Ranking Every Song From Hamilton

How does a Broadway theatrical musical that's not a movie, somehow end up in a blog about movies?

Well, I just really wanted to release this list of mine. Also, now that Hamilton is available to watch on Disney+, it's enough of a film to be worth talking about in a movie blog by my standards. While the musical has been available to stream in the U.S. since July 3rd 2020, it will only become available in Finland next month, as Disney+ opens up its services here. Having seen the musical live in London (hands-down one of the best experiences in my life), as well as having listened to the cast recording for a multitude of times, I'm a huge fan of Hamilton - so naturally I've made a ranking of all 46 songs. This is one of the most challenging lists I've made as all of the songs are so good - the differences in greatness are so small that my ranking changes a bit every time that I re-listen to the soundtrack. But here it is in its current state - I hope you enjoy!

For the sake of clearness, the actors I'll be referring to throughout the text will be the original Broadway Cast, as they're the ones appearing on the soundtrack album as well as the filmed version of the play on Disney+. That being said, pretty much everything I say about them could also be said about the West End cast who I saw live, as they filled the shoes of the original cast with aplomb.

(Spoiler alert: While it is debatable whether something based on history can have "spoilers", this list does discuss specific plot points so I'd urge not to read it if you haven't seen the show but are meaning to watch it. Be sure to come back and check the list out after you've watched it!)

46. Dear Theodosia

Even my least favorite Hamilton song is important and decent. I like the premise, as the song looks at the differences and similarities between Alexander Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) and Aaron Burr (Leslie Odom Jr.) by taking a side-by-side comparison of them writing letters to their children. But while I enjoy the concept, the music isn't on the same level as the rest of Hamilton in my opinion. This type of song isn't exactly Lin-Manuel Miranda's strongest suite as a composer, and it comes off as quite a cliché radio ballad. Still, a nice effort of bringing even more variety and different genres into the show!

45. Schuyler Defeated

In this 1-minute piece, Hamilton and his family learn that his father-in-law has lost his senate seat to Aaron Burr, to the backdrop of chords and melodies familiar from The Schuyler Sisters. It's not mind-blowing or especially memorable, but it makes for an interesting development in the deteriorating relationship between Hamilton and Burr, while also providing an interesting look into the politics of the time.

44. The Reynolds Pamphlet

Sandwiched between the powerful solo ballads Hurricane and Burn in the second act, The Reynolds Pamphlet follows the chaotic aftermath of Hamilton publishing the titular pamphlet where he confesses to having an extramarital affair. It's not one of the more special songs in the musical, but it does get points for having a sick drum beat that sounds like something from a club in the 1990's yet somehow fits the atmosphere of this scandal from the 1790's with perfection.

43. What Comes Next?

Why is this melancholic King George III (Jonathan Groff) song so low in my ranking? Well, it scores low points for originality as it more or less reprises the king's earlier song You'll Be Back, and to be fair, any song in the world would seem a bit lame when it follows the majestic epicness of Yorktown. Still, this is the right song to follow it: after such a climactic moment, it's nice to breathe for a while with a fun little song about the British reacting to the new independence of the United States, before getting back to business with the main characters.

42. Best Of Wives And Best Of Women

The third-last song of the entire musical may be very short and simple, but it speaks volumes. Even first-time viewers have a pretty good idea of what's going to happen at this point, and the short and sweet conversation between Alexander and his wife Eliza (Phillipa Soo) strongly contributes to the astronomical emotional stakes of the final songs of the show.

41. Blow Us All Away

Oh, what a delightful upbeat song about Hamilton's son Philip (Anthony Ramos) going around town and living his best life - right up until those final seconds where things take a turn for the heartbreaking. The music is decent, Ramos is lovable and entertaining in the role of Philip, and the musical's story takes an important turn at the end of the song, which leads up to the tragic Stay Alive (Reprise).

40. The Story Of Tonight (Reprise)

This remix of Hamilton's most Broadway song takes place after Alexander and Eliza's wedding, as Hamilton celebrates cheerfully with his friends. Filled with humor and memorable lines, the reprise is especially notable for the conversation between Hamilton and Burr at the end, which serves as a set-up for Wait For It, one of the best songs in the show.

39. We Know

In this very fine second-act song, the Jefferson-Madison-Burr squad confronts Hamilton about his questionable financial transactions and find out the whole truth. We Know moves the story of Hamilton's sex scandal to a critical point, and gains a lot of re-listening value due to the absolutely delicious harmonies sung by Daveed Diggs and Okiriete Onadowan as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, respectively.

38. Stay Alive

While below-average on Hamilton standards, this is still a really awesome song. Beginning with the spine-chilling sound of Eliza singing "Stay alive" over an intense piano melody and ending with an even more spine-chilling exchange between Hamilton and John Laurens (Anthony Ramos) right before Laurens goes off to duel Charles Lee (Jon Rua), Stay Alive definitely has its moments while not being one of my biggest favorites among Hamilton's full-length tracks.

37. That Would Be Enough

In the midst of the drama, war and overall intensity of Hamilton's first act, That Would Be Enough makes for a much-needed moment of levity. Just for a moment, all seems right in the world, as Eliza sings of her love for her husband and their future hopes, cheering up the protagonist who has just been sent home after his fiery exchange with George Washington (Christopher Jackson). The song is melodic, emotional and beautifully arranged, proving that Miranda's compositional skills don't end at hip hop and R&B.

36. Meet Me Inside

This intense and explosive exchange between Hamilton and Washington is one of the more dramatic moments in the first act. Seeing Washington asserting his authority and trying to discipline his right-hand man, up to the point where Hamilton has had enough and lets his anger get the best of him, is quite gripping - but necessary for Alexander's character development. The drummer in me also enjoys the 7/8 time signature in the beginning of the song - very untypical for rap music, but works like a charm.

35. I Know Him

Much like Yorktown, One Last Time is a song so bombastic that it makes sense for it to be followed by a fun King George update. While it is musically similar to the character's other two songs, I Know Him gets extra points for featuring some of the King's best lines ("They will tear each other into pieces Jesus Christ this will be fun" is a big favorite of mine) and for serving as an extra-flamboyant exit for the character. The song also ushers in the era of John Adams's presidency, speaking of which...

34. The Adams Administration

Sure, it's a transitional song that lasts less than a minute. But I really, really like it. I enjoy all of the songs where the opening "How does..." verse of Alexander Hamilton gets reprised, and this one is no exception. My appreciation for this song shot up after seeing it live, as the moment when Hamilton publishes his response to Adams's comments ("SIT DOWN JOHN YOU FAT MOTHERF...") was truly spectacular on stage, with the light and sound effects surprisingly making it into one of the show's most explosive moments.

33. The Story Of Tonight

As I mentioned when discussing this song's reprise, this is arguably the most typical Broadway song in Hamilton. While much of the musical defies the norms of the medium, this short and sweet song has chords and melodies that you could imagine in any number of Broadway classics - and that's not a bad thing by any means. It feels fresh to hear a song like this between the more hip songs My Shot and The Schuyler Sisters, and the atmosphere of Hamilton and his fellow revolutionaries raising their glasses to freedom in a tired late-night manner makes the song feel like a mellow epilogue to the epicness of My Shot.

