Every week at SiftPop.com, we challenge our writers to choose what they think is the best movie under a certain topic related to a recent release. So this week, with the release of Jurassic World: Dominion, we’re counting down our favorite movies with geographical titles! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
There are some debates worth having for Academy Award winners, especially for Best Picture winners. For me, Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World is a much more worthy best picture winner than The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King. Now, before my nerd card is revoked and the pitchforks are in hand, hear me out. Master and Commander is a triumph technically and on a story level. Russell Crowe was in the middle of his murderers’ row run of iconic film roles. Captain Jack Aubrey is an amazing character. He’s complex, strategic, and courageous, but also stubborn, arrogant, and pushy. The cinematography rightfully won the Oscar for how beautiful it was shot. This should have spurred more movies, but why it didn’t, I’ll never know. I’m hoping the rumors about a TV show are accurate, because in an age where franchises are ground into dust until people stop making them, this is a franchise worth exploring further. (Mike Hilty)
Before Taylor Sheridan took the entertainment world by storm and became a household name with Yellowstone, he was on a run of writing some of the best films in Hollywood. He penned a run of three that goes, Sicario, Hell or High Water, and Wind River, stepping in to direct the latter as well. The film gets its title from the actual Wind River Reservation in Wyoming where it’s set, which in turn is named after the river coursing through it. We follow a big-game tracker (Jeremy Renner), who assists an FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) who’s brought in to investigate the death of a young Native American woman. Renner and Olsen give standout performances, as do Gil Birmingham as the girl’s grieving father and Graham Greene as the reservation police chief. Sheridan does an excellent job of making the location as much a character as any of the people in it. The sense of isolation is twofold — it’s driven by both the reservation’s geographic location and lack of support they feel from the federal authorities on cases like these. Though the film isn’t based on a specific crime, it makes it clear that stories like it are plentiful. The film’s message, driven home by opening and closing title cards, are powerful, as are its final scenes. It’s a fittingly emotional conclusion for a story with heartbreaking real-world parallels. (Jake Bourgeois)
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes perfectly encapsulates the evolution of one civilization and their brewing conflict with another civilization fighting desperately to stave off their own dissolution. It’s the best of Matt Reeves’ Apes trilogy, with heartfelt and profound storytelling brilliantly marrying jaw-dropping CGI spectacle. There’s a scene in this movie featuring an ape, brandishing an Uzi, galloping on the back of a stallion through a wall of fire, which is undeniably cool while also playing out as one of several scenes that illustrates war’s brutal role in fracturing and ultimately reshaping societies. The action is impressive, but like each of Reeve’s Apes entries, the story focuses on the characters and their motivations. Particularly ape leader Caesar, who would like the direction of the future of his species driven by wisdom, and Koba, who is willing to allow it to be driven by fear. It’s criminal that Andy Serkis’ performance as Caesar has never been recognized by the Academy. In Dawn, Caesar can speak more fluently than before, though he chooses his words very carefully because his facial expressions and movements speak as loudly as his voice, a further testament to Serkis’ talent. The film’s establishing shot and the shot just before it cuts to black at its conclusion focus on the same thing: Caesar’s eyes. There’s an intelligence behind them, and a careful consideration of the cost of war and the fragility of communities. (Jonathan Fedee)
Although Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story only released about half a year ago, it has already left a lasting impression on critics and audiences alike. This flick showcases sweeping cinematic moments that prove Spielberg hasn’t lost a step, breathtaking cinematography that will leave you in awe, and dazzling costumes met with stunning choreography that’ll give you chills as the music and dance envelops you. I mean, damn, if you love musicals then it doesn’t get much better than West Side Story. It has everything you could ever hope to love, while still delivering a classic story that in and of itself is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. All taking place on the west side of Manhattan, this is the tale of Puerto Rican immigrants and Polish-American descendants fighting over the same neighborhood, while a star-crossed couple attempts to bridge the gap. It’s moving, exhilarating, and powerful in every way that a movie should be. I cannot recommend West Side Story enough; it’s one of my favorite movies of all time. (Heath Lynch)
