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 Nope, we’re counting down our favorite movies with “No” in the title at the beginning of a word! Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Perhaps only matched by When Harry Met Sally or Sleepless in Seattle in terms of its influence on the romantic comedy genre, Notting Hill is a pure delight from beginning to end. It would be a struggle to imagine a more perfect pairing than Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant in the late 1990s, and they both deliver the goods and then some. Though Roberts and Grant make the film what it is, one cannot discuss Notting Hill without remarking on the utterly bizarre, yet undeniably scene-stealing performance from Rhys Ifans as the roommate of Grant’s character in the film. Notting Hill is written with so much earnest charm by Richard Curtis, king of the romantic comedy genre — seriously, take a look at the man’s IMDb credits if you don’t believe me. This is a clear case where the film itself may not bring anything new to the table, but Notting Hill knows exactly what it wants to achieve and does it supremely well. (Foster Harlfinger)
One of the best superhero movies to come out in 2021 that helped break the multiverse of the MCU was Spider-Man: No Way Home. The movie picks up right where Far From Home ended with Spider-Man’s identity of Peter Parker (Tom Holland) revealed to the world. Now Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), MJ (Zendaya), and Ned’s (Jacob Batalon) lives are thrown into chaos, so Peter seeks the help of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Writers Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers brilliantly take one of Spider-Man’s worst comics, One More Day, and adapt plot points for this movie to make this an incredible story. Bringing back Willem Defoe, Alfred Molina, and Jamie Foxx to play their iconic roles of Green Goblin, Doc Ock, and Electro from their respective past Spider-Man movies brought this film to the next level. Director Jon Watts closes this Spider-Man trilogy with a strong entry to the mythos that both flows narratively, and sets up what is to come with the MCU. This film will have you emotional — it definitely had me in tears both times I saw it in theaters. If you are one of the handful of people who hasn’t seen this one yet, then what are you waiting for? (Austen Terry)
Writer-director Robert Eggers is well known for producing a very authentic experience with his filmmaking. His latest film, The Northman, has the rawness and accuracy that Eggers is well known for due to his painstaking research. The more ethereal aspects are tastefully handled and based off of Norse mythology, while also being visually pleasing. Eggers and his casting director Kharmel Cochrane make inspired choices for this film. Especially in regards to its primaries, Alexander Skarsgård (Amleth) and Anya Taylor-Joy (Olga of the Birch Forest), who both give phenomenal performances and have a ton of memorable scenes with one another. As the titular character, Amleth requires a rather closed off and reserved presence, which Skarsgård is very well equipped to handle. He has both the physicality and the acting chops to pull off this demanding performance. Anya plays off of Skarsgård incredibly well and provides a lot of depth through her performance as well. The Northman isn’t your typical action-adventure film — it provides the audience with an abundance of visual splendor outside of its action oriented set pieces. (Joe Vargas)
Director and co-writer Debra Granik isn’t the most prolific creator, but when she does come out with a feature film, it’s sure to be a fascinating character study. Leave No Trace follows a father and daughter duo (Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie) living their lives in an Oregon nature reserve, when a mistake throws that life upside down. Two things are done expertly by Granik that make this an exceptional watch. First, much like she did with the Ozark setting in Winter’s Bone, she simply presents our characters’ way of life as how it is. While others may pass judgement, we get an understanding of how and why this has become this duo’s way of life. That understanding and empathy we develop for their situation is paramount for us getting emotionally connected. Secondly, Granik once again gets a stellar performance, not only from Foster, but from her young lead. As with Jennifer Lawrence in Winter’s Bone, this is a star-making performance from McKenzie. It’s a performance-driven movie, and Granik knows how to get exactly what she needs. (Jake Bourgeois)
Back in 2015, Netflix was just beginning to dip their toes into the content acquisition game. Beasts of No Nation was the streamer’s first ever film purchase from the festival circuit as they went gunning for that still-elusive Oscar. Written, directed, and produced by Cory Joji Fukunaga, fresh off season one of True Detective, it follows a child soldier fighting in an African civil war. The kids are all fantastic, and it’s anchored by an arguably career-best performance from Idris Elba as a terrifying warlord. It’s a tough watch and one you’re only going to want to sit through once. However, the film’s blunt, unflinching look at this type of violence is powerful nonetheless and worth watching, if you can stomach it. (Jake Bourgeois)