32. Farmer Refuted

As dramatic and emotional as Hamilton is, humor also plays a great part in the mix of elements that make it into such a masterpiece. While nearly all of the songs have some elements of humor in them, Farmer Refuted is more or less the high point of the show's comical side. The song portrays pro-British bishop Samuel Seabury (Thayne Jasperson) as a bard spouting propaganda in the form of medieval music, and when our main character happens upon him, he begins to rap on top of Seabury's melodies. The song turns the political debate of the time into an absolutely hilarious depiction of two people shouting at each other yet past each other - something that feels rather relevant in the 2020 landscape.

31. Take A Break

Very similar in context and style to the first act's That Would Be Enough, this is the second act's slow and beautiful Alexander-and-Eliza song. Here are a few reasons why this one is ranked higher than its counterpart: Angelica Schuyler (Renee Elise Goldsberry) brings her own flare to the song, Philip Hamilton makes his absolutely exquisite debut, and there's even an awesome Macbeth reference in the lyrics.

30. Stay Alive (Reprise)

Musically, well, it's a rendition of the first act's Stay Alive. But story-wise, this reprise is miles ahead of the song it's reprising. The death of Alexander's son Philip is one of the most heartbreaking moments in the musical, and while the biggest emotional impact comes in the song after the death (more on that later), the song where he actually passes away is also quite the tear-jerker.

29. Washington On Your Side

The song where the Jefferson-Madison-Burr group comes together with their shared aim of destroying Hamilton's career is truly awesome. The chord progression, the vocal harmonies and the lyrics are a great example of Miranda's compositional expertise. Extra points for the rhythmically clever and dynamically explosive line "Southern motherf**ing Democratic-Republicans!" - easily the high point of the song.

28. A Winter's Ball

The first installment in the trilogy of consecutive songs that center around Hamilton's path into the lives of the Schuyler sisters, A Winter's Ball is a short but important track. The song begins as a rendition of the musical's opening verse, giving Leslie Odom Jr. a chance to show his dramatic acting chops as Burr starts to grow envious and resentful of his friend Hamilton - and then the atmosphere does a complete 180-turn, as suddenly Burr and Hamilton are together at an event, hanging out like the closest of bros and discussing the ladies around them. Go figure.

Also, the "Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey" ending of the song is a pitch-perfect lead-up into the song Helpless - definitely one of my favorite transitions in a musical full of great transitions.

27. Cabinet Battle #2

Everything in this song is one small notch down from the first Cabinet Battle: the beat isn't quite as dope, the subject of debate isn't quite as historically intriguing, and the wordplay isn't quite as impressive. Then again, comparing the song to a masterwork like Cabinet Battle #1 sets a high bar - everything in the second one is also quite excellent. The track even includes the best of the many references to classic hip hop throughout the musical ("And if you don't know, now you know, Mr. President")!

26. Say No To This

What a huge bummer this song is - in the best way possible. As all historical biopics should do, Hamilton definitely doesn't overly glorify its protagonist. Alexander Hamilton was no saint despite his accomplishments, and the events of Say No To This are the most critical in painting him as the show's anti-hero rather than simply the hero. It's heartbreaking to see Hamilton cheating on his wife, and the way the music matches the uncomfortable nature of the story is absolutely amazing - the unsettling yet weirdly sexual atmosphere that comes from the wavy synths in the background is just perfect for this gripping track.

25. Ten Duel Commandments

There's just so much going on with this song. The foreshadowing of the show's climax is clever, as the rules of dueling are established and Hamilton and Burr even comment ironically on the stupidity of duels. The dramatic intensity and musical harmonies of the number are also pretty amazing. There's intertextual humor as well, as the song's lyrical premise is a nod to The Notorious B.I.G.'s Ten Crack Commandments.

24. The Room Where It Happens

This catchy and jazzy showtune tackles Aaron Burr's conflicted feelings and growing bitterness, as well as the intriguing politics of the time. Leslie Odom Jr.'s charisma in the role of Burr is on full display, as he - the very person who wasn't in the titular room where it happened - narrates the story of Hamilton mysteriously coming to an agreement with his political enemies Jefferson and Madison. The Room Where It Happens is also quite breathtaking onstage, with its flamboyant choreographies.

23. Hurricane

This heart-stopping piece is, strangely enough, Hamilton's only solo song in the entire musical. The chords of Yorktown are wonderfully reworked into this very different song, making it an antithesis of Hamilton's glorious victories and never-ending enthusiasm in the first act, an anti-Yorktown of sorts. Hamilton struggles with his situation of being "in the eye of the hurricane", unwilling to accept that he can't write his way out of his troubles this time around. The music is beautiful, Lin-Manuel Miranda's emotional performance as Hamilton is quite top notch, and having such a quiet ballad in between two intense hip hop pieces makes for a nice change in dynamics.

22. Guns And Ships

A whole lot happens in this three-act, two-minute track. First, there's Burr rapping to the opening song's beat once again, updating the revolutionary army's situation to the audience. Then, there's Lafayette (Daveed Diggs) bringing about one of the show's coolest moments as he raps with an incredible speed and even jumps off a table while doing so. Finally, George Washington realizes that he needs his right hand man back, leading to the song's melodramatic ending. It's all pretty great.

21. It's Quiet Uptown

In a musical full of tear-jerkers, this song is possibly the tear-jerker out of them all. Lin-Manuel Miranda and Phillipa Soo sing with raw and realistic emotion as their characters try to deal with the death of their son. The melodies and harmonies of the piano and string section throughout It's Quiet Uptown only amplify the powerful and heartbreaking nature of the song, as do the sobering lyrics. I'm getting sad just thinking about it.

20. Your Obedient Servant

The most interesting narrative in Hamilton might very well be the story of Aaron Burr slowly and bitterly turning against Hamilton - and this song is the explosive tipping point of this adversarial relationship. In the opening lines, Burr's lines are full of hatred at unforeseen levels, making it clear that Hamilton taking sides against him in the previous song was a breaking point for him. The musical's endgame becomes clear, as Burr challenges Alexander to a duel and he accepts - in other words, this is the song where things get very real very quick.

19. Burn

Phillipa Soo really showcases her talents in this heart-piercing track. Her character Eliza has found out about her husband's extramarital affair, and in this song, she reacts with feelings of heartbreak, being betrayed and turning understandably bitter. The deterioration of the Hamiltons' marriage is all the harder to watch due to their romance having such a beautiful and authentic start in the first act. The escalation of the lyrics, from "I saved every letter you wrote to me", to "I'm burning the memories, burning the letters that might have redeemed you" all the way to the shiver-inducing "I hope that you burn" at the end, is extremely powerful.

18. Aaron Burr, Sir

I will always have a humongous soft spot for this song. I remember listening to the soundtrack for the very first time, as the first song made me think "This might be the greatest musical of all time", and this, the second song, made me think "This will be the greatest musical of all time". (By the third song, I was convinced of it being the greatest musical of all time - the other 43 songs didn't give evidence to the contrary, either).