Films in which the location itself is a character are intriguing to say the least. Damien Chazelle’s 2016 film La La Land makes L.A. feel like a living, breathing entity as much as its two leads. Los Angeles is beautifully envisioned and romanized properly throughout. With that vibrancy also accompanies disappointment and heartache, which Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) go through in spades. When getting opportunities in their respective careers, there is a sacrifice they have to make in order to be with one another. It is a great story that encompasses both love and ambition, the push and pull to be with one another. L.A. and Hollywood specifically are both the protagonist and antagonist of the story, given the viewer’s perspective. La La Land embraces the facets that make L.A. both so great, as well as tragic, to those who wish to make it in the entertainment industry and also from a bond with others. (Joe Vargas)
Some called this film “romantic movie for millennials”, others, “romantic comedy for people who hate romantic comedies”. I would call it an amazing movie that grows on you. The Worst Person in the World is something that grabs you instantly and doesn’t let go until it’s finished with you. This final installment in the unofficial “Oslo Trilogy” (the first two movies being Reprise from 2006 and Oslo, August 31 from 2011) deals with love. Not so original, you say? Well, what if you met the mythical “one”, that one person you are destined to spend the rest of your life with, but it was too soon in their life? They have to go through their life before they can fully comprehend what it is they have (or had) with you. That, in a nutshell, is what this movie is about. It’s a funny, charming, serious movie about people who feel real and imperfect, and some are stuck in the wrong decade. And you watch them navigate their life as adults who are not that great at this whole “adulting” business. Have you ever had that feeling — you are in your early 30s and still feel like you are faking it? Then this film is exactly for you. Also, the 128 minutes flies by quicker than you can pronounce Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie’s names properly. This film prompted me to put the other movies from this “trilogy” on my watchlist. Very strong recommendation. (Luke Burian)
Once more I go back to the well of unseen movies to bring you a film I’ve been hankering to see for a while: Once Upon A Time In The West. Filled with some fantastic actors of their day, such as Henry Fonda, Claudia Cardinale, and Jason Robards, this movie is gritty, with moments of a slow burn punctuated by big and powerful moments, and multiple characters who are heavily layered. Probably my favorite part is the fact that Fonda, an actor who is possibly most well known for his roles as the hero, instead plays the villain, which he pulls off flawlessly in this western. While a slow burn, there is nothing in this movie that I would want to take out because each and every moment is truly amazing and not only adds character depth, but helps to set up twists and turns that can catch you off guard as tension builds. So get on your horse and give this a watch. (Joseph Davis)
What is this nihilistic piece from Cormac McCarthy and the Coen brothers even about? No Country For Old Men is no easy watch, nor are the themes easy to swallow. This is about the changing world. The old ways of looking at things are no longer valid, and the perceived peace of American society is long gone. Set in the 1980s, the Coens bring McCarthy’s story to life as a stark and brutal neo-western filled with lawlessness and danger. The law is out of its depth, and the “good guys” have no idea what darkness they are truly up against. Josh Brolin is a likable and steady lead, while Tommy Lee Jones never gets enough credit for how amazing he is in this film as the lawman slowly losing control. But the darkness steals the show in the form of Javier Bardem’s forceful and disturbing Anton Chigurh. This is a true modern classic earning its place in cinematic history almost immediately. (Shane Conto)
On the Waterfront is widely considered one of the best dramas to emerge from the 20th century. After finally sitting down and crossing this one off my list of shame, I can confidently say the film earns its status amongst the greats. The supremely talented Marlon Brando leads as a retired boxer who quickly realizes he doesn’t belong in the crime-driven world he finds himself in. Terry, the aforementioned prize-fighter, is at the center of a class war that is escalating on the docks. The tyrannical crime boss who is employing him, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), has complete control over the labor at the docks. He is essentially able to pick and choose the individuals who will be able to work enough hours to earn a livable wage. The geographical location of the film is absolutely fundamental to the conflict, earning On the Waterfront a mention on this list. This is a film about power. Specifically the power that has corrupted Johnny Friendly and his men. Friendly gains this influence from the vice grip he has on the port and the distribution of the shipments. The film is lauded for its realistic portrayal of a problem that has plagued the country since its inception. The job-based power struggle that occurs on the water perfectly embodies a dark reality of the American dream. (Jack Grimme)
