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 Spiral, we’re counting down our favorite movies with geometric titles. Let us know @SiftPop what your ranking is!
Rounders is perhaps the quintessential poker flick. It follows Matt Damon as a gambler that gets pulled back into the world of high stakes poker to help his friend, Worm (Edward Norton), pay off loan sharks. Aside from the great poker scenes, the cast is what really makes this a fun experience. Aside from Damon and Norton, there are plenty of great character actors, like John Turturro and Martin Landau. The scene-stealer, however, is John Malkovich’s Teddy KGB. The list of movies I quote more than this is rather short, and they’re pretty much all Teddy lines. He’s a great villain and foil for Damon. Bonus points for the “so bad it’s good” Russian accent. (Jake Bourgeois)
Biopics are a tough nut to crack. On one hand, you want to do right by the person you’re covering, but on the other hand, that can lead to a pretty boring movie. Like, we know their life, so why watch a dramatized movie? Some movies handle it better than others. I think Ray is almost one of those movies. Biopics tend to be about the performance and Ray is no exception. Jamie Foxx steps into the role of the titular Ray Charles and gives one of the best performances of his career, which is outstanding considering this was earlier on in his career. He established himself as one of the premier multi-talented stars working and went and earned himself an Academy Award. He fully embodies Ray Charles and it’s a masterclass performance. Watching his performance gives me chills. Overall, the movie around the performance does the job it needs to do. It covers most of the important moments without taking too many creative liberties. It’s a safe movie and it could probably be a tad shorter, but if you are looking for a great performance and some great music, look no further than Ray. (Nashua Doll)
Romantic Comedies are not something I often dabble in, but when there is heart to it and care is taken with the story I am all for it. Silver Linings Playbook is that one gem in the genre that really turns that on its head in interesting fashion. Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) is going through a huge rough patch in his life, both internally and externally. Even spending a stint in a mental institution as a result of his diagnosed bipolar disorder and assaulting his ex-wife’s lover. During a chance meeting, Pat is introduced to Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence) and his world is turned upside down. The push and pull of these characters is the heart of the story — you are seeing two broken people start to mend each other and love each other. It’s hilarious, anxiety inducing, and overall a beautiful story of love. Cooper and Lawrence make this film what it is. Their performances are a joy to watch and you can’t help but root for these two to end up with one another. Silver Linings Playbook has a level of vulnerability that is seriously missing from the romantic comedy genre. (Joe Vargas)
The truth of the world of entertainment we live in now is that so many ideas feel similar to or somewhat derivative of other ideas. So when you look at The Edge of Seventeen, it’s hard not to just see another high school comedy filled with unrelatable hijinks. But this movie is far greater than that. It involves those elements to a degree, but it’s much more focused on the human elements of what it can feel like going to high school in a modern world. The Edge of Seventeen does not shy away from some of the grim realities of being a teenager and explores the developing anxieties and societal pressures and overall angst of just being a teenager in general. This movie takes those ideas and approaches them head on, using comedy brilliantly in the process. I’ve always been a fan of Hailee Steinfeld and she absolutely crushes the role of Nadine. She has a natural magnetism onscreen that enhances everything around her. I would love to see her in more roles like this that stretch her beyond what we’ve seen so far. Woody Harrelson also turns in one of his most down-to-earth and likable performances of all time, and a special shout-out to Hayden Szeto, who almost steals the movie with his awkward charm. This is a must recommend for any fan of the genre and easily one of the best high school movies to come out in the past 20 years. (Nashua Doll)
I must be psychic. That’s the only logical explanation for the fact that I finished Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World literally hours before the BEC email came out. It’s definitely not the fact that my month of Amazon Prime I watched Sound of Metal and Without Remorse on is about to expire and I wanted to watch this one for the first time in forever. I came out with two takeaways. First, and specific to this list: there’s so much geometry at work here with the old-timey navigating. Other films may have geometric titles, but this one puts in the actual work. Second: We need more pre-20th century naval films. This movie is epic in scale and the cat-and-mouse game at sea is fantastic, and the film makes you feel like you’re living those months at sea with the crew. More epic sea showdowns please! (Jake Bourgeois)
How do you feel about Rian Johnson? This might be a loaded question in 2021. Many people hate him for The Last Jedi and plenty love him for this bold take on this classic franchise. Years before being a defender of Johnson and The Last Jedi, I fell in love with Looper. I am always looking for new and fresh takes on my favorite genre and this offering took science fiction to exciting new places. Equal parts gunslingers of the old west, gangster movies, and high concept sci-fi, Looper builds a remarkable world of hitmen and telekinetic powers filled with great performance and memorable characters. It also features a torture scene that just might be the most horrifying sequence from a time manipulation film. Joseph Gordon-Levitt gives a stalwart performance at the center with an inspired performance from Emily Blunt to compliment him. But the real talking point is a performance from Bruce Willis, which just might be his best work in all of the 21st century so far. If you haven’t had the pleasure, make sure to take a dive into the crazy world of Looper. (Shane Conto)
Near the end of 2020, director Thomas Vinterberg brought audiences through a story of experimental inebriation with his comedy-drama, Another Round. In the film, he explores the friendship between four teachers in Denmark who want to make their lives more fun. To do so, they decide to test a theory that says having a blood-alcohol content of .05 makes you more relaxed and creative. The four main characters, led by Mads Mikkelsen, provide engaging chemistry as you learn about their professional, social, and personal lives, and each of them is given an opportunity to stand out. We’re able to get to know all of them as their good times and stressful times unfold, and this makes for an emotionally impactful experience. This balance between humor and drama comes from the inventive minds of Vinterberg and his cowriter, Tobias Lindholm, who offer a terrific sense of fun, but aren’t hesitant to venture into deeper territory as the group’s experiment begins to have consequences. This is a layered view of life and friendship that’s as poignant as it is celebratory, and if you haven’t seen it yet, you’ll want to take a swig as soon as possible. (Vincent Abbatecola)