The beginning of Alexander's friendship with Aaron Burr is bittersweet, as they get along at first yet the first signs of the differences that would ultimately destroy each other's lives are already there. The introductions to Laurens, Mulligan (Okiriete Onadowan) and Lafayette are awesome and entertaining, and don't even get me started on the genius wordplay at the start of the song that would become a recurring theme throughout the show yet is at its absolute best here. The line "You punched the bursar" in its rhyming context is pretty much the pinnacle of my sense of humor.

17. You'll Be Back

Speaking of Lin-Manuel Miranda's comedic genius, have you realized that the musical genre of King George III's songs is the sort of pop music that became hugely popular in the United Kingdom in the 60's - also known as "British Invasion pop"? Now that's an elaborate pun.

Apart from that, King George's debut towers over the admittedly awesome follow-ups, if only because it comes first and has the benefit of sheer shock value. The show's depiction of the British King as a flamboyant and lovable bloodthirsty sociopath is sheer perfection, and the dynamic shifts between the soft and "emotional" parts of the song and the explosive "DA DA DA DA DA" choruses never fail to amuse me.

16. History Has Its Eyes On You

To be fair, the epicness of Yorktown is to be thanked for this song being regarded so highly on my list. This may be the greatest build-up song I've ever come across. It's a decent enough song on its own, featuring words of wisdom from George Washington and great foreshadowing to the musical's final song - but the song's greatest merit is how it sets the stage for Yorktown. When I saw the musical live, I was in a state of strangely calm yet hype-filled trance throughout this song, knowing what would come next, appreciating the role that this song has setting it up. Those final harmonies always have quite the spine-chilling effect on me.

15. What'd I Miss

While Hamilton is filled with awesome character introductions - Alexander in the opening track, Laurens in Aaron Burr, Sir, Philip in Take A Break et cetera - there are two entrances that are in a league of their own. And the slightly lesser of those two (but still one of my favorite entrances ever) is Thomas Jefferson's ultra-charismatic debut in the first song of Act II. The build-up to his entrance is quite amazing already, as Burr's opening verse does a great job of creating hype, after which the flamboyant Jefferson arrives to absolutely steal the show. It's over-the-top in the best possible way, and includes some of my favorite Hamilton lines, such as "I guess I basically missed the late 80's".

14. Cabinet Battle #1

One of the most clever concepts in Hamilton is presenting political debates in the White House as rap battles - the musical's infusion of American history and hip hop culture clash together beautifully. From George Washington's intro speech, through Jefferson and Hamilton's increasingly aggressive verses and disses, all the way to James Madison's hysterical role as Jefferson's hype man, everything in this song is great. I love how the cast performed a rendition of this song in the actual White House, framing themselves as actual politicians discussing the matter of Hamilton's financial plans.

13. Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story

It says something about my love for Hamilton that I consider this song to be one of the greatest musical ending tracks ever, yet it is only the thirteenth-best song of the musical it's in. Remember that this is a show of 46 songs, so the fact that I like 12 other songs even more than this one shouldn't undermine my regard for the final song too much!

Ending a musical full of explosive larger-than-life numbers with such a mellow and low-key song may seem like an odd choice, but it's the perfect ending for Hamilton. Instead of going for a cheerful celebration of an ending, the musical chooses to reflect upon its core themes and lessons with its final number, in a way that really makes you think. The question of Hamilton's legacy is looked at from many angles in this highly emotional track, almost as likely to make one cry as It's Quiet Uptown. Despite the song's context being sad and its style being melancholic, it still leaves the viewer feeling fulfilled and content - how can one not smile when Hamilton's lifelong political enemies Jefferson and Madison finally compliment him, or when Eliza chooses to be the bigger person and celebrate her late husband's legacy despite the fact that he ruined their marriage?

12. The Schuyler Sisters

Being an awesome character introduction filled with sharp choreographies, hilarious wordplay ("Burr, you disgust me" / "Aha, so you discussed me") and seriously badass feminism ("And when I meet Thomas Jefferson, I'mma compel him to include women in the sequel") is reason enough for this song to, pardon the pun, work. But the biggest reason for The Schuyler Sisters being ranked so high here is Miranda's musical composition. Out of all the songs in Hamilton, this is probably my favorite one to jam along with on the piano - even though a majority of it consists of switching between two chords, it's inexplicably fun due to the song's infinite amount of sheer R&B groove. Whenever I listen to the full soundtrack or the first act, this seems to be the song that's stuck in my head for the next week, and I'm not complaining.

11. Satisfied

There's just so much to love about this song - Renee Elise Goldsberry's powerhouse performance, the mix of emotion and and witty wordplay in the lyrics, the absolutely haunting piano melody and dramatic chord progression, and the impressive choreography utilizing the spinning stage to a "rewind" effect to name a few. As great as Angelica Schuyler's verses are, the highlight of the song for me is the theme at the very beginning and very end of the song. There are several nuances that make it into the perfect piece of dramatic music: John Laurens's drunken opening line on top of the piano melody, the men shouting "To the revolution" after "To your union", and much more. Quite the heartbreaker.

10. Non-Stop

The final song of Act I starts as a standout Hamilton track, with a very unique beat and an addictive groove. Then, there's a spine-chilling middle part where Burr's envy and bitterness over Hamilton's success are on full dramatic display. Finally, Non-Stop grows into an epic mash-up of pretty much every Hamilton song, as melodic and harmonic themes from Alexander Hamilton, Aaron Burr, Sir, My Shot, The Schuyler Sisters, Helpless, Satisfied, Wait For It, That Would Be Enough and History Has Its Eyes On You all come together as a massive melting pot of Lin-Manuel Miranda's genius.

9. The Election Of 1800

The theme of Washington On Your Side is made infinitely better in the song that brilliantly ushers in the musical's five-song endgame. The political intrigue of the show reaches its highest point, as Thomas Jefferson faces off against Aaron Burr in the 1800 Presidential Election. The song escalates from fascinating and amusing interactions on the campaign trail all the way to the election's result being up to the powerfully positioned Hamilton and his endorsement. Alexander's endorsement of Jefferson is a shocking moment, and one that finally pushes Burr over the edge, leading up to Your Obedient Servant. The song is an absolute treat to fans of political history, while also being an explosive and climactic turning point in the show's main character narratives.

8. Helpless

As much as I love the serious Revolutionary War songs and dramatic political machinations in Hamilton, there's something to be said for this pure and sweet love song. One of the reasons why Hamilton cheating on his wife in Act II is so incredibly gripping is that up until that point, the romance between Alexander and Eliza has been so blissful. Helpless is a celebration of innocent, passionate love, and listening to it never fails to make me smile. Whether it's the awesome bass drop when Eliza says "And my heart went boom", her singing "I am so into you" on top of the choir's main melody in the chorus, Alexander's Ja Rule -growl in the final verse or the rendition of Here Comes The Bride on top of the ending chords, every little thing in this masterful song contributes to an atmosphere of pure and joyous bliss.

