Coming in at #8 45. The Grifters Grew up loving a great conman film starting in my wee youth with
The Sting and ran wild with the premise. So, in my mid-twenties, sitting in the theater multiple times when this came out became a serious favorite. With an underbelly vibe and cruel violence when cons are found out,
The Grifters remains taut with tension and drama, from the illicit relationship between mother (Anjelica Huston) and son (John Cusack) grifters and the intrusive addition of Annette Benning's sexually charged huntress of a good thing.
It's been a solid two decades since seeing this heavily watched neo-noir, and had I had time for a rewatch, this would have been a whole lot longer. One of a few instant inclusions on my list
44. Blade Runner 2049 I was far more impressed than my initially doubtful first time I saw this. It took a second one to sit back and enjoy it, and my enjoyment grew on the following couple of rewatches. For me, they retained both the enigmatic elements and the visual brilliance of the original, and this was an excellent continuation storyline.
43. To Live and Die in L.A. Creates an almost Anti Cops and Robbers film as our lead cop is really more corrupt and dangerous than the bad guy that he's willing to commit crime after crime to pursue.
Freidkin's willingness to explore police corruption when everyone else celebrated Cowboy Tactics in a grand style without repercussions during the eighties was an intriguing and worthwhile choice.
Coming in at #13 42. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) I am very much a fan of Shane Black's comedic, nuanced neo-noir, with fourth-wall-breaking, beautifully delivered, sharp-witted dialogue featuring Kilmer and Downey. Michelle Monaghan is all kinds of wonderful. I can watch this again and again.
Coming in at #21 Inherent Vice (2014) To quote from Thief's post, Matt Zoller Seitz, from RogerEbert.com, said:
Mostly it's a long, shaggy, knockabout comedy about eccentrics who pursue their own appetites and manias and indulge their private demons while remaining oblivious to their effect on others. And it works BEAUTIFULLY for me.
Coming in at #20 39. The Nice Guys And speaking of Black, I'd be remiss if I didn't include this heavily rewatched bumbling detective work amusingly displayed by Ryan Gosling with Russell Crowe's stoic Enforcer and the real brains, Gosling's daughter played by Angourie Rice.
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6. The Grifters (1990) #45 7.
8. Mystic River (2003) #68 9.
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13. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) #42 14. Mother (2009) #67 15.
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20. The Nice Guys (2016) #39 21. Inherent Vice (2014) #41 22.
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24.Basic Instinct (1992) #70 25. Things to do in Denver When You're Dead (1995) One-Pointer