, which I do understand - this film is not for everyone, and even the people who liked it might often prefer Tarantino's older classics. For me however, The Hateful Eight is an absolute top tier movie for Mr. Tarantino, beating most of his beloved older films by a narrow margin.

With this film, it's all about the premise: A cast of eight extremely talented actors. Locked in a cabin. For three damn hours. And while that premise might sound like it has the makings for a boring end product, The Hateful Eight is not boring for one second; after all, the man in the director's chair is Hollywood's ultimate king of dialogue. The chemistry, interactions and various conflicts between the characters are so incredibly entertaining to follow, and the surprising final act ties it all together in a satisfying fashion. With just the right amounts of historical context, graphic violence, amusing humor and whodunit -mystery, The Hateful Eight makes for a marvelous film that no other director could quite pull off.

2. Once Upon A Time In Hollywood (2019)

To most readers, the most interesting aspect of this list was probably to see where the newest Tarantino film fits in on my list - it is a topical movie, with the Oscars just a few days away and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood up for 10 nominations. And boy, are those nominations deserved. This is indeed my second favorite Tarantino film of all time, proving that not only has the director kept his level, but has been constantly improving upon his work and reinventing it in new, creative ways. I have already explained why the film is one of the best 2019 films in an older post, so now I will focus on it in the scope of this list: why Once Upon A Time In Hollywood is one of the best Tarantino movies.

With a long story and many aspects to it, this film features the best elements of Tarantino's own brand of cinema. It's just as fun and entertaining as Reservoir Dogs, as incredibly acted as Django Unchained, as laid-back and likable as Jackie Brown, as carefully crafted as Inglorious Basterds and as impressively entertaining despite its long runtime as The Hateful Eight. All of the director's talent and vision is poured into this nugget of cinematic gold, which could be considered Tarantino's ultimate career-defining film, if it weren't for one even more deserving option.

And that brings us to number one...

1. Pulp Fiction (1994)

A man could spend a lifetime travelling the world in search of a Tarantino fan whose favorite film from the director is anything but Pulp Fiction. Every single ranking of his films that I have seen - and I've seen many - has this masterpiece at the first place. And that is for a very good reason: it doesn't get any better than this.

Everything I could possibly say about Pulp Fiction's greatness has been said before, but I'll say it again, because it deserves to be said. This is a strange and unconventional crime film, with multiple interconnected stories being told in a non-linear fashion, with seemingly no real point or message but to follow a day in the life of some very interesting characters. It manages to be, despite occurrences of graphic violence and horrible people, extremely fun and entertaining to watch. It's aware of being 'just a movie' to a degree of not taking itself too seriously, while not needing to be meta about it.

Pulp Fiction has possibly the best on-screen chemistry of all time between Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta's characters Jules and Vincent. It definitely has the best dialogue of any film I have ever seen, with every line being just perfect for the film's atmosphere and iconic quotes being thrown around in pretty much every scene. While I do believe that Tarantino outdid himself on a whole new level with Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, I still have to say that Pulp Fiction is the best film in the director's repertoire, and one of the greatest movies ever made.

Tune in this Sunday for a special on my Oscar predictions! My next actual Top 10 -list is coming next Thursday as usual, and will have to do with the Oscars as well...