7. The World Was Wide Enough

There are three distinct phases in the second-last (and climactic) song of Hamilton, and they're all quite breathtaking in their own way. At first, it's a reprise of Ten Duel Commandments, swapping the entertaining nature of the original song for a much more serious tone, as it's now the main characters Hamilton and Burr who are about to duel each other. Then, all instruments pause for Hamilton's pre-death soliloquy, which is a truly heart-stopping moment. Then, after our main character tragically throws away his shot, the rest of the song is devoted to Burr reflecting his role in the narrative and Hamilton's downfall. This is the song where the musical's main narrative culminates into the moment it has been leading up to, and the main character's death is dealt with in an appropriately melancholic manner.

6. Right Hand Man

What'd I Miss made it all the way to 15th place due to it having one of the coolest entrances ever. Right Hand Man is this much higher, with the main reason being that it features the coolest entrance ever. Sure, the song has much more than that to offer - the chord progressions and synth melodies are wonderfully intense, and Hamilton & Burr's "We keep meeting" is one of the show's funniest lines despite most of the song being on the rather serious and intense side.

The best part of the song, however, is George Washington's entrance by a long shot. The build-up to it, as Hamilton ponders the revolutionary army's need for a leader, after which Burr spits out a series of absolutely amazing lines hyping up the "moment you've been waiting for", is masterful. After that, the music explodes into action as Washington makes his way to the front of the stage, sword in hand, with some seriously badass and memorable lines. It comes across well enough when just listening to the soundtrack, but truly comes into its own when seen on stage.

5. Wait For It

Wait For It is the defining song of Aaron Burr's character arch, diving deep into his motivations and conflicting heart. While he is the antagonist of the narrative, he is by no means a typical villain - many viewers sympathize with him much more than they do with Hamilton himself when watching the show play out.

This deeply emotional song looks into Burr's views on life, as he has chosen to advance his career carefully without taking risks, and grows increasingly bitter of Hamilton rising ahead of him despite taking foolish risks and taking whatever opportunities he sees. The chords in the song are a work of genius, creating the perfect background for what is a magnificent vocal & acting performance by the great Leslie Odom Jr.

4. My Shot

I've heard fans of rap music call this the Lose Yourself of Hamilton, and now that the show is on Disney, I've heard Disney fans call this the de-facto "I want" song of Hamilton. Both are delightfully accurate. Just the third song in the musical, although its theme re-appears multiple times later in songs like Yorktown and Non-Stop, this song is the happy counterpart to Wait For It: we look at Alexander Hamilton's own motivations and goals, swapping Wait For It's heartbreaking emotion for sheer enthusiasm.

The other revolutionary characters also get their time in the spotlight, as Lafayette, Mulligan and Laurens all spit their own character-defining verses, as does Aaron Burr himself. But a majority of the song belongs to Alexander, as we dive into the forces that have shaped him and drive him to excel in the revolutionary moment. Being one of the longest songs in the musical, it shifts between delightful moments of humor, reflective moments of emotion, and explosive moments of pure adrenaline. It's a massively important and memorable track, with expertly written light-speed lyrics and seriously awesome choreographies bringing it to life on stage.

3. One Last Time

As spectacular as George Washington's entrance was, his exit somehow managed to be even better. In One Last Time, he makes the historic decision that would shape one of the cornerstones of the U.S. democracy - the decision to limit himself to two terms and not run again, passing the torch to new leadership. The song escalates from slow and chill to ultimately magnificent and majestic, as Washington and Hamilton have a drink together for one last time and "teach them how to say goodbye". The song even borrows parts straight out of Washington's real-life farewell address, which was conveniently written by the real Alexander Hamilton.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the Hamilton cast's performance of this song in the White House during Barack Obama's final weeks as president. The symbolic effect of them singing a song about a great leader stepping down after two terms, the fact that Obama is a huge Hamilton fan himself, Christopher Jackson's emotionally powerful vocals...it's all so beautiful. Tears.

2. Alexander Hamilton

I know, I know, it's anticlimactic to have the opening song that we've all heard a million times in the top two. But it's just that good in my honest opinion. It's the song that made me fall in love with the musical, and it says something that I haven't gotten sick of it after hearing it so very many times. The song is more or less a mini-musical of its own, cramming an incredible amount of information and dynamic shifts into less than four minutes, without feeling too exposition-filled.

We learn all we need to know about Alexander Hamilton's background and early life, through some seriously epic buildup. The first lines, rapped by a suspenseful Aaron Burr, are incredible, as are the haunting first chorus, the epic chord progression in the "The world will never be the same" part, and of course the wonderfully dramatic "And me - I'm the damn fool that shot him" near the end. Hearing this song convinced me to check out the rest of the musical, feeling that it might be a work of true greatness. Oh, how right I was.

1. Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down)

If you've read the whole list through, three things: 1: Thank you. 2: Get a life, nerd. 3: I'm guessing that the first placement isn't too surprising, as I've referenced Yorktown seven different times throughout my descriptions for places #46 - #2. I couldn't help myself. So much about the musical's greatest elements and the most important parts for me revolve around this masterpiece. The Battle of Yorktown, which brought the Revolutionary War to a bombastic end, comes to life in this intense and ultimately glorious song.

It all starts with those chords. D minor, followed by C major and G major with D still in the bassline. Simple, but absolutely epic in the way they're played on the piano. When I saw the musical live, the hands-down most special moment was when this song began - I knew what was coming when History Has Its Eyes On You ended, yet nothing prepared me for the spine-shivering effect that those piano chords would have as the song kicked in. And what a wild ride it was from there.

Kick-ass lines like "Immigrants - we get the job done" and "Hercules Mulligan, I need no introduction, when you knock me down I get the f**k back up again"? Check. Larger-than-life choreographies and lighting effects to lift the song to new heights of epicness? Check. Heart-wrenching and emotional moments that made Lin-Manuel Miranda fight to hold back tears when the cast performed this piece at the Tony Awards? Check. Totally awesome parts that capture the spirit of revolution and the fight against injustice with a feeling of glory and climax? Check. This song has it all, and is the highlight of this masterpiece of a musical.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my list of the top 10 comedy TV episodes of all time!

Top 10 Robert De Niro Performances

Hello, dear reader!

Iconic actor Robert De Niro turned 77 years old this week, and what better way to celebrate than with a ranking of his greatest role performances. Known best for playing either classy mobsters or unstable madmen (sometimes both at the same time), this winner of two Academy Awards has been one of Hollywood's brightest stars for several decades. Without further ado, here's my ranking of his greatest acting performances!

Here are my honorable mentions: Conrad Brean in Wag The Dog (1997), Jack Byrnes in the Fockers trilogy (2000-2010), James Conway in Goodfellas (1990), Louis Gara in Jackie Brown (1997), Murray Franklin in The Joker (2019).

...And a shout-out for his hysterical recurring performance as Robert Mueller on Saturday Night Live (1975-Present).

10. Sam "Ace" Rothstein in Casino (1995)

After giving a fine supporting performance in Martin Scorsese's mob epic Goodfellas (1990), Robert De Niro snatched the main role in the director's next mob epic. While Casino is overall vastly inferior to Goodfellas, De Niro's acting is one of the elements in which Casino beats its predecessor.

In his layered lead performance, De Niro plays it cool when compared to most of his performances in Scorsese pictures - there's less rage and more class than one is used to. His character Ace is so charming that the viewer can't help but to like him at certain points, before being reminded that he is indeed a violent mafioso. De Niro's onscreen chemistry with co-stars Sharon Stone and Joe Pesci is quite phenomenal, making for an all-in-all memorable and classy performance.