Tom Cruise hitching a ride outside a plane is the craziest stunt ever, but it’s only the second-best set piece involving planes. Cary Grant’s Roger Thornhill diving as a crop duster bears down on him and rains machine gun fire is one of the most iconic shots in movie history, and that is just a brief moment in a consistently thrilling 10-minute sequence. It’s far from the only iconic moment as the top-down shot of the United Nations building makes a great poster, and the dramatic chase down Mount Rushmore is a perfect climax. North by Northwest is the most exhilarating film in Alfred Hitchcock’s legendary catalog, and it’s also the funniest and most charming. Much of the charm comes from Grant, as he turns in a career-best performance as the advertising executive unwittingly thrown into the life of a spy due to a case of mistaken identity. Roger is a fountain of wit as he fires off one-liners at a pace rivaling James Bond, but the difference is, his are actually clever. It’s easy to be so charming when playing off an amazing performance by Eva Maria Saint as Eve Kendall. In a genre which often relegates female leads to minimized supporting roles, it’s refreshing to see Eve keeping up with, and often outshining, Roger. Together, their dialogue borders on poetic as they live up to the movie’s title traveling northwest from New York to Chicago to South Dakota, and it makes for the greatest spy movie ever made. (Jason Mack)
October Sky
Starring an unbelievably tiny Jake Gyllenhaal, October Sky tells the true story of Homer Hickam, a young West Virginian who finds himself inspired by the 1957 launch of Sputnik 1 to build some rockets of his own. The premise may be deceptively simple, but it is impossible to walk away from the film without feeling inspired by Hickam’s story. October Sky is an ode to dreamers, and a celebration for those who dare to act upon their dreams, no matter how irrational they may seem to those on the outside. Cynical audience members may be tempted to call the film cheesy, but I prefer the term sincere. For some viewers, it will understandably push the limit, but October Sky’s unabashed sincerity is exactly what makes the film so special. October Sky is a genuine feel-good drama through and through. (Foster Harlfinger)
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Sticking the landing on a trilogy is a difficult thing. Expectations are high and sometimes opinions are already set. How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World really succeeded in this regard. With a lot of emotional baggage left to tie up, the story really finished off viking Hiccup’s (Jay Baruchel) journey to becoming a chieftain. We still got lots of fun adventures and fights, and the comedic relief is still there as well. What The Hidden World adds to this world of dragons is letting us witness these majestic beasts in their natural habitats and without humans. There are a couple of beautiful sequences without any dialogue of the dragons just interacting with each other. It made me pine for more of that in the previous movies, and it sent off this franchise excellently. (Sam Nichols)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Whenever you come across a list of the best video game movies somewhere, Scott Pilgrim vs. the World will be on it. That’s an impressive feat despite the fact that most movies based on video games aren’t that great, but mostly because Scott Pilgrim isn’t actually based on a video game. It simply employs the aesthetic and conventions of the medium in order to enhance its visual storytelling, something that Edgar Wright has proven himself a master of time and time again. As funny as the dialogue is, and as much as that’s enhanced by the performances all around, there’s very little in modern filmmaking that’s funnier than Wright’s prowess in the editing room, and Scott Pilgrim might just be the best example of it. Featuring an all-around amazing cast, some of them decidedly “before they were cool”, there’s really no reason why you shouldn’t have seen it already. (Chris Bakker)
The World’s End
Five friends, 12 pubs, 60 pints, an alien invasion? This is exactly what you get with The World’s End. 23 years later after the failed pub crawl, Gary King (Simon Pegg), a 40-year-old alcoholic manchild, wants to relive his teenage years and reunites his friends Oliver (Martin Freeman), Peter (Eddie Marsan), Andy (Nick Frost), and Steven (Paddy Considine) back in their hometown of Newton Haven for another attempt to the good old days. The only problem: their town is taken over by an alien entity known as the Network, and the guys unwittingly become the only hope for the world’s survival. The third entry of the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy from Pegg, long-time friend and collaborator Nick Frost, and director Edgar Wright, the sci-fi, apocalyptic comedy shows us childhood friends come together while hammered trying to save — well — the world, and trying to reattempt an epic pub crawl. The trio always brings belly laughs, a little bit of romance, intense fight scenes, and of course, the final running gag involving a garden fence. The World’s End is about amending friendships, finally growing up, stop living in the past while trying to survive one night. (Chantal Ashford)
The Cabin in the Woods