Epic in scale, yet quiet in its core, Nomadland is a film I have avoided for the longest time, as it seemed like one of those “you need to be in a certain mood to watch it” kind of films. And sure enough, it was. And when the mood is just right, the film hits you. It’s a deliberately paced, beautifully shot film with the stellar Frances McDormand at its heart. She deserved that Oscar as the star of this film; her role is insanely tough. Often times she is just silent. But since it’s McDormand, she makes you understand what her character is going through, and you never question her motives because you get her. What also needs to be applauded is the beautiful direction by Chloé Zhao and the camerawork by Joshua James Richards. Nomadland says a lot without saying too much, and I personally love films like that. As many would point out, this film isn’t for everybody, but the people it is meant for will adore it. (Luke Burian)
A masterclass in building tension, and far ahead of its time thematically, High Noon has the distinction of being the most-screened movie by U.S. presidents for good reason. An all-time great from the golden age of Westerns, it was met with controversy upon its 1952 release because of the strength and significance of Grace Kelly’s Amy Fowler Kane. Kelly is poised and charming in her first major movie role, and Katy Jurado’s Helen Ramírez evokes a powerful presence as another heroine. Ramirez also is half of an interracial couple, as the film was ahead of its time in more ways than one. Kelly is the standout, but the star is Gary Cooper’s Marshal Will Kane. Immediately after Will and Amy tie the knot, they learn an outlaw he arrested has escaped and is headed to town on the noon train to seek revenge. The greatest strength of High Noon is its execution of unfolding in real time. Clocks are shown throughout as the townspeople watch the countdown to noon, seeing each tick as breaths remaining for the marshal who they refuse to assist. It excels in eschewing the traditional high-octane Western formula in favor of building tension and developing characters for the first two-thirds, and when the action comes it is great. The message of High Noon is important today as Amy discusses her brother’s death from gun violence saying, “I don’t care who’s right or who’s wrong. There’s got to be some better way for people to live.” (Jason Mack)
Will you hold still, please, sir? I’m trying to tell you about No Country for Old Men, the film adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s novel that garnered the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2008. Starring a series of recognizable faces in a tense chase across 1980s Texas, the film showcases the undeniable technical achievement that the Coen brothers are capable of, and in combination with McCarthy’s magically dark atmosphere, it becomes a film experience unlike any other. It’s not exactly a revelation that anyone involved (performer or creator) is masterful and brilliant, but there’s something very special and fulfilling about seeing all of their talents coalesce on-screen. No Country for Old Men is a movie I would never say no to. (Rowan Wood)
There are no war films quite like Apocalypse Now, are there? This is a haunting and unnerving descent into the heart of human darkness. Beyond the bullets, the guns, the helicopters, and the tanks, this is a deeply penetrating experience that finds the evil and drive for power in war, instead of focusing on the actual machines of war. This film broke director Francis Ford Coppola and wrapped up his decade of creating some of the greatest and most important pieces of film in cinematic history. Coppola could never reach these heights ever again. The performances range from rugged and tortured from Martin Sheen, to psychopathic and brutish from Robert Duvall, to enigmatic and intense from Marlon Brando. There will never be another film that captured the madness and horror that was the Vietnam War. This is a bold, striking, and profound piece of cinema that has produced some of the most iconic lines, performances, and moments in all of film. (Shane Conto)
Before a particular 007 popularized the select agent action adventure, we had this story about Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant), a regular guy forced to adopt the role of a secret agent after being mistaken for one, in North by Northwest. Given it’s more than 60 years old, it’s remarkable that the action, pacing, and dialogue still hold up today. None of the lines or events here would seem out of place in any modern action movie. The famous crop dusting is the prime example of this — it’s ahead of its time, and the effects still hold up. But people forget the suspense in the lead-up to that scene and how unexpected that whole sequence is. I’ve never felt bored watching this story unfold. It’s interesting because I’ve felt many early Bond movies which came after this suffered from pacing issues. One moment I’ve always liked that some have been critical of is when Lester Townsend (Philip Ober) has a knife in his back, and Rodger grabs it, making it look like he killed him. Why would Rodger do something that incriminates him? Because he’s not a secret agent, he’s not expecting things like that to happen, so when they do, he panics. I must mention director Alfred Hitchcock’s cameo, which occurred right as his credit disappears off-screen as he misses a bus. I love how his credit scrolls at the same speed Hitchcock walks into frame. Psycho, Rear Window, and Vertigo are all great, but this is Hitchcock’s best film. (John Tillyard)
Nocturnal Animals
What a great example of a tale of two films Nocturnal Animals is, isn’t it? One such film is a striking bit of visual splendor. Director Tom Ford flaunts his fashion background with this sophisticated, sterile, and exuberant world that Amy Adams’ Susan Morrow inhabits. She is confronted by her past in the form of a manuscript from her ex-husband. This manuscript is quite the different story. Grim, gritty, and dangerous… Jake Gyllenhaal’s Tony Hastings’ life changes one fateful night when his family is taken by a grotesque entity, Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s Ray Marcus. One story is distant and harrowing from a broken relationship, and the other boasts a tense and unrelenting thrill ride that would impress Cormac McCarthy. Commanded by a trio of remarkably intense and committed performances (Gyllenhaal, Taylor-Johnson, and the always impressive Michael Shannon) this story within a story is shocking and brutal. The framed narrative is a whole other taste… but still bitter and hard to say no to. (Shane Conto)