9. Rupert Pupkin in The King Of Comedy (1982)

To modern sensibilities, this role is best described as "Joaquin Phoenix's Joker meets the Eminem song Stan". It makes sense that last year's hit film Joker paid a lot of homage to The King Of Comedy, as this is essentially the same film - only if it really, really narrowed its focus down on the element of being a failed comedian and an over-obsessed fan of a more successful comedian. De Niro gives a complex performance as Rupert Pupkin, who is introduced as a likable but socially awkward comedian who wants to be mentored by his comedic idol Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis).

As you can expect from a Martin Scorsese flick, things get darker from there. The further the film progresses, the more you realize that Pupkin isn't just a fan but an obsessive stalker, and that his ambitious dreams are actually delusional fantasies. We're used to De Niro playing characters with clear and over-the-top mental health issues, but this is one of the rare occasions where he plays someone with more subdued and realistic problems. It's an unsettling but very successful performance, and one for which De Niro got to go "full circle" when he played the successful talk show host that someone else is obsessed with in Joker.

8. Neil McCauley in Heat (1995)

How do you make the ultimate cops-and-robbers movie, you ask? The answer is simple: you cast Al Pacino as the main cop and Robert De Niro as the main robber.

While Pacino's performance in Heat is even better, De Niro's gravitas as heist mastermind Neil McCauley cannot be understated. The film's biggest selling point always was seeing these two absolute giants onscreen together for the first time, and it is truly a phenomenon to behold. Both men give powerful performances large in scale, and both were robbed of Oscar nominations - a crime more severe than anything that McCauley's crew pulls off in the film, if you ask me. De Niro's nuanced skills allow him to play a cold, calculating and smart criminal without him falling into the cliché territory of the "Evil mastermind" archetype. And his tense diner conversation with Pacino's character is a scene for the ages.

7. Michael in Deer Hunter (1978)

De Niro really excels at playing criminals, assholes and other kinds of bad guys - therefore this is arguably the only performance in this top 10 where he plays a good person. It's nice to see that he's also capable of doing that with aplomb, even when it's not traditionally his strong suit - a great actor has to have range.

In Deer Hunter, De Niro plays one of three men who leave their hometown to fight in the Vietnam war. The first hour of this three-hour film follows their lives before the war, the second hour takes place during their service, and the final hour follows their lives after the war. While De Niro's character Michael changes in the least drastic way out of the three (one of his two compatriots is paralyzed and the other comes down with severe PTSD), he still undergoes a significant transformation. He goes into Vietnam as an enthusiastic man who loves to hunt and spend time with his friends, and comes back as a shell of his former self who shuns from crowds and keeps to himself. His performance is a powerful statement on how war changes people.

6. Johnny Boy in Mean Streets (1973)

Mean Streets was the one of the last in the series of breakthrough films that transformed De Niro from an unknown actor to a household name in the early 1970's. It was also the first in the series of several films where he would collaborate with director Martin Scorsese - in this top 10, for example, a whopping six of the performances are from Scorsese pictures.

The De Niro in Mean Streets is very different from the De Niro known to us from the classy, larger-than-life presence that he has had in his later performances. In this film, he plays an erratic young mobster who keeps going rogue and making dumb and youthful mistakes. This plays off wonderfully against Harvey Keitel's protagonist Charlie, a very straight-forward and risk-avoiding mafioso whose ambition to advance in the ranks conflicts with his humane desire to help De Niro's Johnny Boy. This early performance is a true gem in De Niro's filmography, as the rising star absolutely steals the show in his wild card -role.

5. Frank Sheeran in The Irishman (2019)

In a way, this is the absolute opposite of De Niro's performance in Mean Streets: in 1973, he was a rising star ready to dazzle the world with his energy, whereas in 2019, he had become one of the most iconic actors in cinema history, gearing up with larger-than-life class for his possibly final role in a Scorsese film. The Irishman was the end of the era that Mean Streets had started, and De Niro truly gave everything in his role performance.

Due to the film's lengthy timeline, De Niro plays real-life mobster Frank Sheeran as a fairly young mob associate (thanks to visual de-aging), as the elderly right-hand man of Jimmy Hoffa (Al Pacino), and finally as a very old has-been mobster in a retirement home. It's the actor's subtlety and nuances that truly make this role fantastic: he's not as explosive as he is in most of his mafia roles, as his facial expressions don't change much and his character development isn't shown through fits of rage - yet you can still feel his development in the little things. The character's slow shift from Hoffa's close ally to a bitter former friend wanting revenge is done in a subtle yet noticeable fashion, proving that De Niro doesn't always have to yell in order to perform a critically acclaimed role.

4. Al Capone in The Untouchables (1987)

The most impressive aspect of this performance is the same as in Anthony Hopkins's Oscar-winning Silence Of The Lambs (1991) performance: he does so much with so little screentime. De Niro's time on screen is much shorter than the lead actors Kevin Costner, Sean Connery and Andy Garcia (side note: someone should give a medal to the genius casting department of this film), yet his performance is just as impressive if not more so. Whenever he is on screen, De Niro absolutely steals the show as the infamous real-life gangster Al Capone. The sheer level of evil and corruption that Capone was known for, paired with a creepy charming smile, makes for an unsettling performance that you just can't look away from.

The role has also had a powerful impact in the world of mafia movies and television: when watching De Niro channel Al Capone, you cannot help but notice that this performance was undoubtedly one of James Gandolfini's big inspirations for his iconic role as Tony Soprano in The Sopranos (1999-2007), for which he won three Emmys and a Golden Globe. The groundwork for the character of Tony Soprano can clearly be seen in this film's depiction of Capone, accomplished by the one and only Robert De Niro.

3. Young Vito Corleone in The Godfather: Part II (1974)

De Niro won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Performance for this role, and rightfully so. Marlon Brando's role as Vito Corleone in The Godfather (1972) is one of the greatest, most unique and unparalleled performances in cinematic history, so playing the young version of the same character meant some serious shoes to fill. Robert De Niro was the man for the job, and he brought Young Vito to life with perfection.

He doesn't fall into the trap of simply mimicking Brando's performance, but he also avoids making the role too different to be believable, rather striking a perfect balance: an up-and-coming gangster who doesn't yet have the gravitas of Old Vito that would naturally come with age and experience, but who already has a strong foundation of class and charisma that feels very familiar. Every facial expression, the delivery of every line and all other nuances are pulled off in a calculating and flawless manner.

2. Travis Bickle in Taxi Driver (1976)

De Niro has built a career out of playing unstable and angry characters, and his role in Taxi Driver is the most haunting example of just how gripping and unsettling he can be when he really throws himself into a role. What really gets me in this performance is how frighteningly realistic it is - there is nothing over-the-top, nothing Hollywood about the way De Niro plays war veteran Travis Bickle. He plays a type of person that exists in large quantities in the real world, which works as the film's way of criticizing the way society treats its members.