Surprisingly, one of the best and most meta horror movies of the last decade, and one that could be connected to every horror movie ever was The Cabin in the Woods. The film tells the story of five teenagers who go on a trip to Curt’s (Chris Hemsworth) cousin’s cabin in the woods. But things seem suspicious, as there are people who seemingly want them going there, and that’s where things get super meta. The woods in this movie feel like any other woods, but you do gain the sense that there is something more to them. I can’t say any more without spoiling this master class horror movie. Director Drew Goddard brings us a truly amazing movie with thrills that just keep going, and it’s possibly the highest body count movie out there. This movie flew under the radar because it took a while to get released, filmed before Hemsworth was even casted as Thor. This is a brilliant movie that I wish we had more of, and if you haven’t seen it, it is one horror movie you don’t want to miss. (Austen Terry)
Team America World Police
Brought to you by the masterminds behind the always hilarious, but often controversial South Park, Team America World Police is probably even riskier with what it pokes fun at, and the outrageous nature of some humor. Having either an explicit puppet sex scene or an alliance between Kim Jong II (Trey Parker) and many big-name Hollywood actors would be enough controversy for most films, but this one has both.The film also hits on a lot of good satire of Hollywood action films. There are also a surprising number of memorable songs with a good balance of humor and emotion. Balance is an excellent way to sum up why this film works. It perfectly judges the immaturity of its humor with the more severe nature of its message. Gary’s (Trey Parker) “we’re dicks” speech towards the end of the film, for example, is funny because of all the double meanings, but it’s an excellent speech to get the point across. Of course, I can’t talk about this film without also mentioning that it’s probably the first thing people think of when they hear Matt Damon’s name. But not because of anything the actual actor does, but because his name is the only thing the puppet portrayal of him says in this film. (John Tillyard)
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
It’s not often that making a film that revisits a classic that is more than 20 years old turns out to be all that great. Yet somehow, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle turned out to be the film to smash that trend! This unique take on the get-stuck-in-a-video-game concept is anchored by a great cast including The Rock, Kevin Hart, and the always great Karen GIllan. However, the true standout performance comes from Jack Black, highlighting the hilarity that a body swap adventure through a jungle can be. Forced into the video game Jumanji jungle, four high schoolers must get over their differences (and some hilarious choices that lead to each one playing as a character with vastly different traits than their real selves) in order to survive. Great chemistry and laugh-a-minute action as these high schoolers struggle to escape Jumanji make it clear why this was an absolute worldwide hit! (Matt Lawson)
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End is, in my opinion, completely underrated and the second-best entry in the franchise. A large part of why I enjoy it so much is the absolutely beautiful score by Hans Zimmer. The way he takes his original Pirates theme, weaves the Davy Jones theme from the second movie, combined with new elements, makes for a truly epic and underappreciated piece of music. Some feel that At World’s End is a bit bloated and convoluted, but I disagree. It weaves a very complicated tapestry that once realized makes perfect sense and delivers on not only an epic final battle but also packs the emotional punch that the franchise had been building toward. My only complaint about this movie are the setups from Dead Man’s Chest, in that if they have tightened up that second movie which, in my opinion, had a ton of problems, then At World’s End could have also been tighter. In this case, however, I think At World’s End takes the hand it was dealt from the previous entry and manages to pull off a pretty great conclusion after being set up poorly. We just recently showed the whole Pirates trilogy to my kids for the first time, and we all had a blast because these are incredibly fun movies that you should check out, too! (Nick Ferro)
The World Is Not Enough
At one point in time, this would have been my favorite Pierce Brosnan Bond movie, but upon a rewatch, it drops dramatically to third. However, we are not ranking Bond movies (we did that already — go read that list!). We are ranking geographical titles, and can you offer anything bigger than the world? Only the selfish would want to go bigger. Main baddie Elektra King (Sophie Marceau) even says as much when she is offered the world and is able to utter, “The world is not enough.” Elektra wants something the world cannot offer: revenge, and she doesn’t care who she hurts to get there. The story and acting may wane thin, but the heart of Bond still seeps through.The World is Not Enough perfectly fits this category because Bond is essentially a travel log for exotic places around the world. In this movie alone he travels to Spain, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, and of course, Istanbul. These are countries I will never travel to, so the only way I get to experience these parts of the world is through James Bond. (Scott Batchelor)