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Best Movies By Year The Best Movies of 2013  

Ranker Film
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List Rules Only films that were released (or wide released) in the United States in 2013

A list of the best movies of 2013, as ranked by movie fans and critics. Every year, around the holiday season, film critics and fans alike gather together to proclaim that a select few movies were the best the film world had to offer during the year. For some, the best movies are those that evoke an emotional response and memorable acting performances. For other movie fans, it’s the entertainment value of a film that earns its place on the “best of” lists. Whatever the personal preferences of the movie viewer, people have strong feelings about what they believe is the best movie of the year.

The films on this list are among the best movies made in 2013. These films gathered strong reviews from the most respected film critics in the country, entertained audiences across the globe, and stayed in their thoughts long after the credits rolled. This list includes movies of many different genres, as well as both indie and major studio releases.

What are the best movies of 2013? While much of the debate rests on personal taste, the movies on this list received great reviews, captured the attention of the audience, and earned a place in cinema history. For more 2013 movie lists, check out Ranker's lists of the funniest movies of 2013 and the most overrated 2013 films.

list ordered by

1
356 289
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Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Max Martini Captain Phillips is a 2013 American biographical thriller film directed by Paul Greengrass and starring Tom Hanks and Barkhad Abdi. The film is inspired by the true story of the 2009 Maersk ...more

2
393 163
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gschwayze added Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew McConaughey, Margot Robbie The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American biographical black comedy film directed by Martin Scorsese. The screenplay by Terence Winter is adapted from the eponymous memoir by Jordan Belfort and ...more

3
505 341
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Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris Gravity is a 2013 science fiction thriller film directed, co-written, and produced by Alfonso Cuarón. It stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts, and sees them stranded in ...more

4
437 315
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wiabux added Cate Blanchett, Evangeline Lilly, Ian McKellen The Hobbit: There and Back Again retitled to The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug is a 2013 fantasy adventure film written by Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, Guillermo del Toro and one more and ...more

5
491 276
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Jennifer Lawrence, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson This film is a 2013 American science fiction action film based on Suzanne Collins' dystopian novel and the second installment in The Hunger Games trilogy. The film is the sequel to The Hunger ...more

6
374 226
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Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Benedict Cumberbatch 12 Years a Slave is a 2013 period drama film directed by Steve McQueen, based on the 1853 memoir by Solomon Northup In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a free ...more

7
308 200
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Hugh Jackman, Jake Gyllenhaal, Maria Bello Prisoners is a 2013 drama thriller film written by Aaron Guzikowski and directed by Denis Villeneuve.

8
359 192
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ChangesDownClub added Russell Brand, Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig Despicable Me 2 is a 2013 computer animated comedy film written by Ken Daurio and Cinco Paul.

9
325 144
Frozen is listed (or ranked) 9 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ChangesDownClub added Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Alan Tudyk Chris Buck
 Frozen is a 2013 American 3D computer-animated musical fantasy–comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 53rd animated feature in the ...more

10
336 273
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wiabux added Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston Thor: The Dark World is a 2013 American superhero film directed by Alan Taylor, based on the Marvel Comics character. When Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) gets cursed with a powerful entity ...more

11
410 249
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Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film. It is the twelfth installment in the Star Trek franchise and the sequel to 2009's Star Trek. J. J. Abrams directed a ...more

12
407 263
Iron Man 3 is listed (or ranked) 12 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Gwyneth Paltrow, Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley Iron Man 3 is a 2013 superhero film featuring the Marvel Comics character Iron Man, produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures. It is the sequel to 2008's ...more

13
309 175
Monsters University is listed (or ranked) 13 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Helen Mirren, Kelsey Grammer, Billy Crystal Monsters University is a 2013 animation adventure comedy film directed by Dan Scanlon.

14
262 185
Now You See Me is listed (or ranked) 14 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ChangesDownClub added Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Woody Harrelson Now You See Me is a 2013 thriller film directed by Louis Leterrier and written by Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt .

15
202 128
Dallas Buyers Club is listed (or ranked) 15 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
wiabux added Jennifer Garner, Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto Dallas Buyers Club is a 2013 American biographical drama film, co-written by Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, directed by Jean-Marc Vallée. Ron Woodroof was an AIDS patient diagnosed in ...more

16
248 254
The Great Gatsby is listed (or ranked) 16 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Leonardo DiCaprio, Isla Fisher, Carey Mulligan The Great Gatsby is a 2013 Australian-American 3D drama film based on F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel of the same name. The film was co-written and directed by Baz Luhrmann, and stars Leonardo ...more

17
326 281
Man of Steel is listed (or ranked) 17 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, based on the DC Comics character. Clark Kent (Henry Cavill), one of the last of an extinguished race disguised as an unremarkable ...more

18
269 167
We're the Millers is listed (or ranked) 18 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
wiabux added Jennifer Aniston, Emma Roberts, Molly Quinn We're the Millers is a 2013 American comedy film directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber. It stars Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Emma Roberts, Will Poulter, Nick Offerman, Kathryn Hahn, and Ed ...more

19
320 260
World War Z is listed (or ranked) 19 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Brad Pitt, Matthew Fox, David Morse This film is a 2013 American apocalyptic action horror film directed by Marc Forster. The screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan, Drew Goddard, and Damon Lindelof is from a screen story by ...more

20
157 115
Saving Mr. Banks is listed (or ranked) 20 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ManningFranks added Tom Hanks, Colin Farrell, Emma Thompson Saving Mr. Banks is a 2013 period drama film directed by John Lee Hancock from a screenplay written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Centered on the development of the 1964 Walt Disney Studios ...more

21
253 248
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wiabux added Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Ron Perlman Pacific Rim is a 2013 action sci-fi film directed by Guillermo del Toro.

22
159 167
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ChangesDownClub added Morgan Freeman, Gerard Butler, Ashley Judd Olympus Has Fallen is a 2013 American action thriller film. Directed by Antoine Fuqua, it stars Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, and Morgan Freeman, with Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Cole ...more

23
155 84
Lone Survivor is listed (or ranked) 23 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Mark Wahlberg, Eric Bana, Taylor Kitsch Lone Survivor is a 2013 American film written and directed by Peter Berg, and starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster and Eric Bana. The film is based on the 2007 ...more

24
114 72
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Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Robert De Niro American Hustle is a 2013 American comedy-drama film directed by David O. Russell. It was written by Eric Warren Singer and Russell, inspired by the FBI ABSCAM operation of the late 1970s and ...more

25
238 176
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wiabux added Hugh Jackman, Tao Okamoto, Rila Fukushima The Wolverine is a 2013 American superhero film directed by James Mangold, based on the Marvel Comics superhero. When Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) is summoned to Japan by an old acquaintance, he is ...more

26
220 190
This Is the End is listed (or ranked) 26 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Emma Watson, James Franco, Channing Tatum The comedy "This is the End" follows six friends trapped in a house after a series of strange and catastrophic events devastate Los Angeles. As the world unravels outside, dwindling ...more

27
133 115
Rush is listed (or ranked) 27 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
sid_cassal added U;Nee, Lee Min-woo, Kim Seung-hyun Rush is a 1999 drama film written and directed by Lee Sang-in.

28
115 106
Mud is listed (or ranked) 28 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
laaaarrge added Reese Witherspoon, Matthew McConaughey, Sarah Paulson Mud is a 2012 American drama film directed by Jeff Nichols and starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, and Reese Witherspoon. The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2012 Cannes Film

29
175 175
Oblivion is listed (or ranked) 29 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ChangesDownClub added Tom Cruise, Morgan Freeman, Olga Kurylenko Oblivion is a 2012 action and science fiction film written by Joseph Kosinski and William Monahan and directed by Joseph Kosinski.

30
165 223
Oz the Great and Powerful is listed (or ranked) 30 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ChangesDownClub added Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, James Franco Oz the Great and Powerful is a 2013 American 3D live action and computer animated fantasy adventure film directed by Sam Raimi, produced by Joe Roth, and written by David Lindsay-Abaire and ...more

31
155 148
Fast & Furious 6 is listed (or ranked) 31 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
ejlinehan added Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson Fast & Furious 6 is a 2013 American action film directed by Justin Lin, and the sixth installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise. Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) has Dominic (Vin Diesel) and ...more

32
220 165
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ChangesDownClub added Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Joey King The Conjuring is a 2013 American supernatural horror film directed by James Wan and the first installment in the Conjuring series. Ed (Patrick Wilson) and Lorraine Warren (Vera Farmiga) are ...more

33
87 70
Elysium is listed (or ranked) 33 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga Elysium is a 2013 American dystopian science fiction action thriller film written, directed, and co-produced by Neill Blomkamp, and starring Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Alice Braga and Sharlto ...more