There are so many levels to De Niro's Taxi Driver performance. The character feels violent and dangerous, yet you feel sorry for him and want the best for him through the fleshed-out sympathetic side that the character has. He has lines that are amusing and make you smile, yet also make you worry in the back of your head. He invokes emotion without tears or emotional dialogue, by simply playing an earnest portrayal of a man left behind by society. This is De Niro at his most real and most raw, and it is a thing to behold.

1. Jake La Motta in Raging Bull (1980)

The performance that won De Niro his Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Performance truly deserves its #1 spot on this list. Playing real-life boxer Jake La Motta, the actor gets to play many of his greatest strengths in a role filled with anti-hero antics, traditional Italian-American dialogue and, appropriately to the film's title, rage. Whether it's directed at his wife, his brother or his opponents in the ring, La Motta is portrayed as more or less the angriest character in cinema history. This makes the film gripping and hard to watch, but it also makes the lead performance extremely challenging, yet De Niro does his job perfectly. Every time he raises his voice or loses his temper, he does so with frightening realism.

He also brings La Motta's character development to life quite astonishingly. The boxer changes so much during the film that it's hard to think of the Jake at the beginning of the film as the same person as the Jake at the end. And whether De Niro is playing him as a young and ambitious boxer full of energy, or as an old and overweight has-been cracking jokes while his life slips away from his control, he portrays every step of La Motta's journey with perfection.

Thank you for reading. If you're a fan of Broadway, be sure to tune in next week for my most ambitious list yet - a ranking of all 46 songs in the musical Hamilton.

10 Insights About COVID-19's Impact On The Film Industry

Hello, reader!

Depending on where you are in the world right now, the coronavirus situation may be still raging, slowly getting back to normal, or gearing up towards a second wave because some jackasses just couldn't wait to go on a tropical vacation - in any case, I'm sure it's been a strange year for every one of us. The virus has affected every aspect of everyday life, and the world of cinema is certainly no exception.

Before the pandemic had hit my home country of Finland or many other countries in early March, I remember reading that the new James Bond film No Time To Die was being delayed by several months due to the pandemic, and I remember thinking "Whoa, that seems a bit excessive". Turns out they were just ahead of the curve, as soon afterwards movie theaters all around were being shut down for several months and all major releases were being either postponed or released straight into streaming. Here are some of my thoughts and observations on the impact that COVID-19 has had on the film industry!

10. The Oscar question

The 93rd Academy Awards, honoring the films of 2020, will certainly be affected by the coronavirus in more ways than one. There has been discussion in Hollywood on whether or not the ceremony will even be held - as of now, it looks like it will be held but the date was postponed from February 2021 to April 2021. In addition, the Academy has changed its ruling on eligibility; from now on, films that don't have a theatrical release and appear only on streaming are also eligible for the Oscars.

This makes sense: a few months ago there was no certainty on when the situation will return to normal and whether any new films would be released theatrically in 2020, and in that hypothetical situation the only eligible movies for Oscars would've been the films from the two first months of 2020 before the situation hit the fan. And I doubt no one was eager to see a Best Picture race between Bad Boys For Life (2020) and Sonic The Hedgehog (2020).

9. One really appreciates the work that goes into production

Following the film and TV industries during the pandemic has really reminded me of the amount of work that goes into all phases of filmmaking. It's obvious that movies that were being shot in the spring had to be put on hold, and finished films waiting for their theatrical release had to postpone their premieres, but I was surprised to see the middle step: in the world of television, many TV seasons that had finished shooting had to be postponed as well, as even the post-production couldn't be done under lockdown restrictions.

Of course there are exceptions: especially for shows that don't require massive visual effects, the graphics departments were able to do their work from home and the episodes were aired. But The Walking Dead (2010-Present), for example, had to postpone the release of its season finale by several months although it had been shot, because the post-production required to finish the episode was so demanding that the producers couldn't get the job done from home. Really makes you think about how much work goes into finishing the end product.

8. Marvel for the win

Movie studios have been scrambling to find new tentative release dates for their films that had to be postponed. When reading news of this, one gets the picture that Marvel is a massive ship steadily staying its course in stormy waters, while smaller boats are at the mercy of the sea. Marvel had to adjust their release dates just like any other studio, but they had such a good blueprint to work on that it didn't turn out to be much of an inconvenience: with several films planned for certain release dates throughout the next few years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe moved each film up a notch.

Black Widow, which was originally going to be released in April 2020, is now set for November 2020 - a slot previously reserved for Marvel's next film, The Eternals. The Eternals was then pushed to the May 2021 release date originally planned for Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, which in turn was pushed to a date originally meant for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness in November 2021. The folks at Marvel are experts at thinking ahead, and even in the face of this massive wrench in their gears, they seem to be pulling through with a solid plan for the several films they've planned for the future.

7. Everything got delayed - what does it mean for the future?

This is one that seems to be changing every day. With no clear answer on when things will get back no normal, release dates and beginnings of new projects are constantly shifting. Most of the major films planned for 2020 will either be released towards the end of the year, or in 2021. In summary, when I post my list of my most anticipated 2021 films next January, it might feature the same content as my list of most anticipated 2020 movies that I posted last January. Christopher Nolan's Tenet seems to be constantly getting postponed further, whereas Denis Villeneuve's Dune will be released in December. The Wonder Woman sequel got postponed from June to October, the 007 film No Time To Die from April to November, and Top Gun: Maverick from June to December.

Many films, such as Sopranos prequel The Many Saints Of Newark and Fast And Furious sequel F9 were delayed all the way from 2020 to 2021. In turn, many 2021 films have been delayed to 2022 - not directly because of coronavirus concerns, but because there are only so many release slots for each studio. Next year would be over-stuffed with new movies if all of its planned releases and all of the postponed 2020 films were to be released then - not that I'd complain about an overflow of movies, but I can see why it would be difficult for the film industry. The 2020 delays will likely cause a ripple effect that impacts the next several years in terms of new movies. Just think what this means for those films that faced multiple production delays even before the coronavirus - by now, I'm betting we'll be well into the 2040's or so before James Cameron's Avatar sequel sees the light of day.

6. Thank you, movies, for keeping us sane

Movies have many meaning to us. For some, it's entertainment. For others, it's a form of art. For me, it's both and much more, depending on the film. I've certainly watched more movies on average during the last several months than I usually do - especially during the most intense period of stay-at-home orders, they were somewhat of a coping mechanism. All of us have our own ways of keeping sane during a lockdown, and I suspect that watching movies and TV has been a part of the recipe for quite a few of my fellow humans.

Sometimes when the world feels bleak and overwhelming, the best thing to do is to take one's mind off it completely and maybe watch a nice comedy on Netflix. For others, the best way to unwind is to watch something more serious, as getting invested in fictional problems can easily take your mind away from real-world problems. These months have really made me appreciate movies on a whole new level, even when my original level of appreciation was pretty damn high. Cinema is a valuable thing, and the popularity of feel-good / escapist cinema during the corona era has proved that.

5. Zombie movies just got a lot more interesting

I remember watching the last The Walking Dead episodes to be aired before the finale got postponed, sometime in April. I've always liked the series, but never before have I felt so related to it. I kept having thoughts like "Man, these guys are experts at social distancing by now" and "Jeez, I hope this Covid thing is over before we start resorting to such extreme measures of survival". Thrillers about zombie viruses and other globe-sweeping pandemics have felt like a distant form of outlandish fiction in the past, but now there's something in the genre that feels very real.

