Terrence Malick: Ranking His Movies From Worst To Best
Epilogue: To The Wonder (2013)
Rather than debating Malicks worth as a filmmaker, the effectiveness of his style, or which of his films trump one another, perhaps we should just appreciate and admire the fact that were able to experience the work of a director with such a singular vision in an industry that so often shuns such things.
There is no right or wrong answer as to which Malick movie is best or worst. The order simply depends on how they make you feel when you experience them, or re-experience them. If theyre able to stir you, to pull you into that other realm where youre bonded with the images on screen, then theyre already a success. The ones that stay with you, that follow you like a ghost after youve left the theater or turned off the television, those are the ones that really matter. Having seen the film at the Toronto Film Festival, I chose not to include it on this list for two reasons. First, I've only seen the film once, and second, having seen it before the distribution and release details were locked in, I have no way of knowing if the version I saw has been altered, reedited, or changed in any way, so to include it on this list seems premature. That being said, the film is is unmistakably Malick, and while shorter than most of his recent films (it came in a bit under two hours), it is still full of powerful moments and musings on the nature of love, commitment, and faith. If you already know you like Malick, then you wont be disappointed. If you havent experienced one of his films yet, it would serve as a great introduction to his style. If you hate his work, stay far, far away. You can find my review of To The Wonder here.