Movie Power Rankings attempts to recognize a broad spectrum of films released in a given year rather than merely listing ten great films from the year. We arrive at our top ten list by selecting the #1 film from each yearly category. As a result, larger Hollywood productions receive recognition along with smaller independent films. We have a category for the greatest directors working today - here and abroad. Movie Power Rankings also includes a category for genre-related films like fantasy, sci-fi, westerns, action, film noir and so on. We have categories for animated, documentary, and international films, as well as a "wild card" category recognizing the best in horror, cult, experimental, etc.
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The 10 Categories
Designed to create an ultimate top 10 list at year's end similar to what many critics release at year's end. The 10 categories also reflect the categories found in annual awards (ex. The Academy Awards, The Golden Globes, SAG Awards, DGA Awards, etc.). The difference with Movie Power Rankings is that every film released in the year is a nominee for it's particular category. The 10 categories are designed to contain similar films - though it is subjective and it can be debated on which category a film ultimately belongs. The site is always open to suggestions as far as moving certain films around but we want to have 10 categories in place to create the year-end top 10 list (the #1 film from each category will produce the site's top 10 list).
See below for explanations on the 10 categories:
Drama/Tragedy
Similar to the 2 best picture categories used in the Golden Globes. 5 films are nominated for best Drama and 5 are nominated for best Comedy/Musical. This category is also a reference to the stories and plays of antiquity (ex. Tragedies). The films in this category will usually have a wide release. A prominent cast or director may also impact the film's placement into this category as opposed to Art House/Independents.
Comedy/Musical
Similar to the best picture category used in the Golden Globes. Here comedies and musicals are combined. For example, films like Mamma Mia and Dreamgirls will be found in the same category as The Hangover. This category also references the genres of antiquity. The films in this category usually have a wide release. A prominent cast or director may also impact the film's placement into this category as opposed to Art House/Independents.
Great Directors
A collection of great filmmakers from all the categories: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Francis Ford Coppola, James Cameron, Werner Herzog, Clint Eastwood, Pedro Almadovar, Peter Jackson, Guillermo del Toro, Spike Lee, Woody Allen, Mike Nichols, Stephen Soderberg, Ridley Scott, Michael Mann, David Cronenberg, John Sayles, Paul Verhoeven, Bernardo Bertolucci, Terrance Malick, Jean Luc Godard, The Coen Bros., Tim Burton, Zang Yimou, Ang Lee, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, Katherine Bigalow, Michael Haneke, Roman Polanski, George Romero, Paul Thomas Andersen, David Fincher, Michael Bay, John Woo, Errol Morris, Darren Aronofsky, Danny Boyle, Peter Weir, Ron Howard, Kevin Smith, Robert Zemekis
THE WAITING LIST: John Carpenter, Bryan Singer, Joe Wright, Zack Snyder, Sofia Coppola, Edgar Wright
Animated
Similar to the category used in The Academy Awards; hand drawn, CGI, Anime, Claymation - (ex. Snow White, Toy Story, Spirited Away, Wallace and Gromit)
Genre
Action, adventure, western, film noir, superhero, fantasy, (Die Hard, Tombstone, Femme Fatale, Superman); will typically have a wide release but some buzz-worthy independents or international films may move into this category.
Sequel/Series/Remake
The category designed strictly for large Hollywood productions. Many films that did well in the genre, horror, comedy, etc. category will produce sequels and series found in this category.
Art House/Independent
Films that typically have made the rounds in the festivals and have a limited release. These films may not be accessible to all parts of the nation until a video release. Many of these have been produced in the previous years but are now being released in theaters in NY, LA, and other large cities.
Documentary
Similar to the category used in The Academy Awards.
Foreign/International
Similar to the category used in The Academy Awards. Films that are produced outside the US and Foreign language films are included.
Horror/Thriller/Cult
This category is designed for horror films, gore, thriller/suspense, cult (sexploitation, Blaxploitation, grindhouse, camp, experimental). Ex. The Exorcist, Hostel, The Silence of the Lambs, Black Dynamite)