Are you looking for the best movies from 2012? You will obviously get that. Because 2012 was an incredible movie year with an endless stream of fantastic major releases from studios and independent artistic publishers.
The top 2012 movies include heart-tearing thrillers, mind-bending science-fiction films, and beautiful romantic comedies that will remind movie lovers why they first fell in love with a movie in the first place.
It doesn’t matter if these movies appear old or seem like they only were released; these are some of the largest movies in 2012. This is an overview of the top films of this year.
10 Best Movies From 2012
| Movie Name | Ratings |
| The Dark Knight Rises | IMDb: 8.4/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 87% |
| The Avengers | IMDb: 8/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 91% |
| Life Of Pi | IMDb: 7.9/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 87% |
| Wreck-It Ralph | IMDb: 7.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes :87% |
| Silver Linings Playbook | IMDb: 7.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 92% |
| Argo | IMDb: 7.7/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 96% |
| Looper | IMDb: 7.4/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 93% |
| Lincoln | IMDb: 7.3/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 92% |
| Beasts of the Southern Wild | IMDb: 7.2/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 87% |
| The Master | IMDb: 7.1/10 Rotten Tomatoes: 84% |
1. The Dark Knight Rises
Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Charles Roven, Emma Thomas
Cast:
- Christian Bale
- Anne Hathaway
- Tom Hardy
- Gary Oldman
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A sequel to one of the greatest Batman films from four years ago, The Dark Knight Rises was released in theaters on June 20th 2012. It’s the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s tough Batman trilogy.
Nolan invests all of his efforts when directing The Dark Knight Rises to keep up with The Dark Knight in terms of rhythm, intonation, and mood. The cast, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman, provide solid performances.
The top position on the Ranker’s Best Movies of 2012 is the final installment of Christopher Nolan’s highly acclaimed trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises. Expectations were extremely high due to the enormous success that was The Dark Knight.
The Dark Knight Rises features a fascinating female protagonist in the genre. The film also provides its protagonist with an unambiguous conclusion that puts him at a level of maturity and understanding that is far above his literary counterparts. It might not be the film many fans desired. However, The Dark Knight Rises is the kind of movie that the trilogy deserves.
2. The Avengers
Director: Joss Whedon
Producer: Kevin Feige
Cast:
- Robert Downey Jr.
- Chris Evans
- Mark Ruffalo
- Chris Hemsworth
- Scarlett Johansson
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Plot:
The initial Marvel’s The Avengers movie feels almost antique in comparison to Infinity War and Endgame. Six superheroes band together for the purpose of stopping Loki from creating an alien threat to Earth. Each individual character has developed without becoming lost in the grand show.
The Avengers is the highest-grossing film of 2012 and is a melding of 5 films. The Avengers was the first film of its kind, and the fans came out in droves to watch their favorite Marvel heroes reunite for the very first time ever on the screen.
The Avengers launched the age of cinematic worlds, and no other studio has been able to recreate that because it’s like trying to catch lightning in a box. The actors were cast perfectly, and the script for each was so well-written that you could tell exactly where each was getting their information from.
The Avengers blend action, heart, and comedy to give the most enjoyable experience. It is also a great example of how paying dedication to the development of characters and world-building is what the audience truly cares about.
On the 4th of May, the 2012 film, The Avengers showed how the sweet reward could be as it brought together four years of teases and solo films that was just the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
3. Life of Pi
Director: Ang Lee
Producer: Ang Lee, Gil Netter, David Womark
Cast:
- Suraj Sharma
- Irrfan Khan
- Adil Hussain
- Tabu
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Plot:
Life of Pi was certainly one of the most ambitious and best movies from 2012. It relates the tale of a man who gets stuck in the water with a tiger and thinks over his past. The film is both about discovering our place in the world and how cinema can be used to alter lives. Life Pi is a film that focuses on the power of cinema.
In a year that was brimming with established and well-known blockbusters and franchises, people might be surprised to see the cult novel adaptation making the top 10 list. However, Life of Pi was no small film since it was a huge commercial hit, earning 609 million dollars around the world. Beyond its economic achievement, Life of Pi also was a huge hit with the critics and earned its director Ang Lee a Best Director Oscar.