No Time To Die
I could not believe the balls on No Time To Die to do what it did. There were multiple choices that were made that I really liked and thought represented a drastic and needed departure for James Bond. Daniel Craig returns in this outstanding conclusion to his Bond films that will go down with the legacy of changing the character for the better, and hopefully for good. No Time To Die is on par with Casino Royale and Skyfall as the best that Bond can offer. This is a deeply personal story, and it’s nice to have the story interconnect instead of it being completely episodic. There were some parts of this that could have been cut, but at the same time, it’s still a great story with meaningful action and an ending for the ages. This is perhaps one of the best Bond movies ever, and one that will hopefully take Bond in interesting new directions moving forward. (Mike Hilty)
The Spectacular Now
In an age when teen romance movies were definitely a thing, The Spectacular Now managed to stand out somehow. Resting on the shoulders of their two outstanding leads, the movie tells the story of Sutter (Miles Teller), the local bad boy in his school, and Aimee (Shailene Woodley), a smart and overachieving girl who’s a bit of an outcast. They somehow find love together despite not being compatible. Teller and Woodley, arguably at the height of both of their popularity as performers, are so incredibly good together. Their romance starts and progresses organically without feeling forced. Their relationship has the normal ups and downs of any relationship, which is typically missing in films. The Spectacular Now is a different movie from the genre and rides on the coattails of great performances, including Sutter’s parents Sara (Jennifer Jason Leigh) and Tommy (Kyle Chandler). Brie Larson and Dayo Okeniyi also play great supporting roles. This is an underrated gem, and one to look for moving forward. (Mike Hilty)
Nobody
Have you ever wanted a John Wick-esque movie, but wanted the protagonist to be just a normal guy and not super cool like the Baba Yaga? Well Nobody is the movie for you. The first 15 minutes really establish Bob Odenkirk’s Hutch as your regular joe. He has a boring job, an isolating relationship with his wife, and a mundane daily routine that all scream of him being no more interesting the average NPC in Grand Theft Auto. But after a home break in, a fire is awoken in Hutch. A long-dormant part of himself is begging to be let out of its cage, and eventually the beast is released. This happens in the form of a beautifully choreographed and shot fist fight on a bus with Hutch protecting a young woman from a few intoxicated harassers. After administering this much-needed beatdown, Hutch finds himself as public enemy number one of the local Russian mobster, whose brother was killed in the fight. The following hour of movie is a non-stop thrill ride, as this nobody overcomes every challenge in front of him with the help of his brother (RZA) and father (Christopher Lloyd). There is plenty of dark humor sprinkled in, as well as a few touching moments between family and loved ones. This was one of my favorite movies of 2021, and it deserves so much more attention than it got. I am begging you to check it out. (My working theory is that this is some kind of sequel to Better Call Saul, but I still haven’t figure out how.) (Samuel Nichols)
Ready or Not
Long is the tradition in stories within all mediums of the damsel in distress sitting in her predicament and simply waiting to be saved by the hero of the tale. Ready or Not falls in the shorter, but no less rich, tradition of that woman deciding to take care of business by her own damn self. Samara Weaving is incredible as the subject of a deadly game of hide and seek, and her energy carries the tone of the film brilliantly. It’s no surprise that the filmmakers were tapped to continue the Scream franchise after this came out with the vibe it gives off, but that central performance is absolutely what makes it sing. The casual nature with which the movie presents its conflict is infectious, and the freedom that gives the filmmakers in how they present this outlandish idea is one of its best qualities. (Chris Bakker)
No Exit
What do you get when a recovering addict tries to make her way home to her sick mother, but gets stuck at a rest stop in the middle of a snowstorm with four complete strangers, including one with a shocking secret? No Exit.Havana Rose Liu plays Darby, a young woman who gets trapped in a snowy whodunit after coming across a kidnapped child in the back of a van. Now, it’s a race against time, in the dead of winter, to find out which one is the suspect. This film has you on the edge of your seat, while having a good time. No Exit doesn’t have a big cast or a grand stage. It doesn’t need it. The performances are surprising in the 95-minute running time. You didn’t know who to believe or who to trust. I just know that I was on Darby’s side and wanted to see her and that little girl make it. It was the only outcome I wanted, along with her being somewhere with a guaranteed cell signal. No Exit doesn’t have a weighty message or any serious content, but it is entertaining. Sometimes, that’s all you need. (Chantal Ashford)