2013 in film has been, for my money, a pretty weak year compared to the last few; so many Hollywood blockbusters have missed the mark somewhat (I'm looking at you, Iron Man 3), and simply, there just haven't been any big surprise hits that defied expectation, such as last year's brilliant 21 Jump Street and Chronicle, both of which were out of the gate in the first 3 months of the year. I've seen close to 100 films released this year so far (excluding 2012 carry-overs like Lincoln and all other Oscar fare), and the vast majority of the big-hitters I've enjoyed have been from both the Cannes and Sundance film festivals. However, in the interest of balance, here's a top 10 that combines a few from Cannes, a few from Sundance, and a few from multiplexes a little closer to home. Here are the 10 best movies of 2013 (so far), though we hope this list will see a few more highly-anticipated films joining its ranks soon enough...
10. Upstream Color
Shane Carruth follows his widely-acclaimed minimalist sci-fi Primer with a film nearly as beguiling itself. Upstream Color cross-breeds a strange, mysterious sci-fi premise with a romance that is quite unlike anything you have ever seen. As protagonists Kris (Amy Seimetz) and Jeff (Carruth) fall for one another while tackling their own personal demons, we get to observe the three-part life-cycle of a bizarre parasitic organism that somehow links humans and pigs together, among other things. If it sounds barmy, that's because it totally is. Carruth explains little, and his approach therein is sure to frustrate many, but it's visually stunning, superbly scored and beautifully acted. It's also destined to become a cult classic and sure to get you talking about it for days afterwards. Read my full review
here.
Release Info: US theatrical release on April 5th, UK release TBA.