Perhaps a good way to make lockdowns more interesting is pretending you're in a zombie thriller - going on risky supply runs for the good of your group, making sure your camp is sealed off, and constantly asking everyone if they've been infected. At the very least, I'm pretty sure none of us will ever see zombie films and pandemic thrillers in quite the same way, now that we've all lived through one.

4. New innovations

While many filmmakers have understandably delayed their new productions and are waiting for the corona era to pass, there are others who have used this situation as an opportunity to try something totally new - "make the best out of a bad situation", as my dad always says. Director Adam Mason has been working on Songbird, a Michael Bay -produced low-budget horror film shot entirely under lockdown restrictions and following the proper guidelines. Similarly, the hype is strong for Indian director Ram Gopal Varma's Coronavirus, a film about the pandemic that will have a strong sense of realism as it was also shot during the pandemic itself. For many filmmakers who want to keep on creating, this era has been a real test of creativity and imagination.

3. Streaming's big win

I already referred to this in #10, but the coronavirus pandemic's impact on streaming deserves its own entry on this list - it cannot be understated how much COVID-19 might affect the role of streaming in the movie world. Not just for the next few years, but for good.

Universal Studios were the first to make the bold step: instead of waiting to release the sequel to the animated film Trolls in theaters after the pandemic was over, they decided to release it straight into streaming. And that is why experts are saying that Trolls: World Tour has changed the movie industry forever in a major way - who would've seen that coming?

Trolls: World Tour made a lot more money this way, and now studios are questioning why they've been doing theatrical releases for all this time. As tragic as it is for people like myself who love going to the movies, it is very possible that the role of movie theaters will be significantly smaller even after the pandemic is over. If studios realize that they make better profits with straight on-demand releases, it could mean a major loss for movie theaters worldwide. Tensions between movie theater companies like AMC and movie studios like Universal have been quite high for the last few months due to this strange shift in dynamics, so we'll just have to see how this all plays out.

2. I Can't wait to see how movies tackle this

Director Kevin Smith was working on the script of his upcoming sequel to the comedy Mallrats (1995) when COVID-19 swept the world. A few months into the pandemic, Smith announced that Mallrats 2 will deal with the impact that the virus has had on the world of malls - and now I'm dying to see this film. One can only imagine the various ways in which movies will tackle the coronavirus - Oscar bait films about families struggling during the lockdown, heartfelt comedies about a man trying to get back to his family as traveling is suspended, sci-fi thrillers where a scientist travels back in time to stop the pandemic from happening, corona-era period pieces done 50 years from now of which my generation will angrily exclaim that they got the details all wrong - you name it.

The world of television also has an interesting opportunity on its hands. I'm sure that a lot of shows will ignore it and move on with their story, but I'm hoping that some shows (comedies especially) make at least an episode (or even a season) of their characters dealing with the corona era. Who wouldn't want to see the characters of Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013-Present) dealing with stay-at-home orders each in their own way, or It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia (2005-Present) doing a sequel to the beautifully aged season 9 episode The Gang Gets Quarantined? At the very least, I'm hoping to see some meta commentary about the virus on less serious sitcoms - Rick And Morty (2013-Present) were ahead of the curve as they already added a hilarious line about the virus into one of their new episodes this spring.

1. I really miss movie theaters

However the theater-studio beef shapes out, I really hope that movie theaters continue to be a thing in the future. I haven't been to the movies for several months, and it feels weird. The local cinema was closed for many months as were all cinemas, and even when it reopened a while ago, I still haven't felt the urge to go as I'm trying to play it safe with social distancing & there haven't been any new releases in the last weeks that I've been absolutely dying to see. When Christopher Nolan's Tenet is released at the end of the month, it will probably mark my grand return to the movie theater.

But seriously, it's been a bit gloomy to be away from such a special place for so long. Not being able to go the movies, coupled with news about the possibly diminishing role of movie theaters, has really made me appreciate the value of the cinema. There's just something so magical of going to see a film you've been waiting for forever, walking into the theater with a good snack and in good company, and sitting there in awe as the lights dim and the film begins to play on the big screen. So yeah, I really can't wait for going to the movies being a normal thing again.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for my list of the top 10 greatest Robert De Niro performances.

Top 10 Spike Lee Joints

Hello once more, reader!

Spike Lee's underrated jazz drama Mo' Better Blues (1990) turned 30 years old this week, so what better time to share my list of his 10 best films (or 'joints', as he calls them)? Spike Lee's punk rock attitude and creative stylistic choices make him one of my favorite filmmakers, as he has tackled many genres with grace and taught me a lot throughout his movies. Lee's films are never made for mere entertainment - there's always a powerful message or two about society in his works. A classic example of making the world a better place through art.

No honorable mentions this time around, as I've seen only 10 out of his 23 feature films! Maybe someday I'll post an updated list, if I end up watching all of them.

10. She's Gotta Have It (1986)

Spike Lee's directorial debut is a solid, black-and-white low-budget flick. While some of its elements haven't aged well (as Lee himself has expressed regret about; the guy is honestly such a class act), there's still a lot to learn from this early effort. The film follows Nola Darling (Tracy Camilla Johns), a woman with three lovers who tries to decide which of her men she wants to be with in the long run. Johns is great in the lead performance, as are the actors playing her lovers - especially Lee himself, who plays the humoristic Mars Blackmon.

While the director still had a few things to learn at this point, She's Gotta Have It is an entertaining debut film that gives many signs of the elements Lee would expand on in his future works: commentary on race and society, unique humor, and interesting juxtapositions between fact and fiction.

9. Crooklyn (1994)

Co-written by Lee and two of his siblings, and loosely based on their own childhood, Crooklyn is quite an honest and intriguing family portrait. Not shying away from the hardships of growing up poor but also featuring plenty of cozy and heartwarming moments, the films creates a nice balance of gritty realism and blissful nostalgia. The movie doesn't have much of a conventional plot, but it doesn't need one either: we simply follow an unspecified period of time in the life of this family making do in their surroundings.

Lee paints a vibrant picture of 1970's Brooklyn, bringing his trademark mix of entertaining humor and serious drama into the film. The film doesn't have as much to say about our society as most of his films, but it does have a lot to say about growing up and appreciating one's family through the good times and the bad.

8. Inside Man (2006)

For a Spike Lee film, this one is as mainstream as they come - the main focus isn't on race or societal criticism, and the high-budget style gives the impression of quite a 'normal' heist thriller. But it's a damn good heist thriller. Denzel Washington shines in the lead role as a police detective who tries to navigate his way through a difficult hostage situation. Jodie Foster provides a great supporting performance as a mysterious 'fixer' who enters the situation trying to protect her client's interests, making the stakes of the film extra high. Inside Man is an intense and massively entertaining crime drama, proving that Lee can do a mainstream film as well as anyone.

Also, when you focus and read between the lines, the more typical Spike Lee style does rear its head through the cracks of this relatively normal film - there's plenty of racial commentary inserted subtly into the dialogue, the soundtrack by Terence Blanchard sounds similar to the Terence Blanchard soundtracks in several other Spike Lee joints, and the director's infamous signature trademark (the "double dolly shot" where a character appears to glide across the scene) appears at a critical moment.