Another aspect that has contributed to the film’s success is the popularity of the film not only across its native United States but internationally as well. It’s a film that has many different actors and a plot that’s so imaginative. “Life of Pi” is able to be read in many different ways, making it possible for a wider public to engage with it in a variety of ways than the more traditional drama might permit.
The film Ang Lee’s “Life of Pi” is an amazing feat of storytelling as well as a landmark of artistic mastery. It was inspired by a global bestseller that many people think was unfilmable and an incredible triumph over its challenges.
4. Wreck-It Ralph
Director: Rich Moore
Producer: Clark Spencer
Cast:
- John C. Reilly
- Jack McBrayer
- Jane Lynch
- Sarah Silverman
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Plot:
From the simple animation, the strong spirit of comedy, the nostalgia that evokes references and cameos, as well as the astonishingly effective and emotional plot, The Wreck-it-Ralph film from Disney is the greatest cartoon and also one of Disney’s greatest animated films ever made.
The popularity of the film is due to not just having a sincere and emotional story that could be a hit with children and adults alike as well as the inclusion of comedic appearances by famous video game characters, which was the main draw to this film.
The most animated film of the year really is a hit due to its pulsing heart. Wreck-It Ralph through its energetic mixture of snappy humor, eye-popping animation, and the familiar yet effective theme of “underdogs get their due.”
Wreck-It Ralph is a movie from 2012 because the vibrant and bright action is thrilling to see, and combined with amazing facial animations, makes an amazing and memorable experience.
5. Silver Linings Playbook
Director: David O. Russell
Producer: Donna Gigliotti, Bruce Cohen, Jonathan Gordon
Cast:
- Bradley Cooper
- Jennifer Lawrence
- Robert De Niro
- Jacki Weaver
- Anupam Kher
- Chris Tucker
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Plot:
Based on the novel written by Matthew Quick, David O Russell has produced and written this version of this romantic comedy film where both principal characters are deeply wounded and are on a variety of medications.
The movie goes into detail regarding manic episodes, delusions, depression, manic episodes and other bipolar symptoms. It shows how those suffering from mental illness handle family, friends, and relationship issues.
Jennifer Lawrence plays such a distinct character from the ones in the films. When she performs a dance, you’ll see that she’s among the top young actors in Hollywood and the film is one of the best films of this year.
Silver Linings Playbook is full of originality and devoid of clichés. It’s without a doubt one of the most romantic comedies that have been made in the past few years.
This film has many hilarious moments, as well as several scenes that will fill hearts to the point that you’ll be able to leave the theater with a smile. Silver Linings Playbook is the perfect movie for a date that females and males can take pleasure in.
6. Argo
Director: Ben Affleck
Producer: Ben Affleck, George Clooney
Cast:
- Ben Affleck
- Bryan Cranston
- John Goodman
- Alan Arkin
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Plot:
Argo is a stunning and well-crafted political thriller that would be a hit even without the current events. It is one of the best movies from 2012 because of its unique story.
Ben Affleck’s latest film is a well-written and fast-paced documentary on the unbelievable but real story of the fictional film Argo. In a fitting bit of self-awareness, the real movie, Argo, is as authentic as Hollywood productions are. The film’s awards are an absolute achievement for the new filmmaker, as are the significant box office numbers.
Argo is the story of how a CIA officer, with Hollywood’s aid, took risks in order to bring the film to life. It is a film that combines nostalgia and snoozing that Tinseltown praises with the highest frequency.
7. Looper
Director: Rian Johnson
Producer: Ram Bergman, James D. Stern
Cast:
- Joseph Gordon
- Bruce Willis
- Emily Blunt
- Paul Dano
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Plot:
Looper is an enlightening and thrilling sci-fi film, like Blade Runner or Total Recall. The plot is too complex to sum up in a single sentence, and despite that, it’s most effective if you enter the film with a clear mind. The film is meticulously planned to provide the information you require. While it’s slow initially to gain a sense of the vastness of the universe, the reward is truly amazing.
Director and writer Rian Johnson, who is also the writer and director of the show, are the true highlight of the production. He showcases his innovative ideas and attention to the finer details.
One thing I like is the way in which the film acknowledges that the concept of time travel isn’t as clear, and instead of wasting time trying to come up with an elaborate way of explaining it, it does it in a way that is logical and with humor, glosses over the issue.