34
142 160
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Pierce Brosnan, Rosamund Pike, Martin Freeman The World's End is a 2013 science fiction comedy directed by Edgar Wright, written by Wright and Simon Pegg, and starring Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Rosamund Pike and ...more

35
118 152
Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is listed (or ranked) 35 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Gemma Arterton, Famke Janssen, Jeremy Renner Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters is a 2013 American-German action-horror comedy film written and directed by Tommy Wirkola. It is a continuation to the German folklore fairy tale "Hansel ...more

36
115 139
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters is listed (or ranked) 36 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Alexandra Daddario, Logan Lerman, Jake Abel The son of Poseidon and his friends head into the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece.

37
91 138
Jack the Giant Killer is listed (or ranked) 37 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Ewan McGregor, Stanley Tucci, Ian McShane Jack the Giant Slayer is a 2013 American fantasy adventure film based on the English fairy tales "Jack the Giant Killer" and "Jack and the Beanstalk". The film is directed by ...more

38
96 107
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Bruce Dern, Will Forte, Bob Odenkirk Nebraska is a 2013 American comedy-drama black-and-white road film directed by Alexander Payne and written by Bob Nelson. It stars Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, and Bob Odenkirk. The film ...more

39
52 78
The Butler is listed (or ranked) 39 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Mariah Carey, Robin Williams, Oprah Winfrey The Butler is a 2013 American historical drama film directed and produced by Lee Daniels and written by Danny Strong. Loosely based on the real life of Eugene Allen, the film stars Forest ...more

40
129 127
The Heat is listed (or ranked) 40 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans The Heat is a 2013 American buddy cop comedy film written by Katie Dippold and directed by Paul Feig. The plot centers on Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy as FBI Special Agent Sarah Ashburn ...more

41
90 124
The Way, Way Back is listed (or ranked) 41 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
TheFinalCut added Steve Carell, Amanda Peet, AnnaSophia Robb The Way, Way Back is a 2013 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash in their directorial debut. The film stars Liam James, Steve Carell, Toni Collette, Allison ...more

42
108 139
Kick-Ass 2 is listed (or ranked) 42 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
polyspiker added Jim Carrey, Chloë Grace Moretz, Lyndsy Fonseca This film is a 2013 action comedy film written and directed by Jeff Wadlow.

43
96 129
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Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, Louis C.K. Blue Jasmine is a 2013 American dark comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. It tells the story of a rich Manhattan socialite who falls into hard times and has to move in to her ...more

44
44 25
42 is listed (or ranked) 44 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Harrison Ford, Christopher Meloni, Nicole Beharie 42 is a 2013 American biographical sports film written and directed by Brian Helgeland about the racial integration of American professional baseball by player Jackie Robinson, who wore jersey ...more

45
86 182
The Lone Ranger is listed (or ranked) 45 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Armie Hammer The Lone Ranger is a 2013 action adventure film written by Ted Elliott, Justin Haythe and Terry Rossio and directed by Gore Verbinski.

46
51 62
Inside Llewyn Davis is listed (or ranked) 46 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Justin Timberlake, Carey Mulligan, John Goodman Inside Llewyn Davis is a 2013 American comedy-drama film edited, written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. It was produced by Scott Rudin, Ethan and Joel Coen. Set in 1961, the film stars ...more

47
23 12
Her is listed (or ranked) 47 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Scarlett Johansson, Olivia Wilde, Amy Adams Her is a 2013 American romantic science fiction comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Spike Jonze. The film's musical score was composed by Arcade Fire, with the cinematography ...more

48
56 38
Warm Bodies is listed (or ranked) 48 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Teresa Palmer, John Malkovich, Dave Franco Warm Bodies is a 2013 drama horror romance film written by Jonathan Levine and Isaac Marion and directed by Jonathan Levine.

49
65 83
White House Down is listed (or ranked) 49 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal White House Down is a 2013 American political action-thriller film directed by Roland Emmerich about an assault on the White House by a paramilitary group and the Capitol Police Officer who ...more

50
61 134
Beautiful Creatures is listed (or ranked) 50 on the list The Best Movies of 2013
Emmy Rossum, Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons A supernatural love story set in the South, "Beautiful Creatures" tells the tale of two star-crossed lovers: Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich), a young man longing to escape his small town, and ...more