2022 has gone by in a blur, meaning that 2023 is right around the corner. It's quite hard to believe that it's been 10 years since 2013. However, the world of films has certainly grown quite a bit in those 10 years, both in terms of the maturity of filmmakers behind the camera, and the earnestness of films in front of it.
Nevertheless, 2013 was a spectacular year for movie-lovers, featuring some of the best films of the decade. Whether it was a big-budget action movie, or a low-budget romantic drama, these films are some career highlights for both their actors and filmmakers. Plus, they've aged quite a lot better than other films from their respective years.
10 The Wolf of Wall Street
Although it would take 2015's The Revenant for Leonardo DiCaprio to finally secure an Oscar, 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street was a strong contender for him. Directed by Martin Scorsese, DiCaprio plays real-life stockbroker Jordan Belfort, chronicling his rise and fall in the world of New York City finance. However, DiCaprio wasn't the strongest player here.
The Wolf of Wall Street featured a stellar supporting cast, including Best Supporting Actor nominee Jonah Hill as Belfort's right-hand man. The film was also a breakout performance for actress Margot Robbie, who plays Belfort's second wife. The Wolf of Wall Street would be the first foray into movie stardom for Robbie in the 2010s, and certainly not the last.
9 American Hustle
Director David O. Russell is no stranger to controversy these days, but back in 2013 his films were showered with award nominations. That description certainly applies to American Hustle, a drama about FBI con artists with an ensemble cast including Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Jennifer Lawrence, and Bradley Cooper, among others.
Though it failed to garner any wins at the Oscars in 2014, critics adored the film, calling it one of the most enjoyable movies of the year. Furthermore, it was a reunion of Lawrence and Cooper, who starred together in Russell's 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook. Overall, it's a film that oozes with charm and stellar performances.
8 Gravity
Gravity was one of the most talked-about films in 2013, and certainly was one of the most unique. Directed by Alfonso Cuarón, the director behind groundbreaking films like Children of Men, Gravity stars Sandra Bullock and George Clooney as astronauts who end up stranded in outer space during a mission gone wrong.
The film was especially a stellar showing for Bullock, who spends most of the movie alone with no co-stars. Critics seemed to agree about the film's brilliance, garnering near universal acclaim. Cuarón also received praise from fellow filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and James Cameron, tying American Hustle for Academy Award nominations.
7 Her
One of the stranger films of 2013 was Her, starring Joaquin Phoenix and written and directed by Spike Jonze. Though the film features stellar supporting work by Amy Adams and Rooney Mara, it mostly centers on Phoenix's Theodore, a loner who falls in love with an A.I. assistant he gets named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson.
Surprisingly, the romance between Theodore and Samantha is incredibly convincing on-screen, thanks to a stellar performance by Phoenix and excellent voicework by Johansson. The film was favorably compared to sci-fi films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as Jonze's Adaptation, winning Best Original Screenplay at the 2014 Oscars.
6 We're The Millers
Although studio comedies would wane in popularity by the end of the 2010s, in 2013 they were still incredibly successful. Particularly, films like We're the Millers have remained relevant thanks to its committed and gifted cast, which included Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston, Will Poulter, and Emma Roberts.
The film centers on David, a drug dealer tasked with smuggling drugs across the Mexican border. As part of David's plan, he rents an RV and convinces a stripper, a homeless girl, and a neighbor teen to masquerade as his happy-go-lucky family. It's a strong premise that relies on its cast to convincingly play scumbags-turned-nuclear family, which works.
5 The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Ben Stiller starred in and directed this adaptation of a short story from 1939, following a man whose daydreams blend in with reality. The film version takes it a step further, as Stiller's daydreaming Mitty ends up going on a real adventure around the world. This creative liberty taken with the story, unsurprisingly, divided critics.
Some reviewers felt that Stiller did a great job balancing the film's absurdity with its emotional moments. Others felt that the film lacked the same nuance of the short story, with its moments of humor not landing. Either way, it remains a memorable entry in Stiller's impressive filmography, even if some audiences didn't resonate with it.
4 Don Jon
2013 was also the year that actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt made his debut as a writer-director with Don Jon. Gordon-Levitt also starred in the film as Jon, a man with an addiction to Internet pornography whose urges are confronted when he enters a serious relationship with Barbara, a rom-com-loving woman played by Scarlett Johansson.
The film is a modern-day view of romance, as Jon struggles to connect with Barbara over his addiction. The real heart is Julianne Moore's character, a widow who Jon connects with as his relationship with Barbara is struggling. Don Jon's reception by critics in turn might make filmgoers curious as to why Gordon-Levitt hasn't become a more frequent director.
3 Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
The first movie based on the Percy Jackson novels by Rick Riordan released in 2010, starring Logan Lerman and Alexandra Daddario. While critics felt it was an enjoyable film, it was harshly criticized by Riordan himself due to his lack of creative control. Unfortunately, that criticism as a whole carried over to its sequel, which released in 2013.
Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, while named after the second book in the original series, incorporates elements from the subsequent three novels. This was a choice not well-received by film reviewers or hardcore fans of the series. Nevertheless, the Percy Jackson films will remain relevant when the Disney+ adaptation premieres in 2024.
2 Man of Steel
In 2013, the DC film universe kicked off with Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder. It was the debut of Henry Cavill as Superman who discovers his origin and assumes his iconic role as Earth's greatest protector to prevent an invasion from the Kryptonian general Zod, played by Michael Shannon. Amy Adams also stars as Lois Lane.
Though the film struggled to gain the same acclaim as the MCU's Iron Man, Cavill stood out as the perfect Clark Kent. Despite its middling reviews, it served as the jumping-off point for the DCEU's future throughout the 2010s, which were filled with even more controversy. Now that Cavill is out as Superman, fans likely look back on this film with nostalgic eyes.
1 Pacific Rim
When it comes to sci-fi, fantasy, and monster movies, few auteurs nail the genre as good as Guillermo del Toro. In 2013, the director helmed Pacific Rim, a film centered on a war between ocean-dwelling kaiju and human-controlled mechas. Its cast includes Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Charlie Day, and Rinko Kikuchi, among others.
The film was showered with praise by critics, some of whom called the film an ode to anime and kaiju films. Many reviewers felt it reminded them of their favorite childhood cartoons, such as Transformers, albeit achieving a nostalgic effect with new creatures and characters. It remains one of del Toro's best-reviewed works in his illustrious career.