7. Bamboozled (2000)

Look, I'm very much against the use of blackface and there's a good argument for the use of it never being okay, but hear me out - if there's any situation where blackface is acceptable, it's the context of an African-American filmmaker making a film that criticizes the use of blackface and overall racism in show business by making a film about it, therefore requiring the actors to do blackface in the role of their questionable characters. And that's exactly what Bamboozled does - some say that it slightly crosses the line, but it does so to make a massively important point.

Spike Lee has always tried to make the world a better place with his films, and this one was especially successful in that; the conversation about blackface and its harmful impact was boosted immensely due to this film and its deep look at the subject matter. Bamboozled is a layered look at racism in entertainment, and while all of the film is thought-provoking and enjoyable, the ending montage is definitely its greatest asset - it's heartbreaking to watch, and one of the best fiction/real-life juxtapositions in Spike Lee films.

6. Da 5 Bloods (2020)

Lee's latest film is absolutely amazing. It received very mixed reviews as many viewers found it to be overly bloated, but I personally see it as being similar to The Beatles' White Album (1968) - it's bloated in the best way possible, so filled to the brim with different kinds of great material that I can't bring myself to complain about tonal inconsistencies. I vastly prefer Da 5 Bloods in its current form to a version that would be more restrained and tonally consistent, as that would mean leaving out many of the film's various great elements.

Running at 2 hours and 34 minutes, here are some of the things you can expect from Lee's Netflix hit: a haunting performance by Delroy Rindo as a Trump-supporting, African-American war veteran suffering from PTSD; an incredibly inspiring performance by the fantastic Chadwick Boseman; intertextual references to many classic Vietnam War movies; one of the most tense, edge-of-your-seat scenes in modern cinema; a whole new way of mixing reality with fiction in a Spike Lee joint; sincerely funny humor mixed with extremely gripping material; and Finland's own Jasper Pääkkönen playing a Finnish guy named Seppo in the midst of it all. It's pretty great.

5. Mo' Better Blues (1990)

The activist in me appreciates the societal themes in this film - they're not present as strongly as in most Spike Lee joints, but they're still present all right. The movie buff in me appreciates Lee's ever-skillful directing as he creates a vibrant New York jazz scene atmosphere, as well as the acting by Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes and Giancarlo Esposito as chief members of the central jazz quintet. And finally, the musician in me absolutely adores everything in this film, from the atmospheric soundtrack and tribute-paying to jazz greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane all the way to the music theory -filled dialogue and the long sequences of the band performing. This film is an absolute treat for people who enjoy jazz music, while also managing to tell a deep, character-driven story.

4. 25th Hour (2002)

25th Hour is a deep look at life. We follow the last free day of drug dealer Monty Brogan (Edward Norton), who is due to start his prison sentence the following morning. Norton is one of the greatest actors from the past few decades, and this is one his most incredible performances. Throughout his interactions with his girlfriend (Rosario Dawson) and close friends (Philip Seymour Hoffman and Barry Pepper) we examine his regrets, his inner conflicts and his desire to take another shot at life in a profound manner. The film's ending is truly spectacular and unexpected as well. Here's a cool double feature idea: watch this film, where Edward Norton is about to go to prison, and then watch American History X (1998), where Edward Norton has just gotten out of prison.

Also, there's the 9/11 element. When the attack on the World Trade Center happened, many filmmakers who had scripts in production found it easiest to ignore the event's impact on the world, often simply editing the Twin Towers out of shots set in New York. Spike Lee, however, decided to incorporate the attack's impact into his film. While 25th Hour isn't about the aftermath of 9/11 first and foremost, it does heavily work into the film, as the dialogue and overall bleak atmosphere in the movie paint a gripping picture of post-9/11 New York.

3. Malcolm X (1992)

Denzel Washington as the controversial activist Malcolm X may be the greatest casting choice of all time. Having Spike Lee direct the biopic and having the runtime be 3 hours and 22 minutes were also quite the strokes of genius. A good biography should be unbiased and show the good and bad sides of whoever the story is about, and Malcolm X certainly does that. Through various words of wisdom and inspiring speeches, we see why Malcolm X became such an important and respected icon in the civil rights movement - but through various controversial statements and actions, the film definitely doesn't shy away from the fact that Malcolm was far from perfect, with many extremist ideas in his ideology. The film doesn't overly glorify nor vilify him, but simply tells his story as it happened.

Whether or not you agree with the man's ideologies, watching this film will definitely make you think. There is so much profound dialogue about religion, race and politics, and so many different points of view being a part of the story throughout its characters, that watching Malcolm X makes for quite the societal thought experiment. And I simply can't praise Denzel's performance enough - it's my favorite performance from any Spike Lee film, with Ed Norton in 25th Hour coming in as a close second.

2. BlacKKKlansman (2018)

I must confess that I hadn't seen a single Spike Lee film when I went to see BlacKKKlansman in the movie theater about two years ago. The film was so amazing that it motivated me to get a lot more familiar with Lee's filmography. It's a more-or-less perfect mixture of light-hearted comedy and extremely serious drama, of entertaining cinema and thought-provoking cinema, of historical events and modern-day themes. The bulk of the film focuses on the incredible true story of Ron Stallworth, an African-American police officer who managed to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan in the 1970's. Featuring stellar performances from Denzel's son John David Washington as Ron Stallworth, Adam Driver as his colleague Flip Zimmerman, and Topher Grace as David Duke, the film comes together wonderfully to tell Stallworth's story.

And then there's the ending. I won't spoil it to people who haven't seen the film (please watch it, it's on Netflix now and everything), but let's just say that Spike Lee once again manages to connect current-day events with the stories he tells in quite a profound manner. I cried my eyes out when watching that last scene - it's just all too real.

1. Do The Right Thing (1989)

The mixture of rambunctious comedy and dead-serious themes in this film is one of the most impressive accomplishments in movie history. We follow a very hot day in a very diverse neighborhood, that features its own subcultures of African-Americans, Asian-Americans, Italian-Americans and Hispanic-Americans. The film takes a gripping look at racial issues in the U.S., as the various groups have a hard time getting along with one another, with the unbearable weather only furthering their tensions to a breaking point. The film is full of entertaining dialogue, memorable characters and funny moments, but at the same time it's a harrowing look at various forms of racism and cultural tensions.

Do The Right Thing is the quintessential Spike Lee joint, featuring all of his most recognizable trademarks (the double dolly shot, Lee himself playing a character, important societal messages, interjections of real-life events into the story et cetera). The Oscar-nominated script and unfairly not-Oscar-nominated directing are incredible, feeling very punk rock yet very precise at the same time. As the film ends, we see two different quotes from two very different activists before the credits start to roll, and those quotes truly stay with you as the film's central themes are condensed into harrowing words that really make one think. Do The Right Thing is not only the greatest film Spike Lee has made, but one of the greatest films ever made in my opinion.

Thank you for reading! Tune in next Thursday for my list of 10 insights about COVID-19's impact on the film industry.