One very common phrase I’ve heard over the years is to never judge a book by its cover, and in this case it is to not judge a movie by its trailer. When Edge of Tomorrow was released, it didn’t draw me in, and I thought it was just another Tom Cruise action movie (I will admit that at the time my taste in movies was questionable at best). However, after watching it a few years ago it has rocketed up my list of favorite films of all time, with fantastic performances by Cruise, Emily Blunt and the entire rest of the cast. Based on the Japanese light novel All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow is a wild ride that grabs your attention from the very beginning, with brilliant sci-fi, witty humor, thrilling action sequences, and a compelling story that doesn’t let go until the credits are rolling. It’s truly a unique aspect of the Groundhog Day-esque time loop, and while I don’t fully agree with the inclusion of the romance subplot, you will never have a bad time watching Edge of Tomorrow, and hopefully this has convinced you to watch it, or else I’ll have to go back in time and try again. Seventeenth time’s the charm, right? (Joseph Davis)
Pixar has a long history of surprising the audience with deep, thought-provoking narratives dressed up in colorful child-friendly characters and settings. It is of no surprise that in Inside Out, their ambitious exploration at what makes people tick from an emotional level draws us in so invitingly only to then hit us in the feels like a freight train as only they could. The first time I saw this film was in the theater and I was in a coincidentally similar situation as the main character Riley. She had just moved across the country from the midwest away from all her friends and anyone else she knew to San Francisco and she was going through a lot of trepidations and struggles to acclimate to her new surroundings and sense of emotional overwhelm. This was my same situation a month later, save for the fact that I was not (nor am I now) a 12-year-old girl. The simplistic, yet sophisticated approach Pixar presented the emotions and their power over us is inspired and you can’t help but love every one of their depictions. The cast is perfect, from Amy Poehler’s Joy and Phyllis Smith from The Office playing Sadness and Lewis freaking Black playing Anger *chef’s Kiss.* This movie is an intro to psychology class wrapped in a colorfully delightful shell that will have you feeling something fierce, inside and out. (Evan Lucken)
Frank here this week to talk about The Matrix. Look, I’ll be honest. I have no clue what a Geometrick Title is. Looking at the other movies I’m guessing it’s something to do with geometry. I don’t know. I’m not a geologist. I saw The Matrix was on the list and I’m not going to turn down a chance to talk about this 1999 masterpiece. It brought information to the masses to get people to question their own reality in ways the world hadn’t thought of since 1998’s The Truman Show. The Wachowskis brought their “A” game, blending mind-bending special effects, anime inspired fight styles, and the chef’s kiss of bullet time. The philosophy of The Matrix has been talked about since its debut and will continue until long after we depart from this mortal coil. If you love sci-fi, if you love action, if you love good movies, The Matrix is for you!
A+. A perfect score, unlike my math tests. (Frank Kemp)
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie
I miss when Nickelodeon would take their biggest animated shows and adapt them into feature length films. I think The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie has to be the best out of their catalog looking back. They still make SpongeBob sequels, of course, but this being something that was made when the show was arguably at its best is what makes it work so well. Not to mention how much fun the voice actors are when we hear them onscreen. Tom Kenny as SpongeBob has to be up there as one of the best performances as a character this iconic. It’s something I could see almost come across as annoying, but he is charming enough that he never goes over that line. So If it’s been a while since you’ve checked out The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie, then I think you’re overdue for a rewatch because you’d be surprised how clever it can be at time with its writing and performances. (Alex Henderson)
Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Okay, so yes, maybe the sequel isn’t as good as the original — that is seldom the case, after all. However! That is not to say that this isn’t a truly good quality movie. It’s just as action-packed, just as shocking — if not more — and just as much of a fun and wild ride. Kingsman: The Golden Circle now has Eggsy (Taron Egerton) in a place where he fully embraces his spy-ness and is no longer the good kid from the wrong side of the tracks. He has a royal girlfriend, a proper house, and the respect he deserves — and it’s just great entertainment to see him lose it all and have to get it back. Plus, the addition of some American talent like Halle Berry, Jeff Bridges, and Pedro Pascal adds a little bit of extra spark to the overall cast. A roaring good time — give it a chance if you haven’t already. (Alice Micheli)
The Edge
The original title for The Edge was going to be Bookworm, and while it would have taken it away from this list, I think it would have been a better title for the movie. I love The Edge, and have loved it for over 20 years, but on rewatch it definitely only moderately works as a survival movie. There’s not really enough obstacles in the wilderness to be truly gripping, and that’s because the movie focuses a lot more on the connection Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin’s characters share with each other. Over the course of the movie, Hopkins’ character finds himself challenged emotionally and intellectually by Baldwin’s character and the elements, and the true arc of the movie is transitioning Hopkins from a bookish. billionaire know-it-all to a man who actually puts his knowledge to practical use. In a sense, it’s a movie about a man finding something to live for aside from unimaginatively going through the paces of life without anything remarkable to show for it — aside from his vast wealth, of course, but who’s counting? (Chris Bakker)
Also See: Around the World in 80 Days, Pi, The Shape of Water, The Thin Red Line, Walk the Line, In the Line of Fire, West Side Story, Point Break, Sideways, Life of Pi
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