Instead, the film chooses to concentrate its time and effort on analyzing the notion of the possibility of choice and whether it is possible for individuals to escape their fate.
Looper’s originality provided an air of freshness in a year filled with remakes and sequels. Time travel films can be difficult to appeal to the public since they typically are too complicated or confusing. Rian Johnson’s script not just creates Looper excitement but makes it easy and simple to follow.
8. Lincoln
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Steven Spielberg, Kathleen Kennedy
Cast:
- Daniel Day
- Sally Field
- David Strathairn
- Joseph Gordon-Levitt
- James Spader
- Hal Holbrook
- Tommy Lee Jones
- Janusz Kamiński
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Plot:
When it first was made public that it was the idea of an Abraham Lincoln biography directed by America’s most famous director and featuring one of the most renowned actors in the world, Lincoln sounded like an automatic slam-dunk. The life of Abraham Lincoln is inspirational. Lincoln, by virtue of his charm, intelligence, humor, and candor, has earned the respect of those who admire him.
It might not be the most attractive choice; however, Lincoln is by far the best film that year. Instead of creating a sprawling biopic that covers each major event in Abe’s history, Spielberg and Kushner chose to focus on the final days of his life.
The political leaders of the past were not giants in the marble of history but messy, flawed men that are able to be purchased and traded with. This is especially true of the character in the movie Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis).
Day-Lewis is a master of performance as he is a different historical persona. The way he portrays Lincoln’s elusive high-pitched Midwestern sound and his backwoods folkiness make it clear that he wasn’t the divinely-ordained hero of the hagiography genre.
In the film, Lincoln knows that the Emancipation Proclamation only freed slaves from the states in rebellion and is likely to fail any legal challenge. As the war draws to a close, the president has to make a deal with moderate Republicans so as to guarantee their support for the amendment. He must do this by agreeing to negotiate agreements with Southern leaders. Don’t forget to watch it, as Lincoln is one of the best movies from 2012.
9. Beasts of the Southern Wild
Director: Benh Zeitlin
Producer: Dan Janvey, Josh Penn, Michael Gottwald
Cast:
- Quvenzhané Wallis
- Dwight Henry
- Levy Easterly
- Lowell Landes
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Plot:
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a movie devoted to telling a story that is unique about poverty, climate change, and death, as well as mythology and the concept of community. While the movie may seem chaotic and confusing, it’s the simple nature of the lives of the characters that makes this fantastical, mythical tale enjoyable and relatable.
This film is an amazing work of art, depicting a self-reliant community that is not surrounded by the security nets that are provided by industry.
This is the story of a girl living in utter poverty. However, she doesn’t expect anyone to be sympathetic to her. Instead, we witness her innocent, unassuming way of taking in the world and her determination and seeking to be able to feel spaces in our own being that aren’t blocked by the effects of age or pain.
Beasts of the Southern Wild is a unique story, yet one that is able to connect with a large public. It’s delightful in its own way, thanks to the story of a young girl who is determined to be remembered.
10. The Master
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer: Xavier Britto
Cast:
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Philip Seymour Hoffman
- Jesse Plemons
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Plot:
Last but not least, The master is top among the best movies from 2012, and it attracts the audience for its unique story. The film explores a variety of views that people have about business, religion, and the military.
In the end, mastery of each of these is the desire to gain control over other people. It’s an extremely challenging film, to be sure, but there’s also a wealth to be reaped. It’s as perfect a film as you could find and nothing else like it has been made before.
It’s one of those films in which critics seemed to be nearly unanimous in giving general praise, but the audience was largely dismissive.
While the film can take a bit of time to get warm at its highest level, once it reaches the film, it soars high. Although The Master is not for everyone, and it could have some critics, the Three scenes are cinematic masterpieces.
It’s all done so well, and the well-known roles remain enjoyable. The film as a whole is pleasing, no doubt. You could also agree that it started the seeds of something exceptional, one of those rare films that could rise and then turn amazing again and again.
Wrapping up
There are many films that were released in 2012, some hilarious and some intense, while others are truly heartbreaking and all ready to entertain you.
What are you to be waiting around for? Get into the world of the best movies from 2012 and get an abundance of healthy, romantic, inspirational stories.
What are the best films of 2012? Consider looking at this list.
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